5 ms·

Wow shoutout to insolation being an amazing word

• Terr_ 4y ago
  I get the feeling that one could shorten it to "solation" and it would still have the same meaning, etymologically-speaking. Like inflammable/flammable.
  • ncmncm 4y ago
    Exsolation might find a use. Big mirrors at L2 to reflect sunlight to solar farms at night? They would need to focus very precisely, from a million miles off.
    • danaris 4y ago
      I would think "exsolation" would either be a) what the sun does or b) a potential (though IMO somewhat nutty) geoengineering project to simply reflect a bunch of sunlight back into space before it heats us up. What you're describing sounds like maybe "resolation"? (Though also sounds like it's increasing the total amount of insolation, and thus would accelerate climate change...it's actually very similar to the soletta mirror designed to do exactly that, described in Lois Bujold's _Komarr_, part of the Vorkosigan space-opera saga.)
      • Terr_ 4y ago
        Hah, just re-read (or to be precise, re-audiobook-listened) to Komarr last week. I kind of want a side-novel following Auditor Vorthys now... although I imagine he's already something of a time-seasoned Leo Graf.
    • kortex 4y ago
      Wouldn't exsolation just be albedo and/or radiative cooling?