From: The Low Willow (phoenix@ugcs.caltech.edu)
Date: Wed Jan 15 1997 - 22:44:22 MST
On Jan 15, 4:31pm, James Rogers wrote:
} if you are using the supercooled ceramic type superconductors. My
} (unqualified) theory is that when you have a flux overload, the
} superconductor would start to heat up. At a certain temperature point, it
} would resume an entirely ceramic nature, which would then be unaffected by
} EMP. If this was the case, EMP might be more of a nuisance than a threat.
*cough* *cough* Part of this entirely ceramic nature is also to
function as an excellent resistor. What happens to the very heavy
current flowing through the wire? I would think there's a high risk of
vaporizing here. rec.arts.sf.science has had discussions of EMP versus
super magloops, I think, with similar conclusions. Works great until it
fails.
On Jan 15, 11:24pm, Michael Lorrey wrote:
} > If the moon was fully developed however (like a small planet), then I see no
} > reason why it could not be adequately defended. It is mostly a matter of
} > distributing your economy and not having all your eggs in one basket.
Ah, best to be precise here. Defended as in protected, or defended as
in able to survive long enough to destroy or heavily damage Earth?
} least a million people. Given the situation where so long as the lunies
} can ride out whatever happens on earth, like the king of the hill, they
} have beyond the mere military conflict the political chance of winning.
} People on earth are fat and lazy, and as evidenced by conflicts in this
} generation, are not willing to fight and die unless it is their own
} backyard. If you think people wondered at why we were in Vietnam, the
} moon is 230,000 miles farther away than that...
How lazy people are only directly affects popularly supported
governments. How lazy people are can change when they feel directly
threatened. War in Iraq, yawn. Rebellion (how dare they!) of
transhumanists (kill the freaks) who are threatening to drop rocks on
Earth could well whip up a lot of enthusiasm for war.
} > 50-2000 meters in diameter. Simply the threat of dropping a big one (say,
} > 1000 meters) into an ocean should be sufficient deterrent from attack. An
} > ocean drop doesn't have to be accurate, and would destroy *a lot* of coastal
How much energy does it take to change the rock's course? How long
would it take to equip?
} So there is already a deterrent capability and all this posturing is
} moot. All that remains is one corporation with the balls enough to go up
*snort* And what will the corporation do then? If it ever drops the
rock, a bunch of cities die. And then the entire colony dies.
Under a more balanced development, those rocks may well be occupied by
superpower or UN forces, for obvious reasons.
Merry part,
-xx- Damien R. Sullivan X-) <*> http://www.ugcs.caltech.edu/~phoenix
Holy Wood!...was that special sort of beautiful area which is only
beautiful if you can leave after briefly admiring its beauty and go
somewhere else where there are hot tubs and cold drinks. Actually
staying there for any length of time is a penance. -- _Moving Pictures_
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