The biggest secret in Texas

[Phil]

Originally Posted by NimitzFan

I'd rather learn from other's mistakes than repeat them myself.

LOL Then you are about to embark on a scholarship! LOL

[davelant]

Some of the crafters on the board live in places like Indonesia and the Philipines; they may experience similar problems and have some tips for you. I thought Huntsville, AL was humid till I started visiting Houston (daughter at Rice.)

[cdavenport]

I saw a Discovery or History Channel piece on how engineers have concocted a plan to build a bubble over Houston. Now, all they need is money.

[NimitzFan]

I saw it too. Fortunately - no one around here is listening. We don't need it. That engineer didn't realize that most of the area that they want to "bubble" - already IS "bubbled." There is a large, private tunnel system that runs under 95 blocks of downtown Houston. It averages 20' below street level and is designed for pedestrians. There are several dozen restaurants, plus many stores and professional offices, all connected via a air conditioned marble tunnels. When I worked down there a 3/4mile loop I would do if I had a long boring meeting coming up after lunch. It really helped.



The much bigger question we face is drinking water. In 50 years we won't be getting any from the rivers that feed the city now. My thought is that we have a very large source of salt water close by - and a ton of chemical engineering talent in town - why not pursue desalinzation in a big way?

But then engineers aren't happy unless they are moving dirt.

[cdavenport]

Originally Posted by NimitzFan

My thought is that we have a very large source of salt water close by - and a ton of chemical engineering talent in town - why not pursue desalinzation in a big way?

I teach 8th science in Georgia which is always suffering from one drought or another. One of my students once asked ingeniously why we don't just send a pipe to the bottom of the ocean where the water is less saline. I was flabbergasted.

So, the genius is out there. Necessity is the mother of invention; so give the kids some time and they'll figure it out!

[NimitzFan]

I totally agree. I'm an old computer geek - been in the PC industry more than 25 years. Many years ago I was shocked to see how some kids, raised on computers, were using them in ways I'd never considered. They didn't know it wasn't possible - so they just did it. That made me feel real old - until I realized that I was alone among my peers in recognizing what they had done. That made me feel young again.

I notice that the US Army has adopted the Nintendo control system to run their CROWS remote controlled gun turrets. There is an entire generation of kids who have shown how to use it far beyond the capabilities expected. (See Strategypage - Armor: It's Alive! and also Armor: Video Games Can Save Your Life and also
Military Photos: CROWS Arrive in Iraq to Keep Gunners Out of Sight)

Clearly somebody in the US Army has the same attitude I do - the best thing I can do now is to identify the good ideas from the kids and get them out there fast!

BTW - Your student should be commended in another way - the pressure differential present at the bottom of the sea may be a possible form of energy that could run such a system!!!!!