<p>For physicists and engineers - especially future aerospace engineers</p>
<p>I know this is kinda random, but does anyone know any cool theoretical stuff - mostly only relating to space, aerospace technologies - such as solar sails (space ships that can travel at one-tenth the speed of light) and space elevators (elevators that can go around 23,000 miles into space)? I need some ideas.</p>
<p>space elevators: i think people are currently trying to build them using carbon nanotubes.</p>
<p>Actually, they are. I think, theoretically, the cables only weigh like 1 kg per kilometre... Imagine something so light - lighter than paper. But they havnt started building yet... it's only theoretical so far, but who knows?</p>
<p>they should build it in a region where there are no lightning storms.</p>
<p>There was an article about such elevators in last months PopSci I believe.</p>
<p>Launch a satellite into geosynchronous orbit with a wire connecting it to the ground. Sell the (free) electricity generated by the wire cutting the earth's magnetic field lines.</p>
<p>beprepn</p>
<p>solar sails can theoretically reach .9999999 the speed of light, in a space vacuum that is. constant acceleration and whatnot, you know? it might take 1000s of years to reach that velocity using only the available solar flares and other spiratic electromagnetic energy out there in space, tho. some really cool topics though. i just took a class discussing these principles at ucla.</p>
<p>Cool. Any other ideas?</p>