Whats the big idea?

[Remodeling Maidiac]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M6LWTi5ioU&feature=youtube_gdata_player]Univ. of Saskatchewan space elevator qualifying run - YouTube[/ame]

I can't find an actual video link but this one is similar in application with a different drive.

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

They don't have a "working prototype". There's no material that's strong enough to work as a tether. Research has been put into carbon nanotubes, but that's still decades away.

"Space elevators" are still science fiction at this point.

Yes they do. It was promoted on the Science channel just a few days ago.

You do know what prototype means right?

It was a magnetic drive.

A space elevator would be the single most expensive and monumental structure in human history, and yet we cannot afford to rebuild our antiquated power grid? Whatchutalkinbout Willis?

You may be right but for the purposes of this thread I was just sharing ideas.

 

[theDoctorisIn]

Figuring out the drive isn't the problem with space elevators.

It's figuring out the tether.

We need to come up with something that's light enough to not collapse onto the planet, yet strong enough to tether the counterweight to the earth without breaking, and can handle the stress of thousands of pounds of people and equipment travelling up them.

We don't have that yet.

 

[occupied]

Univ. of Saskatchewan space elevator qualifying run - YouTube

I can't find an actual video link but this one is similar in application with a different drive.

Magnetic induction drives are old technology, the material that would hold together in a 26,199 mile tower is not even close to reality.

 

[candycorn]

Space elevators?

So far, I like the universal wi-fi. That sounds neat and doable. I like (not surprisingly), my idea to bring water to the hinterland and erect a real wall against illegal border crossings.

The Mars and beyond stuff is great too, I wish though that we'd get some more nuts-and-bolts discussion of how to do it. Do we launch a crew from Florida and that 4 person crew or whatever is the same crew that lands? Or do we launch relief crews prior and have them link up somewhere out there? I proposed the "space highway" as to where a network of stations is placed prior to launch of the manned vehicles to give the Astronauts predictable places to stop and, hell, just stretch their legs for example.

Synthetic meat? Maybe not so much. I see it going the other way in fact.

Debt management? Sturdy but hardly a "big idea" since it doesn't involve anything other than discipline.

Good stuff guys.

 

[konradv]

With deference to Grumps talking about no worthy debates...I'll try to start one to get the intellecutal juices flowing here...

Rise above politics for a moment:

What should be the next "big thing" we do as a nation? Define it any way you want but I'll give an example.

Hoover Dam for example. If you were to suggest building it today I think you'd get laughed out of the room. The Golden Gate Bridge? Any takers on that?

I think the next "big thing" should be transcontinental high speed rail myself. We could start tomorrow. Chicago to Denver in 90 minutes would be the first step

A national drive to make fusion power a reality, like the Space Race.

Constitutional amendment to establish public financing of elections.