What is this "gentle laser push" of which you speak? Anyone able to show me a laser with a recoil that you can feel? No?
I believe that an object can be nudged by lasers. It's a very weak nudge, but it's real.
The idea would be to first locate the space junk - no small task - and then illuminate it with a low-powered laser beam.
Given a few weeks, the target should accumulate some velocity from the nudge.
I think the nudge exerted is affected greatly by the material and it's reflectivity so this is quite possibly not a practical solution. Still, I just thought of it as a potential way to help the remedy the space junk problem.
Assuming a capable laser system, would a gentle laser push towards earth be a good way to clean up space junk? Would away from earth be better?
Didn't our military blast a re-entering spy satellite to pieces a few months ago to avoid accidents and protect secrets? Why couldn't they use the same technique?
That's a good question. It seems to me that blasting creates more, albeit, smaller space junk. I think a benefit is that a blast is roughly going to tend towards spherical, meaning that pieces will be scattered into space, back towards the atmosphere. Of course, some pieces would simply find higher or lower orbits.
Blasting probably takes less energy overall, but pushing might be the most complete way of disposing the junk.
Keep posting so we know exactly when they come and haul you away.
you know, I was actually kind of hesitant to post this half-joke, but you see, that is the problem.
The USA is not a place where one should be worried about what one says; Especially when it is in defense of the constitution. I'm not going to be cowed into speaking of this crap in hushed tones.
Posting to forums and other distributed places gives a much louder and far-reaching voice than any megaphone or soapbox could offer. So I will explicitly state that I think when rights of US (and all free) citizens are taken, there is a point where the country is no longer itself.
If this house falls, it is our duty to rebuild it whatever the cost.
I am ready for that lame event and willing to take action, but I'm sure not eager!
Since I was a kid, space travel has been the single most fascinating thing in the universe to me.
It has only been recently that I've come to realize that manned space flight is perhaps not the right direction. This was an extremely difficult decision for me to make, but I've made it.
The money spent on a a manned mars trip would be better invested in robotics research.
We need to get off this planet. Human beings do need to go to mars, but more robots need to go first, and will need to go with humans on their trips as well.
My (perhaps weak) analogy is that while it is possible for a human to swim the english channel unaided, it is wiser to use technology to allow the feat to be easier, safer and better in general.
...Surgeons typically respond better than machines to unpredicted circumstances.
True, and a good point.
I wonder what the probability is of an event occurring which would require the flexible, though less precise, ability of the Surgeon versus the increased success afforded by the inflexible, but precise, machines.
in other words, statistically speaking, does the risk of unpredictable events outweigh the benefit of increased quality of operation.
unlike gas, which you can only get from one place, electricity would allow you to charge your car while you push it home. Convert calories to green energy, what a win-win situation.
So what could you do to charge your car?
* hook a generator up to a stationary bike * lay out a few yards of solar panels for a few minutes (if you are only a few miles from home) * knock on someone's door with an extension cord in your hand and ask to use a few cents of power * harness some wind power using a wind strip
and last/worst case
* actually use a gas can and use a generator to charge for the few miles home.
converting energy into electricity is so easy and so flexible, it's hard to think what couldn't be used.
Re:Lego building should be an Olympic comptetion
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Oh, another good point! oh why did I start this thread - my brain's gone all hurty!
Re:Lego building should be an Olympic comptetion
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Beijing 2008 In Lego
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No, that would be painful. Don't forget these are the people who brought you your name and horoscope written on a grain of rice.
VERY good point!
Lego building should be an Olympic comptetion
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Beijing 2008 In Lego
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that way, someone could win the lego gold, by building a replica of them winning the lego gold for building a replica of them winning the lego gold.
Of course, if recursiveness could be a competition then perhaps they win the gold by building a lego replica of them winning the gold in recursiveness for building a lego replica of them winning the gold in lego building for building a replica of them wining the gold in recursiveness.
After all, I find grape juice to be genuinely better after a couple years of sitting around, maybe some similar method of action is taking place here;)
Then again, there is the Rick Astley counter-argument to take into account, let us not forget.
I love to cite this study whenever a decision is being made on the 'memory' of, say, a result - rather than an actual record.
There is another study, which I can't promply locate, in which subjects were shown several colors and then a day or two later, when asked to recall which colors they saw, they picked colors brighter and more saturated than those they had been shown.
This, to me, shows why the 'golden age' phenomenon is so prevalent.
Slashdot Mirror
This is not science.
This is not "stuff that matters"
This is not "news for nerds"
Why the hell are you posting this crap?
You should call samzenpus up and have a good 9 minute 36 second disucssion about this.
Let's just say I don't NOT want to build an effing big laser and fire it at stuff ;)
What is this "gentle laser push" of which you speak? Anyone able to show me a laser with a recoil that you can feel? No?
I believe that an object can be nudged by lasers. It's a very weak nudge, but it's real.
The idea would be to first locate the space junk - no small task - and then illuminate it with a low-powered laser beam.
Given a few weeks, the target should accumulate some velocity from the nudge.
I think the nudge exerted is affected greatly by the material and it's reflectivity so this is quite possibly not a practical solution. Still, I just thought of it as a potential way to help the remedy the space junk problem.
Didn't our military blast a re-entering spy satellite to pieces a few months ago to avoid accidents and protect secrets? Why couldn't they use the same technique?
That's a good question. It seems to me that blasting creates more, albeit, smaller space junk. I think a benefit is that a blast is roughly going to tend towards spherical, meaning that pieces will be scattered into space, back towards the atmosphere. Of course, some pieces would simply find higher or lower orbits.
Blasting probably takes less energy overall, but pushing might be the most complete way of disposing the junk.
Assuming a capable laser system, would a gentle laser push towards earth be a good way to clean up space junk? Would away from earth be better?
A laser which would simply annihilate the junk would be admittedly cooler, but could de-orbit be accomplished with much less power?
Keep posting so we know exactly when they come and haul you away.
you know, I was actually kind of hesitant to post this half-joke, but you see, that is the problem.
The USA is not a place where one should be worried about what one says; Especially when it is in defense of the constitution. I'm not going to be cowed into speaking of this crap in hushed tones.
Posting to forums and other distributed places gives a much louder and far-reaching voice than any megaphone or soapbox could offer. So I will explicitly state that I think when rights of US (and all free) citizens are taken, there is a point where the country is no longer itself.
If this house falls, it is our duty to rebuild it whatever the cost.
I am ready for that lame event and willing to take action, but I'm sure not eager!
I just hope the foundation holds.
I see they've drawn a map of the new Reconstituted United States which will emerge after federal destruction of rights prompts the coming revolution.
Make out your wills and break-out the ham radios and home made weapons boys.....oh, don't forget the tin foil helmets.
Since I was a kid, space travel has been the single most fascinating thing in the universe to me.
It has only been recently that I've come to realize that manned space flight is perhaps not the right direction. This was an extremely difficult decision for me to make, but I've made it.
The money spent on a a manned mars trip would be better invested in robotics research.
We need to get off this planet. Human beings do need to go to mars, but more robots need to go first, and will need to go with humans on their trips as well.
My (perhaps weak) analogy is that while it is possible for a human to swim the english channel unaided, it is wiser to use technology to allow the feat to be easier, safer and better in general.
True, and a good point.
I wonder what the probability is of an event occurring which would require the flexible, though less precise, ability of the Surgeon versus the increased success afforded by the inflexible, but precise, machines.
in other words, statistically speaking, does the risk of unpredictable events outweigh the benefit of increased quality of operation.
I'm uncertain - are you arguing that he's fallen for the fallacy or pointing it out?
I am just trying to point it out in support of his statement...and I'm not doing a very good job, evidently :(
Even 1% false positives or negatives in a huge application will lead to lots of problems...
Ah yes, the base rate fallacy (aka, the terrorist fallacy).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base_rate_fallacy
One of those obvious things that is so hard to convey.
Interesting that the 'example' used in the wikipedia article is so near to what is happening in reality.
The eternal sticky note!
Never fades, can hold-up over 200lbs.
now, make the buckypaper into touch-sensitive photovoltaic e-buckypaper with a GB of memory or so and you have the perfect notekeeping device.
ah, a good distinction.
Agreed then: He is correct. Toe to toe would be like spitting into the sea.
"In a revolution is it better to have guns, or to have the knowledge to make guns?"
It depends upon whether or not you have access to a machine shop.
];)
Good point!
I guess we should include machine shop blueprints in the package ;)
If the NRA goes toe to toe with the marines, or even any random division, I know where my bets are.
With whom are your bets in Iraq?
Valid point.
I guess my point attempted to say that guns can't create knowledge, but knowledge can create guns.
In a revolution knowledge is easier to distribute too, and harder to take away.
Consider today's world, where knowledge has become weaponry of itself; where now is the difference between the two?
The suppression of one means the suppression of the other, does it not?
In a revolution is it better to have guns, or to have the knowledge to make guns?
Freedom of speech is everything.
Treating the symptoms doesn't cure the disease.
The price will surely come down - and I expect that it will deflate much as computer and electronic technology has.
I am eager to see the data on this as it will surely spawn the creation of a Moore's-law type formula for nanotech.
Buy your nanotech stocks, some are less than $1 usd per share right now! - they won't stay that cheap forever.
unlike gas, which you can only get from one place, electricity would allow you to charge your car while you push it home. Convert calories to green energy, what a win-win situation.
So what could you do to charge your car?
* hook a generator up to a stationary bike
* lay out a few yards of solar panels for a few minutes (if you are only a few miles from home)
* knock on someone's door with an extension cord in your hand and ask to use a few cents of power
* harness some wind power using a wind strip
and last/worst case
* actually use a gas can and use a generator to charge for the few miles home.
converting energy into electricity is so easy and so flexible, it's hard to think what couldn't be used.
Oh, another good point! oh why did I start this thread - my brain's gone all hurty!
No, that would be painful. Don't forget these are the people who brought you your name and horoscope written on a grain of rice.
VERY good point!
that way, someone could win the lego gold, by building a replica of them winning the lego gold for building a replica of them winning the lego gold.
Of course, if recursiveness could be a competition then perhaps they win the gold by building a lego replica of them winning the gold in recursiveness for building a lego replica of them winning the gold in lego building for building a replica of them wining the gold in recursiveness.
wouldn't that be neat!
hmm -that is a pretty good argument actually.
After all, I find grape juice to be genuinely better after a couple years of sitting around, maybe some similar method of action is taking place here ;)
Then again, there is the Rick Astley counter-argument to take into account, let us not forget.
http://abcnews.go.com/technology/story?id=98195&page=1
I love to cite this study whenever a decision is being made on the 'memory' of, say, a result - rather than an actual record.
There is another study, which I can't promply locate, in which subjects were shown several colors and then a day or two later, when asked to recall which colors they saw, they picked colors brighter and more saturated than those they had been shown.
This, to me, shows why the 'golden age' phenomenon is so prevalent.