h a l f b a k e r yA riddle wrapped in a mystery inside a rich, flaky crust
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I live in Montreal, and there's a building in downtown that has a spotlight rotating round and round at night. I figure a much more hip and less ominous presence would be the glitter dome. Instead of the searchlight presence of this spotlight in Montreal, on top of the building would be a 24' disco ball.
It would be covered with mirrors averaging 4 square inches, anybody do the math to figure out about how many facets it would have?
Spotlights are cast on the ball as it rotates on top the building. The colors of the spotlights could change with filters so the ball shines different colors for different occasions or seasons. Red and green for christmas, pink and red for valentine's day. No shining for days of memorial, etc. Also, the light could be changed by adjusting the postion of the spotlights. There could be light shows put on annually with lasers and fireworks, the lasers would of course be adjusted so they don't blind anyone or any aircraft. Also, the lights and lasers are on tracks around the glitter dome so the beams stay fixed on one or two facets if necessary to provide a sweet effect of lasers tracing the sky in groups, and suddenly they shift direction and travel against the velocity of the dome, and hundreds of lasers break open fast.
Norwest Tower
http://www.heinrich...om/exteriors/09.htm
One of the coolest night building top displays ever. [bungston, Oct 06 2004]
Petronas Towers.
http://www.myphotog...laysia/image13.html
Aren't those disco balls up there at the top? _Two_ disco balls? [bungston, Oct 06 2004]
The Knoxville Sunsphere
http://www.glassste...villeSunsphere.html
Now we just need some lights... [PsychoBassoonist, Oct 06 2004]
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area = 4 pi r^2 = 4 x 3.14159 x 576 = 7238.22 sq. feet = 1,042,304 square inches / 4 square inches = approximately 260,576 mirrors. |
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You could also print the name of your business on each mirror backwards, so that each reflection would carry with it an advertisement. |
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I knew someone would get the calculation right away, and thanks for providing the process. I think your second guess could work but would be illegal and advised against, considering the notion of possible advertising on the walls of your home should your window provide an access for the light. This would not be the case for the homes that are too far away for the image to come in focus, or whole. I think it would be invading the privacy of the whole city. not to say the light doesn't but the disco-effect could always be fixed by adjusting the light . I think it may be better even to have a needle like device that holds a colored cloak on the ball in the daytime so it doesn't send light blazing through the city. At night a motor power a belt to lift the top of the cloak and fold it into itself onto the needle structure. This would allow cloaking and unmasking the device each day. Whoa,actually, this is better. Have the device be contained in the 24' of the dome. Motors lift a platform with the needle structure above the dome and the needle structure dispenses and gathers the material every day and night. Thanks for making me think Earl Jen Ear. |
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Cute. Like living inside a great big fiber-optic globe. Especially nifty for New Years. |
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Cloak schmoak. This thing would be awesome in full sun. It would sparkle and shine and all would be entranced by its beauty. Instead of mirrors, the ball could bristle with thousands of prisms. This is just the sort of finishing touch that architectural firms look for to make a name for themselves. It would me magnificent. Full bun. |
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I never thought of the possibilities for the surfacing, but thanks for the fiber optic and prism ideas. I think they'd both work, especially fiber optics with multi-faceted ends on the outside so one light can shine inside and be shot out as four. Also, with prisms, more effects can be had. With fiber optics, it would be possible to light the whole dome, but I doubt it would be possible to light all the facets from with an exterior light source. |
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So... this is isn't a monument commemorating Mariah Carey's latest film? (runs, hides) |
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That Sunsphere looks like one of Tesla's creations. Except for the facets, of course. |
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I actually named this 'Glitter Dome' because I had Mariah Carey in mind. It really reads, "Glitter, do me!" |
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[cedar] If it were, it'd be called "Glitter Bomb." |
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