I know that might sound like an odd question. Then again, I hope it grabs the attention of a few people. Nonetheless, it is a valid question. On an episode of Myth-busters, they went through a great deal of effort to prove a car is more efficient when the body has dimples all over it… like a golf ball.

There wasn’t much difference, but there was a measurable difference. I thought by now some engineer would pick up the idea and make cars with dimples. I know some research would be needed. The ideal size and quantity of dimples would need to be determined. Moreover, it might work better if the dimples were oval instead of round.

Then again, why stick to cars. Can you imagine how much fuel could be save with trucks. I figured some “going green” outfit would have noticed it and made a fortune off the idea already. For that matter, why aren’t the Myth-buster guys working on it. I mean there is a big world out there that really needs to be dimpled, like the sides of buildings to keep the wind resistance down as the wind goes blowing by them.

Someone in the yacht building industry should grab hold of the idea. Not only might it make the yachts more efficient but also faster. Speaking of making yachts faster, why doesn’t one or more of the America’s Cup teams take up the idea. One or two knots would make an enormous difference, or at least I would think so. Then again, it might be one of those visionary things. Does anyone want to be seen sailing a dimpled yacht.

I figure there must be a reason no one has done it. Am I the only one that saw the episode. Then again, maybe engineers don’t watch such things. I don’t know.

By the way, here’s one. A dimpled airplane. If it would save a barrel or two of fuel on each flight, that would really make the green people happy.

What about those Frisbees, you know, those flying disks? Maybe an old man like me might be able to throw one 5 or 6 feet farther. More than that, they just might fly straighter. Who knows until they try it?

By the way, I hear porpoises and seals develop wrinkles in there skin at high speed, which streamlines them. Maybe we need to discard the dimples and develop wrinkles instead. I mean, if we really need to save the fuel, if we really need to cut down on pollution don’t we need to check every possibility.

Can you imagine an Air Force One with wrinkles? Really? Maybe.