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Why don't we try to destroy tropical cyclones by nuking them?
- mkorfmann 7y agoWhy don't we try to give birth to children using Crystal Meth?
- jokowueu 7y agoFYI Crystal meth doesn't cause fetal abnormalities
- DonHopkins 7y agoBecause only an ignorant insane lunatic would suggest that. https://www.axios.com/trump-nuclear-bombs-hurricanes-97231f38-2394-4120-a3fa-8c9cf0e3f51c.html https://www.axios.com/trump-nuclear-bombs-hurricanes-97231f3...
- DangitBobby 7y agoI mean... Maybe we should try it
- acidburnNSA 7y agoDo they have FAQ on salter sinks too? https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2011/04/hurricane-suppression-system-salter.html https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2011/04/hurricane-suppression-...
- kristopolous 7y agoThis seems like a relatively cheap hypothesis to test
- cheschire 7y agoRandall's response to this article: https://what-if.xkcd.com/23/ https://what-if.xkcd.com/23/ There's no way to hotlink it directly so just search for "hurricane" in the page.
- mcintyre1994 7y agoThat whole page is worth reading, unsurprisingly given the source :)
- quickthrower2 7y agoHis response is a link that is the same as TFA.
- torgian 7y agoSure, let's try to control the weather by nuking our clouds. That won't have any effect on our atmosphere, oceans, and water. Nope. None at all. Also, we're not getting warmer. Climate change isn't real. The fires in the Amazon and Siberia are fake news. Move along. Move along.
- torgian 7y agoAlso, I find it hilarious and sad that people apparently always "bring up the option of..." nuking hurricanes.
- NeedMoreTea 7y agoWhy? Most people, and most politicians stop science as soon as they're allowed - so don't get past a high school level. If you have no concept of the physics and energy differentials between the two, it seems a reasonable question - nukes are powerful and destructive, hurricanes are powerful and destructive. Why not destroy one with the other? All that matters is any politician asking the question has an adviser or researcher able to explain why it's a poor idea...
- torgian 7y agolol wow I got downvoted _fast_.
- TeMPOraL 7y agoWell, the fires in Amazonia are fake news, in the sense that unlike what social media tells you, it's not out of control but done purposefully by Brazil, it's not record but just like last year and the year before, and the whole "20% oxygen" meme is bullshit. :).
- reilly3000 7y agoI think most of the hype is about the current state of affairs, but the genuine concern is about the political policy of burning rainforest for crop lands. While it has short-term economic benefits for the people of Brazil, it has the _potential_ to impact others around the world significantly. The fact that it is done on purpose it what is at odds, not the scale of it in a given timeframe.
- threeseed 7y agoFor context Trump allegedly asked if it was an option. https://www.axios.com/trump-nuclear-bombs-hurricanes-97231f38-2394-4120-a3fa-8c9cf0e3f51c.html https://www.axios.com/trump-nuclear-bombs-hurricanes-97231f3...
- DonHopkins 7y ago"I got it. I got it. Why don’t we nuke them?" Trump reportedly said. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/our-very-smart-president-wants-to-nuke-hurricanes-876194/ https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/our-very...
- mikedilger 7y agoA teacher I remember fondly and highly respect once said to the class "there are no dumb questions. The dummy is the one who doesn't ask questions." I'm relieved that Donald put it in the form of a question, yet suprised at the number of things he must be ignorant about to think that this idea might be viable.
- DonHopkins 7y agoIt's sad and unnecessary to lower the bar for the President of the United States even lower than we do to keep from hurting little school children's fragile feelings. I don't think Jimmy Carter would have needed to ask such a dumb question. At this point, you really shouldn't be so surprised he's so deeply ignorant about so many things.
- mikedilger 7y agoIt's not just for school children, it's good advice for everyone all the time. I know plenty of ineffective adults who are constantly on guard defending their image, behaving in pretentious ways, and focused altogether too much on sending social signals (hell I'm probably doing it right now by posting this comment, trying to send a social signal of intelligence). We try to remind each other of wisdom with catch phrases like "think outside the box". I think "ask all the dumb questions" might be a good catch phrase too. As for Jimmy Carter I agree and I have to wonder: why is it that intelligence seems to be strongly inversely coorelated with effectiveness as a president? Jimmy Carter was wildly intelligent and a really nice guy, but couldn't get anything done. Donald Trump is less intelligent and often abrasive, yet he seems to be getting heaps of accomplishments under his belt (not all good ones, but largely so). Is it quantity vs quality? Or paralysis of analysis? There is no definitive answer as these are judgement calls, but I think this is fertile ground for aspiring entrepreneurs to try and grok.
- nutcracker46 7y agoReason 56,224 why schools need to effectively teach science - chemistry, physics, and weather / climate. Storms are an aspect of heat transfer, and adding heat to a cyclone isn't going to make it dissipate. Also, the waters feeding humid air to the storm are still there, continuing to provide warm humid air. Have fun with those nukes and fallout; enjoy your iodine.
- malicioususer11 7y agoThe same reason you dont blow up the sun when it gets too hot. :)
- gmuslera 7y agoA lot of species are getting extinct right now. When it comes the time for butterflies to get extinct too, the tropical cyclone problem will be solved.