Jack K. Horner's Page

I'm no fan of some of the practices of big pharmaceutical companies, but the current economic/legal environment makes those companies ineffective as demons, regardless of their intentions.

"Big pharma", as used here, refers to the largest five pharmaceutical companies. Their revenues collectively constitute ~90% of the non-generic pharmaceutical market worldwide.

We can estimate the big pharma research and development (R&D) investment rate fairly easily. It's no more than 20% of gross reve… Continue

A radiant thermal barrier (RTB) consists of three layers. The core layer is essentially "bubble" packing -- two sheets of puckered polyethylene film bonded to each other. A metallicized film, typically aluminized Mylar, is laminated to each side of the core. In theory, the metallicized film reflects heat back toward its source. The bubble-pack core helps to reduce transmission of heat from one reflective layer to the next. Placed against attic ceilings, a RTB reflects summer heat back at the roo… Continue

The Cash for Clunkers program sounds great, but the cost of gasoline would have to exceed $5.00/gallon over the next 10 years for the typical clunker to cost more to own and operate than a typical new car with 70% greater fuel efficiency. Moreover, the reduction in greenhouse gases under the program is less than the uncertainty in the climate models used to predict the relationship between carbon dioxide and global warming.

The Cash for Clunkers program, officially called the Car Allowance Reba… Continue

Is installing a photovoltaic (PV) system in your house to generate electricity cost-effective?

The short answer is a qualified “yes”. A PV system directly converts light to electricity. Once installed, the electricity it generates is “free”, so the cost of electricity produced by such a system is just what it costs through installation, amortized over its lifetime. It can be financed in such a way that its cost is competitive with today’s residential electrical energy prices. During operation,… Continue

Is it less expensive to can or to freeze food?

The short answer is that it is less expensive at today’s energy prices to freeze food for up to a month than it is to can it and store it at room temperature. Beyond that time, canned food takes less energy and is less expensive to maintain than frozen food.

It takes about 0.5 kilowatt-hours (about 1700 BTU) of electrical energy per pint per month to keep food at -10 degrees Fahrenheit in an average freezer in the U.S. If electricity costs ten cen… Continue