Subject: Re: [LPNY DISCUSS] Aliens Cause Global Warming by Michael Crichton Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2004 12:15:58 -0500 To: From: Bob Armstrong I don't have time to continue last night's colloquy now , and= won't for at least a few weeks . ( Spare time taken up witn my 18th= MidWinter Party . ) Bob , thanks for your input . Clicked Beer's law which I didn't= know under that name . >=A0If all else stays the same, the body in vacuum being irradiated= by >=A0another will come to a steady state between the amount it= absorbs >=A0and the amount it radiates, but that steady state will be at a >=A0temperature that depends on the factors in question. Nothing changes the fact that it is the TEMPERATURE of objects= which comes to steady state equilibrium , not some different= temperatures depending on their properties . Otherwise one would be able to= construct a perpetual motion machine by connecting a pipe between the two= regions to drive a heat engine . While differences in reflectivity , etc will change how quickly= the system asymptotes , the atmosphere simply does not contain all= that much heat , and observably asymptotes on the order of hours and days= , eg : day to night and summer to winter variation . The notion of some= effect having a lag of decades to show up is egregious fantasy . All this discussion is why I have to lay out the arguments in a= structured article with the "null hypothesis" mean temperature accurately= calculated using real data and submit it to a friendly academic for formal= review . ( And yes , Blay , it is the temperature between the ground and= the clouds which is of interest . ) --=A0 =A0Bob Armstrong -- http://CoSy.com -- 212-285-1864 CoSy MidWinter Party : http://cosy.com/y04/MidWinter17.htm Computing Environment : =A0http://CoSy.com/CoSy/ A WTC vision : http://CoSy.com/CoSy/ConicAllConnect/ Liberty : http://CoSy.com/Liberty.htm Restore our Right to Relax : =A0http://ny.lp.org/cgi-bin/petition.cgi?Against_the_Smoking_Ban =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A02004/01/29 11:13:07 AM