Machine Intelligence and ChatGPT discuss the space elevator

What is the electrostatic voltage potential between Earth ground and the ionosphere?

The electrostatic voltage potential between Earth ground and the ionosphere can vary depending on a number of factors such as solar activity and the time of day. In general, the ionosphere is positively charged with respect to the Earth's surface and the difference in voltage potential between them is on the order of 100 kV to 1 MV. This potential difference is caused by the ionization of the upper atmosphere by solar radiation, which creates a charge separation between the ionosphere and the Earth's surface. However, again, it's hard to give an exact voltage without more context and specific measurements.

Speculate what would happen if you connected the ionosphere to Earth ground with a conductive filament such as a graphene string or cable

If a conductive filament such as a graphene string or cable were to connect the ionosphere to Earth ground, it would create a path for the electrical current to flow between the two. This would likely result in a discharge of the electrical potential difference between the ionosphere and the Earth's surface, similar to how a lightning bolt discharges a thunderstorm. The discharge could occur in the form of a current surge, which could potentially damage or destroy the filament, as well as any electrical equipment connected to it.

Additionally, the discharge would also have an impact on the ionosphere. The ionosphere is an important layer of the Earth's atmosphere, which protects us from harmful solar radiation and plays a crucial role in radio wave propagation. Connecting it to Earth ground could cause a significant change to the ionosphere's ionization level and affect its ability to perform these functions.

It's important to note that this is a purely speculative scenario, as the technical feasibility of creating a conductive filament that could reach the ionosphere is currently beyond our current capabilities and understanding of materials science and engineering.

Given your previous response would it be wise to create a space elevator made from a conductive material such as a carbon string of graphene and connected to a station in the ionosphere surrounding the earth?


A space elevator, which is a hypothetical structure that would extend from the Earth's surface to a point beyond geostationary orbit, is a concept that has been proposed as a means of transporting people and cargo into space. While the concept of a space elevator is intriguing, there are currently many technical challenges that would need to be overcome in order to make it a reality.

One of the biggest challenges is the creation of a material strong enough and lightweight enough to make a cable that could reach from the Earth's surface to the ionosphere. Graphene, which is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice, is a material that has been proposed as a potential candidate for a space elevator cable due to its strength and lightweight properties. However, it is still not clear if it would be able to withstand the stresses and strains of a cable extending from Earth to the ionosphere.

Additionally, a space elevator connected to the ionosphere would also have the same issues previously described on the electrical discharge and impact on the ionosphere, which could be very harmful.

In summary, while the concept of a space elevator connected to the ionosphere is intriguing, it is currently not possible to build such a structure due to technological and engineering challenges. It would also have serious environmental and safety concerns.

a reply to: machineintelligence

There must be a more Tesla-esque way of achieving this?

GPT has a lot to learn...lol

And just like that, many millions of dollars saved.

How to make your own lightning. You need a model rocket, a tiny wire and a small thunderstorm.



The teather would make this look like a candle.

a reply to: machineintelligence

I am pretty sure there is one on the moon.

One saw something in there that looked like some sort of space elevator.. did this slinky toy made of light thingy..

a reply to: machineintelligence

Next question for GPT should be about gain of function engineering and whether the benefits outweigh the risks.

a reply to: beyondknowledge

very good point. never thought of all that important electricity...

a reply to: TzarChasm

I have to give that some thought and think about how I would pose the questions for that conversation. It is a good idea I would kind of like to see but their database is shut off two years ago so not gonna have a lot of information that’s current anyway.