[ExI] Chips The Size Of[interplanetary] Dust [and matrioshka brains]

[spike]

The dust particles carry a net positive charge, ja?  Makes sense that they
would, since electrons seem more likely to run free than protons, flightly
characters that they are, having very little mass or responsibility.  Amara
I may have misunderstood your comment, but I grokked you meant the dust
particles are slightly net positive to 5-ish volts average.  Of course the
entire space is neutral (otherwise the sun would eventually have a net
charge.)

If so, then we could arrange M-brain nodes to hold a net charge as well.
Then we use electrostatic charge to prevent their clumping together.  That
discussion took place before the sake arrived as I recall.  {8^D  

Thanks for reminding me of a very pleasant evening with a most delightful
and thought-stimulating group.  Speaking of pleasant company, Russell
Whitaker has left us for New York for graduate studies in biochemistry or
something like that.  Any ExI-Bayers here know the details on Russell?  We
in the SF area will miss that man bigtime.  He was always a kick at the
local extro schmoozes.  When Anders was here, we went with Russell to the
local sushi bar.  He conversed with the waitress at length, in perfect
Japanese.  No mortal deserves such a generous portion of brains as he.  Our
loss in New York's gain.

spike  


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Amara Graps [mailto:amara at amara.com]
> Sent: Sunday, September 02, 2007 11:33 AM
> To: spike
> Cc: 'ExI chat list'; 'Robert Bradbury'
> Subject: RE: [ExI] Chips The Size Of[interplanetary] Dust [and matrioshka
> brains]
> 
> >Last spring, I was at a lecture by Dawkins.  At dinner afterwards, Amara
> >made an offhanded comment that has rattled around in my brain.  She said
> >that interplanetary space carries a small net electrical charge.
> 
> Oops! Did I say that? How many glasses of wine did I drink ? ;-)
> 
> If you mean interplanetary dust instead of interplanetary space, then
> yes, the dust particles are usually charged 1-10 Volts.
> 
> But if you really mean interplanetary space, which is another
> expression for "plasma", then no, overall the plasma is neutral
> (by definition).
> 
> Amara
> 
> --
> 
> Amara Graps, PhD      www.amara.com
> Associate Research Scientist, Planetary Science Institute (PSI), Tucson
> INAF Istituto di Fisica dello Spazio Interplanetario (IFSI), Roma, Italia