Brewster Rockit by Tim Rickard for January 22, 2020

I hear Smith-Corona can make you a good one, Dr. Mel.

“ Anybody up for S’mores?”

Solar power? What a revolutionary idea, Doc!

How about launching a stove satellite, doc?

The cold of space might make the marshmallow too cold to eat.

A good magnifying glass might be cheaper and easier to handle.

The Earth captures approx. 1/1-billionth the energy output of the sun. Imagine future solar outposts and habitats that will use solar energy as their primary energy source. Dyson Swarms, Dyson Rings or even a Dyson Sphere could become a thing of reality.

Hey, Doc? Speak softly …

The problem with a sphere around the sun is that it’s not in orbit. If one part of it moves just a tiny bit toward the sun, it will be pulled harder and harder, until it lands. You need millions of rockets to keep centering it. This is from an old science fiction novel series (“Ringworld”, by Larry Niven). The second novel had to add rockets to the ring because Niven hadn’t realized the problem. This was around 1970, maybe.

“In fictional accounts, the Dyson-sphere concept is often interpreted as an artificial hollow sphere of matter around a star. This perception is based on a literal interpretation of Dyson’s original short paper introducing the concept. In response to letters prompted by some papers, Dyson replied, “A solid shell or ring surrounding a star is mechanically impossible. The form of ‘biosphere’ which I envisaged consists of a loose collection or swarm of objects traveling on independent orbits around the star.” (Wikipedia, of course.) Today, we have swarms of satellites around Earth (GPS and mini communication satellites, for example).

Or an egg and a sidewalk.

We’ll need the extra energy to run all the refrigeration units on the Earth at that point when the planet’s average temperature rises faster than humans can adapt to it via evolution.

Or perhaps just build a giant magnifying glass?

“…or a much smaller concave reflector.”

I guess the space station come with the normally standard solar arrays. Talk about you low budgets.

Don’t forget the graham crackers and chocolate bars

Have you ever seen the solar cigarette lighter?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao0W88kkyfk