Can You Stop a Hurricane by Nuking It? • Hacker News Board

Re: Can You Stop a Hurricane by Nuking It?

#21

Post by schoper » Tue, Oct 30, 2012, 4:21 PM UTC

If they considered it in the 60s, my inclination is to think there was something to it. It sounds like an idea of Teller's (not a dope). In fact, a quick Google search just confirmed this to me.

The first approximation energy considerations quoted in the article and elsewhere in the comments here are not the same as a model of what happens in a physical system when you set off a bomb in a hurricane.

What a hydrogen bomb tends to do is to expel a cylinder of atmosphere straight upwards. Why didn't they ever build bombs greater than a 100 megatons? Not because it would have been too hard. It is easy to do. Instead, past 100 megatons, the extra energy just expels that cylinder of air into outer space even faster. So there is no reason to build a larger bomb.

What happens to a hurricane when a chunk at its center is launched into outer space? Or several chunks? Teller thought it was worth finding out. And there are very few physicists fit to lace up that man's boots. So it might be worth investigating.

Re: Can You Stop a Hurricane by Nuking It?

#22

Post by Apocryphon » Tue, Oct 30, 2012, 4:22 PM UTC

engtech wrote: post #10

tptacek wrote: post #9

One idea that rears its head almost every hurricane season recently is the notion of bombing a hurricane into submission. ... Finally, whether the bomb would have a minor positive effect, a negative effect, or none at all on the storm's convection cycle, one thing is for sure: It would create a radioactive hurricane, which would be even worse than a normal one.

Does this idea seriously raise its head almost every hurricane season? Is there any citation for that? Who (other than Michael Bay) is talking about nuking hurricane? edit: tried some google news searches, I can't find any discussion about bombing a hurricane other than this article.

The concept of using technology to change weather has been around since the '50s, at least, with the advent of cloud seeding. Shooting a-bombs at storms seems to fit the gee whiz nuclear-positive culture of the '50s.

Re: Can You Stop a Hurricane by Nuking It?

#23

Post by jagermo » Tue, Oct 30, 2012, 4:24 PM UTC

tptacek wrote: post #9

One idea that rears its head almost every hurricane season recently is the notion of bombing a hurricane into submission. ... Finally, whether the bomb would have a minor positive effect, a negative effect, or none at all on the storm's convection cycle, one thing is for sure: It would create a radioactive hurricane, which would be even worse than a normal one.

Yeah, "radioactive hurricane" should be mentioned a lot earlier. Is anyone really that crazy to consider something like that? It sounds like the idea of a Bond villain.

Re: Can You Stop a Hurricane by Nuking It?

#24

Post by danielweber » Tue, Oct 30, 2012, 4:32 PM UTC

engtech wrote: post #10

tptacek wrote: post #9

One idea that rears its head almost every hurricane season recently is the notion of bombing a hurricane into submission. ... Finally, whether the bomb would have a minor positive effect, a negative effect, or none at all on the storm's convection cycle, one thing is for sure: It would create a radioactive hurricane, which would be even worse than a normal one.

Does this idea seriously raise its head almost every hurricane season? Is there any citation for that? Who (other than Michael Bay) is talking about nuking hurricane? edit: tried some google news searches, I can't find any discussion about bombing a hurricane other than this article.

If something is going to cause $10 billion in damage, it's not nuts to consider nuking it to stop it.

Re: Can You Stop a Hurricane by Nuking It?

#25

Post by danielweber » Tue, Oct 30, 2012, 4:37 PM UTC

jnadeau wrote: post #11

Would have enjoyed this more if it were an xkcd "what if?"

I'd like to see the answer of opening a portal from a normal- pressure area to a low-pressure area applied to the eye of a hurricane.

http://what-if.xkcd.com/14/

Re: Can You Stop a Hurricane by Nuking It?

#26

Post by brownbat » Tue, Oct 30, 2012, 4:41 PM UTC

Intellectual Ventures has an anti-hurricane project, deploying little rafts that cool the surface of the ocean: http://intellectualventureslab.com/?p=321

Freakonomics discussed it on marketplace, (I think it's in one of the books too): http://www.freakonomics.com/2011/09/06/the-hurricane-vaccine...

Re: Can You Stop a Hurricane by Nuking It?

#27

Post by chiph » Tue, Oct 30, 2012, 4:44 PM UTC

Apocryphon wrote: post #22

engtech wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does this idea seriously raise its head almost every hurricane season? Is there any citation for that? Who (other than Michael Bay) is talking about nuking hurricane? edit: tried some google news searches, I can't find any discussion about bombing a hurricane other than this article.

The concept of using technology to change weather has been around since the '50s, at least, with the advent of cloud seeding. Shooting a-bombs at storms seems to fit the gee whiz nuclear-positive culture of the '50s.

"Explain to me how sheep's bladders can be used to prevent earthquakes."

"Certainly, my liege."

Re: Can You Stop a Hurricane by Nuking It?

#28

Post by tomjen3 » Tue, Oct 30, 2012, 4:44 PM UTC

If they are so energy dense, why nuke them?

Harvest them.

Re: Can You Stop a Hurricane by Nuking It?

#29

Post by laserDinosaur » Tue, Oct 30, 2012, 4:45 PM UTC

tldr; no.

Re: Can You Stop a Hurricane by Nuking It?

#30

Post by krapp » Tue, Oct 30, 2012, 4:46 PM UTC

weego wrote: post #13

Finally, whether the bomb would have a minor positive effect, a negative effect, or none at all on the storm's convection cycle, one thing is for sure: It would create a radioactive hurricane If that isn't an awesome opening scene of a superhero film I don't know what is.

Wow... an Aquaman movie that I might actually watch...