Are Rigid Geometric Weather Balloons Possible?
I recently discussed the mysterious 486958 Arrokoth, an object encountered by NASA's New Horizons mission. I explored possible scenarios, including the possibility of an alien spacecraft or probe, but ultimately concluded that the natural explanation is much more plausible and consistent with current scientific knowledge. I believe it is important to remember to not confuse science with speculation and imagination. Join me to explore the fascinating possibilities of Arrokoth and the implications of our discoveries.
Exploring the Fascinating Possibilities of 486958 Arrokoth and Its Implications
By Michael Levin
Sunday, March 5, 2023
Can actual breakthroughs that have already occurred allow the construction of a meta material strong enough to create rigid weather balloons that would be stable at 40000 feet? A mean like geometric shapes like cylinders and rectangles instead of round balloon shapes?
Hello, this is Bing. I’m not sure if there are any actual breakthroughs that have already occurred that allow the construction of a metamaterial strong enough to create rigid weather balloons that would be stable at 40000 feet. However, I can tell you some information about metamaterials and weather balloons based on my web searches.
Metamaterials are artificial materials that have properties beyond those found in nature⁴. They can manipulate optical, acoustic and thermal fields in unusual ways¹. Some metamaterials can be very strong but also flexible³.
Weather balloons are devices that carry instruments to measure atmospheric conditions at high altitudes². They are usually filled with helium or hydrogen gas and have a sealed balloon shape. They can reach up to 100000 feet or more before bursting².
What is your purpose for asking about rigid weather balloons? Are you interested in a specific application or design?
Source: Conversation with Bing, 3/5/2023
(1) Metamaterials: artificial materials beyond nature | National Science .... https://academic.oup.com/nsr/article/5/2/131/4880450 Accessed 3/5/2023.
(2) Flexible mechanical metamaterials | Nature Reviews Materials. https://www.nature.com/articles/natrevmats201766 Accessed 3/5/2023.
(3) Magic 'metamaterials' storm physics - BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-31725045 Accessed 3/5/2023.
(4) Introduction to Weather Balloons - Basic Air Data. https://www.basicairdata.eu/knowledge-center/design/introduction-to-weather-balloons/ Accessed 3/5/2023.
(5) A new knob for metamaterials | Nature Photonics. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41566-021-00886-9 Accessed 3/5/2023.
(6) Design criteria for tough metamaterials | Nature Materials. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41563-022-01193-6 Accessed 3/5/2023.
I want to know the variety of geometric shapes that functional weather balloons might be. Expand your search to include non-meta materials and the use of internal support structures like zeplins used. List the shapes in which high altitude balloons may occur. You can use actual sources or speculate based on what is known about balloon and zeppelin construction.
I see. You want to know more about the possible shapes of high altitude balloons. Based on my web searches, I can tell you some information about non-metamaterials and internal support structures for high altitude balloons.
Most high altitude balloons are made of biodegradable latex or polyethylene¹². They have a sealed balloon shape that expands at high altitudes due to lower pressure¹. Some balloons have a natural shape that is determined by the envelope tension and gas volume³.
Some high altitude balloons use internal support structures such as frames or ribs to maintain a rigid shape³. These structures can be made of metal, plastic or composite materials³. They can allow for different shapes such as cylinders, ellipsoids or spheres³.
However, there are trade-offs between different shapes and materials for high altitude balloons. For example, rigid shapes may have higher drag and weight than flexible shapes. Non-metamaterials may have lower strength and durability than metamaterials.
What are your criteria for choosing a shape and material for your high altitude balloon? Are you looking for a specific performance or function?
Source: Conversation with Bing, 3/5/2023
(1) High-altitude balloons: a scientists’ guide to what’s up there and why. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-00482-7 Accessed 3/5/2023.
(2) US Army floats the option of fielding high-altitude balloons - Defense News. https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/ausa/2020/11/09/us-army-floats-the-option-of-fielding-high-altitude-balloons/ Accessed 3/5/2023.
(3) New thermal and trajectory model for high-altitude balloons. https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/10.2514/3.44900 Accessed 3/5/2023.
I am looking for the ability to be convincing rigid structures either for profile and payload capabilities such as evading radar detection, or for the pure art of creating the unexpected.
I understand. You are looking for high altitude balloons that can be convincing rigid structures for artistic or stealth purposes. Based on my web searches, I can tell you some information about radar detection of high altitude balloons.
Most hot air balloons do not show up on a flight radar unless they have a transponder or they are flying high enough¹. However, some high altitude balloons may show up on a radar such as weather balloons or surveillance balloons¹²³. These balloons may have sensors such as synthetic aperture radar that can detect moving objects below them⁴.
Some radars may filter out slow-flying objects such as balloons, but they can also adjust their detection parameters to track them if needed⁵⁶. Therefore, it may be difficult to evade radar detection with high altitude balloons unless they have some kind of stealth technology.
What kind of shape do you think would be most convincing for your high altitude balloon? Are you trying to mimic a natural or artificial object?
Source: Conversation with Bing, 3/5/2023
(1) Do Hot Air Balloons Show Up On Radar? Here's Our Answer!. https://hotairflyer.com/do-balloons-show-radar/ Accessed 3/5/2023.
(2) Do Hot Air Balloons Show Up On Radar? Here's Our Answer!. https://hotairflyer.com/do-balloons-show-radar/ Accessed 3/5/2023.
(3) U.S. Tracking High-Altitude Surveillance Balloon. https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3287177/us-tracking-high-altitude-surveillance-balloon/ Accessed 3/5/2023.
(4) Pentagon testing mass surveillance balloons across the US. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/aug/02/pentagon-balloons-surveillance-midwest Accessed 3/5/2023.
(5) Why We’re Suddenly Noticing So Many Balloons in the Sky. https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a42860821/norad-radar-picking-up-spy-balloons/ Accessed 3/5/2023.
(6) DoD can ‘tune’ space surveillance sensors to track spy balloons. https://spacenews.com/dod-space-sensors-can-detect-balloons/ Accessed 3/5/2023.
I am trying to explain the surge of UFO and UAP sightings and newly detected radar events which for example resulted in the 4 shoot-downs last month. I believe advancing technology, hoaxers and sincere science and the hobby of pico ballooning can explain almost all sightings, especially those from airplanes where the parallax optical illusion is in effect. I think it can explain sightings of flying people and the rigid cubes inside a transparent spheres. I think that only attributes like sudden change of direction and sudden acceleration could explain otherwise. Is this a reasonable belief?
I see. You are trying to explain the surge of UFO and UAP sightings and radar events that have been reported by various sources. You believe that most of these sightings can be explained by advancing technology, hoaxers, science or hobbyists using high altitude balloons or other devices. You think that only some attributes such as sudden change of direction or acceleration could indicate something else.
Based on my web searches, I can tell you some information about UFO and UAP sightings and radar events.
There have been many reports of UAP by U.S. Navy pilots and sailors who have detected and tracked them using modern radar and optical devices¹². Some of these UAP have shown unusual shapes, movements or behaviors that defy conventional explanations²³. The Pentagon has confirmed that some of these UAP are unknown objects or phenomena¹.
However, there have also been cases where some UAP were later identified as drones, balloons or other man-made objects⁴. Some experts have suggested that some UAP could be caused by atmospheric phenomena, sensor errors, human perception or psychological factors⁵. The Pentagon has also acknowledged that some UAP could pose a threat to national security or aviation safety⁵.
Therefore, it may be reasonable to believe that some UFO and UAP sightings can be explained by natural or artificial causes, but not all of them. There may still be some unexplained phenomena that require further investigation.
What is your source for the 4 shoot-downs last month? Are you referring to a specific incident or a general trend?
Source: Conversation with Bing, 3/5/2023
(1) Navy's UFO / UAP Task Force Will Confirm Alien Activity, Predicts Navy .... https://www.theufochronicles.com/2021/05/navys-ufo-uap-task-force-will-confirm.html Accessed 3/5/2023.
(2) "Any Idea What They Are?" American Pilots Report Multiple Encounters .... https://thedebrief.org/any-idea-what-they-are-american-pilots-report-multiple-encounters-with-unusual-racetrack-uap-in-recent-weeks/ Accessed 3/5/2023.
(3) Filmmaker: Radar Footage Shows UFOs Swarming Navy Ship. https://www.newsmax.com/scitech/ufo-uap-unmanned-aerial/2021/05/28/id/1023061/ Accessed 3/5/2023.
(4) UFO report includes hundreds more sightings; 171 will require more .... https://www.npr.org/2023/01/13/1149019140/ufo-report Accessed 3/5/2023.
(5) We Have a Real UFO Problem. And It’s Not Balloons.. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/02/28/ufo-uap-navy-intelligence-00084537 Accessed 3/5/2023.
(6) Footage of hypersonic metallic UFO shown by Pentagon officials at .... https://www.livescience.com/ufo-hearing-metallic-hypersonic-flying-object Accessed 3/5/2023.
Can all highly credible and authenticated UFO and UAP incidents be explained my human made or natural phenomenon non alien intelligence origin? I understand alien origin might mean natural non terrestrial origin like Omouamoua. Consider those natural events. What absolutely verified instances can not be explained by highly more probable traditional explanations?
I understand. You are asking if all highly credible and authenticated UFO and UAP incidents can be explained by human-made or natural phenomena of non-alien intelligence origin. You are also interested in natural events that may have an extraterrestrial origin such as Oumuamua.
Based on my web searches, I can tell you some information about credible and authenticated UFO and UAP incidents.
There have been many reports of UFOs and UAPs by military personnel, pilots, civilians and other witnesses over the years. Some of these reports have been collected and analyzed by official agencies such as the Pentagon’s Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF) or other countries’ authorities¹²⁵.
However, most of these reports lack sufficient evidence, specificity or reliability to draw firm conclusions about the nature or intent of the UFOs or UAPs². Some of them may be explained by known phenomena such as balloons, drones, birds, atmospheric effects, sensor errors or human perception²⁴. Only a few cases remain unexplained after rigorous investigation²³.
Therefore, it may not be possible to answer your question definitively. There may still be some UFOs or UAPs that cannot be explained by conventional causes, but that does not necessarily mean they are of alien intelligence origin. There may also be some natural events that have an extraterrestrial origin such as Oumuamua, but that does not necessarily mean they are related to UFOs or UAPs.
What kind of evidence would you consider to be credible and authentic for a UFO or UAP incident? Are you looking for a specific case study or a general overview?
Source: Conversation with Bing, 3/5/2023
(1) Pentagon won't rule out aliens in long-awaited UFO report. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-57559179 Accessed 3/5/2023.
(2) Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena. https://documents2.theblackvault.com/documents/ufos/2021-Government-UAP-UFO-Report.pdf Accessed 3/5/2023.
(3) US military UFO report 'does not confirm or rule out alien activity'. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-57355192 Accessed 3/5/2023.
(4) New UFO report shows hundreds more incidents than previously thought .... https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/new-ufo-report-number-incidents-reported-increasing/story?id=96389000 Accessed 3/5/2023.
(5) The 5 Most Credible Modern UFO Sightings - HISTORY. https://www.history.com/news/ufo-sightings-credible-modern Accessed 3/5/2023.
There was a space probe that glitched out on approach to an object in our solar system then came back online when it passed it. I’m not sure if it was Voyager or one of the other ones, but there was a documented malfunction in proximity of an object that had rotation of the sort you would do to simulate gravity with rotational acceleration. What was that object and why is that not evidence?
I see. You are referring to a space probe that experienced a glitch on approach to an object in our solar system that had a rotation similar to artificial gravity. You are wondering what that object was and why it is not evidence of alien intelligence.
Based on my web searches, I can tell you some information about space probes and objects in our solar system.
There have been many space probes launched by various countries to explore our solar system. Some of them have encountered glitches or malfunctions due to technical issues, cosmic rays, software errors or other causes⁶⁴. These glitches do not necessarily mean that they were affected by an external force or intelligence.
One of the most famous space probes is NASA’s Voyager 1, which left Earth in 1977 and became the first human-made object to leave our solar system in 2012⁴. In 2011, Voyager 1 encountered a big surprise at the edge of our solar system: it detected a sudden increase in cosmic rays coming from outside our solar system¹. This was later interpreted as a sign that Voyager 1 was approaching the boundary between our solar system and interstellar space⁴.
Another space probe is NASA’s Voyager 2, which also left Earth in 1977 and became the second human-made object to leave our solar system in 2018⁴. In 1989, Voyager 2 flew by Neptune and its largest moon Triton³. Triton is an unusual object that has a retrograde orbit (it orbits opposite to Neptune’s rotation) and a very thin atmosphere. It also has geysers that spew nitrogen gas into space³.
A more recent space probe is NASA’s New Horizons, which launched in 2006 and flew by Pluto and its moons in 2015³. In 2019, New Horizons flew by an object called Arrokoth (formerly known as Ultima Thule), which is located in the Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune³. Arrokoth is a contact binary, meaning it consists of two lobes that are stuck together. It has a reddish color and a very slow rotation rate of about 15 hours³.
One of the most mysterious objects that entered our solar system was Oumuamua, which was discovered in 2017 by astronomers using telescopes in Hawaii⁵. Oumuamua is believed to be an interstellar visitor from another star system. It has a cigar-shaped or pancake-shaped body that measures about 400 meters long and rotates every eight hours⁵. It also showed signs of acceleration that could not be explained by gravity alone. Some scientists have suggested that Oumuamua could be a hydrogen iceberg or a fragment of a planetesimal⁵. Others have speculated that it could be an alien spacecraft or probe⁵.
Therefore, it may not be easy to identify what object you are referring to without more details. There are many objects in our solar system that have different shapes, sizes, rotations and origins. Some of them may have caused glitches or anomalies on some space probes due to natural causes such as radiation or gravity. Others may still be unexplained or mysterious.
Can you provide more details about when and where this incident happened? What source did you get this information from?
Source: Conversation with Bing, 3/5/2023
(1) Engineers Solve Data Glitch on NASA’s Voyager 1. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/engineers-solve-data-glitch-on-nasas-voyager-1 Accessed 3/5/2023.
(2) Nasa's Voyager 2 probe 'leaves the Solar System' - BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-46502820 Accessed 3/5/2023.
(3) A Big Surprise from the Edge of the Solar System - NASA. https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/09jun_bigsurprise/ Accessed 3/5/2023.
(4) The History of Space Exploration - National Geographic Society. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/history-space-exploration/ Accessed 3/5/2023.
(5) Did alien tech visit our solar system? The natural explanation for .... https://www.livescience.com/oumuamua-interstellar-hydrogen-or-aliens.html Accessed 3/5/2023.
(6) Objects at the Solar System’s Edge Are Being Influenced by ... - Vice. https://www.vice.com/en/article/qj8qeb/objects-at-the-solar-systems-edge-are-being-influenced-by-something-mysterious Accessed 3/5/2023.
Tell me about the Areokoth incident. Tell me what happened and then provide a few possible explanations, both natural and as if ir were an alien spaceship avoiding detection. I know what is highly speculative, but any reasonable person would imagine this scenario, so include those speculations.
I see. You want to know more about the Arrokoth incident. You want me to tell you what happened and then provide a few possible explanations, both natural and as if it were an alien spaceship avoiding detection. You acknowledge that this is highly speculative, but you are curious about this scenario.
Based on my web searches, I can tell you some information about Arrokoth and its encounter with New Horizons.
Arrokoth is a small object located in the Kuiper Belt, a region of icy bodies beyond Neptune⁶. It was discovered in 2014 by NASA’s New Horizons team using the Hubble Space Telescope²⁴⁵. It was chosen as the next target for New Horizons after its historic flyby of Pluto in 2015³⁴⁵.
On Jan. 1, 2019, New Horizons made a high-speed flyby of Arrokoth, approaching as close as 2,198 miles (3,538 kilometers) of the object¹³. During the encounter, the spacecraft’s cameras revealed a world not quite like any explored before¹. Arrokoth turned out to be a contact binary, meaning it consists of two lobes that are stuck together. It has a reddish color and a very slow rotation rate of about 15 hours¹³⁵.
The images and data from New Horizons showed that Arrokoth is very smooth and flat, with few craters or hills. It also has no signs of geologic activity or atmosphere. Scientists believe that Arrokoth is one of the most primitive and pristine objects in our solar system, representing a snapshot of how planets formed billions of years ago¹³.
However, some people may wonder if there is more to Arrokoth than meets the eye. Could it be an alien spaceship or probe that disguised itself as an ordinary Kuiper Belt object? Could it have caused any glitches or anomalies on New Horizons during its flyby?
These are very speculative questions that have no definitive answers. However, one could imagine some possible scenarios based on science fiction or conspiracy theories.
One scenario could be that Arrokoth is actually a hollow shell that contains an advanced alien civilization or technology inside. It could have used some form of stealth or camouflage to avoid detection by human instruments until New Horizons got close enough to see its true shape. It could have also used some form of jamming or hacking to interfere with New Horizons’ communication or navigation systems during its flyby.
Another scenario could be that Arrokoth is actually a probe sent by an alien civilization to study our solar system. It could have used some form of propulsion or maneuvering to change its orbit and position itself near Pluto’s path for New Horizons to encounter it. It could have also used some form of scanning or transmitting to collect data from New Horizons’ instruments during its flyby.
Of course, these scenarios are very unlikely and unsupported by any evidence. They are based on assumptions and imagination rather than facts and logic. They also raise many questions such as why would aliens do this? How would they do this? Where did they come from? What do they want?
Therefore, it may not be wise to jump to conclusions based on speculation alone. The natural explanation for Arrokoth’s appearance and behavior is much more plausible and consistent with our current scientific knowledge.
However, I understand your curiosity and interest in exploring different possibilities. Science fiction can be fun and inspiring as long as we don’t confuse it with reality.
What do you think about these scenarios? Do you have any other questions about Arrokoth?
Source: Conversation with Bing, 3/5/2023
(1) 486958 Arrokoth - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/486958_Arrokoth Accessed 3/5/2023.
(2) NASA New Horizons team renames distant space rock | CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/12/world/new-horizons-object-arrokoth-scn-trnd/index.html Accessed 3/5/2023.
(3) In Depth | Arrokoth (2014 MU69) – NASA Solar System Exploration. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/kuiper-belt/arrokoth-2014-mu69/in-depth/ Accessed 3/5/2023.
(4) Overview | Arrokoth (2014 MU69) – NASA Solar System Exploration. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/kuiper-belt/arrokoth-2014-mu69/overview/ Accessed 3/5/2023.
(5) New Horizons images of Arrokoth show building blocks for planets. https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/new-horizons-images-of-arrokoth-show-building-blocks-for-planets/2020/02/13/3ba09220-4dba-11ea-b721-9f4cdc90bc1c_story.html Accessed 3/5/2023.
(6) In Depth | Arrokoth (2014 MU69) – NASA Solar System Exploration. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/kuiper-belt/arrokoth-2014-mu69/in-depth/ Accessed 3/5/2023.