Today I learned about Plasma Windows
by Reconcilliation 
, Imagination Station, Sunday, February 24, 2013, 01:24 (4072 days ago)
You know those giant windows on various spaceships and spacestations that are used so often in docking bays and the like in science fiction movies and games, like the kind featured on the Truth and Reconcilliation in Halo which the dropships and Banshees flew through?
It turns out these actually exist.
Currently they draw about 20kW per inch, but are strong enough to separate a 9 atmosphere (~1000 kilopascal) pressurized gas from a vacuum. Ain't that neat. They were invented in 1995, so it's not like they're even new.
The colour even changes depending on the type of gas used.
Wow, that is pretty awesome!
by biggy 
, Tinseltown, Sunday, February 24, 2013, 01:29 (4072 days ago) @ Reconcilliation
Let's build a spacestation with this tech!!!!
Wow, that is pretty awesome!
Considering the fact that the plasma needs to be ridiculously hot for it to function (15000 Kelvin, ie 3 times hotter than the surface of the sun, holy shit) and the fact that all that's keeping it contained is a magnetic field, there'd better be a safety rail at the very least :P
Still really cool, though.
Wow, that is pretty awesome!
by Ragashingo , Official DBO Cryptarch, Sunday, February 24, 2013, 09:18 (4072 days ago) @ GauntMkII
So I guess flying a drop ship through one of these things would be a Bad Idea?
Wow, that is pretty awesome!
by stabbim , Des Moines, IA, USA, Sunday, February 24, 2013, 10:37 (4072 days ago) @ Ragashingo
Depends on how long the exposure lasts.
Wow, that is pretty awesome!
by Reconcilliation , Imagination Station, Sunday, February 24, 2013, 12:02 (4072 days ago) @ Ragashingo
Here's the paper on the subject: http://accelconf.web.cern.ch/accelconf/IPAC2012/papers/theppb010.pdf
Wow, that is pretty awesome!
by ZackDark , Not behind you. NO! Don't look., Sunday, February 24, 2013, 10:26 (4072 days ago) @ GauntMkII
Not true. Plasma can be made through other means as well.
"Ionization can be induced by other means, such as strong electromagnetic field applied with a laser or microwave generator" - Wikipedia article on plasma.
Of course, it would throw the power requirements right out of the window, but I guess so would heating it up to 15k K.
Today I learned about Plasma Windows
by uberfoop , Seattle-ish, Sunday, February 24, 2013, 01:45 (4072 days ago) @ Reconcilliation
Currently they draw about 20kW per inch,
Turn off the plasma window, and use the difference to power up 75 original-model Xbox 360s and 75 LCD TVs for a 300-person Halo 3 LAN party.
but are strong enough to separate a 9 atmosphere (~1000 kilopascal) pressurized gas from a vacuum.
Block of cheap plastic to the rescue!
Today I learned about Plasma Windows
by katancik , Portland, OR/ University of Texas, Sunday, February 24, 2013, 13:02 (4072 days ago) @ Reconcilliation
So cool! I wonder if humans can walk through them or things can drive through them etc.
Today I learned about Plasma Windows
by ZackDark , Not behind you. NO! Don't look., Sunday, February 24, 2013, 13:11 (4072 days ago) @ katancik
I doubt one could walk through it, but I think fast, enclosed vehicles might be able to make it. Question is, will the window stay stable after the passage?
Awesome.
Why, why, why have I never encountered this before?
Awesome.
by General Vagueness , The Vault of Sass, Monday, February 25, 2013, 17:15 (4071 days ago) @ Dagoonite
Awesome.
I can think of six reasons off the top of my head.
1) I have an awful memory.
2) I don't actually read every thread.
3) When I'd read a thread, I didn't always click on every post. The ones that didn't look interesting to me fell by the wayside.
4) When dealing with theoretical technologies, I tend to cram a lot of stuff into my head at once as I do things similar to wiki walking, and I can get confused with so much information running around.
5) I have an awful memory.
6) I forget what this one was.
Awesome.
by General Vagueness , The Vault of Sass, Tuesday, February 26, 2013, 13:47 (4070 days ago) @ Dagoonite
I can think of six reasons off the top of my head.
1) I have an awful memory.
2) I don't actually read every thread.
3) When I'd read a thread, I didn't always click on every post. The ones that didn't look interesting to me fell by the wayside.
4) When dealing with theoretical technologies, I tend to cram a lot of stuff into my head at once as I do things similar to wiki walking, and I can get confused with so much information running around.
5) I have an awful memory.
6) I forget what this one was.
maybe the knowledge just pooled in your legs?
Today I learned about Plasma Windows
by Nik Gntre , Washington State, Monday, February 25, 2013, 08:50 (4071 days ago) @ Reconcilliation
Ah my friend and I had an argument a few months ago, he found this and insisted the that covenant must have used this while I thought they used more of a glass or other transparent alloy for their windows.
But I never really got around to reading up in it. But now I have and its good to know