BAE Atmospheric lens concept

Hey! It's a bigger, better spy glass!

Another point for big brother eh?

A crystal clear atmosphere is ideal for spying or anything to do with a laser..Remember our atmosphere is in place to "protect" us lifeforms from radiation and other potential space nasties..Werent there a few nastier projects around that could punch through the atmosphere?

originally posted by: wirehead
... which means we could have gotten such technology at a fraction of the cost if our species weren't so hellbent on nuclear annihilation.

Maybe, maybe not, there is something to be said about the impetus of a (real or perceived) life or death struggle to motivate.

The Space Race and our trip to the moon would perhaps taken decades longer if there had not been a military application underwriting the whole venture. Yes we the US Taxpayers paid for it all, but the drive came from the military

I'm not sure we are hellbent on nuclear annihilation. If that was the case we would have killed ourselves long ago.....

This just in:

Bass, you'll enjoy the vindication.

originally posted by: FredT

originally posted by: wirehead
... which means we could have gotten such technology at a fraction of the cost if our species weren't so hellbent on nuclear annihilation.

Maybe, maybe not, there is something to be said about the impetus of a (real or perceived) life or death struggle to motivate.

The Space Race and our trip to the moon would perhaps taken decades longer if there had not been a military application underwriting the whole venture. Yes we the US Taxpayers paid for it all, but the drive came from the military

To be specific, Congress would not have funded the Space Race anywhere to the degree they did unless it did not have major implications for aiding military aerospace.

Additionally it was a signal to the USSR about US military capabilities, i.e. "if we can launch a giant rocket and put it exactly into precise orbit and have communications with advanced computer processing, then we can put 50 rockets over Moscow accurately too."

O'course, there is a sort of ant and magnifying glass thing about it.

a reply to: Bedlam
We've made buildings like the "Fryscraper" in London that partially melted a jaguar among others:

When Buildings Attack

I wonder if a giant magnifying lens in the sky could finish the job the fryscraper started and melt it the rest of the way?

Interesting article...

www.rochester.edu...