On Sat, May 26, 2018 at 10:51:13AM +1000, Rob O'Connor wrote:
> When it comes to maintaining a small set of parameters in 'weather
> space' in a region without causing unwanted effects elsewhere, I'm
> not sure sufficient understanding is possible, even with typical
> Traveller technology.

Yes, it might not.  The control inputs are going to be very low
powered compared with the internal fluxes in the system, so the
evolution of the system is going to be very close to a path that could
have happened naturally.  It's not likely to be wonderful weather
everywhere, which would be difficult to even define in a lot of cases.
It's more likely to be just preventing the worst outliers - major
floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other destructive events.

My first thought was that it might be used to make the weather cyclic.
E.g. every year, the same weather patterns repeat.  On second thought:
while possible, this might be a bad idea since the periodicity itself
could possibly have harmful long term effects.  It would also be
difficult to maintain as underlying conditions change.

Almost all of the benefits and few of the downsides would come from
just projecting the weather a long way into the future, working out
the minimum necessary adjustments to avoid dangerous extremes and
maintain it on the predicted course.  I think that should be
achievable with Traveller technology, and be worthwhile enough to
justify the cost.

> For the case of local weather, I don't know that 'frequently enough
> measurements and adjustments' are possible without "Always Sunny in
> Sunnydale" means "catastrophic flooding in Watertown".

I agree that "Always Sunny in Sunnydale" is probably not a good idea,
though mostly for different reasons.  For one, that sort of effect
over the long term would likely turn Sunnydale's whole region into a
desert.  For another, the benefit/cost of doing so is likely much less
than just preventing destructive storms and maintaining predictability.

Maybe there could be some major resort areas on some rich and very
comfortable worlds where they ensure that, while it does rain, it
never does so during the day but only during some nights according to
a schedule published well in advance.  But then again, maybe not.

- Tim