When will the space elevator be built?

I could see where the savings would be, however - the *cost of the tower* is going to be extremely expensive... and I'd be very interested to see the effects of wind and geologic activity on something so tall. (it would need to be self-supporting, and flexible.) While the view would be terrific, I'd be a nervous wreck if I had to work there... In my mind, a true space elevator (a ribbon of material going out through Geo-synch and beyond) makes more sense...

I'm a bit sceptical - I looked up the patent ( http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/w... ) - pat #9085897 - and it doesn't specify the material, it just says "flexible sheet material". Also, it's not a true space elevator, as it only replaces the first stage of flight (20 Km), and proposes to launch single-stage spacecraft to orbit from a runway on top of the tower. It would certainly make space flight a bit cheaper (estimated 30% saving - but that's just fuel, presumably there would be other costs to recoup) and it definitely falls short of the elevator to geostationary orbit first proposed in 1895 by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.