Mad Scientist
He had a child-like enthusiasm about science. He was charming and energetic. But contemptuous. Executives have that same kind of contempt, of course - contempt for one’s colleagues; contempt for regulators; contempt for rivals; contempt for politicians; contempt for the general public - but most veil it with sarcasm. Not here.

“Americans always say, "well, everyone makes mistakes," he opined. "That is the wrong spirit! Look at me! Do I make mistakes? No! I NEVER make mistakes!” Reverence for age? He would have none of it. “With too many old people, they are just old. Old brains. Nothing more.”

Weather modification was his field - a field susceptible to mad scientists. Once, we were driving through a thick, wintertime Salt Lake City fog. A passing car was expelling a huge plume of fog from under its engine hood. The car was overheating. It quickly stopped and we stopped to help. The distracted woman driver stated: “I just haven’t had time to pay attention to the car! My boyfriend is thinking of moving back to Iowa, and I just have to keep him here! He’s such a sweetheart!” The Professor replied: “We will clear the entire Salt Lake Valley of fog. You may have seen us on television." It was a dialogue of two deaf people.

He once confessed, “I have – what do you call it? – a hobby,” he said. A hobby? What could that be? “I like to locate the station in town that sells the cheapest gasoline,” he said. Sure enough, he knew exactly where that was.

He planned to clear Salt Lake City of fog through the aid of a fleet of small planes, each dangling a hose into the fog from above and spraying liquid CO2. There were several obstacles. A hose could get entangled on trees and power lines. It could cause a plane crash in an urban area. His plan was to use students to make the apparatus. To evade legal repercussions he secured passage of a law through the Utah State Legislature - a gathering of idiots if there ever was one - with a research loophole absolving his program of any responsibility if anyone got hurt (he didn't plan to be in the plane itself). The only impediment was an obdurate Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that insisted that changes to aircraft be made by pricy but reputable contractors with a known track record for working on aircraft. That obstacle eventually ended my employment (and maybe saved my life).

He died recently from a rare disease associated most often with glue-sniffers. Not that I think he was doing that. More likely, he was just unlucky. It happens even to those who never make mistakes.

Damn, I'm going to miss him.
(Perv With A Dog had his eyes pecked out by scrub jays on, Thu 24 Jan 2013, 22:09, 4 replies)

I've met him
but he wasn't in Utah and he wasn't involved in weather modification. Perhaps they are a species.
(the other guy not the one that gave you coochie warts, Thu 24 Jan 2013, 23:52, closed)

Homo Superiorus

(Perv With A Dog had his eyes pecked out by scrub jays on, Fri 25 Jan 2013, 1:16, closed)

BUUUUUUUUULLLLLLLLLSSSSSSHHHHHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT
You can't spray liquid CO2 out of a hose. At normal levels of atmospheric pressure and temperature (even high up in th'air) CO2 will either exist as a gas or solid. You can get CO2 to a liquid state but that requires containing it within equipment that can keep it at the right temperature and pressure.
(mersault, Fri 25 Jan 2013, 17:35, closed)

Not BS
The liquid CO2 is kept pressurized at room temperature in a tank and sprayed out a hose from nozzles you get at agricultural supply stores. You can do the same with liquid propane. It forms a bitterly cold mist that can be used for clearing supercooled fog for a time. Nozzles are hard to keep clear from dry ice buildup.
(Perv With A Dog had his eyes pecked out by scrub jays on, Fri 25 Jan 2013, 21:01, closed)