Quote from: Solar on February 08, 2011, 06:25:22 PM
As much as I love energy exploration, that is one area we need to leave alone, (IMO).
The Van Allen belt is our shield from radiation, without it, life on Earth would look very different. :o :D

Glad to see you posting MFA.

Yeah, I learned about the Van Allen belts when I was doing research on the Moon landing stuff...  As I understand it, things would suck without that belt.

Quote from: taxed on February 08, 2011, 06:39:17 PM
Yeah, I learned about the Van Allen belts when I was doing research on the Moon landing stuff...  As I understand it, things would suck without that belt.

Can you say "Cave Dwellers"? :D

Quote from: Solar on February 08, 2011, 08:21:22 PM
Can you say "Cave Dwellers"? :D

I guess we would have to buy up a lot of sunblock!

Quote from: Solar on February 08, 2011, 06:25:22 PM
As much as I love energy exploration, that is one area we need to leave alone, (IMO).
The Van Allen belt is our shield from radiation, without it, life on Earth would look very different. :o :D

From what I understand, the Van Allen belt is the radiation, diverted from its natural course by our magnetic field.  So the magnetic field is the true shield and the Van Allen belt appears to be "free energy."

QuoteGlad to see you posting MFA.

Nice to see you. :)

Quote from: MFA on February 09, 2011, 01:44:00 PM
From what I understand, the Van Allen belt is the radiation, diverted from its natural course by our magnetic field.  So the magnetic field is the true shield and the Van Allen belt appears to be "free energy."

Nice to see you. :)

I understand, but it's the energy that keeps it stable, if we start messing with the one component that protects virtually all life on the planet, there may be no reversing it's effects.
We really know very little about the Van Allen belt, it wasn't all that long ago, when we could look up in the sky, and not see one satellite.
Think of it like the great Saharan Forest, and look how that turned out. ::) ;) ;D

Quote from: Solar on February 10, 2011, 06:33:09 AM
I understand, but it's the energy that keeps it stable, if we start messing with the one component that protects virtually all life on the planet, there may be no reversing it's effects.
We really know very little about the Van Allen belt, it wasn't all that long ago, when we could look up in the sky, and not see one satellite.
Think of it like the great Saharan Forest, and look how that turned out. ::) ;) ;D

Can you give me a "for instance" of what might happen?

(...if I use it in a story and get it published, I'll credit you...)

Quote from: MFA on February 11, 2011, 05:36:13 PM
Can you give me a "for instance" of what might happen?

(...if I use it in a story and get it published, I'll credit you...)

Well now, if I knew that answer, that would make me ..ummm, like smart, or something. ;D

I have actually pondered the idea over the decades, but like understanding infinity, it's really a hard subject to grasp, I just know we shouldn't mess with what we don't understand.

Quote from: Solar on February 12, 2011, 08:05:34 AM
Well now, if I knew that answer, that would make me ..ummm, like smart, or something. ;D

I have actually pondered the idea over the decades, but like understanding infinity, it's really a hard subject to grasp, I just know we shouldn't mess with what we don't understand.

Back in my college days, I roomed with a guy who enjoyed arguing over some pretty off-the-wall stuff. One of his favorites went something like this: "What is space? If we define space as the absence of matter, what is the absence of space?" The arguments could go on for hours -- if the beer held out...
:P :P :P

Quote from: tbone0106 on February 13, 2011, 08:32:53 AM
Back in my college days, I roomed with a guy who enjoyed arguing over some pretty off-the-wall stuff. One of his favorites went something like this: "What is space? If we define space as the absence of matter, what is the absence of space?" The arguments could go on for hours -- if the beer held out...
:P :P :P

I liked Bill Cosby's "Why Is There Air" question.
I'm sure you remember that skit from 63?

God, yes. It's for filling basketballs and footballs and volleyballs, right? Jeez that's a LONG time ago!  :P :P :P