h a l f b a k e r yGo ahead. Stick a fork in it.
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So the moon is nice. I've enjoyed it's various phases and
performances in werewolf movies. However, it's really
been a bit of a one-trick pony for some time. So, I
propose
a massive cannon be built, for this is the cheapest way
to
get stuff into space, and it works nicely if the thing
you're
putting into space isn't fragile. This cannon should be
loaded up with big moon-bound shells containing
something cheap, reflective and robust. Ground up
quartz
or something. Then, every few minutes an enormous
BOOOOM! shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiik! would enrich the lives of all
in
the vicinity as another shell goes careering toward our
nearest celestial body. Just before impact a small
charge
detonates the cargo, spreading it nice and wide on the
moon's surface. Slowly, the moon's albedo will change
from the ditch-water dull black-as-coal it currently is to a
much more pleasingly bright light. Subsequently we can
all
save a bit on street lighting and crucially, night time
camera shots will need shorter exposure times, leading
to
increased photographer productivity. A subject
affecting
us all.
The moon is actually as black as coal
http://www.universe...oes-the-moon-shine/
[bs0u0155, Jan 07 2012]
Moon Lit
Earth-based equivalent [pocmloc, Jan 12 2012]
[link]
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ooooh! we could use said cannon to slowly paint an
enormous monochrome Union Flag on the moon, like
what you see on the top of grey Minis sometimes...
That'd irritate the French no end. |
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Brie and Camembert are both quite pale. |
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//paint an enormous monochrome Union Flag// |
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I have to say that's entirely irresponsible and the kind of jingoism we have hopefully left behind.. |
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//That'd irritate the French no end.// |
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But when you put it like that, I'll chip in 20 quid. |
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Irradiating the French would be even more fun. |
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Have all your cannon shells impact on the right hand side of
the moon to impart some spin. |
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This should be done as a ring around the moon. |
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As much as a ground based cannon seems@ˆŸ@(sorry, japanese keyboard issues there) how about a recoiless cannon, fitted to a triangular frame, with a hydrogen balloon at each end, float it 30kms up and need less gunpowder..let some gas out, got get it back, repeat.. |
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I suspect the engineering problems surrounding the
building of a 30km arrow-straight barrel, and the
aiming of said device, significantly outweigh the
propellant savings. |
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Also, a critical part of this idea is the near constant
large explosive sounds produced by each "launch". If
the barrel were 30km, then much less propellant
would be used and the sound would be somewhat
deflected. A much smaller "BOOOOOOOOOM!!!" would
result, and the cannon would not enrich the lives of
those around it with quite the same efficiency. |
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Moon: 0.136
Coal: 0.05 to 0.1 |
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"The moon is actually as black as coal" might be one of those vaguely true but rather misleading statements. Coal has a rather wide range of albedos (hence "brown coal", etc.), but most people, when reading "as black as coal", will naturally think of a stereotypical lump of, well, black coal. It would be better to say "The moon is moderately brighter than brown coal, and nearly three times as bright as black coal". |
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//The moon is moderately brighter than brown coal, and nearly three times as bright as black coal".//
Bulwer Lytton beckons, spidermother!
They stood arm in arm beneath the bright glow of the moon; brighter than coal it shone...well, moderately brighter than brown coal but nearly three times as bright as black coal...although not all coal is the stereotypical black; coal having a wide variety of albedos (not to be mistaken with libedos which is a completely different thing). |
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[DrBob] - that could only be improved if you can shoehorn the word "anthracite" in their somewhere. |
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Why thankyou, hippo. I suppose it would be churlish of me to point out your mistaken use of 'their' in that anno, wouldn't it? |
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It would be a pointless act, anyway, as it would be impossible to read, by moonlight, a word that has been shoehorned in one's somewhere. |
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"As she bent over, the moonlight glinted on the word 'anthracite' which had been shoehorned in her somewhere." See, it just doesn't work. |
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How many letters could fit on the moon and still be readable? |
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//a small charge detonates the cargo, spreading it nice and wide// |
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That can't be quite right, can it? The cargo isn't explosive. I suspect that the intention was more like |
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"a small charge is detonated, spreading the cargo nice and wide" |
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or more simply "detonates" / "explodes". |
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A cautionary tale about changing the Moon's albedo: check out "Moon TV Jepsen" some time.. ;-) |
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// That can't be quite right, can it? The cargo isn't
explosive. I suspect that the intention was more like |
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"a small charge is detonated, spreading the
cargo nice and wide"// |
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If the cargo was powdered titanium and an oxidizer,
you could detonate it. Leaving a nice white powder. |
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Strictly speaking, titanium plus oxidiser would
explode, but not detonate (unless the oxidiser were
a high explosive in its own right, such as ammonium
nitrate). |
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I think titanium perchlorate is a viable explosive, however it
might form an altogether unsuitable red-violet colour. The French
might like that sort of thing... but it's got no place on the Her
Magesty's Imperial British moon. |
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I'm still waiting for Cavourite to be invented. I'm guessing an admixture of vegemite and something else. |
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