From: jdnicoll@panix.com   
      
   In article ,   
   Gene P.  wrote:   
   >   
   >I'm basically a skeptic of human nature though... I don't think there will   
   >ever be solar power satellites or really big solar mirror farms for the   
   >same basic reason:   
   >   
   >The ability to focus a power beam at any distance is equivalent to a space   
   >weapon of incredible power.  No Government will ever allow it... unless   
   >there's been a major war and only one government has access to space.   
   >   
   >Building big Photovolatic arrays *might* be allowed though... as long as   
   >the facility it's attached to doesn't have a railgun.   
      
   	I've been thinking about this ever since I noticed that Dyson   
   Swarms + Phased Arrays + short wavelength beams = the ability to   
   evaporate Earth mass worlds in about a week anywhere in the visible   
   galaxy and the nearer galaxies (limited by orbital predictions). On   
   the one hand, it explains the Fermi Paradox but I think in the short   
   run, AU range beams aren't quite the centralizing force they appear   
   to be.   
      
   	Once the range is long enough, it gets hard to nail ships   
   that have some kind of on-board motive power. A large enough swarm   
   may be able to get close enough to destroy a pesty array. Some laser   
   designers are less robust that others: the X-Ray lasers that were   
   discussed last year have 100% reflective mirrors until they are   
   jostled by an atomic diameter or so, for example, after which heat   
   losses will make the mirrors turn into plasma somewhere between   
   "Uh" and "Oh". Kinetic Friendship Packages are one way to make this   
   happen.   
      
   	Arrays are big and will have huge, targetable radiators. Other   
   arrays can used a la MAD to limit antisocial applications of beams. In   
   this case, balkanization limits tyranny. If the Mercurial Power Company   
   and Harsh Overlords LLC starts talking about "natural monopolies", it   
   may be best to just open fire on their corporate HQ.   
      
   	Even with terawatt beams, it takes a surprisingly long time to   
   evaporate even small asteroids. Dig in and invest in _good_ mirrors.   
      
   							James Nicoll   
   	   
      
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