Technology

Let's be honest: This is military technology camouflaging itself as civilian tech. It totally doesn't make any sense for the proposed uses, but it totally is worthwhile for military purposes. Jihadist sneaking up onto your base in Bagdadh in the night? Light up the sky! Russian drone attack when it's dark? Light up the sky! That border to north korea? Eternal sunshine! Your B2 and B52 bombers are on the way? Confuse your enemy by switching the sun on and off! Protect your convois by always have them drive in the night!

This is literally, actually a bond villain plot

this is one of the worst ideas that has ever come from capitalism dawg what the fuck who even thinks of this what rich fuck is gonna be paying to make it daytime at night....

its not just impractical, it is just entirely pointless and we already have way too much space pollution because of fuckin starlink

What about making our own startup that will make sure to destroy those orbital glasses?

Surface to space missiles seem to be a profitable entreprise

Maggie Simpson will sort them out.

Why put mirrors in space when you can SELL SHARES in building mirrors in space to redirect sunlight.

Worth trillions, don't you think? Not the end product - just the design and endless alpha model.

Shit... you think the F-35 was a complete boondoggle(*1), you ain't seen shit. Space is BIG. Price tags $,,$,,$,,$,,$

(*1) and it remains so to this very day

This is obviously a scam directed at venture capitalists. There's no way this is going to happen.

So many companies and environmental damage just to get investors to dump money into terrible ideas.

Reminds me of this other terrible dystopian idea I saw the other day: https://nz.news.yahoo.com/elon-musk-announces-plan-control-182840080.html

Glad billionaires think they can steal the sun and sell it back to us now.

The future we hoped for: Dyson sphere, free unlimited energy

The future silicon valley shitlords are hoping for: let us sell you sunlight (or maybe lack thereof, wink wink)

Don't worry, this type of Space Nuttery is merely a way to extract money from even dumber billionaires.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solaren

None of the Space Nuttery fantasies will ever happen.

Thought I was in the boring dystopia community instead. I suppose I'll just continue to hope that this is too impractical to happen or that those responsible aren't competent enough to make it happen.

Isn't this basically the plot of "who shot Mr Burns?"

This exact same technology naturally allows capitalists to force everyone to pay not to have their sunlight blocked during the day.

I mean, the technology certainly has benefits, not in reflecting sunlight onto the dark side of the Earth. Nobody fucking needs that. Instead it should be used to shade a few percent of sunlight in order to control Earth's warming climate.

But rich people gotta fuck things up. No single entity must ever be allowed to control orbital megastructures.

In addition to being a moronic idea, this is also physically infeasible as I outlined in excruciating detail in my comment the last time this came up. The takeaway is that this is an investor scam for sure, and the side effects outlined in this article are just a fun (!) and exciting (!) sideshow if these bozos actually do mange to get a single mirror off the ground and deployed. Which they probably won't.

Rich people should not have the choice to have fucking sunlight in the middle of the night.

If I was going to build death ray mirrors in space this is how I would pitch it.

Tf are people gonna do once you've built the death ray?

It's not about selling sunshine, it's about melting your enemies with the power of the sun.

Capitalism is at it again 🤦 What are they selling next? Air?

Last time some rich fuck started screwing with people's access to natural sunlight cycles, it didn't end well for him.

"We're a startup"

"What's your plan?"

"Giant mirrors in space to control the sunlight that hits the earth's surface."

"Wow, sounds incredibly expensive and of dubious technical merit. What are you asking to make this happen?"

"We need whatever money you have in your wallet right now."

"And the return on investment?"

"Infinity zillion dollars."

"I guess I'd be a fool not to hand you all my money."

"Absolutely. Now... that's a really nice watch. And shoes. We could get you an amazing return if you gave us those, too."

Space debris target.

It's nice how, in theory, some crackhead silicon valley startup would be allowed to single handedly fuck up just about everything

please stop fucking with the delicate balance of nature, its the only nature i've found that works for me

Joking aside this is a horrible idea even if it were possible to get right. Anything with circadian rhythm is going to get fucked up real fast and that includes people. This is like angry mob outside the corporate office level bad. Torches and pitchforks, the whole thing

Yes. Let's make the planet even hotter... Fucking morons.

You don’t even have to be an expert to see that this is one of the stupidest ideas ever conceived.

[johnny silverhand noises intensifies]

New startup idea: iAir. Pay a certain amount of subscription for air, or we will choke you to death!

What experts? Give me my Dyson spehere!

Does anyone else remember the scene in the movie called "The Core" where a giant beam of light started frying people and melting bridges?