Alhaji Righteous De Ambitious: World Cup 2010 Blog: Qatar 2022: Cloudy With A Chance Of Shade

Friday, March 25, 2011

World Cup 2010 Blog: Qatar 2022: Cloudy With A Chance Of Shade

Qatar 2022: Cloudy With A Chance Of Shade

Posted: 24 Mar 2011 07:48 AM PDT

cloud-creatures I remember, way back when I was little, making “clouds” in school for a science experiment.

They didn’t cost $500,000 a puff. Very little does, unless an anti-doping agency is knocking for the ominous post-game pee test.

Of course, they weren’t trying to save a World Cup, either, which is what Qatari scientists have offered as yet another solution to the oppressive summer heat in the Middle East’s summer. Real, traditional football, fake clouds.

Qatar officials say they will air condition the stadiums via solar power and now scientists at Qatar University have designed the “cloud”, which can be produced at a cost of $500,000 (£309,000) each.

Saud Abdul Ghani, the head of the mechanical and industrial engineering department, told Gulf News the “clouds” are made from a lightweight carbon structure carrying a giant envelope of material containing helium gas. Four solar powered engines move the structure via remote control.

The supposed structure:

C_3_Media_1230965_immagine_obig

Now cue another epic, possibly corrupt, bidding process for the rights to man the coolest (apologies) remote controlled object in all the land.

The good money’s on Zizou: skilled technician, great vision of space, lots of fancy pirouettes with which to thrill the crowd, and he’s already in tight with the Qatari World Cup team.

Being on the payroll already probably doesn’t hurt either.