Thursday, September 25, 2008

Lights Accross the Caribbean

Here's an idea for the territories:


Using high-powered lasers and optical-grade prisms, beam a laser from a hilltop in Puerto-Rico, to a hilltop in Vieques, to a hilltop in St. Thomas, and so-on, in a daisy-chain that reaches all the way down to Trinidad. If you did it right, it would be visible from space.



What's the point?

Something about demonstrating the interconnectedness of all people and all nations. Also, a demonstration of what is possible when people work together. Also: stimulating tourist dollars, getting great publicity and letting the world know that we are a smart, creative, forward-thinking territory. 

Additional Benefits:

Although this would be a decorative apparatus, a public-sculpture if you will, scientist could actually use the laser to measure territorial air-quality. Airline pilots and ships at-sea could use it to navigate by at night.

Some Challenges:

Political will, funding, various technical-challenges and optics-hurdles that are likely to be associated with beaming a single beam of light over hundreds and hundreds of miles.

If the dots were connected the right way, a giant fish-shape might even be possible.

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