SCIENCE UPDATE

The problem with this concept is that somewhere, some rogue nation could be developing a really big water balloon.

(Thanks to macgowan)

Comments

[Edgar Greenberg]

Even without the water balloon, I'd consider a giant catapult a WMD. Let's invade Scotland. Down with Haggis.

[Layzeeboy]

Who's running this program - The Flinstones??

[Edgar Greenberg]

Oh, I almost forgot. Is this first more official, or are certain ladies going to level certain accusations against me again?

[Dave R]

I think the Trebuchet concept would be better. The problem is that once a neighbor builds a trebuchet, everyone starts building ones that are bigger. Pretty soon, you start pumpkin chucking... and then total anarchy breaks out.

[Annie Where-but-here]

"Sir, it's like this. I had the catapult plans right here on my desk, but this deer broke in, grabbed the plans and locked herself in the bathroom. Guess she really had to go, and with the tp shortage..."

[TC]

Edgar - you were FIRST fair and square - declare it official and let the chips fall where they may

[CJrun]

Fun? Yes!

True? Not so much. Whether catapult or trebuchet, they still have to input a HUGE amount of stored energy. Punkin' Chunkin' rocks! 4-months till the tournaments start!

[Kathy P.]

A-W-H - that post's caught up with the last few blog entries...

[Punkin Poo]

CJrun - I'm in! When should I be there!

*puts helmut on*

[Lisa Bisa Fo Fisa]

It might work, as long as the aliens don't invent a giant tennis racket to "return our serve."

[TC]

so, is anyone else wondering where all the scientists are going to college these days?

ACME University maybe?

Probably on a Wile E. Coyote scholarship?

[homeimprovementninja]

So after we've spent countless billions on a space program, they discover that they could do the same thing with stuff that can be purchased at any Office Max?

[mudstuffin]

"...for the three-month study, which aims to examine the maths behind such a system,..."

Maybe someone should examine the spellings and the grammars, too.

(eye roll)

[insomniac]

Millions of meters of cable
For 'shooting the moon' if they're able
But I kind of doubt
They'll get the kinks out
Of this up-to-date Tower of Babel!

[ObeeKris]

This line kills me: "The cables could be up to 250,000km long"
Last I checked (and I just did 60 seconds ago), the diameter of the earth is only about 12,756km. So in order to get this to work, they're going to wrap some giant rubber bands around the planet 19 1/2 times.
Maybe they should just ask Wile E. Coyote for technical assistance.

[Betsi]

i think anything they shot would burn up in the atmosphere.

[KCSteve]

Short un-funny sidetrack:
What they appear to be talking about here is a concept known as a "Space Elevator". For lots of good info on the concept read Arthur C. Clarke's "Fountains of Paradise"

Getting back to the funny bit, these bozos are getting money to study the idea when they could be reading a rather nice book about it a book written in 1979!

[ScottMGS]

mud - "maths" ain't correct in Amer'kin English but it's fine in Queen's English. It might be good up in Canadia, too, but we'd have to get input from one o' them thar Canadians.

[Betsy]

mud...eckshually, "maths" is an accepted British-ism (if that's not an oxymoron): It's short for MATHematicS (note terminal "s"). However, I'll defend to the death your right to say it looks weird.

[ScottMGS]

ObeeKris: The cables don't go around the earth. They go *up* about 125,000 km and loop back down. It's not so much a catapult as an elevator cable.

[marfie]

Don't you think at some point, something up there would start flinging stuff back?

Obee, I had the same thought you did on the length of the cables. This seems totally fly in the face of logic.

[ScottMGS]

... Um, as Steve was so kind as to point out..

[ObeeKris]

It was described as a "catapult" and a "slingshot" in the article. Makes it sound more like they're just flinging things around.
If it's like an elevator, how are they supposed to hit escape velocity?

[crossgirl]

tc, if i loose my job it's your fault. reading your comments while answering the phone is NOT a good idea. especially when it was the boss calling in. yes sir, i'm ok. just, ummm, coughing. yeah, coughing.

[CJrun]

Punkin':

The Raleigh contest for distance has a range from 8 to 10 pounds for the flingee. So, if you go on a hunger strike from now till then, to the point that you can fit inside your helmet, please join us!

[ScottMGS]

ObeeKris: It works like an elevator - you don't need to reach escape velocity though there probably would be quite a bit of acceleration to get you up there in a reasonable amount of time. Another way it might work is to have this very fast loop *impart* the escape velocity sort of like a rail gun.

(Judi and/or Dave: you've got to blog this.

[TC]

Scott - you have to e-mail it in - judi doesn't click on links, and (according to judi) Dave doesn't actually read the blog (tho this theory has proven to be incorrect on ocassion)

[«LabSpecimen»]

ObeeKris: You meant to refer to the circumference of the earth earlier (40,000km), not the diameter.

ScottMSG: I don't think it can possibly go straight up and down. If that's the case, then let's just add another 130,000km to it and build a bridge to the moon. It's only 380,000km (mean distance).

[ScottMGS]

TC: Yeah but I think their e-mail filter throws out my e-mail. I've submitted stuff that I thought was sure to be posted but it never showed up and no one else posted it either (so it wasn't like I wasn't FIRST to post it).

Lab: No, it wouldn't go *straight* up, just not around the earth. It would be a loop. It doesn't have to go all the way to the moon, either. There are several designs. Some are like beanstalks up to some sort of counterweight in geosynchronous orbit. Some are high speed loops that would only reach to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Fun stuff!

[TC]

Scott - e-mail all your good ones to me - i'll forward them for you and give you credit

really, i will

[Eleanor]

LTTG because I overlooked this one this morning.

Edgar: I agree (amazing as that is) with Toto. Your FIRST is legitimate and official, and you'll be notified of the next FIRST secret meeting. :)

LisaBFF, I'm ROFL at your tennis racket return serve. Great mental visual!

Scott, don't believe Toto. E-mail your stuff to me and I'll send it in and credit you. I've even done that for someone before and it got posted. :)

[shellann]

Why am I picturing a government contract to catapult "nucular" waste to the moon?

[obi wan]

And for those of us in this blog whose (not who's) minds don't think in metric, 250,000 km is STILL 155,000 MILES, so I'm personally STILL baffled, even if it's not "straight up." I nominate a Scot "scientist" as the first to be launched.

[Lisa Bisa Fo Fisa]

El - ;-)

[ObeeKris]

Lab, "circumference", "diameter", same bloody thing. :)
As you can no doubt tell, geometry was my favorite subject in school. :)