Bill Gates' New Company to Take on Hurricanes?
Bill Gates is a man of many talents. Founder of Microsoft, philanthropist and owner of a mystery company that we don't quite know the purpose of, Bill has proved that his retirement does not mean he's resting on his laurels.
USA Today reports say that Gates is even trying to come up with a way to control the weather. Alright, not quite but he is trying to come up with a way to reduce the speed of hurricanes which in turn, would reduce the damage done by the storms.
According to USA Today five recent U.S. Patent and Trade Office patent applications, made public on July 9, propose slowing hurricanes by pumping cold, deep-ocean water in their paths from barges. All very interesting, however what's more interesting is that if issued, the patents will offer 18 years of legal rights to the idea to Gates and his co-inventors (which include climate scientist Ken Caldeira of the Carnegie Institution of Washington).
Now, if only we could get Bill Gates to do the weather on television. . . Really though, being serious for a minute, if Bill thinks he can stop tragedies like Hurricane Katrina, more power to him.
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Wow , If he can do that , then I will have respect for him , a LOT more respect. Not the tiny "video game" respect I have right now.
In other news: College dropout hatches plan to slow tornados with pinwheels. (Only a little kidding, but honestly, there's absolutely no way to we can move enough cold water to make ANY difference)
In other news: College dropout hatches plan to slow tornados with pinwheels. (Only a little kidding, but honestly, there's absolutely no way to we can move enough cold water to make ANY difference)
I'm not sure about the sciences of this stuff, but if all of us were as pessimistic as you were, there certainly is no way, ya cynical old fart.
Is it me, or does Bill look a little evil in that picture?
he gives alot to charity too and his charity organization does alot for fighting world hunger and diseases.
I live in florida, so this is good news for me
I'm not sure about the sciences of this stuff, but if all of us were as pessimistic as you were, there certainly is no way, ya cynical old fart.
I'm 26 and a chemical engineer. I took thermodynamics and I'm highly sceptically there is any way we can make a difference, and even if there is the energy consumption to do so would be astronomical (i.e. making shuttle launches look like child's play in comparison)
Ok, here's my ridiculous idea: Drop a big ice cube into the hurricane from one of those hurricane hunter planes that fly into them. Just grab a chunk from the poles.
Better get my patent sent in before Steve Jobs or Mr. Gates tries to beat me to it.
I think the biggest issue here is this... "the patents will offer 18 years of legal rights to the idea to Gates and his co-inventors". If he is trying to do something good for humankind why would he want to have a patent of it?.
Well, great and all but let's think for a second. It's Bill Gates. The proper question to ask right now is; "Well, how much is it gonna cost?"
Its hard to see in the pic, but that kinda looks like a BSOD.
Different application, but he's still just breaking wind.
I'm 26 and a chemical engineer. I took thermodynamics and I'm highly sceptically there is any way we can make a difference, and even if there is the energy consumption to do so would be astronomical (i.e. making shuttle launches look like child's play in comparison)
Agree. As far I know the single hurricane caries more energy then energy produced my humans in one year. Bill should finished his education and not to skip physics classes and recognize when someone is a attempting to spend his money.
Plus there is other issue here. Everything in nature is linked and balanced. If you create imbalance the nature will counter act and restore the balance. So if Bill some how stops a hurricane hitting Florida for example will cause more strong one in Mexican Ocean for example.
I think the biggest issue here is this... "the patents will offer 18 years of legal rights to the idea to Gates and his co-inventors". If he is trying to do something good for humankind why would he want to have a patent of it?.
So someone else doesn't patent it and try to sell it? Patent's aren't bad, its what people do with them that are.
nah, I'll wait until Bill and crew release Wind Down XP. The 1st revision could be unstable and a BSoD actually kills someone.
I'm not an expert but I do know that hurricanes are the result of an immense energy differential and that the release of that pent up energy is a necessary aspect of the Earth's natural cycle. Throughout the early to mid 20th century humanity attempted to dominate the Earth, and we are just now starting to realize how foolish that idea truly is. However, changing the dynamics of a hurricane will make all of those failures pale in comparison. I am appalled that most of the comments are in support of this outrageous idea. Here is a better suggestion: stop building inadequate structures that obviously lie in harm's way.
Its hard to see in the pic, but that kinda looks like a BSOD.
Judging by the age of the computer, I would say it is safe to assume that the picture was taken pre-BSOD. It's probably an old version of Microsoft Works.
Thats the whole point, you never know. So today is a patent to stop hurricanes and tomorrow a patent for making hurricanes, i think there are things that shouldn't be patentable, specially if its something that will help save many people lifes. I'm not an expert on this area but as far as i know you can't get a patent of something that already exist even if the invention that already exist doesn't have a patent. So if someone else try to patent the idea the patent office will just say no.
I'm not an expert but I do know that hurricanes are the result of an immense energy differential and that the release of that pent up energy is a necessary aspect of the Earth's natural cycle. Throughout the early to mid 20th century humanity attempted to dominate the Earth, and we are just now starting to realize how foolish that idea truly is. However, changing the dynamics of a hurricane will make all of those failures pale in comparison. I am appalled that most of the comments are in support of this outrageous idea. Here is a better suggestion: stop building inadequate structures that obviously lie in harm's way.
Agreed. about 40 or 50 years ago the Chinese government declared that humans will win over earth (sky/god in direct translation) and acted on it. The direct result from that is a famine that killed millions.
that said, Bill is a rich man and we should never discourage him from trying.
Plus there is other issue here. Everything in nature is linked and balanced. If you create imbalance the nature will counter act and restore the balance. So if Bill some how stops a hurricane hitting Florida for example will cause more strong one in Mexican Ocean for example.
On this you are 100% correct. I think it's possible to lower the surface temperature 1 degree which could theoretically lower a hurricane to a tropical storm. It's not neccessary to combat the force of a hurricane, but the underlining roots.
BUT, and we're talking ghetto booty butts here, pumping cold water up to the surface means the temperature below could get warmer as a result. This could damage coral reefs, sea life or could alter the global current.
We've already learned in National Parks to let a forest burn if it's natural and doesn't threaten people. It's part of nature, and trying to control it leads to worse things down the road. Same logic applys here.
Same rule here.
Oh god, I'm waiting till SP1 before i go near that thing.
But seriously, how will tampering with systems we know little about help us get out of the situation we caused by tampering with systems we know little about?
Bill Gates might be good enough to cheat the people and sell them crappy software (like Windows and MS Word) but I doubt he would be able to cheat the hurricanes.
Oh god, I'm waiting till SP1 before i go near that thing. But seriously, how will tampering with systems we know little about help us get out of the situation we caused by tampering with systems we know little about?
Bill Gates just fixed/debugged the biggest unnatural element created by humans - Windows and now he is about to fix/debug one of God's greatest natural disasters - the hurricanes.
As much damage as hurricanes cause, I'm thinking that tampering with the natural course of weather could be a really bad idea. Like you stop a hurricane off the coast of Florida, and a year later massive tidal waves wipe japan off the map- or something.
As much damage as hurricanes cause, I'm thinking that tampering with the natural course of weather could be a really bad idea. Like you stop a hurricane off the coast of Florida, and a year later massive tidal waves wipe japan off the map- or something.
Blue wave of death?
Blue wave of death?
good one, I didn't think of that
Somehow reading this and then thinking about Murphy's law REALLY REALLY scares me......especially when you count the fact that Bill Gates is in on it....
bill gates looks like toby mcguire in spiderman 3. By the way if he wants to make me happy he should have a fight to the death with Steve Jobs (p.s go for the liver!!!!!)
bill gates looks like toby mcguire in spiderman 3. By the way if he wants to make me happy he should have a fight to the death with Steve Jobs (p.s go for the liver!!!!!)
This is what it would look like. -----> {url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyhhFzE5O5U]Gats v Jobs[/url]
"Wow , If he can do that , then I will have respect for him , a LOT more respect. Not the tiny "video game" respect I have right now."
Wow , If he can do that , then I will have respect for him , a LOT more respect. Not the tiny "video game" respect I have right now.
So his long running campaign and work to combat Malaria in third world countries, and the outstanding work of his 'gates foundation' to tackle world health and education problems holds no weight with you? Your a hard person to please.
Honestly Gates may not have as cool an image as some people, but if you judge him by his actions he stands above a lot of other 'rich 'n' famous' people.