Real-Life Weirdness

[Anaraxes]

We can stop tornados from forming in the US by the simple expedient of building three tornado-proof walls. Rather large ones, of course, about 300m high and 50m wide, across North Dakota, Oklahoma/Arkansas, and Texas/Louisiana.

http://www.worldscientific.com/page/.../2014-06-23-02

If nothing else, these Great Walls might help make the skies safe for the zeppelins in your alternate future. (Notice the funding from the US Naval Research lab, and of course the Navy used to operate flying aircraft carriers like the USS Akron and Macon.)

Or perhaps they're relics, maybe partially complete, of the last gasp of the US nation-state on the way to your dystopic partial collapse or cyberpunk future. Even a partially complete wall provides some local protection, so they could be a good spot for your tired, poor, Midwestern masses to huddle.

[sjard]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

We can stop tornados from forming in the US by the simple expedient of building three tornado-proof walls. Rather large ones, of course, about 300m high and 50m wide, across North Dakota, Oklahoma/Arkansas, and Texas/Louisiana.

http://www.worldscientific.com/page/.../2014-06-23-02

If nothing else, these Great Walls might help make the skies safe for the zeppelins in your alternate future. (Notice the funding from the US Naval Research lab, and of course the Navy used to operate flying aircraft carriers like the USS Akron and Macon.)

Or perhaps they're relics, maybe partially complete, of the last gasp of the US nation-state on the way to your dystopic partial collapse or cyberpunk future. Even a partially complete wall provides some local protection, so they could be a good spot for your tired, poor, Midwestern masses to huddle.

I'm not sure that would stop tornadoes. I live in an area where they are rare, but still happen. They can occur in mountain valleys that are only a few dozen miles wide (I've seen about four in my life in such areas). So reducing them with said walls I can believe, preventing them entirely... won't buy that one.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by sjard

I'm not sure that would stop tornadoes. I live in an area where they are rare, but still happen. They can occur in mountain valleys that are only a few dozen miles wide (I've seen about four in my life in such areas). So reducing them with said walls I can believe, preventing them entirely... won't buy that one.

Even if it would work, it's still a pretty strange idea. 300m high walls out in the prairie? Who would fund something like that?

[RevBob]

Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery

Even if it would work, it's still a pretty strange idea. 300m high walls out in the prairie? Who would fund something like that?

Just call 'em billboards and watch the corporate sponsors line up.

[Hans Rancke-Madsen]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

We can stop tornados from forming in the US by the simple expedient of building three tornado-proof walls. Rather large ones, of course, about 300m high and 50m wide, across North Dakota, Oklahoma/Arkansas, and Texas/Louisiana.

http://www.worldscientific.com/page/.../2014-06-23-02

This one is going straight on to my table of wonders of the world for developing SF worlds.


Hans

[mook]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

If nothing else, these Great Walls might help make the skies safe for the zeppelins in your alternate future. (Notice the funding from the US Naval Research lab, and of course the Navy used to operate flying aircraft carriers like the USS Akron and Macon.)

Whoa. After a quick Googling and some manly squee-ing ... I can't believe I have never heard of these. I thought the "Crimson Skies" videogame was pure fantasy!

I am inspired.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by mook

Whoa. After a quick Googling and some manly squee-ing ... I can't believe I have never heard of these. I thought the "Crimson Skies" videogame was pure fantasy!

I am inspired.

You're in for a treat if you wanna dig into the subject. You can find lots of sites with bits of information, and several books as well. If you can get hold of it, I'd recommend The Airships Akron and Macon.

[Anders]

Man buys hundreds of Transformers IV tickets to impress lost love.

Man, don't feed the Bay. Just don't.

[Johnny1A.2]

Okay, this could be said to be weird, I suppose, or at least unusual. OTOH, I suppose you could also categorize this as 'real life scary' or potentially so. Anyway, it certainly could have gameable implications:

Smallpox Virus Found In Cardboard Box In Storeroom

Keeping in mind media reliability and sensationalism, and the fact that the virus is probably inactive ('dead' being a debatable word to apply to viruses), this is still at least kind of interesting.

[Anders]

What kind of idiots do you elect as congressmen?