h a l f b a k e r yInvented by someone French.
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Step one. Suspend micro-sensors able to withstand extreme heat and hard vacuum within a vat of molten glass. Step two. Rapidly cool expelled droplets while in micro gravity. Step three. Retrieve surviving intact sensor laden Prince Rupert droplet spheres, saving un-encapsulated sensors for later
extrusions. Step four. Release sensor-drops from ships to descend to the farthest depths of the ocean. Step five. Record findings from uncrushable sensors.
Profit.
[link]
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Of course I remember that post [kdf], I posted it. |
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I just finally thought of a decent use for them is all. |
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What physical parameter(s) is/are being sensed that can't be measured by existing technology ? |
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Manned and unmanned vehicles have already reached the deepest point of the Challenger Deep (q.v.) and returned. |
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//already reached the deepest point of the Challenger Deep// Ah but these would go much deeper in the ocean than that! |
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In that case, you'll have to start from higher up, shirley ? |
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or excavate the trench deeper, or wait for sea levels to rise. |
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//What physical parameter(s) is/are being sensed that can't be measured by existing technology ?// |
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None here on Earth I guess, but what about Europa and other crushing depth places we haven't explored yet?
Can our current toys withstand depths of 60 miles? Tail-less Prince Rupert Spheres might. |
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// what about Europa and other crushing depth places we haven't explored yet? // |
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It's a freezing-cold dump, don't bother. |
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// Can our current toys withstand depths of 60 miles? // |
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Give us some and we'll go drop them somewhere highly pressurised, then post the video (if sufficiently amusing). |
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Yes, but you could have posted the same sign at the old Kai Tak airport in HK... and there are several in the Carribean that have eye-wateringly short, steep approaches, ending - in case of overrun- in an involuntary dip in the sea... |
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Even with the extended runway, Cristiano Ronaldo (Funchal, Madeira) isn't exactly forgiving, and there are quite a few in Nepal where arriving traffic gets an uncomfortably clear view of the wreckage of previous failures... |
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So "ATTEMPT NO LANDINGS THERE" could be nothing more than some avuncular good advice based on personal experience. |
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The center of the earth is supposed to have very high
pressure, might be a good test area for these thingies. You
would need a laser, aimed very downward, flip the switch
and come back in a week to see how you're doing. Probably
pretty deep. Lower your sensors and measure pressure for
depth. Might even get some molten iron out of it. |
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These sensors would only survive temperatures much lower than the melting point of glass. |
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Hmm, so another invention is due then. |
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Then I suggest molten titanium spheres rapid cooled in micro gravity. The effect should be similar yet much more resistant to heat... |
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If you want extreme heat resistance, you use tungsten. It's
liquid properties are largely unknown, as you can't put it IN
anything as a liquid. |
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//you can't put it IN anything// |
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A hemisphere of tungsten heated in the centre and cooled at the outer surface ? |
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Ye gods, that's almost coherent... who are you, and what have you done with the real [wjt] ? |
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//It's liquid properties are largely unknown, as you can't
put it IN anything as a liquid.// |
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That's not true. It's NEARLY true, to all practical intents
and purposes, it it true, but that's the language of a
quitter. |
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When my grant* on the liquid properties of tungsten is
ultimately funded, we will finally be rid of such
uncertainty. |
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*The grant starts with a polite letter asking to borrow
some of her Majesty's larger diamonds, so that a
functional, and extremely attractive crucible may be
constructed. The medium-sized diamonds will of course,
be consumed as drill-bits. Any surplus fragments will, of
course, be disposed of by the grant holder. |
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If you could reliably control the volume, 0G-manufactured
perfect sphere Prince Rupert's Drop ball bearings would be
seriously good stuff. |
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How do you reliably sense whether a given sphere is Prince Rupert's or not? |
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Some sort of crush-test quality control step? If it shatters
into fragments, you didn't want it anyway. |
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If you hear a high-pitch scream as you crush them, then it
might've been his. |
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//Ye gods, that's almost coherent... who are you, and what have you done with the real [wjt] // |
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True, can't have that but don't worry, it's only a fleeting break down in normal transmission. |
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