Control of the weather ?

[derekpara]

Things that were considered inconceivable many years ago, eg, radio, space travel, are now commonplace

Do you think that one day, man will be able to control the weather, and do so to such a degree that it could be managed to suit great world events, eg the Olympics, droughts etc ?

D

[B00]

ello darlin Derek, how's you? xxxx

It'd be cool wouldn't it?, But i want it to my specifications. For example, I'd like blazing hot sunshine from May through to October. It can only rain during the night, and then only if im not going out anyway.

Even in winter, it has to be reasonably mild. It can snow on Christmas day, but by Boxing day I want it gone again. The rest of the year, snow, and indeed frost and any temp that requires me to wear a vest will be banned.

[Nibble]

About as much chance of that as man discovering how to live in peace throughout the world, and learning to control themselves,IMHO. Also, there's too many variables in the earth's climate to fully manage the effects of mankinds influence - as per climate change!

[mccfluff]

i control the weather

its going to be very cold and sleety just above Boo's house for the rest of the year

[snags]

''i control the weather''

Ahh, that was you blocking the sun with your massive harris was it?

[B00]

I wouldn't notice the difference McFluffy. I live in Lancs after all, that's our normal weather round 'ere!

[mccfluff]

i use various parts of my anatomy to determine whether you have sunshine or not

[ll_billym]

Well I would definitely shy away from saying 'never' but in my mind trying to control the weather would be like trying to control how cigarette smoke behaves in a room by using a few fans - maybe writing a few words in the smoke. Very difficult.

The reason why I speak about smoke is that I once read that trying to model the weather (using computers like they do for weather reports, etc) is like trying to model how smoke will behave in a room - there are a very nigh number of variables and it is impossible to do with current computer systems.

[jake-the-peg]

No - for two reasons

Firstly a lesser reason - the energies involved are simply too huge - that's a lesser reason because it's open to the charge that we can't anticipate what we might in future have the ability to generate

A better reason is that it's a chaotic system and has large scale affects from small scale changes which cannot be proven - that's not a limitation of our knowledge but a fundamental characteristic of chaotic systems, they're inherently random.

Exactly as Billy says - like trying to control smoke

I'm of course ignoring the small scale stuff that can be done already like seeding rain clouds to trigger rain

[pdq1]

They already do! When there is a lack of rain its been known for aircraft to get above rain clouds that refuse to empty their contents and seed the clouds with a chemical. The Russians have got this to a fine art and once seeded clouds in Moscow that produced a torrent of water on a concert given by Paul McCartney. They were objecting to the corruption of their citizens by decadent western influences.

[pdq1]

Here is another case where the RUssians put seeding to effect by showering Chernobyl with water

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_seeding

[d9f1c7]

No and as Jake rightly points out mainly because of chaos theory!

[SlackAlice]

I wouldn't have said space travel was common place???

[seadogg]

Nice answer jake. People moan about weather forecasts with no idea of the number of variables involved

[incognito2]

Apparently a black project called HAARP is allegedly able to do this. More info here... http://www.wanttoknow...netic_warfare_weapons

[seadogg]

HAARP is directed at the ionosphere and may effect some aspects of weather in a limited area as well as having a significant influence on the communications frequency spectrum. I have experimented with auroral effects on VHF communication.

The weather engine operates mainly in the troposphere and the idea of making widespread and long term changes seems fanciful

[heathfield]

Control of the weather has been the dream of mankind. Dream on...

[Old_Geezer]

Never say never, but the implication you make is of global control, and it's hard to see how one can control that sort of large chaotic system. Much easier to hold the Olympics indoors, and move folk out of areas of the world unsuitable for long term sustainment of life, and bar folks from going back and expecting any help.