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And there's more where he's plain wrong, like Aluminium. Despite all that a great antidote to the overhype that I see most days.
by MikeGale 9y ago
And there's more where he's plain wrong, like Aluminium.
Despite all that a great antidote to the overhype that I see most days.
- gwern 9y agoI did notice that one, but aluminum is kind of a complex topic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium#Synthesis_of_metal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium#Synthesis_of_metal): the early cost was both the chemical processing and the low ore content, and one could charitably read him as referring to discovering bauxite and the electrolysis method, and then he's certainly right about the cost of electricity coming down drastically and making aluminum even cheaper. So not clearly wrong IMO, given that it's an extemporaneous interview.