Community Chat

[gardenman]

There are always scientists coming up with crazy ideas that have some logic behind them, but in the real world, are impractical.

Tornadoes are most prevalent in the midwest due to the Rockies out west forming a barrier that funnels cold air south where it then collides with the warm air from the south and when those two air masses start spinning tornadoes can form. In parts of the world where mountain ranges run east and west instead of north and south, tornadoes are much less prevalent. He's essentially talking about building a manmade mountain range to prevent the ready mixing of the two air currents.

In the real world it wouldn't work. It's the same logic as building a giant rocket motor in the middle of the southwestern desert that would be fueled by natural gas/oil wells that was suggested way, way back when I was in elementary school. The theory was that would allow us to move the planet out of the way of any asteroid, or move the whole planet to a new sun should our sun go out anytime.

At one time I remember a proposal to use nuclear weapons to blow apart hurricanes. The theory was you could drop a hydrogen bomb into the eye of a hurricane while it was well out to sea and end the rotation of the storm by literally blowing it apart. The radioactive fallout would then fall harmlessly into the ocean.

These are all ideas that make some small modicum of sense, but in the real world are a bit absurd. I wouldn't worry about this new crazy idea. It won't have any legs.

[croemer]

Amen gardenman and Jules.

[Elstongunn]

On 2/26/2014 gardenman said:

There are always scientists coming up with crazy ideas that have some logic behind them, but in the real world, are impractical.

Tornadoes are most prevalent in the midwest due to the Rockies out west forming a barrier that funnels cold air south where it then collides with the warm air from the south and when those two air masses start spinning tornadoes can form. In parts of the world where mountain ranges run east and west instead of north and south, tornadoes are much less prevalent. He's essentially talking about building a manmade mountain range to prevent the ready mixing of the two air currents.

In the real world it wouldn't work. It's the same logic as building a giant rocket motor in the middle of the southwestern desert that would be fueled by natural gas/oil wells that was suggested way, way back when I was in elementary school. The theory was that would allow us to move the planet out of the way of any asteroid, or move the whole planet to a new sun should our sun go out anytime.

At one time I remember a proposal to use nuclear weapons to blow apart hurricanes. The theory was you could drop a hydrogen bomb into the eye of a hurricane while it was well out to sea and end the rotation of the storm by literally blowing it apart. The radioactive fallout would then fall harmlessly into the ocean.

These are all ideas that make some small modicum of sense, but in the real world are a bit absurd. I wouldn't worry about this new crazy idea. It won't have any legs.

Is radioactive nuclear fallout really harmless to our oceans and ocean life?

[mistriTsquirrel]

Wow, it's only 3am, and I've already read the dumbest thing I'll probably read or hear all day.

Just out of curiosity, what would this "impenetrable" wall be made of? I'd click on the links, but I just don't want to. It makes me sad to think that there are scientists who would actually entertain--let alone endorse--this ridiculous idea.

[esmeraldagooch]

NO! 56 years of tornado's on this map. Tell me how this would work. The bottom left side of this photos shows that tornado's are getting less per year. Waste of money.