In yet more research funded by Bill and Melinda Gates (and Intellectual Ventures), Stanford University's Ken Caldeira explores a mechanically simple ocean pump that could significantly diminish the power of a hurricane.
Note: This post is an update to the patent spotted a while back.
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The basic science behind the pump is this: The hotter the ocean's surface, the more devastating a hurricane can become. So the pump is essentially just a floating ring dangling a very large plastic tube penetrating the ocean. Hot waves flow over the ring, sink down the tube and float back to the surface after mixing with the cool water below. The result? A slightly cooler ocean surface temperature that could vastly reduce a hurricane's eventual destruction.
I'm going to ignore the potential impact to marine life for a moment and instead choose to sit in awe at the possibility of mankind hacking one of weather's most ferocious attacks. [smartplanet]
DISCUSSION
My absurdly simple solution to hurricanes is to move away from the coast, and/or, have good insurance and take a few days off when they warn you about the hurricane a week before it arrives. Dying in a hurricane is the evolutionary equivalent of being eaten alive by a tree sloth.