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| Title: | Space Exploration |
| Notice: | Shuttle launch schedules, see Note 6 |
| Moderator: | PRAGMA::GRIFFIN |
|
| Created: | Mon Feb 17 1986 |
| Last Modified: | Thu Jun 05 1997 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 974 |
| Total number of notes: | 18843 |
263.0. "The Torque/Thrust Converter" by EDEN::KLAES (Fleeing the Cylon Tyranny.) Fri Feb 27 1987 10:43
I found this in today's VOGON News, and it sounds very
interesting; any opinions?
VNS Letters to the Editor:
==========================
From: Clarence J. Mouton ...................................... Bedford, MA, USA
Dear Readers of VNS,
A question that I proposed on November 7, 1986, returned some very
interesting responses.
The question: If you, or anyone you know, developed a device that,
in itself was not a threat to anyone, that could protect against a
variety of "conventional" attacks, and be used as well to do a great
justice to mankind. But if abused, could disable or destroy another
country WITHOUT destroying your own, would you: (A) Hand it to your
government; (B) Try to venture on your own, and make a profit; (C)
Made sure everyone knows about it; (D) Forget it, too much risk.
The question came up because of a dilemma that came up in my life.
I have been working on a personal project (which DEC has released to
me) for the past 3 years. It's called a Torque/Thrust converter. It
converts centrifugal torque energy from ANY source to Kinetic thrust.
The efficiency of my design is approximately 90-95%, and can be built
with commonly available materials. It is non-explosive, but can be
used to carry such. It can be used in transportation. It can also be
used to build renegade satellites from your back yard that could be
used to push existing satellites out of the sky. Constant velocity
physics experiments could be developed to experiment with time and
velocity in relationship to the speed of light. Since it is a constant
velocity device, it will accelerate as long as the power source holds
out.
Needless to say, to do (B), you need capital, which I haven't got.
To do (A) would be a waste, because it can do so much good. (It may
be locked up and classified as 'top secret'.) (C) is easiest, but
there is the credibility factor, as well as someone with capital could
steal it, negating (B). (D), in my opinion, is a cop-out.(Why work on
something to throw it away?) I would rather risk someone 'stealing'
it, than to sit on it. So, I'm opting for (C).
Also, If anyone out there knows of someone working along the same
lines, please let me know. Sorry about the long windedness. 14
responses: 3=(D); 1=(C); 3=(B); 1=(ABC); 1=(AB); 1=(CD); 1= none of
the above; 3= don't understand the question.
Thank you for your time.
[Ed: Replies directly to Clarence at FSTVAX::MOUTON please. MC]
<><><><><><><> VNS Edition : 1267 Friday 27-Feb-1987 <><><><><><><>
| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 263.1 | my thoughts... | CHEV02::MARSH | Jeffrey Marsh, DTN 474-5739 | Fri Feb 27 1987 13:14 | 24 |
| > in itself was not a threat to anyone, that could protect against a
> variety of "conventional" attacks, and be used as well to do a great
> justice to mankind. But if abused, could disable or destroy another
> country WITHOUT destroying your own, would you: (A) Hand it to your
I find it a contradiction that something could be "not
a threat to anyone" and at the same time be capable of destroying
another country.
> used to build renegade satellites from your back yard that could be
> used to push existing satellites out of the sky. Constant velocity
> physics experiments could be developed to experiment with time and
> velocity in relationship to the speed of light. Since it is a constant
No details of how the thing works are provided, but I am *very*
skeptical that something that you could build in your back yard
could accelerate things close to the speed of light (or even launch
satellites for that matter).
> I have been working on a personal project (which DEC has released to
> me) for the past 3 years. It's called a Torque/Thrust converter. It
For some reason I am not at all surprised that DEC has "released"
this project. I am tentatively filing this matter under "crackpots."
|
| 263.2 | | CACHE::MARSHALL | hunting the snark | Fri Feb 27 1987 17:25 | 41 |
| isn't a TORQUE/THRUST converter a commercially available device
that usually attaches between an internal combustion engine and
an automatic transmission?
If this guy is talking about some form of "reactionless" drive
(anyone who calls torque centrifugal force, creates immediate
skepticism in me.) Then there is a "good" book he should read called
_How_to_build_a_Flying_Saucer_ that is just chock full of such ideas.
re .1:
I'm not sure what "in itself is not a threat to anyone". Any inanimate
object is not "in itself" a threat to anyone, including nuclear bombs.
Only creatures can threaten. Is a steak-knife "in itself" a threat?
Is steel "in itself" a threat? If you are a bronze age warrior facing
steel swords you may well consider steel to be a "dangerous"
technology.
In short the whole preamble to the question is irrelevant, just
about any new invention could be described by those criteria. Thus
the question comes down to:
If you or someone you know invented something, would you:
A) hand it to the government.
B) try to market it for profit.
C) made sure everyone knew about it.
D) drop it, too much risk.
first, I don't see these choices as mutually exclusive. specifically
(B) and (C).
Anyway, what I would do is patent it, woo some venture capitalists,
and crank up the production lines.
/
( ___
) ///
/
|
| 263.3 | I vote for crackpot | BEING::MCCARTHY | | Sun Mar 01 1987 19:04 | 5 |
| People at DEC are constantly inventing and re-inventing devices which
convert torque into linear motion (aka wheels) :-)
-Brian
|