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Scientist Are Working to 'Steer' Hurricanes

Posted by Zonk on from the just-like-that-episode-of-ds9-on-risa-where-worf-is-a-jerk dept.

E++99 writes "In the wake of Katrina, two teams of climate scientists have been working to steer hurricanes. Both teams are using the technique of removing power and speed from strategic points in the hurricane, effectively refracting its path. The American team is approaching this by warming the areas of the tops of the hurricane clouds, either by dropping ash to absorb heat from the sun, or directly beaming microwaves on those areas from space. The Israeli team is taking the approach of cooling the bottom of the hurricane by releasing dust along its base."

4 of 310 comments (clear)

  1. Might be just a scam! by mritunjai · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Sounds awfully like a scam to get government funding for research, actually.

    A typical hurricane packs a punch worth an "ordinary" atomic bomb exploding every minute. It would take an insane amount of energy to add/remove to even make a statistically significant difference.

    Mother nature is *really* powerful and not to be messed with!

    Ah, now if they could figure out how to remove some energy and convert into electricity, now THAT would be useful... a season's worth of storms can solve whole world's energy problem ;-)

    --
    - mritunjai
  2. How would this have helped katrina? by Hebbinator · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Listen, the hurricaine was only half the problem. The reason Katrina was a disaster was not because of direct hurricaine damage that this kind of thing may prevent. Moving the hurricaine to the east or west would not stop the water surge that caused the levees to break! This is not the direction we should be heading as a society.

    Why not spend this money on infrastructure and first responders? Or people to check to make sure mandatory evac's are carried out? Or insurance reform? If you had a hurricane coming at your house, would you rather have trained people to help you, make sure you get away safely and securely, and that your material things are protected... or would you rather count on beams from space? Are you kidding?

  3. Re:Uhmmm...... by Mode_Locrian · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is essentially a real-life, large scale version of the much discussed "Trolley Problem" (originally posed by Philippa Foot). (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_problem for a more-or-less accurate sketch.)

  4. This is disheartening by Normal_Deviate · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Well over half the posts on this topic are variations on "Don't do it because something might go wrong", the modern version of "God did not intend man to meddle."

    Pointing out something that might go wrong does not require wit, only a desire to obstruct or to appear wise. Even less is required to point out that something vague and unspecified might go wrong. Even less, to refuse to notice that something massively valuable is likely to go right.

    Imagine the Slashdot posts on the "Man invents fire" story.