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Transparent Concrete

Posted by michael on from the mandated-by-anti-terrorism-act-of-2004 dept.

rakerman writes: "The Economist reports in How to see through walls that development is underway on translucent concrete, with hopes of eventually developing transparent concrete. Can transparent aluminium be far behind?"

12 of 361 comments (clear)

  1. But what about the birds? by Eharley · · Score: 5, Funny

    Won't translucent structures lead to an increase rate of smack death amongst bird populations?

    1. Re:But what about the birds? by IainHere · · Score: 5, Funny

      I used to walk over a bridge with large glass windows, where there was a silhouette of a bird of prey. On the back was a caption that read "this cut-out is here to scare off small birds, which used to fly into the bridge and *subsequently* kill themselves". I often wondered why, having survived hitting the bridge, they would want to commit suicide. So perhaps they'll do the same on transparent concrete?

    2. Re:But what about the birds? by HarryTuttle · · Score: 4, Funny

      I often wondered why, having survived hitting the bridge, they would want to commit suicide.

      Embarrassment

      --

      Don't fight it son. Confess quickly! If you hold out too long you could jeopardise your credit rating.
  2. How to see through walls by Hal-9001 · · Score: 4, Funny

    They're called windows, and they're usually made of a neat transparent material called glass... ;-)

    Seriously, though, any slurry-based material like concrete is most likely to be opaque because microscopic structures tend to scatter light. You only need to pour a glass of milk to see this in action.

    --
    "It take 9 months to bear a child, no matter how many women you assign to the job."
    1. Re:How to see through walls by Pathetic+Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

      Please use the term "transparent exterior access devices".

  3. A good weapon against terrorism... by heretic108 · · Score: 4, Funny

    would be to legislate that all new residential and commercial dwellings be built from transparent concrete.
    Anyone refusing to demolish their existing house would be added to a database of 'potential conspirators'.
    This would be quite consistent with recent 'anti-terrorist' surveillance legislation.
    Also, the boom in building would boost the flagging economy.
    Imagine whole neighbourhoods of people living in complete exposure, proving they're real honest patriotic Americans.

    --
    -- In the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD was UNSIGNED, and the main(){} was without form and void...
  4. Glass Houses by Perdo · · Score: 5, Funny

    If you lived in a transparent concrete house would you still have to refrain from stone throwing?

    --

    If voting were effective, it would be illegal by now.

  5. Remember the "clear craze" several years ago? by Ukab+the+Great · · Score: 4, Funny

    First we had clear Pespi.
    Then we had clear deodorant.
    Saturday Night introduced us to clear gravvy.

    Like clear concrete was that far behind?

  6. I know how this one started... by Andy_R · · Score: 4, Funny

    Architect "...are the stairs, and this is where the wi..."
    Programmer "NO! NO! I will not have windows installed!"

    --
    A pizza of radius z and thickness a has a volume of pi z z a
  7. Re:Transparent aluminum by cowbutt · · Score: 5, Funny
    I doubt even if it could be produced, people would find it of much use.

    I dunno. I find it invaluable for transporting live whales in my time-travelling starship, complete with enough water to for them to move around in.

    I could use steel or something, but, darn, I like to press my nose up to their enclosure during the journey.

    --

  8. Edible Concrete by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    Edible concrete has been with us for years:

    coarse aggregate - dried fruit
    fine aggregate - flour
    binding agent - eggs.

    It proved so popular, it's got its own name - cake!

    Let's face it, Marie Antoinette would've looked a bit of a dork saying "let them eat edible concrete."

  9. Re:Light Pollution by foobar104 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Buildings glowing from within? This is terrible for astronomers... the added light pollution would further ruin the viewing conditions for many great observatories.

    Maybe that wouldn't be so bad. I say, the sooner we got astronomers off the surface and up to the far side of the moon, where they belong, the better.