There should be a Ditch Witch-shaped knife.

They don't call it a "cartel" for nothing:

A cartel is an organization that artificially limits their own production, to boost prices.

And the only visible efforts to restrict output are undertaken by the DEA. Efforts whose success is measured by their ability to drive up prices, might I add.

So yeah, it wouldn't surprise me if there's more cooperation than meets the eye.

By the way, there's not reason to hydrogenate a hard fat like lard. Hydrogenation is only used to stiffen up liquid oils that are unsaturated; it would be a waste of money in this case.

If you'd like to read a scientific article on this topic, I found one. Its DOI is 10.1063/1.2172411 (which can be used at, e.g., dx.doi.org).

It reports an efficiency of 4.5%, and an output power of 0.58 microwatts. The isotope used here is 33P.

A laptop uses about 45 watts, so yes, it would take a thousand of these, but that's only about 30 cm x 30 cm, or plates taking up the whole back surface of the laptop. Not a whole house-full.

Since over 95% of the energy released is heat, not electricity, your lap would be hot even if you carried enough lead to keep it from getting "hot": 900 watts would feel like nine 100-watt lightbulbs resting on your pant leg.

Cool.

I hope this doesn't go the way of previous cure-all wonder-herbs, though...like coca.

(kidding, by the way...)

I thought it was by Asimov...shows how much I know.

That goes to show you what a high-sugar, low-protein diet can do to a growing young bear.

I wonder how long before someone pops too many alveoli and sues them for all they're worth.

I'm a bit skeptical of evolutionary psychology. It makes for great news stories, but is it real science?

I'm glad you mentioned the distinction between self-reporting and observed behavior once, but it would be nice if you had phrased the article in terms like "men are more likely to say that they'll take risks."

As for fertility risks from common behaviors, I'm pretty sure that tight jeans and the dye in Mountain Dew are a greater risk to male fertility than THC.