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Bill Gates Funds Seawater-Spraying Cloud Machines

Posted by Soulskill on from the blue-sky-of-death dept.

lucidkoan writes "Environmentalists have long argued about whether geoengineering (using technology to alter the climate) is a good way to tackle climate change. But the tactic has some heavy hitters on its side, including Bill Gates. The Microsoft founder recently announced plans to invest $300,000 into research for machines that suck up seawater and spray it into the air, seeding white clouds that reflect rays of sunlight away from Earth. The machines, developed by a San Francisco-based research group called Silver Lining, turn seawater into tiny particles that can be shot up over 3,000 feet in the air. The particles increase the density of clouds by increasing the amount of nuclei contained within."

20 of 403 comments (clear)

  1. 300 HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS! by Thud457 · · Score: 4, Funny

    finally, he's acting like a proper evil mastermind...

    --

    the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

    1. Re:300 HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS! by WrongSizeGlass · · Score: 2, Funny

      I think MS has finally found a use for all those Zunes ... seawater-squirting cloud machines, now with 'SquirtsForSure'!

    2. Re:300 HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS! by Capt.DrumkenBum · · Score: 4, Funny

      seawater-squirting cloud machines, now with 'SquirtsForSure'!

      Off to register 'squirtsforsure.com' Soon to the the hottest pr0n site on the internet.

      --
      If I were God, wouldn't I protect my churches from acts of me?
  2. Hmmm by Spad · · Score: 2, Funny

    I believe the phrase is "What could possibly go wrong..."

    1. Re:Hmmm by Mamaeh · · Score: 3, Funny

      I believe the phrase is "What could possibly go wrong..."

      Pehaps "what clouds possibly go wrong..."

      --
      WYSIWYG Editor ? VI ! I see text, I get text.
    2. Re:Hmmm by dkleinsc · · Score: 2, Funny

      Actually, I think a better phrase for this is "Bill, I think you misunderstood all that talk about cloud computing."

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      I am officially gone from /. Long live http://www.soylentnews.com/
  3. Fatal flaw by Yvan256 · · Score: 5, Funny

    The Microsoft founder recently announced plans to invest $300,000 into research for machines that suck up seawater and spray it into the air, seeding white clouds that reflect rays of sunlight away from Earth.

    Unfortunately, the machines are solar-powered.

    1. Re:Fatal flaw by MouseR · · Score: 2, Funny

      But they shoot up 100 tons of plankton per hour to their death.

  4. Bill Gates announces World's Largest Supersoaker! by jpcarter · · Score: 3, Funny

    Awesome.

  5. I just blew a seal... by deathcow · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...700 feet into the air

    1. Re:I just blew a seal... by Locke2005 · · Score: 4, Funny

      This Eskimo is having engine problems, so he takes his car into the mechanic to investigate. While it's being worked on, he wonders next door to the ice cream parlor and has a vanilla ice cream cone. When he returns, the mechanic solemnly says to him "It looks like you blew a seal,", to which the Eskimo replies, "No, no, no... I was just eating ice cream!"

      --
      I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
  6. Re:What could by idontgno · · Score: 3, Funny

    Well, let's see. The salt falls back down. A proportion of it falls to the ground, slowly salting farmland. Famine sets in, and after the temporary greenhouse impact of a few hundreds of millions of corpses decaying, anthropogenic global warming reduces by virtue of less "anthropo" to "genic" that carbon dioxide.

    Problem solved.

    --
    Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
  7. Vaporware by owlnation · · Score: 5, Funny

    Vaporware -- the perfect business for him to be investing in! He has some experience.

  8. Re:What could by Brett+Buck · · Score: 5, Funny

    Let's also ignore the magical energy source required to pump all this water into the air.

          I suggest unicorns on a treadmill.

            Brett

  9. Re:Isn't water vapor... by Mitchell314 · · Score: 2, Funny

    No fool, ever seen a cloud? Water vapor is a whitehouse gas.

    --
    I read TFA and all I got was this lousy cookie
  10. Cloud Services, LOL by lcreech · · Score: 4, Funny

    No relataionship to the Microsoft Cloud Services advertized here on /.

  11. Re:What could by uselessengineer · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well, let's see. The salt falls back down. A proportion of it falls to the ground, slowly salting farmland. Famine sets in, and after the temporary greenhouse impact of a few hundreds of millions of corpses decaying, anthropogenic global warming reduces by virtue of less "anthropo" to "genic" that carbon dioxide.

    Problem solved.

    It's Got What Plants Crave. It's Got Electrolytes!

  12. Re:What could by RobertM1968 · · Score: 4, Funny

    when I stuck my tongue out when it rained, I didn't taste any salt at all,

    If I was choosing my nick again I would be the RTFT-TROLL (yes; that loud)

    Here it is; the article title again, but this time a bit marked up for those of you so bloody stupid you can't see it.

    First when I joined this site, it was read the summary, then it's read the article... now it's read the title too? Screw this, I'm leaving this site. I was more than content to just pick a word or three (changing a few) to base my wild speculation on (such as "Gates Salt(ing) Clouds")

    --
    StarTrekPhase2 - The Five Year Mission Continues!
  13. cloud computing... by rivaldufus · · Score: 2, Funny

    you're doing it wrong.

  14. Re:What could by Jedi+Alec · · Score: 2, Funny

    I suggest you read more about the idea before rejecting it.

    This is Slashdot. We read a summary based on a mainstream article based on a blog based on a scientific article about something which is going to be researched. When then whip out our highschool physics and make inane comments about potential problems even an 8 year old could see and expect a +5 insightful for doing so.

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