Paul Hansel

Author: paul

  • Reflective satellites, meet dimensional analysis

    —

    by

    paul
    in

    ‘Say hello to my little friend.” – Scarface Let’s do some math on metallic reflective solar radiation modification. Solar radiation modification (SRM) is defined on Wikipedia. Many schemes for modifying Earth’s atmospheric and surface temperatures have been proposed under the umbrella of SRM, some of which involve mirrors or shades, some of which involve aerosols.…

  • Indestructible Robot Ghostwriter #1

    Indestructible Robot Ghostwriter #1

    —

    by

    paul
    in

    It’s not X, it’s Y, is a particular English construct that has drawn more than the usual amount of discussion in recent months. Language used to be for storytelling. You might begin your work with one theme, one event; as it progressed, you could explore some aspect of that world, painting a picture as you…

  • Predictable

    —

    by

    paul
    in

    Are you exploring enough? Be honest. You’ve been exploiting again, haven’t you. You’ve been working the same reliable vein of coal that’s kept the boiler fed for years. Have you really resigned yourself to never step outside the mine again? You know it isn’t going to last forever. At some point the roof will cave…

  • Try your hand at entomology

    —

    by

    paul
    in

    Can you identify the subject of the header image of this website? If so, leave a comment. Here is a full resolution copy. The edited version could also help.

  • A TrailerTail for every EV?

    —

    by

    paul
    in

    For a little over a decade, the rare sight of a passive aerodynamic modifier could be seen on highways across America. Depending on your vantage point, it could look like the tail of the Enterprise Space Shuttle… or perhaps a deflated pastry box. TrailerTail® was a hand-operated origami structure that reduced aerodynamic losses at highway…

  • Our rights to life and liberty, imploded

    —

    by

    paul
    in

    The loss of the OceanGate submarine in late 2023 didn’t really shock me much. On one hand, I knew first-hand that carbon fiber was a terrible material for submarines. Having tried to build a molded battery shell for my college RoboSub team back in 2017, I couldn’t imagine scaling up the material that I found…