Open Letter to Da Vinci

From my knowledge of physics I suppose that the weather may be of some meaning for lifting the balloon to 25 km altitude only.

If the weather couldn't or doesn't prevent the launching the ballon and if it doesn't prevent the balloon from reaching 25 km altitude then it cant prevent the launch of the Wild Fire - at 25 km altitude there is no weather.

I know that a normal balloo has problems if it's very cold or snowing - weight of snow and ice for example - but I know also that some materials cannot get icy if it is too cold. This can be observed by a look at the Mount Everest - above an altitude of 500 m the mountain doesn't have any snow or ice on it. This fact has been analyzed scienifically - result: the rocks cannot hold snow, water or ice because they are too cold - all snow and water immediately goes down them.

If the material of the ballon has similar properties it cannot become to heavy by snow or ice perhaps. And its surface is of significant meaning too.

These are some physical considerations only - regardless of Brian Feeney, The da Vinci Project or any other team, enterprise or institution. But they lead to the question what properties the material does have the ballon is made of.



Dipl.-Volkswirt (bdvb) Augustin (Political Economist)

Regarding the matter of photo credits for the Microcosm images, if you read the photo credit for Lorne Bradt, it specifies which image galleries apply. The Microcosm and Leonardo Images are NOT and never were included there.

Yes it is I who took the bulk of the images there and I am a believer in correct image credits. This is why I tried to be clear and not take credit for all the gallery images even though most are mine.
I am a little pissed when I see my images lifted from the web site and posted on other related sites or in print without credit and usually without permission from myself or the project.

But what ya gonna do...

I hope that clears it up.

Cheers,
~Lorne

That crediting business where you specify the sections in which you did take the images ... "Section 3-10 & 13" only appeared after I raised my objections to the apparent misapplication of credit. I asked the credit details to be changed, I warned what might happen if they were not changed, and (wisely) someone changed them.

Now you have the Orwellian temerity to tell us that the credit details as they exist today have ALWAYS been in place? Never say never Mr Bradt.

On another note, can you tell us anything at all about the current status of Feeney's Wildfire project ... it's looking a little ... uh ... farcical.

DKH