[extropy-chat] USA - No Science, No space travel, No money ........

[Damien Broderick]

At 09:38 PM 3/11/2005 +0100, S. wrote:

>On the B.B. effect there is something here
>
>http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/bpp/TM-2004-213082.htm

Hang on, the NASA researchers say (as Mike has noted with annoyance):

<3.2.7. Biefeld-Brown and Variants. In 1928 a device was patented for 
creating thrust using high-voltage capacitors [50]. Since then, a wide 
variety of variants of this "Biefeld-Brown" effect, such as "Lifters" and 
"Asymmetrical Capacitors" have claimed that such devices operate on an 
"electrostatic antigravity" or "electrogravitic" effect. One of the most 
recent variants was patented by NASA-MSFC [51]. To date, all rigorous 
experimental tests indicate that the observed thrust is attributable to ion 
wind [52-54].

Vacuum tests currently underway, sponsored through an additional 
Congressional earmark to the West Virginia Institute for Scientific 
Research, also indicate that this effect is not indicative of new 
propulsion physics. These tests are now assessing the more conventional 
performance of such devices [55].

These "Biefeld-Brown," "Lifter" and "Asymmetrical Capacitor Thrusters" are 
not viable candidates for breakthrough physics propulsion. >