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by Senor Barborito 08/12/2003, 11:46am PDT |
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Except the deadline is (probably) significantly nearer, since machines could do a decent enough job of getting an asteroid here which makes things easier.
My fears reflect what Chairman Mao said and actually if anything I'm a lot less worried about a space elevator than a mining concern. See, a) the space elevator concept has been an obsession for rather a lot of people for a long, long time now so the math is very well established, b) carbon nanotubes provide, IIRC, 12x the tensile strength/weight ration necessary to successfully pull it off, c) almost all worst-case scenarios involve the tubules snapping and base of the elevator flinging itself off into space, and d) in order to even pull this off they're going to have to completely clean up all the orbital space junk (r0x0r) as it could snap the cables. A clean environmental slate is a very nice starting point.
While c) sucks for the people on it, it's worth pointing out that every worst-case scenario at all ends in them probably dying horribly except the ones that involve their sudden return to Earth which involve ALL of us (them included) dying horribly. Those latter cases are adequately covered with by a combination of thrusters on the elevator platform and some jury-rigged (extra-extra long range) ICBMs if they fail. Why this doesn't apply in cases of mining accidents: Mines go boom - see that one Star Trek movie where the Klingon home planet's (Chronos) moon exploded for a fair appoximation of the problem.
--SB |
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Boeing loss of mindshare a possible cause for Columbia blowingthefuckup by Entropy Stew 08/04/2003, 11:46am PDT 
Re: Boeing loss of mindshare a possible cause for Columbia blowingthefuckup by laudablepuss 08/04/2003, 1:29pm PDT 
Oh yeah by laudablepuss 08/04/2003, 1:32pm PDT 
Re: Boeing loss of mindshare a possible cause for Columbia blowingthefuckup by Comic Book Guy 08/04/2003, 1:53pm PDT 
Fucking ATOR. That's what I get for going away for three days. NT by Chairman Mao 08/04/2003, 1:56pm PDT 
Re: Boeing loss of mindshare a possible cause for Columbia blowingthefuckup by laudablepuss 08/04/2003, 2:58pm PDT 
Re: Boeing loss of mindshare a possible cause for Columbia blowingthefuckup by Lizard_King 08/09/2003, 6:05pm PDT 
Why by Senor Barborito 08/10/2003, 5:22am PDT 
Re: Why by Lizard_King 08/11/2003, 6:02pm PDT 
Re: Why by Senor Barborito 08/12/2003, 12:11pm PDT 
Re: Why by Lizard_King 08/12/2003, 4:07pm PDT 
Re: Boeing loss of mindshare a possible cause for Columbia blowingthefuckup by Chairman Mao 08/11/2003, 5:47pm PDT 
I see by Lizard_King 08/11/2003, 5:54pm PDT 
Tourism = fine with me. by Chairman Mao 08/11/2003, 6:04pm PDT 
Yay. And a question. by Lizard_King 08/11/2003, 6:11pm PDT 
Re: Yay. And a question. by Chairman Mao 08/11/2003, 6:35pm PDT 
Yes, it's under as serious consideration as planetary colonization in general by Senor Barborito 08/12/2003, 11:46am PDT 
The Challenger Launch Decision is awesome. by laudablepuss 08/10/2003, 3:30am PDT 
WTF? by laudablepuss 08/10/2003, 6:23pm PDT 
Re: WTF? by corax 08/10/2003, 6:33pm PDT 
Re: WTF? by laudablepuss 08/10/2003, 6:50pm PDT 
Re: WTF? by corax 08/10/2003, 7:32pm PDT 
Re: WTF? by laudablepuss 08/10/2003, 7:40pm PDT 
Re: WTF? by corax 08/11/2003, 5:13pm PDT 
Re: WTF? by Chairman Mao 08/11/2003, 5:35pm PDT 
Re: WTF? by corax 08/11/2003, 7:20pm PDT 
Ah. True. NT by Chairman Mao 08/11/2003, 7:23pm PDT 
Re: WTF? by laudablepuss 08/12/2003, 11:07am PDT 
I personally blame Texas Rangers SS Alex Rodriguez for this. by Ice Cream Jonsey 08/04/2003, 1:57pm PDT 
"workers in Texas" = Mexicans by I need clarification 08/04/2003, 2:48pm PDT 
Re: "workers in Texas" = Mexicans by laudablepuss 08/04/2003, 2:59pm PDT 
Re: "workers in Texas" = Mexicans by Entropy Stew 08/04/2003, 9:32pm PDT 
Re: Boeing loss of mindshare a possible cause for Columbia blowingthefuckup by E. L. Koba 08/04/2003, 6:06pm PDT 
"Mindshare?" How many business consultants can you fit in your ass? NT by Zebco Fuckface 08/09/2003, 4:04pm PDT 
Ask my VP of cavities NT by Entropy Stew 08/09/2003, 6:26pm PDT 
You rang? NT by whydirt, caltrops HALFLIFE2 08/10/2003, 11:03pm PDT 
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