Re: It's getting windier.
 

Hum - well, nuclear hasn't quite solved the problems dating back to the 1950s yet - waste disposal, vulnerability to accidents/terrorism/natural disasters. Rather than turning back to yesterday's ideas why not cut out the middle man - we live on a huge nuclear reactor, after all (most of the Earth's internal heat comes from radioactive decay). If we can use this directly rather than digging it up, compressing it, transporting it, locking it in expensive containers and then using it to heat water, this would seem to be a good solution - it's not going to run out any time soon.

dellwear - thanks for the kind wishes, but really a night of disturbed sleep and being sat on at 5am by an annoyed baby isn't quite in the same league as what's happening in Carlisle right now. Good luck to them.

Re: It's getting windier.
 

We are close to having Nuclear Fusion which will replace Fision, Fision is agreed unstable but our best option right now.

Fusion is much safer and test power stations are in France and Russia so I have heard.

Re: It's getting windier.
 

I'll look it up somewhere, but fusion isn't exactly clean - after all, a hydrogen bomb (which all modern nuclear weapons are) is a fusion reaction set off by a fission device.

Re: It's getting windier.
 

So, if the polar ice caps melt and we do end up with more sea all around us..........will that be good news for the people who make a living by going out to sea in tiny boats and fission all day? :D

(Sorry, couldn't resist it :D )

Re: It's getting windier.
 

it would end up being more stable as a explosion is not going to happen, so a well built structure would contain a breakdown of the system.

I know a little on fusion technology but they wont release everything, but the ingredients look much more friendly then fisions.

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Fusion won't happen for the simple reason it needs a helluva lot of energy to initiate and it's impossible to control.

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Its not impossible in fact newer tests have had the reactor and process running for lengthy periods. End of day in 10 or so years we will crack it. Why give up on a idea because we "cant do it", we wont get anywhere with that attitude.

It will work.

Re: It's getting windier.
 

The only thing is, if it takes more than ten years, the kids will be fightin to keep the third world from overwelming the first world. Then again, the 'Fuzzies' dont like it up them..... ;)

Re: It's getting windier.
 

The way we live now has to change. We have the technology for the most part ( lpg..dual fuelled half electric cars) and everything else.


Its public attitude of not caring which means the goverments will do w/e they want.

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Sad as this may sound I've actually really enjoyed the scientific aspects of this thread (possibly more so than the doom and gloom side of things)..... Perhaps we could do with a "Science Can Be Fun" thread / section so that we can post and discuss different "interesting" scientific facts.

If it was a whole section we could have whole threads devoted to one topic rather than a confusing mish-mash of different stuff.

Is there likely to be much call for this or am I the only saddo on CF?

Re: It's getting windier.
 

if it involves space exploration and technology im game :D.

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Where did I say it was impossible?

I just said it wasn't really viable without significant refinement of current ideas.

Re: It's getting windier.
 

our ideas are sound..its our technology which needs work.

Sadly with any new thing it requres money, and until the goverment gives enough cash it will take time to happen.

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Well i was justing chatting away on msn to someone talking about the weather in Carlisle as i have relatives there and in hte article it says 5000 homes in berkshire without power, this person then asks me if i have power at home?!?

Bearing in mind this person knows i only have a main pc thats needs electric, i then say to them, thats the stupidist question ever and they can't figure out why :rofl::rofl:

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Are you a physicist? :D

Re: It's getting windier.
 

a what? :confused:

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Whoever could be that daft ???? :erm: :angel: :D :D :D :dunce: :dunce:

Re: It's getting windier.
 

sad physics person.

Just wondered...

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Whats sad about having a interest in future technology which could help us in upcoming years.


Sad to me is people who scoff at ideas, then embrace them once they are released.

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Nothing, just wondered :)

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Okay no worries. :D

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Another wind that is considerably up at the moment is the Atlantic Jetstream. My flight to Chicago at Christmas took 70 mins longer due to the Jetstream headwind, and the return, 60 mins less as a result. Thats a lot of extra push the Jetstream is giving it at the moment.

Re: It's getting windier.
 

I know that at first sight it seems like it should, but in actual fact, the changes in density don't make any difference. The ice contains exactly enough water, when it melts, to fill the space that the ice occupies in the water; no more, no less.

Even if the ice has drifted south to warmer water before it started melting it still wouldn't make any difference. Consider the ice at 0C and the water at 20C. The ice contains the same weight of water as that that was in the "hole" it makes. Assume it now melts very rapidly. Initially, as the melt water is at 0C, it will be a little smaller in volume than the hole. However, when it warms up to 20C it will expand exactly enough to fill the "hole", so the water level will remain the same.

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Hope you're all watching C4 right now!

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Density of ice = 0.931 gcm^-3
Density of water = 1 gcm^-3

Let's say there was 1 mol of water molecules, that's 6.02x10(23) water molecules, and has a mass of 18g.

Density = mass / volume so the volume in the solid state will be 18/0.931 = 19.33 ml
In the liquid state the same water will have a volume of 18 ml.

The density of the water will remain constant whilst the water remains in one state.

So your argument that the water somehow expands to fill the space is fundamentally flawed. How would it happen?

Re: It's getting windier.
 

??? Not sure what you are saiyng here. If the volume in the solid state is 19.33ml, and in the liquid state is 18ml, surely all that means is that 1,33 ml will be above water when the ice is floating?

Re: It's getting windier.
 

That isn't the case, waters maximum density is at 4 degrees C, either side of that it is less dense. Think about the hydrogen bonds that are involved and what they do to the shape of the solid crystal and the bonds involved in the liquid. It is these bonds that also give water a higher than expected boiling point. :)

Re: It's getting windier.
 

No, it means the volume of water will decrease by 1.33ml for every 18g of ice that melts.

(which is an appreciable volume and will have a marked decrease for massive glaciers)

Re: It's getting windier.
 

This is an incorrect statement - 'fundamentally flawed', in fact.

http://www.simetric.co.uk/si_water.htm

Key quote:

It's perfectly obvious that melting sea ice will not cause a rise in sea levels, just as it's perfectly obvious that melting land ice *will* cause a rise in sea levels.

Re: It's getting windier.
 

thankyou for summing up so concisely :)

Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones, during the recent storms across northern europe, by the way ..

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Depends on what type of ice you are talking about and temperature. http://www.lsbu.ac.uk/water/phase.html

Re: It's getting windier.
 

WoW! What have I started with all this Science Stuff:D

Re: It's getting windier.
 

No idea but I have exams next week and this is sadly more interesting.

Re: It's getting windier.
 

:LOL:

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Bloody wind. It calmed down today but now it's picked up again and blowing quite strong.

It's bin day tomorrow for the recycling wheelie bin which is mostly full of paper, card and plastic bottles. Bins have to be out by 6:00 am and sometimes it's not much after then when they are emptied.

You can guess what's just happened. Crash, look out of window, bin on its side, contents blowing all over the place. Not just ours though so it's quite messy out there. :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Well, I'm lucky I got to work this morning (or unlucky? :D ) Loch Lomond has swollen by at least 60cm over the weekend, possibly more ... and the wind is blowing up waves I never thought I'd see on a body of inland water. Balmaha harbour is flooded and now the Loch has covered the road as well. And of course, with high winds and big waves comes debris. The road is covered in it.

I'm going home early this afternoon so I'm not driving in the dark, so if I get a chance I'll post a piccie of it. Dramatic doesn't begin to describe it.

Re: It's getting windier.
 

:LOL:

It's still pretty windy here as well, I could hear it all night and that's even over the jet-engine of the PC...

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Its when your telling your missus why Fido, aint come back...well dear...it was very windy, and Fido was a small dog....

Re: It's getting windier.
 

A feller just got blown off the main bridge here, most harsh.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4165489.stm

Re: It's getting windier.
 

worst thing so far is the tree at kent's cricket ground has been knocked over and died

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4164313.stm

Re: It's getting windier.
 

I'm hoping either that was tongue in cheek, or that you didn't read Bifta's link - the lorry driver that was blown off the bridge fell several hundred feet to his death. :(

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Sorry, is that an attempt at humour? Have a little compassion, boy.

Re: It's getting windier.
 

yes it was tongue in cheek.. i hadn't read the link from Bifta's post..

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Latest weather reports suggest much worse is to come tonight, especially in Northern Ireland and Scotland. Batten down the hatches.

Re: It's getting windier.
 

I take it thats the new bridge they are referring to in the report?

I saw the weather forcast this morning and the Met Office reckons on gusts upto 80 - 100 mph tonight in western Scotland, the Western Isles and N.I. Glad I dont have anywhere to be tonight.

Re: It's getting windier.
 

I feel for that mans family, if he has children and a wife. I hope they cope as well as could be expected.

Re: It's getting windier.
 

I feel for the tree... ;)

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Yeah, I think they're probably going to close both of them. What annoyed me was that the DOE never bothered closing it beforehand and also kept it open during the storm at the weekend. Only a few hours beforehand they were saying "there's no need to close it, we're monitoring the situation" then some poor feller plunged off the side of it :(

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Local government agencies, about as useful as a chocolate fire guard....

Re: It's getting windier.
 

The man from the DOE has skilfully avoided any interviews since it happened.

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Quite windy around these parts. Got in the car earlier and was thinking I would not need to start the car because I will be taking off any second.

I have experienced worse winds though, couple times nearly diced with death, waiting to cross the road in severe gale force winds and got blown in the road and nearly knocked down and another time nearly had my head sliced off by floating sharp bits of sheet metal as I live next to steel works. :erm:

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Would you like health insurance. :D

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Blowing a gale here in Glasgow at the moment.

Re: It's getting windier.
 

looking at the forecast, it ain't going to get any better, for a while, at least - no fun :(

<edit> looks forward to cycling to work in the wind & rain, in the morning :erm:

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Just had a wee bit of thunder and lightning as well as the wind and rain. lovely .

Re: It's getting windier.
 

It's very strong here in Okazaki too. Must be some wind to blow 6000 miles. Little earthquake on Monday as well. Just a chair-shaker. Nothing fell off the walls. Even better, the walls are still there to keep the wind out. :)

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Getting pretty bad here in South Wales, I've lost count of the times I got woken up by the wind. :sleep:

Re: It's getting windier.
 

well it is so bad in Scotland that there are no trains running at all this morning

Re: It's getting windier.
 

quite windy here in the north east again, wonde when its gonna settle down again, just in time for the snow ??? ;)

Re: It's getting windier.
 

so your back then?

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Very windy in the Midlands, usually carm in the morning then the afternoon it's fury :erm:

Looks like the UK's weather has gone nuts :(

Re: It's getting windier.
 

The world weather you mean look at the states.

Scary stuff if you ask me

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Getting scarier all the time all over the world. Those mudslides in California must have been really frightening.

More bush fires in Australia, worst in over 20 years. The caravan park and house featured in Home and Away was destroyed by a bush fire in December.

Re: It's getting windier.
 

I'm keeping an eye on the ClimatePrediction.net forums for any news that pops up :erm:

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Yep, for now at any rate ;) was windy as hell in Southampton, we were working in a big maquis and I kid you not, it felt as though we were gonna take off :shocked:

Re: It's getting windier.
 

So lets summise this then, the wind blows very hard over the polar ice caps, gets compressed into smaller frozen Birds eye winds that are the same size above or below the water, when they defrost they become even bigger winds that suck up the water & blow around aiming themselves at trees & fences in residential areas.
Physics & science bods are at a loss to define exactly how this is happening but they think it may have something to do with global warming or the latest Harry Potter book.

OK, I think I got it now.

I just wish it would let me get to sleep at night, they howl through the gaps in the houses & I stay awake wondering the fate of the poor likkle squirrels that like to eat my nuts.

I'm off to buy a nice big kite, some wet string & a big key. :D :D

Re: It's getting windier.
 

And engineers would say it was related to the derivative of the third integral of the binomial expansion of the cosine function of z when derived from first principles of 1+1=6 and 2x^2 = x+1 :rolleyes:

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Which, to your average layman, translates as 'Blimey, it's a bit blowy out!'

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Right, as promised a few days ago, here is a photo of Balmaha Bay, a few miles down the road from us.

http://homepage.mac.com/towny/flood12jan.jpg

You can see the double yellow lines at the side of the road under the water, and in the middle of the picture are two way markers - a three-sided metal one and a small wooden post. They are next to a footpath called the West Highland Way, which runs along the stone wall and is normally well over a metre above the water level! The trees on the left give you an idea of where the water's edge should be.

Needless to say I am working from home today after almost failing to get home last night, when the debris on another stretch of the road was far worse than it is now:

http://homepage.mac.com/towny/flood12jan2.jpg

Every piece of wood you see here (even that rather large branch on the right) was across the road last night, and the Loch was across the road as well. During the night the waves have pushed the debris right across the road, so having blocked it, the Loch also reopened it. How considerate ... :D

Re: It's getting windier.
 

I was bulling but typical engineer-style waffle methinks. :LOL:

Re: It's getting windier.
 

I hope that no cars were washed up into that area Chris, they might get a fine for parking without a ticket :D

Re: It's getting windier.
 

I debated whether to start a new thread with this, but it seems appropriate, here..

- did anyone else watch Horizon, last night, regarding a phenomenon called 'global dimming'?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4171591.stm

if the conclusions are correct - and they are based on a huge amount of measurements, we could see even more rapid climate changes in the future - scary stuff :erm:

Re: It's getting windier.
 

Missed that, would have liked to have seen it. Must study DigiGuide more to find out when similar programmes are coming on air. Good, DigiGuide tells me it's being repeated tomorrow night (Sat. 15th Jan) at 20:10, must record it.

Re: It's getting windier.
 

I think I might have missed it myself, if not for Digiguide ;)

- the fascinating thing is the speculation that this phenomenon, which has only recently been recognised, is actually counteracting global warming. One implication is that our efforts to reduce global warming may also reduce atmospheric pollution to the point that this 'dimming' no longer occurs - and that will allow global warming to increase....

Re: It's getting windier.
 

If it's still getting windier, you might want to have a word with s1lv3r (I think it's his fault :D )

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...40&postcount=6

Re: It's getting windier.
 

I don't know whether blue clouds are more reflective than white fluffy ones, though. :p:

- although methane is 10x more effective as a greenhouse gas, than carbon dioxide ;)