Activity for B.fox
Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
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Feasibility of deceleration by collision There are many hypothetical systems for bringing spacecraft of the near-future up to speed, some of which may attain some relativity-bending velocities. However, these systems, to achieve such high speeds, often waive extremely high mass ratios given to fuels and engines. Take laser propelled spacecr... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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Converting Neptune into a diamond planet This question was inspired by this one, questioning the methods one may use to attach structures to the surface of a diamond world. The idea of a celestial body largely composed of crystal diamond seems to be utterly preposterous, inconceivable, and just plain wrong. With the known composition of Ne... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
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Localized manipulation of the speed of light I've recently read Alastair Reynolds' sci-fi best seller, Redemption Ark, where he explored the concept of manipulating an inertial frame overlaid on the quantum vacuum like many of the other fundamental, underlying fields proposed by quantum field theory. The method described in the novel was shown... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
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Feasibility of spacecraft constructed from ice Eskimos in space! Let's say, just for contextual concerns, that a band of water-rich comet miners want to use water-ice found in the outer Solar System as the main structural and functional component of their spacecraft. That is, the spacecraft and perhaps some of its basic support functions (interna... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
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If I were to put a moon-mass object in Mars orbit, how long would it take to restart the dynamo effect in Mars' core? Mars has an inactive mantle and core and thus little magnetosphere to speak of. Assume that a lunar mass object is placed in Mars orbit at 300,000 kilometers out (one light-second). Given the tidal forces at play, how long would it take to bring the magnetosphere up to a strength where it could diver... (more) |
— | almost 7 years ago |