Hurricanes and Life [Archive]

dar7yl

Sep28-04, 02:28 AM

<jabberwocky><div class="vbmenu_control"><a href="jabberwocky:;" onClick="newWindow=window.open('','usenetCode','toolbar=no, location=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,status=no ,width=650,height=400'); newWindow.document.write('<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Usenet ASCII</TITLE></HEAD><BODY topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 BGCOLOR=#F1F1F1><table border=0 width=625><td bgcolor=midnightblue><font color=#F1F1F1>This Usenet message\'s original ASCII form: </font></td></tr><tr><td width=449><br><br><font face=courier><UL><PRE>Lately, the Caribbeans and Southern US States have been deluged with\nmultiple hurricanes. My deepest concerns and sympathy go to all those\naffected by this tragedy.\n\nDuring this time, the media has been subjecting us to countless satellite\nphotos of the hurricanes and their paths.\n\nI noticed something interesting. The source near the west coast of Southern\nAfrica reminds me of something I used to play with long ago at school - the\n"Game of Life", and the "Glider Gun".\n\nThe glider gun is a bit of cellular automata which generates little bits of\nautomata - gliders, which shoot off on a track across the cellular universe,\nin much the same way that hurricanes are being generated by the African\nsource.\n\nI remember wasting countless hours studying the characteristics of cellular\nautomata. (Ok, actually I was just playing games:). My mates and I would\nset up elaborate scenarios with glider guns and other constructions, and\nhave massive battles in Life-Space. We would set up barricades and opposing\nweaponry to attack our opponents and defend our own installations. It\'s\namazing how a few well-placed blinkers and blocks could disrupt a glider\nstream.\n\nI am wondering if anyone else has noticed this phenonema, and if it has\napplication to actually control the effect of hurricanes.\n\nComments?\n\nregards,\nDar7yl\n\n\n</UL></PRE></font></td></tr></table></BODY><HTML>');"> <IMG SRC=/images/buttons/ip.gif BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER ALT="View this Usenet post in original ASCII form">  View this Usenet post in original ASCII form </a></div><P></jabberwocky>Lately, the Caribbeans and Southern US States have been deluged with
multiple hurricanes. My deepest concerns and sympathy go to all those
affected by this tragedy.

During this time, the media has been subjecting us to countless satellite
photos of the hurricanes and their paths.

I noticed something interesting. The source near the west coast of Southern
Africa reminds me of something I used to play with long ago at school - the
"Game of Life", and the "Glider Gun".

The glider gun is a bit of cellular automata which generates little bits of
automata - gliders, which shoot off on a track across the cellular universe,
in much the same way that hurricanes are being generated by the African
source.

I remember wasting countless hours studying the characteristics of cellular
automata. (Ok, actually I was just playing games:). My mates and I would
set up elaborate scenarios with glider guns and other constructions, and
have massive battles in Life-Space. We would set up barricades and opposing
weaponry to attack our opponents and defend our own installations. It's
amazing how a few well-placed blinkers and blocks could disrupt a glider
stream.

I am wondering if anyone else has noticed this phenonema, and if it has
application to actually control the effect of hurricanes.

Comments?

regards,
Dar7yl

Dirk Bruere at Neopax

Sep28-04, 10:25 AM

<jabberwocky><div class="vbmenu_control"><a href="jabberwocky:;" onClick="newWindow=window.open('','usenetCode','toolbar=no, location=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,status=no ,width=650,height=400'); newWindow.document.write('<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Usenet ASCII</TITLE></HEAD><BODY topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 BGCOLOR=#F1F1F1><table border=0 width=625><td bgcolor=midnightblue><font color=#F1F1F1>This Usenet message\'s original ASCII form: </font></td></tr><tr><td width=449><br><br><font face=courier><UL><PRE>dar7yl wrote:\n\n> Lately, the Caribbeans and Southern US States have been deluged with\n> multiple hurricanes. My deepest concerns and sympathy go to all those\n> affected by this tragedy.\n>\n> During this time, the media has been subjecting us to countless satellite\n> photos of the hurricanes and their paths.\n>\n> I noticed something interesting. The source near the west coast of Southern\n> Africa reminds me of something I used to play with long ago at school - the\n> "Game of Life", and the "Glider Gun".\n>\n> The glider gun is a bit of cellular automata which generates little bits of\n> automata - gliders, which shoot off on a track across the cellular universe,\n> in much the same way that hurricanes are being generated by the African\n> source.\n>\n> I remember wasting countless hours studying the characteristics of cellular\n> automata. (Ok, actually I was just playing games:). My mates and I would\n> set up elaborate scenarios with glider guns and other constructions, and\n> have massive battles in Life-Space. We would set up barricades and opposing\n> weaponry to attack our opponents and defend our own installations. It\'s\n> amazing how a few well-placed blinkers and blocks could disrupt a glider\n> stream.\n>\n> I am wondering if anyone else has noticed this phenonema, and if it has\n> application to actually control the effect of hurricanes.\n>\nMethods to control hurricanes already exist.\nThere was quite a lot of work done a few years ago on cloud seeding that could\nbe used to alter the paths of hurricanes.\n\nThe problem was a legal one.\nRight now if a hurricane smashes up a town it is \'an act of God\'. If the track\nof that hurricane had been altered (even to protect a larger community) it\nbecomes a manmade disaster ripe for litigation.\n\nIIRC the research was abandoned.\nhttp://www.usatoday.com/weather/resources/askjack/wfaqhurm.htm\n\n--\nDirk\n\nThe Consensus:-\nThe political party for the new millenium\nhttp://www.theconsensus.org\n</UL></PRE></font></td></tr></table></BODY><HTML>');"> <IMG SRC=/images/buttons/ip.gif BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER ALT="View this Usenet post in original ASCII form">  View this Usenet post in original ASCII form </a></div><P></jabberwocky>dar7yl wrote:

> Lately, the Caribbeans and Southern US States have been deluged with
> multiple hurricanes. My deepest concerns and sympathy go to all those
> affected by this tragedy.
>
> During this time, the media has been subjecting us to countless satellite
> photos of the hurricanes and their paths.
>
> I noticed something interesting. The source near the west coast of Southern
> Africa reminds me of something I used to play with long ago at school - the
> "Game of Life", and the "Glider Gun".
>
> The glider gun is a bit of cellular automata which generates little bits of
> automata - gliders, which shoot off on a track across the cellular universe,
> in much the same way that hurricanes are being generated by the African
> source.
>
> I remember wasting countless hours studying the characteristics of cellular
> automata. (Ok, actually I was just playing games:). My mates and I would
> set up elaborate scenarios with glider guns and other constructions, and
> have massive battles in Life-Space. We would set up barricades and opposing
> weaponry to attack our opponents and defend our own installations. It's
> amazing how a few well-placed blinkers and blocks could disrupt a glider
> stream.
>
> I am wondering if anyone else has noticed this phenonema, and if it has
> application to actually control the effect of hurricanes.
>
Methods to control hurricanes already exist.
There was quite a lot of work done a few years ago on cloud seeding that could
be used to alter the paths of hurricanes.

The problem was a legal one.
Right now if a hurricane smashes up a town it is 'an act of God'. If the track
of that hurricane had been altered (even to protect a larger community) it
becomes a manmade disaster ripe for litigation.

IIRC the research was abandoned.
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/resources/askjack/wfaqhurm.htm

--
Dirk

The Consensus:-
The political party for the new millenium
http://www.theconsensus.org

Patrick Powers

Oct26-04, 12:56 PM

<jabberwocky><div class="vbmenu_control"><a href="jabberwocky:;" onClick="newWindow=window.open('','usenetCode','toolbar=no, location=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,status=no ,width=650,height=400'); newWindow.document.write('<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Usenet ASCII</TITLE></HEAD><BODY topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 BGCOLOR=#F1F1F1><table border=0 width=625><td bgcolor=midnightblue><font color=#F1F1F1>This Usenet message\'s original ASCII form: </font></td></tr><tr><td width=449><br><br><font face=courier><UL><PRE>Dirk Bruere at Neopax <dirk@neopax.com> wrote in message news:<2rt2adF1el9sjU1@uni-berlin.de>...\n> dar7yl wrote:\n>\n> >\n> Methods to control hurricanes already exist.\n> There was quite a lot of work done a few years ago on cloud seeding that could\n> be used to alter the paths of hurricanes.\n>\n> The problem was a legal one.\n> Right now if a hurricane smashes up a town it is \'an act of God\'. If the track\n> of that hurricane had been altered (even to protect a larger community) it\n> becomes a manmade disaster ripe for litigation.\n>\n> IIRC the research was abandoned.\n> http://www.usatoday.com/weather/resources/askjack/wfaqhurm.htm\n\nI have read the article cited and it says nothing whatsoever about\nlitigation. I does state that the results of the research were\ninconclusive, and the researchers were concerned about unexpected\nenvironmental side effects of monkeying with huge forces that are not\nwell understood.\n\n</UL></PRE></font></td></tr></table></BODY><HTML>');"> <IMG SRC=/images/buttons/ip.gif BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER ALT="View this Usenet post in original ASCII form">  View this Usenet post in original ASCII form </a></div><P></jabberwocky>Dirk Bruere at Neopax <dirk@neopax.com> wrote in message news:<2rt2adF1el9sjU1@uni-berlin.de>...
> dar7yl wrote:
>
> >
> Methods to control hurricanes already exist.
> There was quite a lot of work done a few years ago on cloud seeding that could
> be used to alter the paths of hurricanes.
>
> The problem was a legal one.
> Right now if a hurricane smashes up a town it is 'an act of God'. If the track
> of that hurricane had been altered (even to protect a larger community) it
> becomes a manmade disaster ripe for litigation.
>
> IIRC the research was abandoned.
> http://www.usatoday.com/weather/resources/askjack/wfaqhurm.htm

I have read the article cited and it says nothing whatsoever about
litigation. I does state that the results of the research were
inconclusive, and the researchers were concerned about unexpected
environmental side effects of monkeying with huge forces that are not
well understood.

robert j. kolker

Oct27-04, 10:56 AM

<jabberwocky><div class="vbmenu_control"><a href="jabberwocky:;" onClick="newWindow=window.open('','usenetCode','toolbar=no, location=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,status=no ,width=650,height=400'); newWindow.document.write('<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Usenet ASCII</TITLE></HEAD><BODY topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 BGCOLOR=#F1F1F1><table border=0 width=625><td bgcolor=midnightblue><font color=#F1F1F1>This Usenet message\'s original ASCII form: </font></td></tr><tr><td width=449><br><br><font face=courier><UL><PRE>dar7yl wrote:\n\n>>\n> I remember wasting countless hours studying the characteristics of cellular\n> automata. (Ok, actually I was just playing games:). My mates and I would\n> set up elaborate scenarios with glider guns and other constructions, and\n> have massive battles in Life-Space. We would set up barricades and opposing\n> weaponry to attack our opponents and defend our own installations. It\'s\n> amazing how a few well-placed blinkers and blocks could disrupt a glider\n> stream.\n\nHurricanes are 3 d and G.O.L is a 2 d game. What is a barricade in three\ndimensions?\n\nBob Kolker\n\n</UL></PRE></font></td></tr></table></BODY><HTML>');"> <IMG SRC=/images/buttons/ip.gif BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER ALT="View this Usenet post in original ASCII form">  View this Usenet post in original ASCII form </a></div><P></jabberwocky>dar7yl wrote:

>>
> I remember wasting countless hours studying the characteristics of cellular
> automata. (Ok, actually I was just playing games:). My mates and I would
> set up elaborate scenarios with glider guns and other constructions, and
> have massive battles in Life-Space. We would set up barricades and opposing
> weaponry to attack our opponents and defend our own installations. It's
> amazing how a few well-placed blinkers and blocks could disrupt a glider
> stream.

Hurricanes are 3 d and G.O.L is a 2 d game. What is a barricade in three
dimensions?

Bob Kolker

Maarten van Reeuwijk

Nov3-04, 09:51 AM

<jabberwocky><div class="vbmenu_control"><a href="jabberwocky:;" onClick="newWindow=window.open('','usenetCode','toolbar=no, location=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,status=no ,width=650,height=400'); newWindow.document.write('<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Usenet ASCII</TITLE></HEAD><BODY topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 BGCOLOR=#F1F1F1><table border=0 width=625><td bgcolor=midnightblue><font color=#F1F1F1>This Usenet message\'s original ASCII form: </font></td></tr><tr><td width=449><br><br><font face=courier><UL><PRE>robert j. kolker wrote:\n\n> dar7yl wrote:\n>\n>>>\n>> I remember wasting countless hours studying the characteristics of\n>> cellular\n>> automata. (Ok, actually I was just playing games:). My mates and I\n>> would set up elaborate scenarios with glider guns and other\n>> constructions, and\n>> have massive battles in Life-Space. We would set up barricades and\n>> opposing weaponry to attack our opponents and defend our own\n>> installations. It\'s amazing how a few well-placed blinkers and blocks\n>> could disrupt a glider stream.\n>\n> Hurricanes are 3 d and G.O.L is a 2 d game. What is a barricade in three\n> dimensions?\n\nActually the last issue of Scientific American featured an article on\ncontrolling hurricanes by Ross N. Hoffman. He does research on controlling\nhurricanes using the concepts of chaos theory, namely that small\nperturbations can have significant effects on the end result if you wait\nlong enough. The question is of course which perturbations the system\nneeds, something they study by performing computer simulations, changing\nthe conditions along the hurricane path. They mainly focus on locally\ndecreasing heat and moisture fluxes, thereby deflecting the hurricane path.\n\nMaarten\n\n--\n================================================ ===================\nMaarten van Reeuwijk Thermal and Fluids Sciences\nPhd student dept. of Multiscale Physics\nwww.ws.tn.tudelft.nl Delft University of Technology\n\n</UL></PRE></font></td></tr></table></BODY><HTML>');"> <IMG SRC=/images/buttons/ip.gif BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER ALT="View this Usenet post in original ASCII form">  View this Usenet post in original ASCII form </a></div><P></jabberwocky>robert j. kolker wrote:

> dar7yl wrote:
>
>>>
>> I remember wasting countless hours studying the characteristics of
>> cellular
>> automata. (Ok, actually I was just playing games:). My mates and I
>> would set up elaborate scenarios with glider guns and other
>> constructions, and
>> have massive battles in Life-Space. We would set up barricades and
>> opposing weaponry to attack our opponents and defend our own
>> installations. It's amazing how a few well-placed blinkers and blocks
>> could disrupt a glider stream.
>
> Hurricanes are 3 d and G.O.L is a 2 d game. What is a barricade in three
> dimensions?

Actually the last issue of Scientific American featured an article on
controlling hurricanes by Ross N. Hoffman. He does research on controlling
hurricanes using the concepts of chaos theory, namely that small
perturbations can have significant effects on the end result if you wait
long enough. The question is of course which perturbations the system
needs, something they study by performing computer simulations, changing
the conditions along the hurricane path. They mainly focus on locally
decreasing heat and moisture fluxes, thereby deflecting the hurricane path.

Maarten

--
================================================== =================
Maarten van Reeuwijk Thermal and Fluids Sciences
Phd student dept. of Multiscale Physics
www.ws.tn.tudelft.nl Delft University of Technology