PCFormat Forum Archive

I find it uncomfortable to post science articles in the "A thread not for the easily offended". So I decided to take G-Boys idea and make a thread for science articles. However if this thread flops then I shall carry on posting in the offended thread...

The Pentagon Wants Space Solar Power for U.S., Allies

Is this a viable power solution? By focusing solar energy back into our atmosphere will it not cause ozone holes to pop up all over the place? Or am I misunderstanding the concept of this "clean" energy?

Hmmm great idea Anakha...and your title includes me too! whoohooo... i can post all kinds of lousy stuff to see if anyone actually thinks about it!

cool!

Cant wait to see what you have dug up on the web jee

Nice! I'm a science n00b but this is sure to be interesting. Thanks Anakha.

np thanks for the idea

Also if you come across anything interesting please post it

Hmm America does not recognise anything that has "ozone" in it

Can you think of the cost and the energy it will use just to get the project going? Mind, it could be good for space travel and other space related projects. However, i think wind and water should rather be harnassed as alternative energy sources first.

I see in one of the referred articles its mentioned :

could solve strategic and tactical security problems for the U.S. and its deployed forces

Its what all this is about.. the paranoid US of A and their armies.

that is something that caught my eye to. Also how much will the USA sell the "clean" energy to their allies?

I would prefer this project if it involved all the allied nations not just the USA it gives them to much power...

But this thread is not to discuss te politics its to discuss the science behind the article...

is it possible these days to discuss science without it being linked to politics? and defence? unless off course you discuss the science of light therapy.

hmmm maybe not, I dont want the focus of the thread to be politics though would prefer it to focus on the science...

light therapy?

Well, I don't know that might about light and energy, but to me, I think that if they sending solar rays, then it isn't any different than the sun's energy hitting the earth. The only difference I could imagine would be that it would be a concentrated amount of energy beamed into one area.

Then again, they didn't speak a lot in that report. Still though, sounds safe to me... Not that a grade 10 learners opinion these days is useful .

the question we should be asking is whether UV rays can be "bounced" using mirrors, if not then the light energy would be the only thing "transmitted/bounced."

Although a satellite that could bounce UV radiation would be a powerful weapon. give a whole nation skin cancer.

Doomextreme wrote:Still though, sounds safe to me... Not that a grade 10 learners opinion these days is useful .

man, your opinion is always welcomed. Fear not, if you make a n00b statement we will be sure to flame you for it!

as G-Boy said dont be afraid to ask or put yourself out there its the only way to learn.

K_B UV rays reflect off of anything bright so I presume that mirrors would reflect them as well. So "clean" energy at the expense of skin cancer?

KillerByte wrote:the question we should be asking is whether UV rays can be "bounced" using mirrors, if not then the light energy would be the only thing "transmitted/bounced."

Although a satellite that could bounce UV radiation would be a powerful weapon. give a whole nation skin cancer.

They'll go blind first.

Anakha56 wrote:<space power>

not very clear as to how they plan on "transmitting" this 'cheap' energy... (microwave?). Through the atmosphere will probably see localised weather upsets, as well as degradation in the various atmospheric elements that go into protecting us from just this type of intrusive energy... not to mention the fun that could be had should said beam stray outside its catchment area... (wayhey! would you like fries with that neighbourhood?)

and i cannot imagine that our war-mongering cousins in the west will not be tempted to use said system as a deterrent, (or even bargaining chip), at some point. surely not...

hmm...

The last time I checked, CFC's caused the hole that once was in the ozone layer, not the sun.

rustypup wrote:

Anakha56 wrote:<space power>

not very clear as to how they plan on "transmitting" this 'cheap' energy... (microwave?). Through the atmosphere will probably see localised weather upsets, as well as degradation in the various atmospheric elements that go into protecting us from just this type of intrusive energy... not to mention the fun that could be had should said beam stray outside its catchment area... (wayhey! would you like fries with that neighbourhood?)

and i cannot imagine that our war-mongering cousins in the west will not be tempted to use said system as a deterrent, (or even bargaining chip), at some point. surely not...

hmm...

Maybe they're planning on putting a big-bottom cable into orbit to transport the power to Earth

much to do about nothing
shakespear have one up on all of you

Ark wrote:Maybe they're planning on putting a big-bottom cable into orbit to transport the power to Earth

that sort of engineering feat is so far out of our league as to be an alien planet. the tensile strength required is immense.

@moses: what would CFCs have to do with it? A constant, highly focused, stream of radiation puncturing the atmosphere for 50+years is not going to go unnoticed. that's just a single such construct. put another 50/100 up there and let's sit back and see the impact...

@sojourn: the technology is very, very, real.

that sort of engineering feat is so far out of our league as to be an alien planet. the tensile strength required is immense.

Out of our league, but not that far. Nanotech might make it possible:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Elevator

Hex_Rated wrote:Out of our league, but not that far. <CNT link>

the carbon nanotube presents a real possibilty, but they're still struggling to produce stable centimetre long pieces, (without the inclusion of adhesive polymers), let alone the multiple mile-long versions required... (at least, at last reading - which was a few months back).

even then, the top of the tube will be a few kms across.... making for some very shady neighbourhoods...

space elevators still fascinate me...

Is this a thread for the Google Championships of the World

I think the americans have watched too many James Bond movies...

"American DoD: Awe shucks, We're needin a nu super weapon cause we cain't use nukes no more. Oh wait, dang, I shoulda thoughd o that. I saw dis here movie once about this spy guy using a ray from space..."

lancelot wrote:Is this a thread for the Google Championships of the World

Agreed.

I just wish I had the time to participate.

Between talking rubbish with my colleagues and scanning the network for new music for my latest MP3 CD, I don't really have free time to google today