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Budget Rule (lemmy.blahaj.zone)
submitted 1 year ago by Mr_Mofu to c/196
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[-] Hedgehog 109 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Turns out it'd be a dissapointingly small sphere:

US annual defence budget = $800 billion

2% = $16 billion

Obsidian cost per kg = $5

Total kg in budget = 3.2 billion kg

Density of obsidian = 2.6 g/cm3 = 2600 kg/m3

Total volume of sphere = 3.2b/2600 = 1230769 m3

Volume of sphere = 4/3 π r^3

Radius = (3V/4π)^(1/3) = 66.48 m

The sphere would only stand at 133m tall, I propose we instead utilise the entire defence budget for a much more skyscraper like 490m tall orb

[-] MargotRobbie@lemmy.world 73 points 1 year ago

Nobody said it had to be a solid sphere, how else would you get it to emit the ominous hum without attuning its natural frequency by carefully designing the thickness of the obsidian layer?

[-] lseif@sopuli.xyz 68 points 1 year ago

ignores engineering and construction cost. but we can assume that all people involved would work for free, because its a massive honour

[-] Confused_Emus@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

Obsidian Orb is really Roko's Basilisk. Allowing you to live is your payment for building it.

[-] pokemaster787@ani.social 41 points 1 year ago

Well that's assuming it's completely solid and not hollow. Hollow would probably be pretty huge, although the structural rigidity might not be great. Maybe we make a giant obsidian 3D printer and print it at like 10-15% infill.

[-] peopleproblems@lemmy.world 26 points 1 year ago

An obsidian 3d print is less crazy than you might think. It's essentially rapidly cooled lava.

Need something to hold the lava, then pressurize it to squeeze it through a nozzle that that has attached cooling units.

[-] cram42@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago

Simple: bucket of lava, bucket of water, repeat.

[-] Sway_Chameleon@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Grabs a bucket. Quick, to the lava depository!

[-] ook_the_librarian@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

less crazy than you might think

Using a planet for a 3d printer's nozzle still sounds pretty crazy.

[-] TheKracken@lemmy.world 14 points 1 year ago

You're assuming one year of budget. I take it as 2% per year and something of that size would likely take 10+ years to build out.

this post was submitted on 02 Dec 2023
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