Hi Tom

>>Don't be daft. UV doesn't travel through glass, so you'd have to go outside. If you were wearing your "vacu-suit" then you couldn't get the tan anyway. Besides, knowing women, you'd bump into the sun while you were parking anyway! {gd&R}
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>Terry;
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>I learned something about ultraviolet light from UC Berkeley from my Physics Professor. Perhaps attending engineering school had some value.

I thought, "Here we go. He's going to take my joke literally and spoil it, telling me that yoy CAN get sun-tanned in space.

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>There are different types of ultraviolet waves and they are uva, uvb, and uvc. Long wave ultraviolet light (300 to 400 nanometers) travels through glass. Short wave ultraviolet light (100 to 300 nm) cannot pass through glass.
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>· UVC - 100 to 290 nm
>· UVB - 290 to 320 nm
>· UVA - 320 to 400 nm

I knew of this (anybody who's ever read a sun-tan lotion bottle does) but not the wavelengths
The thing is: can you get a tan off UVA and if so, how come we don't get one sitting in a consewrvatory?

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>We conducted many experiments, which taught us a good deal. One project was creating a solar heater using a large box (4’ X 8 ‘) made of wood with a glass front cover. We pointed the glass towards the sun and could attain internal temperatures of 140 F. By placing a small fan for intake and one for exhaust we created an almost free source of heat.
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>The conversion of uv to heat is dependant upon the wavelength of the rays. The refraction caused by the glass will convert certain uv rays to heat. I have often wanted to create something like this for home. I am sure that if I did that the local utility company would charge me for use of the Sun's rays! :)

Erm ... haven't gardeners been doing this for centuries? They're called greenhouses.
Next you'll be telling me that if you evaporate certain alcoholic drinks, but distill the vapour, you get a more concentrated spirit. :-)

Terry