A plan to turn the atmosphere into an enormous sensor
1–10 of 13 posts
Re: A plan to turn the atmosphere into an enormous sensor
#2From the article:
The first 27 months of the programme will be dedicated to understanding the science behind ripples in both the ionosphere and the electrically neutral atmosphere below it, and then building computer simulations of what is going on. These will be tested to see if they can replicate accurately effects seen in the past.
Once the team have a better understanding of the basic science, they will proceed to the second stage: field trials. This will involve three tests at three-month intervals in which researchers attempt to locate pertinent events, such as storm cells, mining operations and earthquakes. If that works, the project will then move on to matters of military interest by spying on missile launches, tracking aircraft and even watching underground bunkers being dug. The result, if all goes well, may be the world’s first true panopticon.
Hopefully they spend more time on the atmospheric stuff than the military stuff. Exciting news, if the former.
Re: A plan to turn the atmosphere into an enormous sensor
#3From the article: The first 27 months of the programme will be dedicated to understanding the science behind ripples in both the ionosphere and the electrically neutral atmosphere below it, and then building computer simulations of what is going on. These will be tested to see if they can replicate accurately effects seen in the past. Once the team have a better understanding of the basic science, they will proceed t…
Any sufficiently advanced technology will be purposed for military use. This will be purposed for Intelligence and Reconnaissance use if it fills a niche they need filled.
Re: A plan to turn the atmosphere into an enormous sensor
#4Re: A plan to turn the atmosphere into an enormous sensor
#5From the article: The first 27 months of the programme will be dedicated to understanding the science behind ripples in both the ionosphere and the electrically neutral atmosphere below it, and then building computer simulations of what is going on. These will be tested to see if they can replicate accurately effects seen in the past. Once the team have a better understanding of the basic science, they will proceed t…
Any sufficiently advanced technology will be purposed for military use. This will be purposed for Intelligence and Reconnaissance use if it fills a niche they need filled.
Having worked in remote sensing[1] in the distant past, every now and then I still glance at the Wassenaar Agreement[2] to find out what today's fun stuff may be.
[1] interplanetary on my part, but I have no illusions that our funders didn't have further intraplanetary applications in mind. I was young and needed the money.
[2] https://www.wassenaar.org/app/uploads/2019/12/WA-DOC-19-PUB-...
(as far as watching bunkers being dug, I'm pretty sure LIDAR already gives a much cleaner signal)
Re: A plan to turn the atmosphere into an enormous sensor
#6Earlier quoted context omitted.
Any sufficiently advanced technology will be purposed for military use. This will be purposed for Intelligence and Reconnaissance use if it fills a niche they need filled.
Having worked in remote sensing[1] in the distant past, every now and then I still glance at the Wassenaar Agreement[2] to find out what today's fun stuff may be. [1] interplanetary on my part, but I have no illusions that our funders didn't have further intraplanetary applications in mind. I was young and needed the money. [2] https://www.wassenaar.org/app/uploads/2019/12/WA-DOC-19-PUB-... (as far as watching bunker…
Hey, that’s perfectly reasonable. No, the problem we have as a society is we live in this kind of reality which is governed by this thing called physics, and as our understanding of physics progresses, our ability to abuse the shit out of it also progresses. Some things aren’t a matter of if, but when.
That PDF is a gold mine by the way.
> as far as watching bunkers being dug, I'm pretty sure LIDAR already gives a much cleaner signal
The proposed applications are probably nothing more than something to get the ball rolling but can already be done very effectively today. I hesitate to be overly skeptical because an atmospheric panopticon would probably have more applications than they would imagine or dare to propose themselves.
Re: A plan to turn the atmosphere into an enormous sensor
#7From the article: The first 27 months of the programme will be dedicated to understanding the science behind ripples in both the ionosphere and the electrically neutral atmosphere below it, and then building computer simulations of what is going on. These will be tested to see if they can replicate accurately effects seen in the past. Once the team have a better understanding of the basic science, they will proceed t…
Any sufficiently advanced technology will be purposed for military use. This will be purposed for Intelligence and Reconnaissance use if it fills a niche they need filled.
something something Unrestricted Warfare
Re: A plan to turn the atmosphere into an enormous sensor
#8The atmosphere is also used as a detection medium for Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) [1]. Very high energy (>tens GeV) photons, electrons or nuclons hit atoms in the atmosphere and produce a cascade of secondary particles, which move faster than the speed of light in the air emitting Cherenkov light [2]. Flashes of this light are lasting for few nanoseconds, so the cameras have nanosecond sampling time and are based on photo multipliers.
There are many such telescopes around the world: MAGIC (2 telescopes), FACT (1), HESS (5), Veritas (4). The biggest assembly of such telescopes is currently under construction - Cherenkov Telescole Array [3] with hundred of telescopes in Paranal, Chile and 20 in La Palma, Canary Islands. One large telescope with a mirror of 23m diameter is already operating [4].
[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/IACT
[2] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_shower_(physics)
Re: A plan to turn the atmosphere into an enormous sensor
#9The atmosphere is also used as a detection medium for Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) [1]. Very high energy (>tens GeV) photons, electrons or nuclons hit atoms in the atmosphere and produce a cascade of secondary particles, which move faster than the speed of light in the air emitting Cherenkov light [2]. Flashes of this light are lasting for few nanoseconds, so the cameras have nanosecond sampling t…
This is fascinating, but:
> which move faster than the speed of light
Citation needed. I was of the understanding that this is impossible, and your first two links provide no evidence to the contrary.
Re: A plan to turn the atmosphere into an enormous sensor
#10The atmosphere is also used as a detection medium for Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) [1]. Very high energy (>tens GeV) photons, electrons or nuclons hit atoms in the atmosphere and produce a cascade of secondary particles, which move faster than the speed of light in the air emitting Cherenkov light [2]. Flashes of this light are lasting for few nanoseconds, so the cameras have nanosecond sampling t…
This is fascinating, but: > which move faster than the speed of light Citation needed. I was of the understanding that this is impossible, and your first two links provide no evidence to the contrary.
Crucial detail:
> which move faster than the speed of light in the air
The speed of light in air is slightly less than the speed of light in a vacuum (c)
Nothing is going faster than c