Comment on Power is not energy: why the difference matters [Technology Connections]

• sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  Nah, the video is pretty straightforward, but it’s presented in a way that most people would lose interest unless they’re actually into the subject matter. I see three problems with the video:

  • it’s too long
  • very few analogies
  • mostly a talking head

  Power vs energy is fairly simple with a good explanation. Power is simply the speed at which energy gets used up. For example:

  • if you make a big campfire, it’ll use up your wood (energy) faster
  • of you’re playing games on your phone, your battery (energy) will die sooner
  • if you sprint, you’ll use up your energy faster than if you jog

  That’s extremely intuitive. All a regular person needs to know is that simple concept, plus a way to measure it (the Kill-a-watt example). Boom, 5-10 min video.

  But the talking head made it way more complicated by starting with gas. That’s just belabouring the point that you can increase or decrease power, which is already intuitive with batteries or things we can see (wood) or feel (tiredness).

  They could then segue into gas, once the power vs energy issue is established. A can of butane is like a battery, and the valve controls how quickly it’s used. We can compare gas and electricity directly because electricity can be turned directly into heat, just like gas can.

  And then you segue into heat pumps. Basically explain how your AC/fridge works (i.e. moves heat instead of creating “cold”). Make a demo where you move heat vs create heat and show how much energy is used. As in, heat a room from 72F or whatever to 90F, one using a heat pump and the other using a space heater. Show how temps compare on both sides of the heat pump vs space heater (other rooms shouldn’t change w/ space heater). Then use that to show a real-world example of a house that swapped from furnace to heat pump to really drive the point home that moving heat is more efficient than creating it.

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  • rice@lemmy.org ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    This is way beyond majority of peoples capabilities. Everything in your post and his video is, both are long too. Majority of people just do not care, otherwise we’d all be engineers.

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    • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

      The part about electricity is pretty short, just a few bullet points and a couple paragraphs. If it was video form, I could cover it in 2-3 min complete with visuals.

      I don’t know why this video is so long.

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      • rice@lemmy.org ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

        All his videos are like that, he enjoys being long winded

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• Krudler@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  Explaining to people learning to cook that oil is liquid pan that carries heat is just too mind blowing. The simple shit is wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy beyond the average smartwatch wearing doof

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