Recent content by Gary Weller

Actually, this was the perfect reply. It would absolutely prove me wrong. Thank you.

I work in the swimming pool industry. We often lock lumber into concrete by hammering hot galvanized nails half way into the lumber for the concrete to grab a hold of. In an "argument" with my boss, I told him if we set the nails at least an inch below the top of the concrete, the rust will...

It is abundant on the moon, as is Aluminum. Copper is not. Therefore, instead of lugging however much Copper you'd need from Earth to the Moon, it makes a boatload more sense to utilize the abundant materials ON the Moon for such things instead. If cost is the biggest obstacle, which many...

"Calcium metal has a higher electrical resistivity than copper or aluminium, yet weight-for-weight, due to its much lower density, it is a better conductor than either. Its use as such in terrestrial applications is usually limited by its high reactivity with air; however, it has potential for...

I completely understand. The way I look at that sentiment is "It's not the end of the world if my printer breaks down. My printer won't save me from the end of the world."

I find Elon Musk to be incredibly inspirational and capable. As Tim said, he's accomplished a whole lot. Some of those accomplishments were considered impossible decades, even just several years ago. I think his vision is only surpassed by his motivation and devotion to bettering Earth and...

I thought so too. It makes sense. I thought the progression was Moon base, space elevator, serious mining for minerals and what not, Mars or other body.

Is it too much to say that you could setup multiple solar power stations in the most efficient areas? The nice thing about the moon is that it's loaded with Calcium and Aluminum, both great conductors (better than Copper) that could be used to transfer power over long distances. If the poles...

I'm well aware of that. I should have specified "until the death throes of Sol".

Last I checked, it didn't have much carbon, which is a necessity for the production of lightweight composites. There's no petroleum for the manufacturing of plastics, which is very helpful in shielding radiation. There isn't much copper, but there's plenty aluminum and calcium, both better...

No. While we have maintained a consistently survivable climate for billions of years, we could not possibly be in the exact same orbit as we were prior to the KT ELA. No matter how infinitesimal the difference, it's not possible. If we pass closer to Jupiter one year than the next, we are...

I'd like to see an outpost created on the Moon as a stepping stone to Mars or elsewhere. Perhaps mining the moon for whatever ingredients we can to build a larger ship that would have far less trouble launching. Of course I understand that the Moon doesn't have everything we need, not even...

I'm late to the thread, but I was going to say this. The only explanation for why something seemingly incapable of being visible due to its low energy output (that I can think of) is ionization of surrounding particles. This would not only create a larger area of light, but a wider spectrum as...

That is amazing. I'm pretty proficient in Math and Astronomy, but Physics is still somewhat new to me. This is such a fun conversation for the guys in my office right now. I've always theorized a loss in length, but my boss was skeptical. This puts Science behind it, which I always knew was...

I install automatic pool covers for a living. The tracks that our cover rides on are composed of extruded anodized aluminum. These tracks come in 22' lengths. Usually there is more than one section of track, set end to end, on a given side of the pool. We drill and anchor these sections to...