While daydreaming I wondered if a controlled version of the MACSCA might actually be useful. Produce little solar powered motors that automatically track the sun, aiming a mirror at a central plant. Of course bluetooth the whole thing so that you can fine tune it. Give people a few dollars to install them on their roof - I'm picturing about one per square foot.
Then I realized the amazing capacity for mayhem such a system could have using few hundred megawatts of city-controlled heat and light. On a sunny day an uncontrolled politician or hacker could vaporize his competitors, burn holes in bank vaults, melt statues, or possibly even knock out satellites.-- Worldgineer, Jan 23 2004 The MACSCA http://www.halfbake...20Collector_20ArraySometimes I inspire even myself. [Worldgineer, Oct 04 2004] The ray guns are coming, the ray guns are coming http://www.photonic...d.4571/QX/today.htm [theircompetitor, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004] Could kindly direct me to Recruiting and henchmen Services please?-- Letsbuildafort, Jan 23 2004 [worldg] I've bunned you because this is preposterous. All good ideas are at first.-- jonthegeologist, Jan 23 2004 I particularly like the idea of 'fine tuning' with Bluetooth.-- gnomethang, Jan 23 2004 hhmmmmm, thinking of all the okies that would suddenly disapear with this thing on my roof. Starting with my crappy landlords. ;)-- babyhawk, Jan 23 2004 "We've got something very serious here, Captain. In the wrong hands, this thing could burn down the sun, leaving us freezing our arses in the dark." I prefer MSCA Of Doom, thought.-- sidi, Jan 23 2004 MaSCAD. Hmm... has a ring. (was "Massive Solar Collector Array (of Evil?)")-- Worldgineer, Jan 24 2004 This sounds very similar to something I've read recently. If I could just put my finger on it. Wait, that could hurt right?-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jan 24 2004 There's an Arthur C Clarke story ("Case of Sunstroke") similar to this. In the story, on a prearranged signal at the end of a football match half the crowd angle their shiny, silvery programmes so as to blind the (biased) referee. Due to a miscalculation, the referee is incinerated.-- hippo, Jan 24 2004 Still the better thing with this WoMD (let's not be affraid of initials, shall we?) would be the Death Star-like concetration of energy as all the mirrors (er, CDs) align in the same direction.-- sidi, Jan 24 2004 [sid] just gave me a wonderful(ly evil) idea. Combine this system with geostationary satellite mirrors, and the location of released evil is unbounded.-- Worldgineer, Jan 24 2004 So you mean they didn't need all those conflict diamonds? They just needed to collect AOL CDs? Did Time Warner make that movie?-- theircompetitor, Jan 24 2004 Sounds kind of like the Icarus satellite on Die Another Day. Except, cheaper, funnier, and better. Man, it's a wonder that they didn't use one of those puppies in Iraq!-- red_ensign_chris, Jan 24 2004 We could blow up the moon!......then what?-- yabba do yabba dabba, Jan 30 2004 (quietly points out that such a device by itself could not blow up the moon)-- Worldgineer, Jan 30 2004 you better hope not.-- yabba do yabba dabba, Jan 30 2004 M.A.S.C.A.R.A. ...-- galukalock, Jan 30 2004 I like it. MaSCAra (of Doom!)-- Worldgineer, Jan 30 2004 I'm this close to fishboning you just for using a makeup product as your acronym.
But I love the idea. Plus, I hope to someday be an evil politician, and this would be a nifty tool for removing those pesky "opposition candidates."
Perhaps the political parties could be renamed the Lighters and Bricquettes, with the names changing depending on who's in charge?-- shapu, May 25 2004 //such a device by itself could not blow up the moon//
It would just melt. Then we could have one hell of a fondue.-- chud, May 25 2004 I'm gonna bun this again because you are still fine-tuning with Bluetooth. Zigbee might save on batteries though!.-- gnomethang, Oct 04 2004 There are no batteries. Just a little solar panel. (sorry, I fell asleep there for a minute - how long was I out?)-- Worldgineer, May 14 2011 random, halfbakery