Friday, January 21, 2011

Swiss Company Claims They Can Make It Rain Whenever They Want

Swiss Company Claims They Can Make It Rain Whenever They WantI'd never want to suggest that Nikola Tesla isn't awesome—he's a badass—but I have serious doubts anyone could use his ideas for an ionization machine to create 52 rainstorms in the middle east, like these guys claim.

The Abu Dhabi-based Meteo Systems says that when air humidity is above 30%, you can use their Tesla-inspired ionizer to send charged particles up into the air, which attracts dust, which in turn attracts water particles, and then—BOOMSHAKALAKA—you have a rainstorm.

According to the Daily Mail, Meteo Systems aren't revealing any data for these claims, or any sort of high level explanation of their technology. But they claim 52 rainstorms that happened between July 2010 and August 2010 in five different areas around the Abu Dhabi area was a direct result of their machines. They have a lot of people disagreeing with them.

Most skeptics point out that the entire Middle East had an unusually moist rainy season last year, which happened to coincide with the same time frame Meteo Systems is claiming. Even weather experts are emphatically dismissing this claim, with the best, most fantastically-nerdy quote coming from former NOAA department chairman Joseph Golden:

"That's garbage, that's absolute garbage," Joseph Golden, a former senior meteorologist at the Forecast Systems Lab of the National Weather Service, told Fox News. "I don't believe that for a nanosecond. You aren't going to get anything out of clear skies. I don't want to sound like Tom Cruise here, but show me the data."

[Daily Mail via AOL via Dvice]

via Swiss Company Claims They Can Make It Rain Whenever They Want.

1 comment:

Ann said...

Ok, it's a beautiful day outside, but you and hundred of others are in a huge auditorium listening to a science lecture.

Adrian Covert, the author of the above article, is the guest lecturer. He's giving a critical presentation on rainmaking.

You're listening attentively to Coverts every word. He explains, once charged particles enter the atmosphere "you have, first of all, a BOOM, which is followed by SHA, then a KA and a LAKA, ... in that order."

He writes in large letters the equation on the blackboard:

Rain = charged particles + Boom + Sha + Ka + Laka

A student in the middle of the crowded hall raises his hand. Covert calls on him.

Student asks, "Do I understand you correctly? Do charged particles go up and rain go down?"

Before Covert has a chance to answer another student blurts out, "Yeah, it's like" and sings:

'Wine and go up, Wine and go down
Bubble and a Rock to the new style around
...
Do the Boomshackalak 'till the dance hall full up
The Boomshackalak is the brand new style ... "

At that precise moment, from somewhere in the remote corners of the auditorium a saxophone, keyboard and a electric guitar join in. Women and girls throughout the auditorium stand and begin dancing as others join in the chorus:

"Wine your body
Wriggle your belly
Dip and go down in a the new stylee
Wine and go up,
Wine and go down ..."

Within minutes the entire lecture hall is singing, dancing their way out the door. As drool falls from Covert's gaping mouth, his glazed eyes stares off into space ...