The myth of were only now starting to know!?

Question

I watched a show on the history channel about renewable energy and on it was said not too long ago we didn't think that we could have an abundance of renewable energy! Well thats because you weren't listening! How about it, got a great idea and no one is listening? I believe we can right now power a space ship from one planet to another but no one is still listening! I guess we'll have to wait untill some college educated so and so finally gets it and it comes to light! Well Orville and Wilber Wright didn't have a college education and its a d**n good thing they had the where with all to make their thoughts come to life just like Thomas Edison who needed financial help. Ill bet there are many good ideas going unheeded just like maybe yours? Now don't go telling me I don' t know what I'm talking about because I use to work for a company and the owner showed me three patents with my name on them because I was the designer of units at his plant and I'm not stupid, just no college ed.

Answer 1

Your observation is valid, to a point. We do see a lot of good inventive ideas coming from people without college degrees. Give someone with no inventive streak  but has a college education, still no inventions.

But I see people who have taken the time to study science, and engineering, and as well take a look at a lot of the inventiveness of others, as in reading filings for patents, and it opens all kinds of doors for  you to accomplish  things you could never have been able to do quickly.

Answer 2

It's nice to hear from someone of the caliber of Edison or the Wright Brothers.  But, as they say, talk is cheap.  If you are as good as you think you are, fine.  So e-mail me the following information--I really do know the people to talk to.  So tell me what the specific impulse of your "space ship" propulsion system would be would be (Earth surface and in vacuum) .  What is the ideal specific impulse?  Engine efficiency? And the following:

>What's the power source?  The operating temperature of the system?  Thrust to weight  ratio?  Mass ratio?  

Broken down for each configuration (stage) in the ascent phase.   Don't forget to include the calculations.

Now, if you can't do taht, you are not an engineer--self-taught or not.