Re: Wire Obstacles

Very Good! Actually I think I have read something like this in a
non-fiction setting. They said any reasonably hot torch (propane,
butane,
etc.) let alone acetylene would destroy it.  The stuff has a very low
heat capacity before it melts or goes through a change of state. [ The
subject was micro fine carbon strands I believe. The nearest real thing
to the SF wire.]

On Mon, 11 May 1998 10:02:53 -0900 "Jared E Noble"
<JNOBLE2@mail.aai.arco.com> writes:
>Ummm...someone correct me if I'm wrong here (I can't believe I just 
>invited
>the abuse!)  but I believe that the strong nuclear force only holds 
>the
>nucleus of individual atoms together.	The attraction between nucleus 
>and
>electrons is pretty much simple electromagnetic, and the bonds holding 
>atom
>to atom within the molecule is some kind of electron interaction - but 
>not
>the strong nuclear force. While these bonds may be significantly 
>tough,
>they are several orders of magnitude weaker that the strong force.
>
>So what does this mean?  I dunno, but there may be some virtue to the
>thought of cooking the monowire electrically or just through plain 
>heat.
>How much heat could a monowire be subjected to before the absorbed 
>energy
>became too strong for the bonds to hold the the monowire breaks down?	
>Is
>there a large number of suitable mono-molecules that could be 
>deployed, or
>only a few? If it is only a few, or you know what molecular 
>composition the
>opponent uses, tune a laser to the proper wavelength to excite the
>electrons in the bonds, then sweep the suspect area with it - Again, 
>if you
>excite a suffecient number of the electrons, you could effectively 
>boil off
>the bonds and then march through the gap - It wouldn't have to be a
>particularly strong laser, either.
>
>I also tend to believe that monowire is a fairly cheesy Sci-Fi idea 
>that
>makes for an interesting thought experiment, but impractical in 
>execution.
>Poor pplot device IMHO.  (but if feel that way about the majority of 
>the
>'way-out-super-nanites from hell' as well - and if that doesn't make 
>me
>flame-bait on this list, I don't know what will!)
>
>
>
>

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