There are some very smart people on this planet we call Earth and they’ve all done some very smart things to help us understand the world better. Isaac Newton. Charles Darwin. Albert Einstein. No name scientists. Commenters of the Internet. We have them to thank. But of all the discoveries and accomplishments, is finding out about global warming mankind’s greatest scientific achievement?
     |
It used to be that you could only see these shimmering cloud formations, called noctilucent clouds, if you were in the North or South Pole. But lately they’ve been on the move, and though they’re pretty to look at, their presence away from the Poles may be sign of climate change.
| |
There’s something magical about being able to control the weather, especially if there’s a way to improve it. Personally, I’d like to have some sort of device in my backyard so I can make sure that it won’t rain when I barbecue in the summer. While that might not be something you can buy today, it is feasible to tweak weather conditions in small areas.
Media artist Karolina Sobecka developed a machine for weather modification, after she was inspired by the idea of artificially generated climate change. The Cloud Machine is made up of gear that’s sent up into the atmosphere, attached to a weather balloon. Once it reaches the right altitude, it disperses ‘cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), heat, and water vapor. Moisture in the air condenses into fog droplets around the CCN, creating small clouds.
The goal of this was to create brighter, more reflective clouds that will better shield the Earth’s surface from the Sun’s radiation, partially counteracting global warming in the immediate vicinity. While I’m not sure about the science behind that concept, it’s still cool that you can make your own weather.
[via Creative Applications via designboom]
I’d hate to be the IT guy fixing this network. By dropping electronic devices into the stomachs of cows and networking them together, researchers hope to reduce the climate-warming farts and burps they produce. More »
A group of scientists from Scotland have an insane idea to help reverse the effects of global warming here on Earth. The scientists think they can grab a near-Earth asteroid called 1036 Ganymed and use it to him to create a massive dust cloud to block some of the Sun’s energy from warming the Earth. The scientists say that they only need to reduce 1.7% of the solar radiation that hits the Earth to offset a global temperature increase of 3.6°F.
The plan is rather far-out, and even the scientists admit that it’s no replacement for curbing greenhouse gas emissions here on Earth. The scientists envision using some sort of “mass driver” that can be used to push the asteroid to Lagrange point L1. Lagrange point L1 is where gravity from the Sun and the Earth cancel each other out.
Once there, the mass driver could then be used to blow a massive cloud of dust and debris off the asteroid to block sunlight. The dust cloud would need a mass of about 11 million-billion pounds and span about 1600 miles wide. I wonder if a slight miscalculation in the size of the dust cloud might block more sun than they intend and plunge the Earth into an Ice Age.
[via Livescience]
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
