Why we have to start living more like the Na'vi now

[Clarke]

Photosynthesis is more efficient than even the best solar panels, and plants don't make that much more than they need to sustain themselves. Also, the losses to electrical resistance are proportional to how far you have to transport power, so, i.e. covering the Saraha with solar panels won't power America.

[Aquaplant]

Originally Posted by Clarke

Also, the losses to electrical resistance are proportional to how far you have to transport power, so, i.e. covering the Saraha with solar panels won't power America.

That is like the most annoying thing with electricity ever. I can haz room temperature superconductor plz?

[Clarke]

Originally Posted by Human No More

It's perfectly possible if we can build a Dyson shell...

You're aware that a full-size Dyson swarm takes a couple of thousand years to build, right?

Originally Posted by Aquaplant

That is like the most annoying thing with electricity ever. I can haz room temperature superconductor plz?

Sure, but it's gonna cost you $20m/kg...

Well, not really, (yay! ) since it'll be mass-produced by the kiloton. Unfortunately, we don't know how you'd make one, and also don't have any sort of physical theories about how high-temperature superconductivity works, so we can't even use educated guesses.

[Human No More]

Originally Posted by Clarke

You're aware that a full-size Dyson swarm takes a couple of thousand years to build, right?

Yes, I am. I am actually not stupid, and was specifically pointing that out as it being the only way to make solar practical, if you had read my actual post.