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Alternate power source: would lighting work?

In keeping with my mission to put random ideas out, here is the first of many ideas/concepts I came up with during my life.

I have always stood in awe of the power in lightning, but I also always wondered if that power could be harnessed or saved for future use. I recall reading an article in National Geographic in the late 80s early 90s about scientists studying lightning. They were launching high-end model rockets with copper wire spools attached. When the rocket went up it would run the spool of wire out and then the lightning would make the connection (lightning is capable of connections cloud-to-cloud, ground-to-cloud and cloud-to-ground) and it was a spectacular sight.

So my theory is that while lightning strikes are hard to predict, the idea that running a small charge at the top of a insulated pole in some random valley that has many thunderstorms roll through…okay I am leaving a lot up to chance here…could “collect” lightning. Then what?

“1.21 gigawatts!” The screams of Doc Brown and Marty McFly from Back To the Future can be heard everywhere. 1.21 gigawatts is quite a bit of power. Ask a Scientist has some interesting info on just that idea of power.

So you have this bolt of lightning, now what? Well my thought is that a rig of turbines, glass and aluminum might help create a mechanical capacitor of sorts. The energy would be volatile at first, but I think if you had it stored first then you used capacitors to fuel a turbine or a high capacity electromagnetic motor you could generate electricity. Now with the ups and downs of storms and such it would not be a way to continuously power a city, however, you could use it as a way to create a break on the electrical plants we now use.

With enough capacitors I would think you could create a storage field where you could house a large amount of energy and use it in the summer months when we strain the power grids.

What do I know? I’m not an electrical engineer, nor a scientist. :)

An idea is salvation by imagination.

– Frank Lloyd Wright

My blog template

This design came to me as I was tinkering, but I couldn’t get just what I wanted. With some patience and lots of spare time for trial and error I finally nailed what I wanted. I’m sure I’ll make a few changes here and there, but this is what I wanted. Damn CSS is nice!

Hundreds of ads, blogs, websites, clothes…you name it: it all inspired my design. Burnt, but still bright orange next to a dark grey or black is awesome as an accent in my eyes. That’s why I bought a backpack that looks just like that and why my backpack inspired my template. While my favorite color is indigo, it seems apparent that orange runs in my veins…just as it runs through this blog.

You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.

– Jack London

My computer tortured me

Yesterday I spent over 13 hours in my office. Thirty minutes was for lunch and I approximate sixty minutes for miscellaneous office tasks. The rest of the time was spent trying to recover my computer. I know what you are thinking, “How can someone that into computers go through the same hell I go through?” Well, at the end of the day it’s still a computer and I am still human. I make mistakes and when I do -just like you- I make the computer scream. Thankfully I got it back up and running with a little help from my pals at Microsoft…yes I caved in and called them. It took a support pit full of techs, but they figured it out and I felt redeemed when the said it was probably a one-in-ten thousand chance that it would happen…as I followed best practices to do the task I was doing. At least I didn’t pull my typical “oops!”

After that I was quite drained. I went home and vegge’d out BIG time. I have been working hard on a new layout too, but I just didn’t have the energy to work on it last night, and I don’t have the time today because I need to finish up what I worked on yesterday!

Imagine if every Thursday your shoes exploded if you tied them the usual way. This happens to us all the time with computers, and nobody thinks of complaining.

– Jef Raskin

It must be pun day

Okay okay I’ll stop singing now! I bet you are still singing though! :) The weekend was a good one: reading, reflection and fun with friends. Friday night we saw National Treasure and I thought it was well done. History was waaaaaay off in more then one spot, but it portrayed Masons in a good light and it was a fun “solve the next puzzle” movie – I always like those!

I finished Angels & Daemons on Saturday afternoon. Four days of reading. 50pgs, 50pgs, 200pgs, 275pgs. There was some HUGE discrepancies in historical fact 9that I have read) vs. what Dan Brown has in the book, but nothing too terrible. I thought the story line was slightly better then The Da Vinci Code – why? He didn’t slow down or stop the pace like I felt the last quarter of DvC ran. For the non-fiction fan and the fan of DvC: a must read.

I also finished the Steven Hawking book; also very good and not too over the top for many readers. Some items have recently been disproved or modified, but that is the case with theoretical physics book that’s aged ten years since its reprint. Dr. Hawking has an amazing sense of humor for on of the most brilliant minds and he’s happy to throw it in the most unexpected places. Truly a wonderful person. I’m looking forward to reading his other books…hopefully they arrive at my doorstep sooner then later.

We seek not to imitate the masters; rather we seek what they sought.

– Far Eastern Philosophy

Caffeine can be your worst enemy

Yesterday was a long day for me at the office’ tons of paperwork to finish filling out and the usual distractions. I was a little groggy so I got a 32oz Mt. Dew at lunch – what everyone needs right? Well I had some other business meetings to get paperwork ready for and I was cutting it close on time, thank goodness for doin’ the dew because I finished up my paperwork and made it to my late night meeting. After going through the usual bit there and then running off to another meeting (yes that is my life, late night meetings)…I got a chance to have dinner around 8:30 pm. My beverage of choice? Ginger ale. Why? Caffeine free!!

I got home before 10 pm and changed, hopped in the shower…the usual routine. I sat down and cracked open Dan Brown’s book; I was in no mood for physics tonight. Before I knew it, it was 12:30am…I read on, not yet feeling tired or distracted. Now it was 1:30am and time for bed, so I got into bed and kept reading, thinking I would be out in no time. I ended up forcing myself to put the book down at 2:30! Hey I read from page 100 to page 307 or 309. So far so good…just like Da Vinci Code he strings you along chapter to chapter. I have my fingers crossed it doesn’t slow down drastically at the end like DVC did…blah, that could have been better.

What does this weekend hold in store for me? Well tonight I’ll be heading out to see National Treasure with some friends, and I am sure it will be decent even if a little history has been indulged! :) Since I finished my laundry this week, I’m sure I will have plenty of time to finish the two current books on my list…oh what a nerd I am! Muhahah.

“There is a time for many words, and there is also a time for sleep.”

– Homer (800 BC-700BC)

Current Book(s):

• A Brief History of Time: The Updated and Expanded Tenth Anniversary Edition; By: Stephen Hawking
• Angels & Daemons; By: Dan Brown

You might get what you want

So I wanted to get into reading more and more (as you can tell it is becoming an obsession since I mention that more that anything else here) and it looks like I am now an addict! :)

Why?

I watched Matchstick Men last night…not too bad, but I called the ending about halfway through. It was getting late, but I felt compelled to jump back into Angels & Daemons; so I did.

I wasn’t up insanely late by any means, but I made it another 50 pages or so and called it a night. Chapter 33 would be tomorrow’s read…

“Once we find the fruits of success, the taste is nothing like we had anticipated.”

– William Inge

Current Book(s):

• A Brief History of Time: The Updated and Expanded Tenth Anniversary Edition; By: Stephen Hawking
• Angels & Daemons; By: Dan Brown