From: John Clark (jonkc@worldnet.att.net)
Date: Mon Apr 17 2000 - 00:08:31 MDT
What you really need is a solid that's lighter than air, and we really don't have
that yet but perhaps someday. Silica aerogel is close, it's a solid and only 3
times as dense as air. Aerogel is a pretty interesting substance, it's strong
enough to support 1500 times its weight, it's one of the best insulators
against heat and sound known, and is semitransparent, it looks like frozen
smoke. Actually it is so porous it's 99.98% air and if you substitute the air
for hydrogen or helium it will actually float for a while, until the air diffuses in;
if you could find a way to seal it up it would be a great way to make a
modern high tech zeppelin that would be enormously stronger than a gas
bag like the Hindenburg, not to mention more fire proof.
John K Clark jonkc@att.net
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