Developing synthetic material is $$$.

[gary_1.8t]

Interesting lecture I sat in on this past week on synthetic material research. I never knew how much money and time is spent on R&D in this area. The amount of analysis is staggering. Who would have thought that FEA is needed to model the behaviour of a single fiber under vairous conditions. What's even more interesting is the R&D going into materials that change the insulation value as a function of body temperature. A bit of a nerdy post, but thought I'd share...

-oh I hope this not out of line by posting here. My apologies if so.-

 

[Stan]

R&D is expensive. Many people don't truly appreciate the cost of R&D, in pharmaceuticals for example, and how it impacts the final cost of a product, at least in the early years of production. Costs must be recovered in a short time just out of the threat of obsolescence with technology changing so fast.

But I digress. There is a growing cross fertilization of scientific and engineering disciplines that results in some stunning products. Add in nanotechnology and the possibilities are even more endless. Truly, if you can imagine it, it can probably be done ... with sufficient R&D of course ... yet, I can't imagine a synthetic that weight for weight can replace goose down for warmth or wool for warmth when wet. There is a lot in nature yet to be discovered or replicated.

 

[Doc McPeak]

But producing it safely doesn't warrant the $$$!

R&D is expensive. Many people don't truly appreciate the cost of R&D, in pharmaceuticals for example...

What a joke! I think I'll NOT digress...

Too bad they're not doing more R&D on the long term health risks for the factory workers cranking out these synthetics. The laminate factories are some of the most toxic working environments in the textile world. I love my jackets, but was dismayed at a lecture I saw that chronicalled serious pulmonary problems in many third world outdoor gear factories. Hey, profits over people. The glory of a stock market driven society. Yeah, yeah, let's give them our tax dollars too!

 

[Rik]

What I don't care for is when R&D gets cited as the reason for increased consumer costs. It is only part of the reason. These are all "for-profit" companies whose primary objective is profit. Seems the advertising budgets for pharmaceutical companies are increasing all the time with more tv ads, race car sponsorship, etc.

 

[Neil]

Add in nanotechnology and the possibilities are even more endless. Truly, if you can imagine it, it can probably be done ... with sufficient R&D of course ... yet, I can't imagine a synthetic that weight for weight can replace goose down for warmth or wool for warmth when wet. There is a lot in nature yet to be discovered or replicated.

Goose down and wool are great examples of "nanotechnology". ie. Making stuff one atom at a time in order to fulfill a very specific need.
How about a nanotechnological device that copies the chlorophyll molecule many zillion fold that becomes a part of the material of your pack or your jacket. The solar energy captured could then be fed directly into working muscle via micro thin wires. It could also be used to cool you down in the summer and to charge a battery for boiling water. Just send me the money and EMS will have it soon.

 

[mafogle]

If you think about it R&D is what makes products cheaper. How much does Neil's chlorophyll powered jacket cost? You can't buy it, it doesn't exist, its cost is infinite.

So if someone were to invest the time and money into basic research and development to make it a reality, even if it cost $5,000 in size 42-long, well then they've made it cheaper - even if the price is ridiculous.

Of more interest to this board - consider that aluminum was once a precious metal, and right now researchers are working on a low cost electrolytic method of producing titanium - it may soon be as cheap as aluminum. Titanium spoons - and forks for everyone!

I love R&D - except when it produces A-bombs and hi-fructose corn syrup.

And when it comes to fixing the mess we've made of the environment, where will the solutions come from? R&D

-Martin

disclaimer -- I, uhmmm work in R&D

 

[Neil]

And when it comes to fixing the mess we've made of the environment, where will the solutions come from? R&D

-Martin

disclaimer -- I, uhmmm work in R&D

Fixing the environment will require a more in the way of getting people to change their behaviour than R&D.

In the 1800's it was discovered that in order to reduce frequent infections (and hence, patient death) after surgery that surgeons would have to wash their hands prior to operating. This took many years to implement because surgeons scoffed at the idea. Some went so far as to sharpen their scalpels pre-op by stropping them on the souls of their shoes in mockery of the idea.

 

[Mark Driscoll]

Neil,

Doctors started to wash their hands due to the fact that research showed that washing your hands with soap and water reduced infections.

Mark

 

[Neil]

True, but implementing the behaviour change was harder to do than the research itself. In fact the resistance was so strong and the public ridicule that the researcher (Semmelweis) was subjected to was so severe that he suffered a nervous breakdown.

But you're right, the research has to come first.

 

[mafogle]

Neil,

I agree with you there, attitude is everything when it comes to change and public policy.

It's really a cycle, research shapes public attitude which shapes the direction of research.

I just wish more of it was prospective rather than reactive. A good example is DDT. It would have been much better, back when, to have researched the effects on the environment - before dumping millions of tons it around the planet.

-Martin

 

[Jaytrek57]

There is an emerging (re) effort underway to bring back the use of DDT, especially in Third World countries (Malaria). There is plenty of rather interesting articles on the web.

Peace.