John Hill

I think you could do that as long as the channels are large enough again I have no experience in this so couldn't tell ya anything but found another link with some good ideas.

http://www.inspirationgreen.com/masonry-heaters.html

There is one about half way down that I think might give you some more ideas. I certainly would go the most secure way you don't want carbon monoxide leaking into your home.

I guess walnut too. Very thick branching looks like its built to hold heavy fruits.

Hey Pete I can't answer your questions but found this video that may help in some way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xbol_-OCxQ

http://www.minds.com/blog/view/262042956423237632/this-glass-sphere-might-revolutionize-solar-power-on-earth

no ill read it when i get a chance.

id like to hear what other people of the forum think. You need a lot of people to see this is the next innovative step in solar and a lot would need to change. What about bike paths?

As for the rail road I was not thinking about replacing ties but building an umbrella like structure down the tracks. Great thinking though perhaps there is something there. IDK

Thats a good point I didn't think about the furnace affect. Now that I think about it yea that could be a large issue because of the intensity of light needed. That is def. a hurdle to overcome. From my understanding the intensity and wavelengths of light are a factor in determining its power output along with current and voltage. I think if there was a way to incorporate the ideas you had with the sun and melting the glass and putting that into better technology in absorbing that light we'd have something.

They use fiber optics now for lighting inside. With my next house underground I would need another light source to light the dungeon. lol but yea thats low intensity light just directly from the sun nothing to magnify it.

First off SMARTER EVERYDAY! I love his videos and wow thanks for the info that's new to me. I'm not saying its not possible I'm saying I think its not feasible. I think this is a good idea and you should push for the idea to be used in side walks and cross walks first.

But why glass? you are just replacing concrete and asphalt with glass and putting panels under it?

I like the idea of making glass bricks but there are a few issues with them that I can see. We have torn up many brick roads because of the cost and maintenance involved in them and replaced them with cheaper materials (asphalt/stamped concrete). Also the way the earth under it moves and the traffic on top of it causes the bricks to shift,pop out and be pushed out by snow plows. We had issues with brick crosswalks in my local city just recently. They were replaced with brick but with a foundation of about 6-10 inch concrete giving the bricks a solid base...until the concrete breaks.

What about weather and harsh winters with salt and snow plows?

I still see the earth movement and the traffic being a problem... Especially large simi trucks. Not to mention the costs and maintenance involved.

Solar cells that are so widely used right now are made from silicon because its the cheapest and most abundant for manufacturing and sales. I think using the sun as a source to melt the glass would be ideal too. Perhaps they can start using that technology into their process of making silicon.

I think if you can come up with another idea to sell us on glass roads other than it can produce power..like it produces power but in the future we will be hovering over them. Your thoughts for utilizing a production product in place of a another that is not productive is very exciting and think you should keep up the ideas.

I found this link dated back in 2009 perhaps you could research it more and find out where it has gone.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=driving-on-glass-solar-roads

I could see them used in courtyards and side walks and cross walks in the future though! this is very interesting. The city grew up in is going to be doing a lot of changes and perhaps I could give them some of your ideas. This is great keep up the good work.

ooo a new word! thanks yea I agree but given our current state I feel you have a responsibility to decide what may be the best. If are are going to venture out into new worlds we better have a firm grasp on what we represent.

I love talks like these!

I have viewed many things and have sat still for many days just thinking and perhaps I could type endlessly on these topics... and I believe to make a complex understanding a bit more simple we must look at what we produce and remember "quality over quantity". Perhaps a lesson we learned in high school but we have not been taught a greater meaning to it. I believe that in todays industrialized world many businesses (men/women) have learned to become greedy for many reasons. Not just for survival but more so because the desire to feed/live has become more acceptable and enjoyable. Although, an intelligent species we still retain a primitive and natural state in nature bound by laws of the earth and tied to it with the complexities of our foolish intelligence and ways; we fight for survival. The human race is still learning with either great insight or trial and error. It is up to us to realize this, not just in ourselves but as a species and to do our best to maintain balance and safeguard our actions so that we can do so. I remember years ago but can't recall when, I was fairly young I'd say around my teens and 31 now, of a Monk who said "do more" when asked a question about the problems in our life/lives. I smiled when he said this and blinked as my spirit bowed to him. Some times I feel we over analyze things and I have been told I do this too but wouldn't it be nice to know exactly what the our purpose as a race is? I believe that it is up to us as a race/species to decide.

One of the reasons I came to permies is because of the views and beliefs of its community and I believe I have a great plan in life and this may be a good place to start.


So with that said going back to what we produce it should be quality over quantity and we should do more of it.

I wish we could live in a world not bound by our foolish economics but produce a great, creative, intelligent and joyful life where everyone is equal.


.....its difficult to fill contentment when you fear something.


peace,

J

http://ns.umich.edu/new/releases/8368