Cue references to that old Arthur C. Clarke story

[james_davis_nicoll]

A new London skyscraper dubbed the "Walkie Talkie" has been blamed for reflecting light which melted parts of a car parked on a nearby street.

Comments

[liviapenn.livejournal.com]

What that article doesn't mention is that this isn't the first building by this architect to be a death ray... see also the Vrada Hotel in Las Vegas.

[seth ellis (from livejournal.com)]

Also the Walt Disney Concert Hall in L.A., designed by Frank Gehry, who is a pretty good sculptor and a terrible architect. Reflection from the concave surfaces was causing traffic accidents and fainting pedestrians.

[maruad.livejournal.com]

That is wild.

[bunsen-h.livejournal.com]

Wow. I knew about the Vdara but not that the same evil genius was behind them both. Seriously... one doesn't do something like that twice by accident.

[liviapenn.livejournal.com]

And like, I totally understand if he just likes convex/concave shapes and shiny surfaces. But... maybe don't put the giant concave lens on the side of the building that faces the sun in summertime, you know?

[bunsen-h.livejournal.com]

If you're going to do a shape like that, the concave shape pretty much has to be on the "front face" of the building; otherwise you're losing much of the dramatic flair. And I'm not sure how much choice he has about which is the front face — that's likely to be constrained by the site.

[zibblsnrt.livejournal.com]

He's found his niche.

[liviapenn.livejournal.com]

"Find a need and fill it, that's my motto."

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

Best comment I've seen about that is, "Don't fix the building -- just replace the target parking spaces with solar panels."

I actually wonder if that would work. If people are going to build parabolic reflector death ray buildings anyway, can they be used for good instead of evil?

[ilya187.livejournal.com]

Where are the comments? I do not see them in BBC article.

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

It was one of the other sites that was reporting it -- I don't remember which one, but I actually found similar thoughts on several sites.

[neowolf2.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, the focal point will move with time.

I imagine it might be possible to design a building to act like a nonimaging optical concentrator. These can achieve modest concentration regardless of the input angle of the sun (within a certain solid angle).

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

How the hell could they be that stupid?

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

Apparently, it's the SAME ARCHITECT who did the EXACT SAME THING in Las Vegas. Once is incompetence. Twice is ... boggling.

[bunsen-h.livejournal.com]

Have they checked the foundation to see if the building can be rotated/aimed?

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

That's what I'm wondering. Designing ONE Death Ray building could be an accident. But designing TWO? He's a Bond villain.

[neowolf2.livejournal.com]

Has he built anything inside active volcanoes, by any chance?

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

Oh, dear Ghu. He designed the Boston Convention Center, which is next door to, and part of the same complex where, Arisia and Boskone are held. We're doomed.

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

He did the Battersea Power Plant on the Thames. That's not an active volcano, but it seems like the sort of thing that could be useful to a mad scientist.

[bunsen-h.livejournal.com]

On further thought: adjusting the building would be very Bond-villain-ish, but isn't necessary. You only need to aim the window panes (per that Clarke story, IIRC). And *that* could be hidden in the window frames, if one were so inclined, or even advertised as a feature. "Automatically open the windows when the air outside is cool and dry! Remotely close them when it starts to rain!"

[neowolf2.livejournal.com]

if one were so inclined,

/rimshot

[bunsen-h.livejournal.com]

Heh. That one was unintentional.

[scentofviolets.livejournal.com]

I've heard claims that what happened in the story could never happen in real life, but I'm unfamiliar with the explanation. The only thing I can think of is some sort of defocusing effect as the air heats up around the target.

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

I quote myself: "Xiphias' Law: That which happens is possible."

[ellarien]

The latest word is that the company responsible is saying it won't be a problem in a couple more weeks (because of axial tilt, presumably) and they hope to have come up with a permanent fix by the time the Sun comes back.

[pauldormer.livejournal.com]

And this is London at the end of August. More usual that it is rainy and cloudy then. The last Monday in August is a bank holiday. It always rains then.

[bruce munro (from livejournal.com)]

Maybe they can coat the windows with something to make them less reflective while not making them opaque?

[bunsen-h.livejournal.com]

It's been suggested (see the end of this article) — a coating on the outside that would scatter the light a bit.

As long as the coating doesn't slowly wash off in the rain or something like that. Or when the window washers get rid of that grungy film so the windows are nice and shiny again, as they ought to be.