Comments

@Nicole Ridgway: Actually, gasoline engines are far more efficient and far less polluting than they've ever been. That old Starlet got great mileage because it only weighed about 1,600 pounds. The smallest Toyota these days, the Yaris, weighs almost 700 pounds more, at 2,290 pounds, and gets 29/36 mpg. All that weight is from the increased structural integrity and other safety requirements modern cars have. The Yaris also meets far more stringent emissions requirements, so it's way cleaner to operate than that Starlet as well.

@DotNetProgrammer: It's your right be a pedant, but please at least take some time to find out what a blog is, and what its role is, and how it differs from traditional editorial reporting. Think of it as the section full of conversation starters. A place where ideas are introduced to the readership, which in an ideal world, responds constructively, inspiring other readers to comment and contribute in kind. And so on. If you find this distasteful, please return to your musty stack of past issues and leave the dialogue to those of us who don't have an axe to grind. "Not the PopSci we grew up with" Thank heavens for small favors.