It's possibly of no interest whatsoever for the discussion, but I just happen to have watched this weekend the Deep Space 9 episode Let He Who is Without Sin [1] in which Worf and Dax (and then also Quark, Julian and Leeta) visit the planet Riisa where they control the weather.  (Although given how dank the beach looked at the end - Malibu I think is where they filmed it - they can't have been doing a very good job.)

Anyway, part of the plot revolves around Essentialists (who think the Federation has become soft/decadent) affecting the weather to cause rain (and make the tourists go home) using a handheld device.  Later on they cause earthquakes the same way.  I don't think there was an explanation of the latter as regards 'weather control' although I was so unengaged with the episode I might have missed it and I've forgotten the double-talk given for the gadget, but I thought I'd mention it in case anyone finds it a helpful reference.

tc




[1] The work colleague and I who are doing a rewatch of TNG/DS9 have rated this our least favourite episode of DS9 thus far just before anyone thinks I'm encouraging them to watch it!
http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Let_He_Who_Is_Without_Sin..._(episode)
(If Wishes Were Horses also scored as low on our rating system).


On 27 May 2018 at 02:12, Rob O'Connor <xxxxxx@ozemail.com.au> wrote:
Tim Little wrote:
> The control inputs are going to be very low
> powered compared with the internal fluxes in the
> system, so the evolution of the system is going
> to be very close to a path that could
> have happened naturally.

A quick dynamic response pressure transducer is not far from a microphone.
A high resolution thermometer is not far from a thermal imager.
Is the sensor set required for the control inputs part of an omnipresent surveillance system in the wrong hands?

I'm thinking that ~100m resolution of temperature, pressure, humidity, condensation nuclei number density, windspeed and direction, surface friction/airflow resistance and albedo with relevant values up to at least a scale height in altitude as a minimal requirement.

Couple that with ubiquitous smart phones/hand computers/personal IDs with position fixing capability and you have a panopticon.


> On second thought: while possible, this might be a bad idea since
> the periodicity itself could possibly have harmful long term effects.

The weather or climate equivalent of a Tacoma Narrows bridge resonance excursion lacks appeal.


> Maybe there could be some major resort areas on some rich and very
> comfortable worlds where they ensure that, while it does rain, it
> never does so during the day but only during some nights according to
> a schedule published well in advance.

That would stop Sunnydale from turning into a desert, and provide for a Blade Runner/L.A. Noir ambience for Traveller PCs to do their thing in.


Rob O'Connor


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