Re: SpellJammer tech -- was: Ecology of the Scro

> I agree with all but one part. In the first century AD, Hero was
> experimenting with simple steam motors in Greece.

sure, hero's engine is okay, but it wouldn't have a high enough torque
for anything except very specialised applications.

> The reason it didn't get
> more complicated until the 18th century was safety. But with blessed forges
> and boilers, this wouldn't be such a problem.

hardly. oddly eough, the enabling technology for steam engines was
developed for boring cannon barrels out of solid brass blanks. until
they could be made with sufficiently good tolerances, steam pistons
couldn't achieve high enough compression ratios to be actually useful.
there were several kinds of primitive steam engine (usually based around
the formation of a partial vacuum by steam condensation) but they were
typically only used for pumping water, and only achieved a few
horsepower.

> You could even forget the iron
> altogether, and modify a wall of force into the shape of a boiler, then cast
> permanence on it.

but where are you going to find the mage willing to sacrifice a point of
constitution, hmm?

> Hmmm, did I just invent transparent aluminum? Where is
> Montgomery Scott when you need him?

and on an apple mac too. same as independance day, now i think about it.
oh no! the apple corporation must be a front for the greys! where's
mulder and scully!


--
rad.

danger, deep water.