In the near future space exploration will ideally increase. We need tools for space. Nuclear bombs make great tools in space. They are lightweight and can deliver lots of energy. Other energy delivery tools in space may include lasers and kinetic impactors. These tools might be useful for deflecting asteroids, displacing mass, imparting energy, and/or adjusting momentum.
To deflect an asteroid, I believe nuclear bombs and kinetic impactors are the fastest two tools. Other deflection ideas like solar sails, gravity deflectors, and attaching booster rockets are large, slow, and/or massive. The European Space Agency is currently working on an asteroid momentum adjustment program using a kinetic impactor (Don Quijote probe).
Nuclear bombs are lightweight and powerful. I believe they make excellent tools in space. I believe in space exploration. I believe the use of this tool in space exploration is twentyish years away. The possible use of this tool in asteroid deflection could be anytime. I believe modern research is needed for the nuclear bomb tool. I believe if humans could deflect a global-killer asteroid, like that which caused the extinction of the dinosaurs, it would be one of life’s greatest accomplishments, ranking just below evolution.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroid-impact_avoidance
The nuking section of this wikipedia page cites Islands in Space (which I haven’t read) and Project Icarus, a 1968 MIT student project in systems engineering. Chapter 3: Nuclear detonation and interaction, references The Effects of Nuclear Weapons, Glasstone, for the effects of the bomb and interaction with the asteroid. I believe Glasstone's work is most applicable on earth. It does not discuss nuclear bombs in outer space. I believe the interaction of the bomb with the atmosphere is a significant difference between on-earth and in-space shots. At least two nuclear bombs have been detonated in space, but I do not know much about them.
So, perhaps someone should get a PhD: Modeling the interaction of nuclear bombs on asteroids, investigating methods to improve bomb efficiency using reflectors and existing craters, and/or updating chapter 3 of Project Icarus to include new models, new technology (better clocks, sensors).
-- Mike
Monday, March 19, 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Selected Representatives
A constitution allowing all citizens to choose their congressperson or become a congressperson.
The 435, or so, congresspersons with the most citizens having their votes casted by the congressperson on the citizen's behalf will be invited to use Congress's area in the Capitol building. To ease the transition, the current 435 congresspersons will be registered initially as the congresspersons representing those they currently represent.
Citizens can change the congressperson voting on the citizen's behalf at any time using the web service, snailmail service, or at any government building.
If any legislation remains in the top 20, or so, most importantly ranked legislative ideas for 50, or so, days then all congresspersons must vote within 20, or so, days. Congresspersons failing one such vote are then unable to vote for 50, or so, days.
Any citizen or congressperson can cast legislation importance votes at any time. Congresspersons can vote at any time. Legislation with a majority of all able votes is sent to the President for veto/approval.
I envision the web service as similar to a forum website with a voting area. I envision the snailmail service as similar to the current booklets given out to voters with additional information about the status of support for different legislative ideas. Government buildings would provide access to both.
Like all ideas, this is incomplete.
Those willing to, might.
Peace -- Mike
The 435, or so, congresspersons with the most citizens having their votes casted by the congressperson on the citizen's behalf will be invited to use Congress's area in the Capitol building. To ease the transition, the current 435 congresspersons will be registered initially as the congresspersons representing those they currently represent.
Citizens can change the congressperson voting on the citizen's behalf at any time using the web service, snailmail service, or at any government building.
If any legislation remains in the top 20, or so, most importantly ranked legislative ideas for 50, or so, days then all congresspersons must vote within 20, or so, days. Congresspersons failing one such vote are then unable to vote for 50, or so, days.
Any citizen or congressperson can cast legislation importance votes at any time. Congresspersons can vote at any time. Legislation with a majority of all able votes is sent to the President for veto/approval.
I envision the web service as similar to a forum website with a voting area. I envision the snailmail service as similar to the current booklets given out to voters with additional information about the status of support for different legislative ideas. Government buildings would provide access to both.
Like all ideas, this is incomplete.
Those willing to, might.
Peace -- Mike
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Another Dream
I was in the basement of the Sumner house and Matthew was in his old room. An official person in the living room was opening the Perudo (liar's dice) bag. Inside, I knew there were instructions to make meth (I am halfway through season two of Breaking Bad). I tell M@ that we need to learn this lesson and hide things. I then move two guitar hero controllers and some glass jars from the nightstand of the second basement bed onto some other stuff on the bed, then I pace around for a bit.
I woke up at 4:30, got up, and went back to bed. It felt like I had trouble falling back asleep. There was wind hitting my face from the air vent above my bed, so I closed it and climbed back into bed. I later realized that closing the vent was a dream, so I might not have had trouble falling asleep after all.
I was jumping (almost flying) around the pacing path at mom’s house. I jumped each length of the path, landing to turn and jump again. I occasionally jumped against mom but she was on the phone, so I did not hit hard. Looking out a window by the door, I see large bushes blocking my view of the street. I also see a bee on a window by the door. I walked out to the front yard and watched mom and Shay simultaneously move the truck and van from the near side of the mini to the far side. Shay bumped into Chief as he was stopping. Chief walked it off. Shay got out of the truck and I saw he was sleeping. Then mom got out of the van and I saw she was driving from the back seat.
Standing in the yard, I decide it is time to fly. I lift off a few feet and land again. I then lift off and fly around 1227, about 40’ up. I land in the yard and take off again in a superman pose. I fly over six boulders in the sky at about cloud level and land. Finally, I take off for the stars. I find myself in a swimming pool, a guard puts AJAX on the rubber gloves I’m wearing. I wash the gloves and decide to teach myself how to backflip. I walk towards the diving board but can’t find it and quickly give up. The pool seems smaller with more people around it, so I head to the pool snack shop. I ask what are good snacks while dreaming, twice. Both people recommend plastic toys, one of which I hold to examine for a bit. The store clerk and I talk for a while outside the pool snack shop. I begin to tell him about this dream, when I reach the part about flying I wake up at 6:00.
This morning, I had another awesome dream in which I moved rapidly around a large building as if I had ice skates on. After exploring the second and first floors (awesome), I went into a class and received feedback on something I'd written. They said it was very narrative and to the point, I told them I was an engineer. They gave me a paper with a red binary heart next to the math they used to encode the message of love into it. There was a 3 in the binary at the bottom. Then I examined the first floor apartment, it was empty except my food in the fridge. I spoke with a dream character about the food and enjoyed the view out of the many windows.
Happy 2012!
I woke up at 4:30, got up, and went back to bed. It felt like I had trouble falling back asleep. There was wind hitting my face from the air vent above my bed, so I closed it and climbed back into bed. I later realized that closing the vent was a dream, so I might not have had trouble falling asleep after all.
I was jumping (almost flying) around the pacing path at mom’s house. I jumped each length of the path, landing to turn and jump again. I occasionally jumped against mom but she was on the phone, so I did not hit hard. Looking out a window by the door, I see large bushes blocking my view of the street. I also see a bee on a window by the door. I walked out to the front yard and watched mom and Shay simultaneously move the truck and van from the near side of the mini to the far side. Shay bumped into Chief as he was stopping. Chief walked it off. Shay got out of the truck and I saw he was sleeping. Then mom got out of the van and I saw she was driving from the back seat.
Standing in the yard, I decide it is time to fly. I lift off a few feet and land again. I then lift off and fly around 1227, about 40’ up. I land in the yard and take off again in a superman pose. I fly over six boulders in the sky at about cloud level and land. Finally, I take off for the stars. I find myself in a swimming pool, a guard puts AJAX on the rubber gloves I’m wearing. I wash the gloves and decide to teach myself how to backflip. I walk towards the diving board but can’t find it and quickly give up. The pool seems smaller with more people around it, so I head to the pool snack shop. I ask what are good snacks while dreaming, twice. Both people recommend plastic toys, one of which I hold to examine for a bit. The store clerk and I talk for a while outside the pool snack shop. I begin to tell him about this dream, when I reach the part about flying I wake up at 6:00.
This morning, I had another awesome dream in which I moved rapidly around a large building as if I had ice skates on. After exploring the second and first floors (awesome), I went into a class and received feedback on something I'd written. They said it was very narrative and to the point, I told them I was an engineer. They gave me a paper with a red binary heart next to the math they used to encode the message of love into it. There was a 3 in the binary at the bottom. Then I examined the first floor apartment, it was empty except my food in the fridge. I spoke with a dream character about the food and enjoyed the view out of the many windows.
Happy 2012!
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