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#1 Re: Science, Technology, and Astronomy » cost of space elevator » 2005-08-31 14:42:08

Sooo...should the space elevator be a privately owned operation? At least they could sell stock, that would cover the cost along with ticket selling.

#2 Re: Life support systems » Biowaste-Powered Batteries » 2005-08-31 14:29:02

six billion people on Earth...countless animals...i wonder how much energy could be made from that...?
a few people on mars....probably no animals....lots of energy needed for life support....I don't think this will replace solar cells any time soon  smile

#3 Re: Human missions » Spacesuits - personal spaceship » 2005-08-31 14:14:58

Question: couldn't we just put on a pair of swim goggles, pug the nose, put on a mouthpiece attached to oxygen, and cover the rest of the head with a tight ski-mask?

I like the suit port idea, but crawling out from the top could be a bit hard. Getting out of such a tight fitting suit will be the hard part. Maybe we could coat the outside with a air tight "spandex" then blow the suit up like a balloon. Getting out and in would then be easy and then, when we want to go out again, we could deflate the suit, somehow get rid of the outside air tight stuff, and walk away happily.

#4 Re: Science, Technology, and Astronomy » Super Magnet » 2005-08-31 13:24:25

now wouldn't this be great for protecting Mars from radiation?...

#5 Re: Science, Technology, and Astronomy » Shields UP! - Star Trek Like Shields » 2005-08-31 13:10:19

First, we can make gaps in the garbage. Second, we are trying to protect the people. Without an atmosphere, the light will have radiation with it, so blocking it would be good. Assuming our domes have good insolation, extra heat from the Sun would make no difference.

#6 Re: Science, Technology, and Astronomy » Question: Star Trek Teleportation???? » 2005-08-31 13:04:59

Thats a lot of info to send. We should just download the brain's info, put the body into a life support system, send the info to where-ever the person is going, then download the info into a special cloned body duplicate. then all we need to send to brain info and a strand of DNA. Plus, when you come back, you can have your info put back into your old body.

#7 Re: Science, Technology, and Astronomy » Space Ring to Stop Global Warming? » 2005-08-31 12:52:35

Instead of paying all that money to up the paritcle ring up, lets just let spacecraft dump all their trash up there. Wouldn't a ring of spare parts, old ships, and soda cans be the same as a expensive particle ring? Plus we won't have to worry about bring trash back down to Earth or burning it in our atmosphere.

As for reflecting light back into space. What would be better is to pave our roads white. Then a huge amount of light would be sent bad into space. Also houses should have reflective rooves.

I know this is a little sidetracked, but wouldn't this be a blessing for Venus? smile

#8 Re: Science, Technology, and Astronomy » Shields UP! - Star Trek Like Shields » 2005-08-10 20:38:33

I know this may sound a bit crazy, but with all the population tranfer to Mars, there is bound to be some waste. So, why bother to recycle? Just leave all the garbage in space and pretty soon, there will be a nice shield. With a lot of fast moving pieces of waste, radiation will have a hard time getting through (and maybe light too) because the trash will aborb or reflect a lot, also micrometoers would likely hit the trash and thus the trash will keep the colony safe.

#9 Re: Life support systems » Protein Sources in First Colonies - An idea » 2005-08-02 18:52:11

I do not mean to be rude...but gross!! Those are some disturbing thoughts. Second, protein rich food from animal parts is great, but the people will need some "filler." Hmm...maybe some sort of fast growing fungus will supply the raw food?

#10 Re: Interplanetary transportation » 360 Gravity Wheel - Power generation by the big 'G' Gravity? » 2005-07-21 20:43:36

We already have that... We've just been keeping it a secret from you.

Gravity is a measure of time. Black holes can be disrupted by dropping a twelve dimensional net on the ten dimensional whirlpool...

Aha!! I knew it! ...and the government keeps the stargate a secret from me also. wink

Couldn't we just make energy from the dimensional gaps without using the black hole? Seems like a waste.

#11 Re: Water on Mars » Ice Within Craters » 2005-07-21 20:38:50

How about this giant project? First we dig a little ditch around the entire thing. Then we cover the entire thing with clear plastic. Finally we get our orbiting spacecraft to deflect a laser from Earth and ZAP and poof the ice becomes a gas. Then as it cools it becomes a liquid and slids down the plastic into the ditch which flows right to our containment unit. A bit grand scale but the plastic could always be reused for the colonies after the water is collected.

Or we could just build the colony on the ice sheet.  big_smile

#12 Re: Life support systems » Agricultural Colony Alpha » 2005-07-21 20:26:22

What about transporting the food to colonies? It would still cost a lot from transportation. Wouldn't it just be more efficient to build it right next to the colony on Mars?

#13 Re: Science, Technology, and Astronomy » Shields UP! - Star Trek Like Shields » 2005-07-21 20:23:06

Is there a cheap way to put this to use on Mars? A huge magnet could be very expensive to ship there. Maybe all the iron oxide on Mars could be used as a natural magnet to divert all the radiation at least from the colony?

#14 Re: Science, Technology, and Astronomy » Shields UP! - Star Trek Like Shields » 2005-07-18 16:56:09

interesting, but it will be expensive and lost robots will have to be replaced from a storage supply. It seems a waste to use these against "weak" weapons. I still think some sort of re-forming shield would be best for most cases. nano-bots to protect against extreme dangers.

I had an interesting idea while looking at fiber optics, let me know what you think. These fibers bend light via changing mediums. The change is so extreme that the light completely bends and thus stays in the thin fiber (or something like this) So, what if we find two liquid, solids, or even gases that do this to surround our ship. All light weapons would be worthless.

#15 Re: Martian Politics and Economy » Communism - Just like Star Trek » 2005-07-18 16:12:00

Perhaps something where if people remain unemployed for a certain amount of time, the government can assign them to a job that they must work at until they can find something better on there own

Interesting idea, no one will be unemployed (even those lazy people that want to be). Sounds like communism to me or maybe it is just democracy without freedoms? both ways, waste and corruption must be destroyed from the colonies in order to assure their success. Any ideas? Robot leaders? Big brother? A giant propaganda project? or maybe we should just turn our backs to all this and take a bribe.

I think our colony's motto should be "you can do what you want to do as long as you do what we want you to do at all times." smile

#16 Re: Terraformation » Mars Needs Nitrogen » 2005-07-18 16:01:49

I have been looking into various forms of diving gear such as rebreathers. The amount of nitrogen needed to cover the planet would be enormous but maybe we could supply each person with their own "little air bubble" of nitrogen. Each time they breath out, the carbon dioxide will be filtered out and pure oxygen will be filtered in from the surrounding environment or a small tank maybe. Thus people could walk on the surface of Mars with a snorkel or mouthpiece type object? without a spacesuit (assuming an atmosphere of some sort is made with suitable pressure).

#17 Re: Life support systems » Protein Sources in First Colonies - An idea » 2005-07-17 20:32:51

Why not grow a genetically protein rich strain of fungus? Then you will not have left-over parts like bones. Add a little flavor and spices and poof, theres a meal.
Note: this is only a tempory solution until Mar creates a stable ecosystem and crops of other plants or animals.

#18 Re: Life support systems » Nanomachine Dirt » 2005-07-17 20:03:36

I wonder if nano-machines could help in growing fungus. I keep thinking of how certain species of ants raise fungus in their nests. Maybe our robot could do the same thing, that is supplying little sprays of nutrients to parts of the fungus.

#19 Re: Science, Technology, and Astronomy » DoE:  Star Trek-style "Phasers" » 2005-07-17 19:44:00

Good point! Perhaps something fast acting? I know im going out on a limb here, but the blue ringed octopus has a neurotoxin that causes paralysis. If delivered in a spray of needle type darts, it would reach all part of the person and makes he/she lose motor control. Thus, while the person will still be awake, he/she will not be able to move or do any damage. then an antidote could be safely given to he/she as he/she is being captured.

#20 Re: Life support systems » Eat Like a Martian » 2005-07-17 19:34:26

Monocultural disease? Thus the use of automated systems with no human or outside contact and the use of many isolated growing vats. Also, all inventions at some point were experimental. If research is started now, by the time colonies form, it could be relatively safe and perfected.

#21 Re: Life support systems » Nanomachine Dirt » 2005-07-17 19:29:27

The second one. I see workers everyday who work in tiny little cubicles. No windows, no plants, just humming lights and a computer to type on all day. How much would they have to change their lifestyle to do that on Mars?

#22 Re: Life support systems » Nanomachine Dirt » 2005-07-17 19:21:46

Reading books, sleeping, eating, repairing stuff. How much time does a person even spend frolicking in nature? Even if we spend millions of dollars on a high-tech greenhouse for our colonists to run about in, we can never simulate the real thing unless it is "simulated" (electronics, 3-d graphics, etc.).

Admit it, more and more people are already losing touch with nature. For those people who just can't bare leaving the homely feeling of nature, they could just stay on Earth. I'm sure we could get many people willing to go especially if we offered material goods.

Is soy ice cream made from soy milk? Just wondering.

#23 Re: Interplanetary transportation » 360 Gravity Wheel - Power generation by the big 'G' Gravity? » 2005-07-17 19:06:39

Never say never. It may be possible someday to gain unlimited energy. I keep thinking of how mattter and energy formed in the formation of the universe. Did they come out of nothing? Perhaps someday we will be able to create our own matter and energy from space itself? who knows? In the long run, even the law of the conservation of energy could be variable.

#24 Re: Science, Technology, and Astronomy » Shields UP! - Star Trek Like Shields » 2005-07-17 18:50:25

If you keep the poles spinning around your ship really really fast, then any weapons would be caught in orbit. Then when you suddenly switch them off, the weapons will go flying off away from your ship.

What about lasers? magetic fields won't work on them. A whole frequency of light can be used.

What about plastic bullets? They will go right through the magnetic shield.

Why not just cover your hull with a very very thick syrup solution. Believe me, it is really hard to move things through syrup. A missle or something would have trouble too. Also, the best part is, your shields will reform over the weapon because it is liquidish.

#25 Re: Science, Technology, and Astronomy » DoE:  Star Trek-style "Phasers" » 2005-07-17 18:38:22

Ouch sounds painful. Wouldn't it be better morally just to use a high powered tranquilizer gun. Then it would be hard for these to be misused. After all, how do you torment a sleeping criminal?

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