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Science & Technology

Laser beams could be used to create rain

By T.K. Randall
September 1, 2011 · Comment icon 17 comments

Image Credit: sxc.hu
Scientists may soon be able to make it rain by firing laser beams in to the air to create water droplets.
While the technique known as laser-assisted water condensation doesn't work in very dry air, it can produce water droplets in air that is already humid. The technology still has a long way to go but may one day make it possible to produce rainfall on demand.
Researchers from the University of Geneva used lasers to create water droplets in the air, in a development which could eventually lead to man-made weather systems.


Source: Telegraph | Comments (17)




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Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #8 Posted by xXHellkittiesXx 13 years ago
As humans, I say mess with nature all you want, thats what we're here for. I need wood? That trees going down
Comment icon #9 Posted by Mike 215 13 years ago
It does not make sense. Laser beams give off incredble heat. If anything, such a system would vaporize the water in the air and could be used to control hurricanes. In an article entitled CONTROLLING HURRICANES in the Oct. 2004 edition of Scientific American, the writer-scientist proposed using a space satellite to beam down laser beams into a hurricane and destroye it, As for creating an increase in rainfall, the technology called cloud seeding has ben around for decades.
Comment icon #10 Posted by Taut 13 years ago
Can't imagine why. Nature does it all the time. And how exactly does nature fire lasers into the atmosphere? Are you referring to lightning? Cosmic rays? Not sure I understand your reference. Enlighten me, please.
Comment icon #11 Posted by aquatus1 13 years ago
And how exactly does nature fire lasers into the atmosphere? Are you referring to lightning? Cosmic rays? Not sure I understand your reference. Enlighten me, please. The comment was referring to this post: "There's gotta be some downside to forcefully removing water particles from the air, right?". We weren't talking about firing lasers, but about removing water from the air. Nature does that all the time.
Comment icon #12 Posted by Nerupe 13 years ago
Correct me if I'm wrong but, wouldn't creating rain in, say, a desert, without waiting for plant life to grow there and regulate the temperatures, humidity and other factors continually, destabilize the ecosystem and pretty much screw our grandchildren?
Comment icon #13 Posted by aquatus1 13 years ago
Well, it would definitely destabilize the ecosystem, but we really don't know if it would screw our grandchildren, or even if it wouldn't be an overall advantage for the desert in the end. Unfounded speculation can go both ways, negative and positive. But it would still be pretty irresponsible to do something like that. Good thing no one is even suggesting such a thing.
Comment icon #14 Posted by Khaleid 13 years ago
That's always the big dilemma when interfering with nature, it usually takes at least a few decades to grasp the full impact on the ecosystem...
Comment icon #15 Posted by Wickian 13 years ago
When water is artificially forced from the atmosphere in one location, it's taken away from it's future destination. This kind of technology could start(or be used) in wars in the future.
Comment icon #16 Posted by Skeptic Chicken 13 years ago
*Happy cloud floating along* *Gets hit by lazer beam* *AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!* *Cloud now dead* :
Comment icon #17 Posted by Khaleid 13 years ago
*Happy cloud floating along* *Gets hit by lazer beam* *AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!* *Cloud now dead* : Works out rather nice in a haiku... Happy cloud in sky Getting hit by laser beam Crying down in pain


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