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Controlling Hurricanes?

Phil Shapiro writes "With the cost of hurricane Katrina running as high as $100 billion, the thought of trying to control the severity of hurricanes should be mulled. Dissipating the energy of hurricanes as they're forming might be within the range of the feasible. Scientific American tackles this topic in an article last year, as does this crank. (I admit the crank is me.) Is this type of thing feasible, or is it best not even tried at all?"

19 of 795 comments (clear)

  1. your idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    blows, it really blows

  2. Followup Article? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    This strikes me as the perfect segue from Bad Science in the Press.

              -ShadowRanger

  3. Bring there a lot of ice! by WetCat · · Score: 1, Funny

    An ICEBERG!!!

  4. damn by cente · · Score: 5, Funny

    How about a hurricane *generator*.. but make it go in the exact opposite of the target storm.. now that'd be something I'd wanna see

  5. Re:Global Impact by cozzano · · Score: 1, Funny

    > May God bless you all! He's not doing a good job at the moment...

  6. Chaos theory by FidelCatsro · · Score: 2, Funny

    Ever hear of Chaos theory .
    the butterfly effect in specific .(warning :Sarcasm soon to come)
      Well to summarise ..A small change in a dynamic systems initial conditions can result in a wide variations later in the cycle .
    Edward Lorenz's theory was beautifully analogised to the butterfly effect .
    so as a more sensible solution , I advise that if we want to stop hurricanes .. we shoot all the butterflies in the world.

    --
    The only things certain in war are Propaganda and Death. You can never be sure which is which though
  7. Re:Get The Power by ozmanjusri · · Score: 5, Funny

    No little wind farm, or even (on our scale) massive wind farm is going to change this.

    Wouldn't you just have to find the right butterfly, then swat the little bugger before if flaps it's wings?

    --
    "I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."
  8. Re:Get The Power by PakProtector · · Score: 3, Funny
    No little wind farm, or even (on our scale) massive wind farm is going to change this.
    Wouldn't you just have to find the right butterfly, then swat the little bugger before if flaps it's wings?

    That'll keep Bush busy forever...

    You, sirruh, are a genius. A genius.

    --

    Edward@Tomato - /home/Edward/ man woman
    man: no entry for woman in the manual.
    "Qua!?"

  9. Re:Get The Power by ozmanjusri · · Score: 2, Funny

    You, sirruh, are a genius. A genius.

    Why is this man being moderated funny? He's informative, dammit, informative!

    --
    "I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."
  10. Re:Global Impact by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Right then, another guy who thinks that Katrina was their god's punishment for debauchery in New Orleans. Just remember, the French Quarter is still there, so your god has shitty aim.

  11. Control!! by benhocking · · Score: 2, Funny

    According to this story, the Japanese can already control hurricanes.

    (And no, I don't take this seriously.)

    --
    Ben Hocking
    Need a professional organizer?
  12. Re:Kyoto by WebfishUK · · Score: 2, Funny


    The Kyoto agreement is, hopefully, the first small step in a long process which will fundamentally change the way in which we as a species interact with our environment. Now I'm not niave enough to believe that Kyoto will solve much, if anything, itself. I'm well aware that in evolutionary timescales the industrial revolution occured just 10 minutes ago and that it will take time for us to learn how best to use our marvelous (and I really mean marvelous) new technologies. However, if nothing else the Kyoto agreement stands as a acknowledgement of responsibility and a commitment for change.

    The US (however it chooses to govern itself) has repeatedly failed to engage on this issue. As the supposed most powerful man on the planet, the failure of the US president even to acknowledge the problem doesn't represent much progress. Then again, I watch for 3 or 4 days as a quite horrific looking weather system closed in on the poor souls living in the Missippi delta and president Bush did precious little to save them. What chance then, that he will act on some less imminent or specific, but far more devistating scientific predictions?

    --
    -- "Can't sleep, clowns will eat me!"
  13. Re:Global Impact by elrous0 · · Score: 2, Funny
    ...except for the whole losing your home and all of your possesions part.

    Not if you happen to be the proud owner of the world's largest ziploc bag.

    And the guys at work said I was nuts. Who's laughing now?!?!

    -Eric

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
  14. Re:Global Impact by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    'Cause Baptists can't handle the truth?


    I was born Baptist and have no clue what you are talking about. Sounds like an atheistic mumble jumble of misinformation.

    the concept of an omnibenevolent deity rests on the idea that humans are the only important thing in the world.

    The bible clearly states this is not the case.

    The rest making statements about omnibenevolent all stems from the liberal/tree-hugger views of God wanting us to hug puppies, trees, and angels are cute little dimple faced girls with wings. It has never been that way. Angels were fearsome to behold, there are multiple stories of pain and suffering, and life is a test that all comes down to one thing. Faith.

  15. Re:Global Impact by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Stop watchin Michael Moore. He's an idiot with a camera.

  16. Re:Global Impact by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny
    ...was God warning them?
    Yes! I was. All of you are wrong about the nature of God! Worship me once again or I will continue to assult your non-believing communities from my sea!

    -- Poseidon

    P.S. My buddy Zeus is a little pissed himself.

  17. Re:omnibenevolence and omnipotence by CffnDwllr · · Score: 2, Funny

    I have severe medical problems secondary to a spinal cord injury I suffered a decade ago. I live in unimaginable pain every second, of every minute, of every hour, of every day... IF God exists AND he allows this to happen, when I die, I'm going to shove an infinant number of baseball bats up his ass. :@

    --
    I'm waiting for WOOT to offer an Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator. I need one.
  18. We are ignoring the real source by HTTP+Error+403+403.9 · · Score: 4, Funny
    F.B.I. Begin Hunt for Terrorist Butterfly

    I say we skip trying to find the individual butterfly responsible and eradicate the entire lot of them.

    • Papillonidae - dead
    • Pieridae - dead
    • Nymphalidae - dead
    • Libytheidae - dead
    • Lyeacnidae - dead

    They are an Order of hate.

    --
    I'm not a Troll, it's reverse psychology.
  19. Re:omnibenevolence and omnipotence by zxnos · · Score: 2, Funny

    every good slashdotter knows that a gods power is a direct function of the number of worshipers said god has. d&d 101 man...

    --
    always mosh clockwise