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Missile Defense

Technology has always found its greatest consumer in a nation's war and defense efforts. Since the last attempts at a "Star Wars" defense system, has technology changed considerably enough to make the latest Missile Defense initiatives more successful? Can such an application of science be successful? Is a militarized space inevitable, necessary or impossible?

Read Debates, a new Web-only feature culled from Readers' Opinions, published every Thursday.

gisterme - 07:23pm Jan 22, 2002 EST (#10963 of 10987)

rshow55 1/22/02 9:21am

"... I showed how, by replacing transparent plastics with different indices of refraction for the zinc sulfide and magnesium flouride that the demo in http://www.phy.davidson.edu/jimn/Java/Coatings.htm happened to choose, "99.9% or 99.9999% reflection for the specific frequency of the COIL system (which has been published) is achievable, without anything fancy, in a flexible, easily made decal..."

YOU SHOWED NO SUCH THING, ROBERT!

You referred to "real" if still somewhat theoretical thin film processes in the links presented and then began to "Shoalterize".

Somehow you jumped from those very specific topics about experimental scientific processes presented in the links to a bunch of sugar-coated BS presumptions based not on science but on Showalter's own feelings.

You said:

"...There would be other ways of getting the reflection, too..."

Your surmise. Not supported in any way shape or form by the links you posted.

"...Silvered mylar, which is quite common stuff,..."

That's where the truth of the statement ends...

"...is quite reflective..."

Oh? How about telling us what it's reflectivity index is, Robert? Is it 5% or 8%? That sounds about right. I know it's nowhere close to being as reflective as an ordinary bathroom mirror. An industrial laser can burn right through a bathroom mirror.

"...A reflective coating on top of silvered mylar would have extreme reflectivity over one range of frequencies..."

Oh? And what physical reason do you have to say that, Robert? What sort of reflective coating are you talking about putting over this silvered mylar? Ahem...haven't quite got around to thinking about that yet have you, Robert? You'll do it tomorrow, right?

"... - - with reflectance reinforced, all over the frequency range, by the "silver" on the mylar..."

These are just your feelings, Robert, not backed up by any scientific links you've posted. As I said before, it is intentional misapplication...you don't present any real data because no such materials exist. The "silver" in the mylar has no such broadband properties as you suppose. I'm sure there are plenty of folks who wish it did.

"...(Reflective coatings that are flexible, and used in packaging, are common articles of commerce.)..."

How reflective, Robert? I haven't seen one yet that I can't light with a match. :-)

"...This isn't available at WalMart - - but with a market, it could be -- in weeks..."

Then if it's so cheap and easy, Robert, why don't you just accept the challenge I gave you yesterday? Go ahead and make the decals and prove that your not just BS -ing us. After all you're the only person in the world who knows how to make them. Sounds like you've found a fabulous market niche!

Just think! You could sell your decals to some terrorist group that has managed to beg, borrow or steal a missile or two. How much could that market-space be worth? Just don't tell them that the emporer's new decals wouldn't be at all effective against the BMD system now being tested, since there are no lasers involved... :-)

Nobody with any common sense, Cartesian or othewise, is likely to buy into the analytical technique of pseudoscience by association that you've so proudly exhibited in your post, Robert,...and you're welcome to those who have no common sense, because they would be the prime candidates for the next round of Darwin awards anyway.

lchic - 07:34pm Jan 22, 2002 EST (#10964 of 10987)

Heck it took us 100 years but we finally civilized Europe mazza9 1/22/02 12:42pm

Seems the Europeans have a quality check in place and The States fall short! Tough! Ask me how?

gisterme - 07:44pm Jan 22, 2002 EST (#10965 of 10987)

rshow55 1/22/02 9:21am

"...We're dealing with fraud here,..."

Yeah, Robert, but nobody with any common sense is buying it...so why not just stop with the fraudulent BS?

"...or an avoidance of mistakes very near it..."

A "mistake" by definition cannot be fraud. Fraud is intentional, like your science by association.

gisterme - 07:53pm Jan 22, 2002 EST (#10966 of 10987)

"...Seems the Europeans have a quality check in place and The States fall short! Tough! Ask me how?..."

Is that the same quality check that saved Europe from Hitler? Gee I thought that was the Americans and the Russians. Perhaps the quality check you mean was the Marshal plan that literally bankrolled the rebuilding of Europe after Hitler got through with it...Oops, no, that can't be right, that was from America. Perhaps the "quality check" you mean is the one that brought about the end of the Cold War...so that Europeans and others could sleep without fear of being nuked or overrun...uh oh, can't be that. That was America again. Okay, lchick, once again, I'll bite, what quality check do you mean?

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