Science, Engineering, Technology & Humanity

Scandinavian Lecture Tour Updates

2012-01-10T14:17:00.003-06:00

Given that things change from time to time, instead of creating a new blog post every time something changes, I'm just going to include a link to the Facebook Event page for my lecture tour, and you can follow that. :)

Click Here to go to the Event Page

Scandivanian Lecture Tour

2011-12-29T15:47:00.001-06:00

This list will be updated as certain venues are officially confirmed.

Sweden Lectures:

Stockholm (Stockholm Univ), Jan 16th at 17:00.

Örnsköldsvik (Parkskolan), Jan 18th at 08:20.

Örnsköldsvik (Nolaskolan), Jan 18th at Noon.

Umea (details coming soon), Jan 19th at TBD.

Örnsköldsvik (Nolaskolan), Jan 21st at 15:00. Free event with multiple lecturers. Individual lectures will be followed by a panel discussion.
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Norway Lectures:

Oslo (Realistforeningen - Math and Science Students), Jan 23rd at 18:00.

Bergen (Batteriet), Jan 24th at 19:00.

Trondheim (details coming soon), Jan 25th at 19:00.
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Denmark Lecture:

The HUB Copenhagen, Jan 30th at 17:30.

Kepler 22b - It is What We Thought it Was

2011-12-05T18:28:00.003-06:00

I won't lie, the newest information on Kepler 22b is pretty darn exciting.

See here for details

The fact that we now have a confirmed Earth-like planet in the habitable zone is one thing, but the fact that there are a few hundred more options under consideration just goes to show how NOT unique we really are in the grand scheme of things.

I hope in time people come to understand that, and that it's actually a positive thing, because that means there are countless universal 'brothers and sisters' out there for us to eventually meet and learn from. Of course, we gotta get this house in order pretty quick, like ditching archaic modes of global operation in favor of something a bit more...suitable to our present day knowledge and capabilities. :)

Technology: Doing What It Should Do

2011-11-24T16:47:00.003-06:00

Sometimes it comes to pass that someone says something so utterly absurd, that I can't help but to a double take and question how moronic people can be. A case in point is when someone says something to the effect of, "I'm sick of all this technology. It's taking away jobs. Whatever happened to a hard days work for a good days pay?"

Well, besides the economic fallacy loaded in those kinds of statements, I just want to address the 'taking away jobs' aspect. To do this, I will give but one simple recent advent, Cyborg Insects.

What's that? Well, details can be found here. In short, it's a lot safer, smarter and more humane to let technology do the dirty work in cases where it's simply too dangerous or risky to send people. Would you want your son or daughter to be sent into a hell pit if you knew there was viable technology available that can do the job? Doubtful.

And this is but one recent example of technology displacing people doing dangerous work. Technology (robots) can do mining. Technology can and does manage heavy manufacturing. In fact, were it not for the advent of some key technologies, we'd still basically be dependent on slave labor to accomplish some of the major construction tasks we do today.

Yes, technical advancement displaces human labor. GOOD! It's about time people wake up to the fact that we invent these tools to help us, and part of that process is developing tools that FREE us from the drudgery of monotonous and dangerous work, liberating us to pursue our personal passions, and more intellectual avenues.

Technology is more efficient, faster, doesn't need breaks, yadda, yadda. I'm sure you've heard all that before. Well, maybe you've heard that because it's true.

Now maybe it's time to reflect on what it means to work, what work is supposed to accomplish, and how mankind is supposed to live within a paradigm that renders human labor more and more obsolete.

Here's a hint: analyzing human labor for income is a start.

Long Absence

2011-11-08T09:12:00.002-06:00

Hello everyone,

It has been a long time since I posted anything here. Sorry for that. A lot has been going on, most significantly being my pursuit to start my own company. Between that, being a teacher to my home schooled daughter, and my other various activities, I have neglected this blog. I hope to rectify that.

My goal is to post an article a week, and it might not ALWAYS be about space exploration. I am going to broaden a bit into all the sciences, but I can't really change the name of my blog.

Sadly, from my point of view, there isn't a lot going on in the space industry that has caused me to really want to blog about it. Everyone has their own likes and such...and as of now...everything has been rather "ho hum" to me as far as space news goes.

I mean yeah, we have asteroids flying by us...but we always do. And we have 2012 coming up, which according to some, will bring about some wild astronomical catastrophe. Whatever. The universe experiences catastrophes every second, so what makes us any less vulnerable to those things? If a giant rock is destined to smack us, then it's destined to smack us. Until we move past broken economic systems that restrict us and actually start becoming a space faring species, we're stuck on this island.

Anyway, future articles to come...thanks for your patience.

Up to the plate...

2011-08-28T18:07:00.002-05:00

One more player in the Commercial Space front is now stepping up to the plate:

http://www.space.com/12762-space-station-cygnus-cargo-ship-launch-site.html

Orbital Sciences is now ready to test itself against the only other real player in the game, SpaceX. I hope they all succeed, because someone needs to pick up where inept governments leave off.

Visiting Asteroids

2011-07-18T11:57:00.001-05:00

http://www.space.com/12324-asteroid-bound-animated-nasa-mission.html

Well, I have to hand it to NASA, they absolutely have a crack CG and A/V staff that can paint fun pictures of what will likely not happen anytime soon. This video is pretty exciting!

Don't get me wrong, I would LOVE for this mission to actually happen, but with space exploration dependent on political whims, the NASA budget getting constantly pillaged, and an economic climate that is rendering thousands of scientists/engineers unemployed (post-shuttle), I'd like to know who really thinks this will actually happen?

And remember, space exploration doesn't revolve around election cycles, so whatever is decided now will likely be messed with when the next set of technically/scientifically uneducated schmucks get elected into political control. Sadly, NewSpace doesn't have the clout or resources to take on the charge themselves...not yet.

Suffice to say that I'm pretty sick of politicians (lawyers dominantly) dictating the future of mankind.

Turning Point Now an eBook!!!

2011-07-05T10:51:00.001-05:00

So, guess what's now an eBook available on iBook via iTunes? :)

http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/turning-point/id442108351?mt=11

This Weekend & Fun News

2011-06-22T08:50:00.003-05:00

Alright, so this weekend I have the honor of speaking at a conference in Liverpool, UK, called the School for Changemakers. It's a sister organization associated with the Caux, Initiatives of Change group in Switzerland, which I had the privileged of speaking at last year.

This is a special conference for young people ages 18 to 30, most between 18 and 25, who are dedicated to being change makers in the world, open to adopting new ways of doing things. I'm going to talk about science, engineering and technology for social concern, actually using our awesome tools to help people and society evolve to a new socioeconomic paradigm. Yeah...I never aim low. lol.

To go along with this concept, some really good news has developed in the R&D area of technical advancement. Here are a few articles to ponder. What's cool about this stuff is that it's just as applicable for space exploration as it is for terrestrial use. In fact, space exploration has been largely responsible for developing a lot of the core technologies that are being advanced now, and those advancements can give every person on the planet an amazing quality of life...if we'd just use them for that purpose. :)

Stanford team devises a better solar-powered water splitter

Japanese supercomputer 'K' is world's fastest

Car Bodies That Double as Batteries Extend EV Range While Cutting Weight

New Clues About Aging: Genetic Splicing Mechanism Triggers Both Premature Aging Syndrome and Normal Cellular Aging

Japanese ball drone knows how to make an entrance - Only because it totally reminds me of the Star Wars Interrogation Droid.

First Telecommunications Wavelength Quantum Dot Laser Grown on a Silicon Substrate

And remember, the source for all these links punches out new articles from around the world every day, and is an resource for learning what advancements are happening in several fields of research.

Endeavour Lands - My Personal Future

2011-06-01T09:11:00.003-05:00

http://www.space.com/11840-space-shuttle-endeavour-final-touchdown.html

Well, my baby is back on Terra Firma, and the mission of STS-134 is now complete. Success on all fronts, and I'm happy that everyone is now home safe.

It's been a fun ride and I've enjoyed every moment working here. The next few months will see things slow down significantly. I'm still helping a bit with Atlantis's last mission, since the CM Manager for OV-104 is pregnant and going to be in and out basically from about now until after the program is over. But by all accounts the CM level work for STS-135 is done until she returns.

We're all effectively done come August 5th, plus a few days if the launch date for Atlantis slips, but not much more than that. Back to Orlando we go, and instead of working for someone else doing their bidding, I'm going to try and start my own company, using my technical education and background to try and do something positive for the world...fully automated off-grid self sustaining aquaponic farm systems. :)

To that end, this blog might have to take a back seat for a little while, as I will be working hard to get my company up and running. I hope to be able to post something of interest every once in a while, but I make no guarantees.

Time will tell how everything will pan out, but that's how the universe operates...always moving forward. :)

Spaceship 2 Feathers

2011-05-20T11:05:00.000-05:00

Well, check one more milestone off Virgin Galactic’s list. Honestly, the video says more than I ever could, so with that...watch the video. :)

http://www.space.com/11715-virgin-galactic-spaceshiptwo-passes-entry-system-test.html

Two Updates

2011-05-20T08:04:00.003-05:00

Two updates regarding my past appearances:

1. The video from my lecture at the University of Illinois is now available for viewing: 10/16/10: Guest Speaker at the University of Illinois Reflections | Projections Conference

2. Last night (5/20/11 at 10am Bejing time) I was honored to be a panelist on a live radio discussion regarding the end of the space shuttle program and the role of commercial space. That is now available online: 05/20/11: China Radio Intl Panelist: Space Shuttle Ending & Commercial Space (Hour 1)

I just realized the large gap between these events. I need to get more on the ball with trying to get myself out there to talk about space, science, engineering and technology to the masses!

Any help would be greatly appreciated. :)

Yes, my eyes watered a bit. Thanks for asking.

2011-05-16T09:27:00.002-05:00

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

Well, there she goes. Or there she went. My baby. Well, many of us claim a little "ownership" of Endeavour, those of us who work with her daily in some capacity or another. Not many people can lay claim to that in their lives. I'm humbled and fortunate to be among the few who can stamp part of my career as an Engineer for the Space Shuttle Program. So yes, my eyes watered a bit.

As we all know, the Space Shuttle Program is going away, and for this blog entry I'm not going into all the nonsense that has led to this point. The fact remains that Discovery is done, Endeavour is en route to being done and Atlantis has one more mission...and that will be it. End. Fin. Kaput. So yes, my eyes watered a bit.

I have a personal connection to this flight as well, because I happen to know the pilot, Greg Johnson, because we're on the same bowling league together. A launch is always "nail biting" for me, with x-million pounds of thrust pushing a brave and highly skilled crew into space, knowing the dangers and risks involved (as we all know and accept), but in this case there was a personal connection. To that end, I couldn't help but think of the families involved and how they must feel watching their loved ones climb the ladder to space, especially Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, given all she's been though, and her husband, Commander of the mission Mark Kelly. So yes, my eyes watered a bit.

In the end, the launch was smooth as silk. Now we focus on a smooth mission, getting the AMS fired up for some great scientific work, and getting important logistics up to the ISS in a way no other spacecraft can right now. I cannot be more proud of OV-105, her performance, and all the amazingly talented men and women who comprise the OV-105 and STS-134 teams. So yes, my eyes watered a bit.

Ad Astra.

Weary of "Super Earths"

2011-05-10T10:47:00.002-05:00

http://www.zeitnews.org/space-science/astronomers-unveil-portrait-of-super-exotic-super-earth.html

I'm growing just a tad weary of the label "Super Earth" for planets that are absolutely NOTHING like Earth. Come on astronomers, enough with the false hype nonsense and just talk about the findings without the "attention getting" pseudonyms that are, in all fairness, complete bunk.

Super-exotic super-Earth = NOTHING LIKE EARTH AT ALL.

With that said, this is a pretty whacked out planet. 18 hours to fly around the star? Sheesh.

SpaceX Aims High

2011-04-25T09:31:00.003-05:00

http://www.zeitnews.org/space-science/spacex-aims-to-put-man-on-mars-in-10-20-years.html

Mars in 20 years or less? I like it! At least someone out there is setting a lofty goal. I wonder who they plan to work with when it comes to building the bases, or if it will just be a fly by, or fly around mission.

One has to think that Bigelow has been working on some sort of Mars Base system, even if it's just the initial in-orbit docking station around the red marble, but of course that's just speculation on my end. :)

If one were to imagine the best possible scenario, in my opinion anyway, but also shared by others in the space-geek community, it would be that SpaceX and Bigelow (or any such companies) would work on establishing an automated LEO refueling station and another automated LO (Lunar Orbit) refueling station (or an L point one), which would solidify the infrastructure for an easier hop to Mars.

My only concern with all this is the global meltdown of economics, and since space exploration is heavily tied to economics, one must be pragmatic enough to see that even though we have the mental fortitude, knowledge and technological capabilities to explore our solar system with humans at the wheel, we might never establish the economic viability to make it happen.

All our genius, squandered by money. How nice.

My Face in Space - Yuri's Night Relfection

2011-04-12T15:26:00.005-05:00

This is not really a scientific or technical post related to any article, but I felt the urge to mention that my face will be in space. :)

You see, I am on a bowling league with the pilot of STS-134, Mr. Greg Johnson (who is a good bowler by the way). We all took pictures of our league and he's taking that up to space with him. We hope maybe he'll have time to have pictures of him taken holding our pictures, looking out Cupola. Not sure if that will happen of course, but WOW would that be nice. :)

It's fun to know and work with people in the human spaceflight industry. As Yuri's Night is upon us, today I reflect on this awesome job I have, but also the sadness that fills me that I live in a country that is more interested in blowing things up around the world than exploring the space around it.

I hope soon the sentiment changes, locally and globally, and we can evolve ourselves towards a Type 1 Civilization, shedding the baggage this "old world" has saddled us with, so we can pursue new and amazing things for mankind. :)

NewSpace Booking Science

2011-03-25T10:51:00.003-05:00

http://www.space.com/11220-private-spaceflight-revolution-scientists.html

This is quality stuff, merging research and science with space travel on the private level, getting away from the government and the "big 3" corporate aerospace/defense monopoly that's existed for pretty much the duration of space travel by mankind. Onward and upward. :)

Dark Energy Alternative Gets Hit

2011-03-16T11:36:00.002-05:00

http://www.zeitnews.org/space-and-planetary-science-research/nasas-hubble-rules-out-one-alternative-to-dark-energy.html

If anyone knows me, they know my feelings on the place-holder theories of Dark Matter and Energy. When the math doesn't work according to plan...make something up and stick it in to fix it. lol. I don't really like that method, since of course it's never been proved and falls into a pit of inconsistency more often than not.

Nevertheless, I love this particular statement in the article:

"Thomas Edison once said 'every wrong attempt discarded is a step forward,' and this principle still governs how scientists approach the mysteries of the cosmos," said Jon Morse, astrophysics division director at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "By falsifying the bubble hypothesis of the accelerating expansion, NASA missions like Hubble bring us closer to the ultimate goal of understanding this remarkable property of our universe."

I will really applaud when the 'establishment' of scientists start to question the dogmatic view of universal shape and origin. I hope one day we stop treating infinity (big or small) as if it's a profane concept. There is a plausible chance that the premise on which everything is based might itself be flawed.

But eh...that's why we do research...right? :)

Discovery Away

2011-02-25T10:34:00.002-06:00

And so she's off! Discovery launched yesterday, but not without a bit of excitement as Range Safety had some glitches that caused the launch to hold at T-5 minutes. Given such a small launch window, the clock was restarted with basically less than 10 seconds of cushion. WHEW! Talk about a James Bond moment! lol.

What's Discovery doing this time? ISS visit, dropping of droids (R2...and yes, I love the Star Wars linkage here), resupplying some things, basically keeping ISS happy for a little while longer while the shuttles still exist. Ugh...while they still exist. Every time I think about how all this is unfolding, I get so annoyed that we don't have shuttle 2.0 tested and ready to pick up where shuttle 1.0 left off. We upgrade everything these days, but not one of the most successful and amazing accomplishments in the history of mankind? Stupid Congress.

Bright side? Well, Boeing et al have proposed making the three shuttles into commercial spacecraft. After all, Boeing owns them, not NASA. Most people don't know that. They think "Space Shuttle" and they instantly think NASA, which is how it's always been promoted of course, but little thought is given to who actually owns the shuttle, and the hundreds of contracted companies that provide the real support for ensuring that vehicle remains functional, like mine, GeoControls.

Anyway, the launch was nominal, which is always good. A few pieces of this and that flew off and struck the Orbiter, but nothing beyond tolerance limits. Reports and analysis will come soon verifying all that, which is what science and engineering is all about...analyze the data and issue a finding (report). Hooray science! :)

So now we have 2 flights left, my baby (Endeavour) for STS-134 sometime in April and Atlantis (STS-135) who knows when. lol. The delay of Discovery put everything else in a nice state of flux. I've seen launch dates change about 10 times in the past few months, so I give up...no guesses. I'll know what the official launch date will be when NASA makes it public. lol. Well, I'll know several days before that because of the CR mods that make the changes, but eh, that's all behind the scenes mumbo-jumbo. :)

Safe mission Discovery, we look forward to your safe return, and revel in your past accomplishments.

Ad Astra!

Close, But Not Quite (MARS 500)

2011-02-15T10:43:00.003-06:00

http://www.space.com/10848-mock-astronauts-walk-fake-mars-landing.html

This is a really cool simulation, but here's my problem with it, on the psychological level...

The people inside know that there are people on the other side of that wall that can run in a save them if a real accident happens. The stress related to that scenario isn't there, but in a space trip, it's DEFINITELY there.

So, why not do this in the Arctic, with a minimum 3 day travel distance between the outpost and any rescue attempt? At least then you mimic the travel time for the Moon. If stuff hits the fan on a Moon base, it'll be three days before any help arrives...assuming you have a standby rocket on the pad for such a scenario that can launch nearly instantly.

Psycho-social stress is one thing...being locked up with your mates for months at a time. But REAL danger stress is something even more pronounced when it comes to space travel, and this experiment completely bypasses that.

The Jesus Rocket!

2011-02-10T11:11:00.001-06:00

http://www.space.com/10791-proposed-private-space-plane-fiery-prometheus.html

Just a simple observation...

Funny how ancient mythology dominates space exploration nomenclature.

You never see the Jesus rocket! lmao.

Planets Packed in Tight

2011-02-02T14:22:00.002-06:00

And you think the lines at movie blockbuster releases are packed. When it comes to interstellar planetary packing, it seems Kepler-11 is the winner for stuffing more stuff in a small space than I can into a UHaul truck when moving! lol.

NASA's Kepler Spacecraft Discovers Extraordinary New Planetary System

Although I must admit, I'm getting a bit bored with all these discoveries of things that aren't even remotely close to looking like our solar system. The gas giants are huge, the Earth's are SUPER, and the temperature extremes are, well, extreme.

I do wish the aliens would just show up, smack some sense into the human race, and set us on the right path to living sustainably on this finite Earth. Eh, one can dream.

Comfort with the Unknown

2011-01-21T08:37:00.002-06:00

http://www.space.com/10656-astronomy-religion-cosmos-intersection.html

You'll have to read the article to understand my comment, but here it is anyway:

But never entertain the notion that maybe some of "God's" other creatures might have paid a visit or influenced the mythology of this planet long, long ago. That would just be silly. ;)

Anyway, I'm okay with not knowing, and refuse to make up answers as a means to placate my own happiness or comfort. In fact, I am comforted that there are things I don't understand and things I may never understand, because I enjoy the knowledge that comes with trying to accurately and honestly solve those unknowns without adding mythical attributes to them.

All that does is give a false sense of comfort within a universe that is so much more amazing than that.

One Stop Spot

2011-01-19T12:04:00.003-06:00

I often note that space exploration helps bring about technologies that are not just useful in space, but eventually find places to be used on Earth, as it should be. In tackling the unforgiving and harsh environment of space, we invariably will develop technical systems and ideas that could be used and/or modified to solve terrestrial issues as well. Higher the target, broader the scope.

With that said, sometimes the opposite occurs, where a technology designed for use on Earth ends up being quite useful for some space application.

The fun part about all this is learning and finding out about all these new and interesting technologies. The hard part is having to sift through many technology news websites to find something, and even then, it might not be very easy to isolate any particular topic you might be interested in.

However, this is no longer the case:

www.zeitnew s.org

ZeitNews is a new technology news aggregate website that brings to light many various new and developing stories from many different websites, so that you can find out about the newest news, hence the term "zeit" which is "time" in German. Timely technology news, up to date and constantly updated. There's nothing quite like a one stop spot to see what's clicking in the realm of science, engineering and technological development.

I love information sharing and knowledge expansion. :)

Curse You, Infinity!

2011-01-10T14:51:00.002-06:00

In a random act of brilliance, if I do say so myself, I made up a catchy little phrase and then posted it to my Facebook as my status, as any self respecting social butterfly in the 21st century should do. :)

"In the beginning, there was no beginning. Who am I to tell time when to start?" ~ Me

Well, that's true, isn't it? Who am I, or you, or anyone else to dictate when time itself begins? We have no clue about the scales of which we speak. We pretend too, a false sense of self importance, but in all reality, all we've ever known are finite scales, not the infinite.

Human life is short. We're born, we live, we die. Everything around us follows similar patterns of birth, life and death, from trees, to animals to stars! Because of this, we seem prone to attaching that model onto everything, as if it's universally applicable.

The problem begins when finite starts losing its relevance. In math, the mathematicians cancel infinity as much as possible. They fear the lazy eight. Infinity is turned into some constant, or "normalized" as a way to make it disappear. It's with this rationale that I believe we start breaking down reality, forcing the space/time continuum into our own comfort zone. Since when did the universe have to appeal to OUR sense of comfort?

I'm actually okay with infinity, in both directions of scale. I bet once the LHC breaks open the "smallest" thing we know of, it will reveal even smaller things. And smaller, and smaller. The catch is that you need a lot of energy to get smaller and smaller. Infinite energy to reach infinite smallness. That's a hard goal to reach, and not very easy to get funding when your goal is infinite, so it's best to put a stopper on it and claim, "Voila! That's as small as she goes! Gimmie the cash to do that." At least until the next person finds something smaller.

As for infinite big, I'm good with that too. Same goes for time. I have no idea when it started, and honestly, I don't care that much. I could extrapolate a thousand generations from now and none of that time would be a fraction of a fraction of the time this planet has been around, much less the universe. Can we just be a little humble...just a little?

Also, we have no idea whether or not the universe itself is cyclical. There may be a crunch to accompany the bang and it's been going on for 10^100 years! Who knows!? So all this speculation could be for naught if the whole thing behaves like a gigantic heart.

Of course, during the process of trying to chase down infinity, you do learn many neat things, so I think it's high time we start looking at infinity as our friend, not the enemy, and see how things pan out with that new mindset.

Hacky Sack Wheels?!

2011-01-04T11:45:00.002-06:00

http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-01/mcgill-universitys-beanbag-space-wheels-are-due-moon

I'm sure the stoners who love hacky sack...and those of us non-stoners who also love hacky sack...will find this technical advancement totally cool and far out...man. ;)

On a serious note, I find this to be quite interesting on a practical level. A tire like this can "hug the road" a lot better, and get over obstacles a lot easier because of that.

I think it's about time we start looking at different tire options for our vehicles right here on Earth. Tire pressure affects gas mileage, and tire blowouts are obviously dangerous in and of themselves. I've always been a fan of solid tires, made of light weight, squishy (such a technical term, right?) materials that could last decades and provide adequate safety and security while on the road.

With all the material advances we've had, why do we still use such old school tire systems? Inquiring minds want to know! :)

A One Month Hiatus

2011-01-04T10:33:00.003-06:00

Hello friends,

Well, yes, I've been off for about a month. I don't really make any money with this blog, so it's not like I'm up against a wall, so with that comes the benefit of getting away for a little while and not worrying about it. Of course, I do risk the chance of followers and subscribers ejecting and leaving because I'm not posting anything new, but since this is just my hobby, I'm okay with that.

With that said, I'm back. It's been a very busy past few weeks on many fronts, not the least of which is the chance that I may get a new job with Virgin Galactic, the amazing company that I've talked about many times here on this blog. If you don't know what Virgin Galactic is, first get out of the cave you're in (lol), then go here:

http://www.virgingalactic.com/

I expect to find out this week if I get the job. If I do, I'll be moving to California and starting this February. Yes, a fast turn around, but I'm 110% eager and ready to get going! After all, it's NewSpace, and anyone who knows me (or follows this blog) understands my passion for NewSpace and how I feel about it. In poker terms...I'm ALL IN! :) After about 2 years, whenever Spaceport America is completed, we'll all be moving operations to New Mexico and setting up our permanent address. Woohoo!

I'm not sure what will happen to this blog if/when this happens. I might just post once a week. That's basically what I've been doing recently anyway since it seems that space news has slowed, a lot. I thank a retarded Congress for that, since government space is still the biggest player in the game and they are woefully inept at pretty much everything. But that won't be the case for too much longer...well, the "government space being the biggest player" bit...I don't think government itself will ever NOT be inept. lol. I see government space falling away, and NASA becoming a shell of its former self. We'll fund the hell out of wars, but not so much for the advancement of the human species. How nice. But I digress.

I hope I'll be able to ramp up this blog again, getting back to my in depth analysis of things sci/tech/space related. Don't be surprised if I talk about articles that aren't exactly space related, but have a space connection in some way. I've always said that one of the greatest purposes of space exploration are the innovations that can be turned around and used back on Earth for the benefit of mankind. If I see a space based tech that fits the bill, I'll talk about it.

So, that's it. I hope everyone had a great holiday season. Talk atcha later peeps!

Ad Astra! :)

Falcon 9 Launches

2010-12-08T09:54:00.002-06:00

Today the first Falcon 9 test launch was conducted by SpaceX (http://www.spacex.com), in their ongoing evolution to advance human spaceflight and help our species become true space explorers.

It was a great launch, and even though they were delayed due to an anomaly, they had plans and procedures to rectify the situation and get the rocket ready for launch. True professionalism on all fronts, with an attention to detail and safety that should quell latent fears about how commercial space will operate.

Many news articles and websites will cover all the details, so I'll keep this simple: They did it. Plain and simple, they did it.

The Scientific Method in Practice

2010-12-02T14:08:00.002-06:00

I just finished watching the amazing NASA briefing on the new astrobiological discovery of Arsenic-Life.

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/universe/features/astrobiology_toxic_chemical.html

Needless to say, I love the discoverer of this revelation (Felisa Wolfe-Simon), because her passion for science flows from her like sound waves from a Bose Stereo System. Plus, she shows an energy that's severely lacking in scientists when they get in front of the public. Instead of hearing Charlie Brown's mom, I heard an excited, passionate scientist who wants to engage the audience and public with the information. The closest similar example I can think of is Steve Squyres from the Mars rover project (Spirit and Opportunity).

If you want to understand the true nature of the scientific method, just listen to the way Felisa Wolfe-Simon describes her work, herself, collaboration, etc. during the NASA press conference, which I'm sure will be on YouTube soon enough. It's not about selfish gain, but selfless collaboration, working with others, questioning oneself in the pursuit of what I like to call, "the truth of the moment", because as it's now obvious, "truth" can change with new information.

In relation to this, some people scoff at an organization I support, the Venus Project, but sadly the majority of the ridicule comes from people who seem to have no experience, clue or reference to what a Resource Based Economy would function like, because they are very good at projecting today's broken values on a future construct, or they outright lie to try and validate their position through baseless name calling and idiocy.

The core "mantra", if you want to label it, of the Venus Project is, "The Scientific Method for Social Concern." Just look at how the world works today, with rampant greed and selfish self interest flooding our lives as though it's normal, and sadly some people actually think this is normal. Now contrast that to how a scientific mind works by looking at a statement made directly by Felisa during the press conference, "It will take an army of scientists, clearly not just myself or my team, but other people to bear on this problem with their tools and their ideas." I'd love to see a politician or any "expert" step up and be humble, encouraging collaboration as a truth, and not just giving it lip service.

I also like Steven Benner (the panel skeptic) and his awesome statement about civil disagreement between disciplines, but that none of the discussion is personal, and that the goal is to find the truth. Exceptional claims require exceptional evidence to support it. Science begins when you distrust experts. I think there are many political and financial "experts" we need to start distrusting. Maybe one day people will wake up to that fact.

For now, this discovery highlights the best parts of science, the scientific method, and how such rationale can and should be used as the method by which society is governed. The more science advances, the less we shall cling to old world folkways as means by which to govern ourselves, especially since those have failed time and time again, and are failing us all now.

The Scientific Method: In practice, in action, for the future.

And When the 1% is Done & Bored?

2010-11-22T13:37:00.003-06:00

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/space/news/bigelow-aerospace-ba2100-hotel

First, I love this technology,t he idea, the advancement, the systems, and the potential. What I hate is the economics.

Serious question for the new frontier that I have such a passion for: How does one envision the growth of space exploration and development once the 1% of the worlds wealthiest people have bought their rides (even a few times) and the remaining billions of people on the planet can barely afford to pay rent, much less $200k+ for a trip to space, and governments are conducting financial masturbation in an effort to mask their debt bubbles, while creating all the "invisible" money they're printing to cover their asses?

Archaic economic systems cannot support the modern world and the potential we have to grow beyond our wildest imaginations.

One Step Closer to Antimatter Space Drives!

2010-11-22T13:12:00.002-06:00

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20827874.500-antihydrogen-trapped-at-long-last.html

Okay, maybe not, but the title got your attention, didn't it? :)

Still, this is a step in the right direction, even if it's a small and inefficient one. You have to start somewhere. Who knows what may happen in 10, 20, even 50 years.

After all, in Star Trek, nothing really started going strong until what...2063? :)

Congress Shuffled, But Still The Same Cards

2010-11-08T08:35:00.004-06:00

http://www.space.com/news/nasa-budget-midterm-elections-gop-101106.html

In my experience, it has been proven over the past few decades that the people of Congress have no real interest in actually advancing the technical progress of this nation when it comes to space exploration a development. They are more concerned with "traditional" political moves, rinse and repeat statements, and pandering to their political base in an effort to remain strong for the next election. So in short, it doesn't matter that the mid-term elections shuffled power in Congress...the same brain dead ideology still prevails.

As we all know, the impulse for starting the space program was fueled by nationalistic fervor, a passion to "beat the Russians" in whatever they did. If the Russians had instead decided to build a city in the Arctic, we would have done that instead of space exploration. In this respect, I thank Russia for choosing space as the battle ground. However, the time of space being a battle ground is over, and apparently so is the passion for space.

It seems the only reason for doing any large scale, large cost operation these days is for the purpose of chest thumping or conques...er...defense. I'll be interested to see the political stance when China announces its Moonshot and plans for Lunar base construction. Let's see how important it will be then, of course under the umbrella of national defense no doubt.

On that subject, as a former military veteran, I must ask: How much money do we need to keep the peace? As an associate of mine stated so correctly, "I believe the U.S. should have a "strong military". But how strong is "strong"? The present situation would only make sense if our goal were to "conquer the planet", not "keep peace.""

His statement comes from this article on World Military Spending, and the chart here shows the perverse distribution. Seriously, how many ways to kill a human being do we need to come up with? Last I checked, we already have the ability to send a missile hundreds of miles through the window or vent shaft of a building. Enough is enough. If that graph doesn't scream MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX, then I don't know what does.

Yet people move about their daily lives, completely unaware or not caring about the money involved in this sector, all the while so many other social problems are literally destroying our civilization from the inside out. 1.5 trillion in military spending. 1.5 trillion! I can only imagine what NASA and the space industry as a whole would be able to accomplish with just 5% of that, 75 billion, which would be a 4 fold increase over what they get now.

Of course, the argument often then switches to, "Why NASA, when the money could be spent in other places?" Well, besides the jobs this would create throughout the space and tech sector, which would have a large overall positive impact, space exploration helps us develop technologies to live in harsh environments, and those technologies are then returned back to Earth and used in ways to help people live better lives.

Living in space requires...demands...long lasting, low energy demand but high output, closed loop sustainable and clean technologies, all of which are current needs if we expect to maintain a livable environment for ourselves. You can't really kill a planet, but you sure can screw up the ability for life to thrive on a planet, and we're doing a great job these days of ignoring the obvious toilet bowl swirl we've put ourselves in. The planet will exist for 4 billion or so years with or without us. I'd prefer with.

I have little faith in trumped up business people and lawyers (politicians) when it comes to advancing humanity into space, but hopefully people will become more knowledgeable with respect to what space exploration really means for us as a species, and even their daily lives. And with that progress, we can usher in a golden era for humanity, on Earth and among the stars.

The Value of the ISS

2010-11-03T08:56:00.001-05:00

http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/science-research-international-space-station-101101.html

I only have one statement regarding this article:

The moment we try to justify science and human progress with dollar signs is the moment we regress.

The Essence of Science

2010-10-28T09:33:00.002-05:00

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/dark-matter-annihilation-fermi-101027.html

When it comes to Dark Matter, I do get annoyed when people claim it to be real without having ever provided a shred of evidence to support that assertion. Is DM possible? Sure, and there is a lot of theoretical analysis to support it, but theory is not reality, so I think sometimes that scientists fall off the wagon of what science is really supposed to be all about.

With that said, at least this new finding (see article) isn't a computer model or mathematical masturbation as a form of "proof". Don't get me wrong, those have purpose, but this kind of information is what I'm patiently waiting for, to see if the "place holder" of Dark Matter has any chance of being more than theoretical.

"I want a lot of people who are experts to think about this hard and try to make it go away," he said. "If we all agree we can't, then we'll have our answer." -- Dan Hooper

And statements like this confirm why I love science, and is the proper stance for the true nature of what science is supposed to be all about. No blanket acceptance, no dogmatic stance never to be challenged, but quite the opposite, an ever present challenge brought on by the very people who discover things. The, "Please, prove me wrong," mentality that helps solidify ideas or reduce them to the trash bin, helping to expand our knowledge, because even if something is shown to be wrong, we have learned something new.

Science is always searching for the truth of the moment, but is never satisfied and passionately hunts for the next best truth with new knowledge and tools.

And with that mindset, we advance.

It Seems Like Only Yesterday

2010-10-26T10:55:00.002-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zft4au0FVhk&feature=player_embedded

In the beginning there was dirt. Then trucks came with blueprints and a vision. Almost sounds like the beginning of Las Vegas, and in a weird kind of way, similar. A crazy guy implements his vision to entertain people in a way never before imagined, bucking the establishment and forging his own path.

As Spaceport America held its runway dedication, these thoughts occurred to me. Then I applied them to the new Lunar Facility a few years (decades?) later, albeit with a nice time delay, but at least the people there could do amazing jumps of joy the likes of which would make Jordan envious.

Next, in a similar landscape for Spaceport America, I envisioned the same thing happening on Mars. By then, probably a bit less cumbersome of an undertaking, hopefully with less business and politics involved and more dedication to doing what's right for humanity in the long run. Nevertheless, the vision is nice. I wonder what spacecraft we'd have christened by then to accomplish the joyous task of ferrying mankind into the stars from whence we came?

Evolution is a constant construct, ever moving and fluid like water. Technical evolution, social evolution, mankind's evolution into something greater...hopefully more humble and thankful, more compassionate and caring, more open minded and magnanimous. An emergent man, not an established man.

To this end, Ad Astra Virgin Galactic. May the fruits of this labor lead to humanities self reflection as many start to gaze back upon this glorious world from a new perspective, a world where evolution never rests.

Moving on Up!

2010-10-20T08:27:00.002-05:00

http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/private-space-station-first-clients-101019.html

It seems that while Congress is asleep at the wheel, Bigelow has decided to drive his bus towards the future. Good. And I venture to say that one of two things will happen. Either Bigelow will develop into a major global player with help from the government (by not getting in his way), or he'll start running into real roadblocks with ITAR crap and have to move everything overseas and tell America to piss off.

I say this because ITAR is retarded when it comes to commercial space and international cooperation. Really, it is. Just look at how ITAR completely screwed the American commercial satellite industry when it decided to make it nearly impossible for American companies to retain ties with its foreign clients or partners. Because as we all know, we must "protect" ourselves from everything, which includes screwing ourselves if necessary.

So with Bigelow announcing his deals with Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, Sweden, Australia and the United Kingdom, I wonder how his space stations, his technology, and his foreign relations will be treated under the thumb of ITAR and the paranoid military minds that seem to govern its implementation.

Virgin's Virgin Voyage...for Enterprise Anyway

2010-10-11T11:14:00.004-05:00

http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/virgin-galactic-spaceshiptwo-solo-test-flight-101010.html

This is great stuff, as is any positive development in the arena of space exploration and development. It's nice to see Virgin Galactic press on, in spite of the lack of space exploration push this nation (the USA) seems to be experiencing right now. Oh well, we are all part of the human race...people will wake up to that one day, one way or another...and in the long run I don't care if it's VG, SpaceX, NASA, China or Zimbabwe that helps propel humanity deeper into the beauty of space. For every expansion outward, we help solidify our inward capabilities. Better for us, better for the future, better for the planet and better for mankind.

The China Syndrome

2010-10-07T13:49:00.002-05:00

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-viral-video-ufo-china,0,5226156.htmlstory

So there was another UFO over China, sending the world into a frenzy! Okay, maybe not the world, but all the fun loving UFO nutters are chomping at the bit over this one. I must admit, it's kinda weird, but as a science minded person, I will only conclude one thing, that it is a UFO. It's unidentified, it flies and it's an object. That's about it. Anything beyond that is just speculation or self placating Conspiracy Theory junk. Still, it looked kinda cool.
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http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/china-change2-moon-probe-maneuver-101006.html

China's second Moon probe is setting up shop in orbit. Soon it will start Lunar Observation science, probably establishing a data set to work from for the eventual Moon Base I'm sure they're going to build. After all, no other nation is really taking space exploration seriously.
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http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/china-launches-two-research-satellites-101007.html

"Two research satellites flew into a nearly 400-mile-high orbit early Wednesday (Oct. 6) on a Long March rocket, continuing a pace of nearly one Chinese launch a week since the end of July."

Yeah, that about covers it. On a related note, I got a cool gift yesterday, a small banner showcasing the end of the Space Shuttle Program and its 30 years of service to space exploration. A few weeks ago I got a neat little lapel pin. And in a about 6 months, I'll get a pretty pink slip.

Ad Astra!

At the Zenith Hour

2010-09-30T10:50:00.002-05:00

http://www.space.com/news/nasa-bill-passes-house-vote-100929.html

Okay, time to give credit where credit is due...such as it is. I'm not happy with many aspects of the new direction, but at least Congress acted before going on recess to play campaign politics for the mid-term elections and passed the NASA authorization bill.

I still strongly believe the new direction is too nebulous, fickle, vague and the time scales are far too large. Asteroids by 2030? Hell, we're not sure what life is going to be like in 6 months, economically, socially, globally, or in any other manner, so how the hell are we supposed to ensure a large time table like this is actually adhered too, especially since we'll cycle through a few Presidents before then?

We did the Moon Shot in less than 10, granted with a huge wallet supporting it, but with today's knowledge and advancements, 20 years is laughable. Oh how the mighty have fallen. I guess I should start learning this new phrase:

月亮一票吧。(Yuèliàng yī piào ba.)

Goldilocks Strikes

2010-09-30T09:07:00.001-05:00

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/earth-like-exoplanet-possibly-habitable-100929.html

I wonder, if life is there, and its advanced life, what they name their own star. I have to assume that we'd defer to their name and not the one we've made up for the star.

Anyway, this is good stuff. Finally some positive news not related to computer model science or political BS. :)

Congress Recesses on Humanity

2010-09-27T10:52:00.002-05:00

http://www.space.com/news/house-recess-nasa-bill-100927.html

I've been struggling over the past week or so to find something to blog about. Soyuz lands, a few asteroid things here, some math models playing with astrophysics theories there, but in short, basically everything is resting on Congress and their ability (inability?) to actually fund the federal aspects of the space industry to a point where it's really effective.

Well, I guess we get to wait a bit longer. I just love how politicians talk about their love of space, science, engineering and technology, but never really give two craps when it's an election season. I am so sick of these lawyers and career politicians with their fancy degrees and absolutely no technical knowledge of how to actually better the human race. Of course, that's not their goal, is it? It's all about the latest poll and the next election.

This broken f-ing system is showing itself to be what it is, over and over, yet people blindly follow along without giving two thoughts to how life COULD be if we maybe got some real smart people in places where it mattered.

End rant.

That Which Was Old is New Again

2010-09-14T11:29:00.002-05:00

I find this interesting for two reasons:

1. I talk about this stuff in my book. How funny. For greater details, buy the book. :)

2. This stuff has been a concept for a very long time.

http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/rail-launched-scramjets-new-nasa-technology-100914.html

To Scoff is Normal...And Often Wrong

2010-09-03T10:37:00.003-05:00

This morning on my way in to work, as with nearly every morning, I caught a great little piece on our local NPR public radio station called Engines of Our Ingenuity, presented by the University of Houston’s College of Engineering. These bits are very interesting, informative and educational, covering a wide variety of topics for all kinds of people...even non science/technology geeks like me. :)

Today, this particular piece was about numbers, but there is something very important nested within this piece that I want to highlight. For the sake of context, I'm presenting the full transcript of today's episode, and many more transcripts can be found here:

http://www.uh.edu/engines

I will highlight the parts I wish to focus on (and the reason for this post).
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What do the following words have in common: natural, imaginary, real, irrational, and transcendental. If you guessed “states of mind,” you’re probably not alone. But the better answer is they’re types of numbers. We take numbers for granted. One, two, three. These are the natural, or whole numbers. What could be simpler? Fractions are no trouble. Half a cup of sugar, a quarter teaspoon of salt. These are called rational numbers because they can be written as the ratio of two whole numbers. But many numbers aren’t rational. We call them irrational.

One of the most famous irrational numbers is the square root of two. The Pythagoreans’ of ancient Greece discovered this fact. They were a mystic cult, living according to strict rules established by their leader, Pythagoras. Numbers were divine to the Pythagoreans. So when one of their own, Hippasus of Metapontum, discovered the square root of two was irrational, it upset their entire understanding of the world. Legend has it that Hippasus was killed for his heresy. Ironically, we now call the rational and irrational numbers taken together, the real numbers. When we add a number called i, representing the square root of negative one, we get the imaginary numbers. They’re perfectly good numbers, though they’d probably have caused the Pythagoreans to drink hemlock-laced Kool-Aid.

And things only get stranger. We know that the rational and irrational numbers are both infinite. But there are infinitely more irrationals than rationals. That’s because there’s more than one type of infinity. This is the result of Georg Cantor’s pioneering work on transfinite numbers. Cantor’s contemporaries were extremely critical of his efforts. Henri Poincaré called Cantor’s transfinite numbers a “disease.” Leopold Kronecker, one of Cantor’s teachers, called Cantor a “scientific charlatan” and a “corrupter of youth.” Today, mathematics and engineering students can’t survive without knowing at least some of what Cantor unearthed.

Cantor’s work led him to study sets. The set of all red cars, the set of socks in the bottom drawer. Mathematicians believed sets were even more basic than numbers. So in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries they went about defining numbers using sets.

It seems crazy. Why fuss with sets? But it laid a foundation that helped us learn many surprising things about what we can and can’t do with mathematics. And … with computers. Today’s digital computers work with one thing, numbers. Peek inside and you’ll see everything expressed in numbers, from the icons on your desktop to the email waiting in your inbox. Numbers make our copiers copy, our phones phone, and our word processors process. We couldn’t do without them. Wonderful, practical, even divine numbers.
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Now let's focus back on the highlighted part of this transcript. Throughout history revolutionary ideas have been scoffed at, ridiculed and rudely (if not violently) challenged. This is but one example, and many can be researched beyond just the sciences.

My point is that when people attack, ridicule, scoff and degrade "radical" ideas like the Venus Project, the Electric Universe, or people like Nassim Haramein, or conduct any other such action, remember that history is full of people who do this. They are the ones challenged, fearful, or simply too egotistical to accept something different.

In time, they are typically proved to be wrong at least to some degree, but I'm certain at the time they wielded great swords of superiority...at least in their own minds. :)

So remember that time based validation is the true test, and so is social and technical evolution.

Onwards and upwards, let not the baggage wielders of outdated thinking hold back the progress of mankind.

SpaceX Achieves Another Milestone

2010-08-25T10:03:00.002-05:00

SpaceX successfully tests its parachutes

Video of the SpaceX drop test

Note: I wouldn't call this entry much of an article, but a nice passing along of information. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, I have been so busy these past few weeks that I've kinda neglected this blog. Not that I don't read articles and find neat tidbits of news on space, science, engineering and technology, but I've just not had the gumption to write about it.

Anyway, I'll try to do better and develop more detailed blog entries, but I make no promises, because if certain things occur over the next few months, this whole blog might fall away permanently as I graduate to bigger and more important things. Time will tell.

Virgin Galactic - Not Immune to Failure

2010-08-20T11:18:00.002-05:00

Which of course is understandable given that they are designing a completely new system for space exploration. Well, exploration of sub-orbit by paying passengers anyway.

So VG took a small spill because of a landing gear failure. No one was hurt, so study it, gather all the data and details, and press on. After all, this was bound to happen during the test phases of the project. As someone astutely said, "Rutan knows composites, but he's the grandmaster of one-off experimental designs rather than production aircraft." I agree with that. This is uncharted territory for the space ship wizard, but not for the people he's working with. They'll figure this all out, but it just goes to show that even the best aren't immune to incidents during testing.

First Post Switzerland Trip Article - Potpouri

2010-08-16T12:04:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone! Well, without question, my trip to Switzerland to attend the Caux Initiatives of Change conference was absolutely one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had. The people I talked too were incredible, I made some great contacts, I learned new things and passed on information regarding sustainability and our true technological potential, most of which was derived by space exploration and development. :)

Because of this trip, I haven't exactly been following space news much, but I hope to get back into the flow starting today.

I see the ISS is going through some repair work. Nothing like a "fix-it" job in orbit. Isn't it amazing what we can do these days?

A big ole' skydiving attempt looks to be coming soon. Now THAT would be one hell of a ride! Now just imagine trying this out of a Virgin Galactic ride...at apogee of course.

Celebration V. Star Wars, although sci-fi, was the catalyst that drove me and many others into the space industry. It's because of sci-fi that we develop sci-fact. Now the fun part is actually using our sci-fact to benefit humanity. It seems we're still kinda "stuck on stupid" with our global socioeconomic system that's rooted in the 17th century while it tries (and fails) to govern the 21st century. As goes our technical capability, so should go our systems of governance...forward and evolving to be better.

I guess that's a good quick summary of today. Remember, question the "unquestionable" and challenge the "unchallengeable". Only then do you truly progress.

Off to Switzerland - Sustainability Conference

2010-07-29T09:03:00.002-05:00

Needless to say I'm pretty excited about my upcoming trip to Caux, Switzerland to attend and speak at the Initiatives of Change conference, Leading Change for a Sustainable World. As the days draw closer to my actual departure, I'm thinking about my lecture, what I'm saying, and how awesome this trip is going to be. Okay, so the last part isn't exactly a factor of the conference objective, but come on...it's SWITZERLAND! :)

One of the many things I love about space exploration and development is that it forces us to conquer challenges that simply are not a factor in everyday life on Earth. We must rise to a new level just to maintain the basics of life in space, and this leads us to the invention of technologies that make such a life possible. Sustainability is by far one of the most paramount goals of space exploration. Without it, we could not survive there.

Sustainability is a factor in many aspects of space exploration, such as energy, air supply, food, water, and more. As we know, space is unlike any other environment. It's not like there's a 7-11 down the road to do a quick resupply, nor can you do flyover cargo drops like Arctic missions can do, or like our military does in remote locations. Space is just a wee bit more challenging than that, so your living conditions must be as sustainable and robust as possible.

And as I mentioned, it's because of those conditions that we end up inventing technologies that inherently benefit life on Earth. If you can create sustainable clean energy systems in space, you can apply that to Earth. If you can create sustainable food production facilities in space (like for a Moon Base), then you can do so on Earth. There are many sustainable, long lasting solution options to satisfy humanity while maintaining a solid respect for the environment, and those solutions are technically driven.

The human brain, with its imagination and its innovative capabilities, is an amazing bio-computer, and the people who have used it for positive gain have given us the ability to live amazing lives on this Earth while simultaneously maintaining the positive natural environment we all need to survive long term on this planet. If we do not adapt and use our innovation to this end, we will bring about the systematic self destruction of the human species. The planet will move on, but we won't.

As the late, great George Carlin said, "The planet has been through a lot worse than us. Been through all kinds of things worse than us. Been through earthquakes, volcanoes, plate tectonics, continental drift, solar flares, sun spots, magnetic storms, the magnetic reversal of the poles…hundreds of thousands of years of bombardment by comets and asteroids and meteors, worldwide floods, tidal waves, worldwide fires, erosion, cosmic rays, recurring ice ages…And we think some plastic bags, and some aluminum cans are going to make a difference? The planet…the planet…the planet isn’t going anywhere. WE ARE!"

I don't know about you, but I'd like to stick around, so let's do the right thing and make sustainability a paramount issue and technological advancement as the tool to implement it.

And the House Performs as Expected

2010-07-20T13:42:00.001-05:00

http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-07/house-nasa-bill-cuts-funding-commercial-space-could-undermine-senate-white-house-compromise

In my last post, I stated that we all know Congress has the ability to muck up a good compromise. I rest my case.

Congress...in...Space!!!

2010-07-16T11:42:00.003-05:00

More fun by Congress regarding the space program.

It sounds kind of good, but I'll breathe a sigh of relief once it's officially signed. We all know Congress has the ability to muck up a good compromise.

Plus, with all these letters out there promoting one way or the other, like from Astronauts who are okay with Commercial Space transport, it's hard to gauge where the final stop on this train will leave us.

P.S. Hope you got the Pigs in Space reference. :) You have to laugh every now and then, no?

Lutetia the Lovely

2010-07-12T13:19:00.003-05:00

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM44DZOFBG_index_1.html

Some things are just too cool for words. In such cases, I'm glad we have missions in space to bring back these awesome pictures. Congratulations ESA for Rosetta and these stunning pictures. I look forward to future amazing visuals.

U.S. Space Policy 2010

2010-06-30T10:17:00.002-05:00

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/national_space_policy_6-28-10.pdf

Here's a bit of reading material for you to go through. What peaked my interest is the section on Space Nuclear Power. Interesting change of thought that personally am all in favor of. It's about time we started implementing nuclear powered rockets for long duration missions.

The Commercial Space Guidelines are also of interest. :)

Algae Plastic

2010-06-28T16:14:00.001-05:00

When I suggest to people that the end of fossil fuels is now, they generally raise two issues:

1. Energy needs

2. Material needs

The energy needs argument is somewhat comical and illustrates perfectly the lack of proper education and access to information that shows, without question, that the global combination of solar, space based solar, wind, wave, tidal, geothermal and fuel cell technologies are fully capable of supplying clean energy for the entire global population (such that they all have high standards of living) for the rest our existence on this planet, especially if we seriously do all we can to utilize energy efficiently and smartly, and not just give it lip service. For example, ensuring every building has some level of energy creation for itself (photovoltaic paint, solar panel tiles, built in wind generators, fuel cell systems, etc). This doesn't have to mean that every building is off the grid, but it can mean that some buildings are sources when at off-peak use, or less of a sink when they are running full tilt.

Now let's look at materials. Plastic is a huge argument by many to justify the need for fossil fuels like oil. Well step back and behold the power of innovation and science, because we are on the verge of replacing that idea completely...

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/biofuel/algae-to-plastic

The article above, in Popular Mechanics, covers this, and I want to make note of a few specific comments in the article that one should consider:

"The myriad companies running at algal biofuels today, for example, must first find and cultivate a precise strain of algae from among thousands, harvest and dry the stuff, and then somehow extract oil from the plant on a cost-competitive basis with now very cheap crude."

"But, like his comrades in the algae-oil business, the trouble hasn't been so much the science, but the supply of algae to his lab."

So let me get this right, by all technical accounts we have the technology to do this on a large scale, but costs make it "difficult" to compete in the market. Oh 'money', how I love the freedom you give us for innovation and doing the right thing. How stupid are we that we let a man-made construct restrict us so much in a time when we are capable of greatness?

Space Cooperation

2010-06-28T12:23:00.001-05:00

http://www.space.com/news/national-space-policy-cooperation-100627.html

One of the best things about space exploration is the fact that it's pretty much financially and logistically impossible for any one nation to do it alone. Space has been one of the best sources for global unification over the past 20 years or so.

Mr. Carl Sagan said it best, "The old appeals to racial, sexual, religious chauvinism and to rabid nationalist fervor are beginning not to work. A new consciousness is developing which sees the earth as a single organism and recognizes that an organism at war with itself is doomed. We are one planet. One of the great revelations of the age of space exploration is the image of the earth finite and lonely, somehow vulnerable, bearing the entire human species through the oceans of space and time."

Sexay Physics

2010-06-21T13:02:00.001-05:00

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/amazing-aurora-seen-from-space-100621.html

Sometimes physics is just plain beautiful. :)

The Pitiful Path We Walk Today

2010-06-18T09:25:00.003-05:00

Space.com Article: Air Force Sees Hypersonic Weapons and Spaceships in Future

Nothing like a pithy comment by yours truly to start a raging debate...but a polite one. Not sure if it's really done yet, but hope it's not. I enjoy polite debates, key word here being polite. FYI, I am MasterSith. :) And for the record, my original comment has over 50 recommendations, over double that of the next closest, for whatever that's worth. lol.

As you'll notice, I do all I can to support my claims with links to solid sources. The only way to debate, intelligently, is to behave respectfully and support your claims. I still can't stand how we spend hundreds of billions of dollars on more unique ways to kill people, and pennies (relatively) on peaceful cooperative space exploration. What's wrong with this picture? Anyway, here's the debate thus far...
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MasterSith wrote: "We could have in the future such things as hypersonic weapons that fly 600 nautical miles in 10 minutes."

-- Or we could actually fix our global social problems and completely eliminate 90% of the reasons why people fight in the first place, and actually elevate the standard of living of all the world's people.

Yeah, I know, how crazy is that in the 21st century with all this amazing technology, medicine, abundant food production capabilities, clean sustainable energy options, automated robotic housing construction techniques (a 2,000 sq ft home built in 24 hrs) and robust transportation systems based on clean tech, maglev train systems and GPS/automated safety foundations. Yeah, might as well just continue to blow sh*t up instead of bridging differences and helping people live in environments where being bastards is a pointless option.

I love the tech, but I hate the premise on which it is reasoned for use.
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Ken_Forees_Forehead wrote: a paltry two recommendations for your post, one of them from me. sad state of affairs.
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Windbourne wrote: It is easy to hate its use, BUT, the truth is that military RD has done a great deal to advance society, then to hurt it. Take the example of DARPA. Prior to W basteridizing it, it was devoted to long term RD that involves lots of money. Some of it was really on the edge WRT the military. Sadly, W perverted it, killed the majority of the university connections and then sent a lot of it to the commercial world, esp. in Texas. HOPEFULLY, Obama has restored what we had, along with the ppl that used to run it. To be honest, I am not in touch with them anymore, so, I do not know where they sit.

Look, I KNOW that you are not wild about the military (few really are; even in the core military). But the thing to keep in mind, is that a strong military prevents anybody from doing real wars with us. It takes a terrorists with nations like Pakistan/Somalia to take us on. HOWEVER, if we have a weak military, or if anther nations THINKS that they can take us on, then with the wrong leader in place, they will do so.

Also, keep in mind that a mach 10-15 weapon like this, is IDEAL for ABMs. If successful, then we can take out something launched from say NK, Iran, Burma, and quite possibly, Venezuela, or even China. That is why I think that this will be developed VERY quickly.
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Windbourne wrote: BTW, what robotic system builds a home in 24 hours?
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MasterSith wrote: Ken - I see 7 now, but I'm waiting for the accusation that I'm a wide eyed peace loving hippie Utopianist. lol. Which are typical accusations by people who are so well programmed that they cannot fathom actually using our technical capability to actually make the world a better place. Oh, and I am not that.

Then you get the "human nature" nonsense, which has already been proven to be a false notion. Human behavior is 90% environmentally driven. Not just parents, which is just one part, but also society, commercials, friends, what you see, how things are taught, etc.
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Windbourne - Remember, I served in the Navy, so I was part of the military. It's not about weak vs. strong military. That idealism is archaic in today's world. What matters is figuring out WHY people are being aggressive in the first place.

Take for example terrorism. I strongly believe, and studies have proven this, that psychotic bastard terrorists would have very little recruiting power if the people of their nations lived amazing, high quality lives. Why the hell would one kill themselves for a twisted ideology when their real lives are actually amazingly good? In reality, the people are subdued, poor, uneducated, and live very difficult lives, so psychologically they are prime for conversion and brainwashing. To them, their lives are crap, so why not "fight" for something, and a persuasive psychotic is still persuasive. Better the environment, eliminate the cause by which people would even behave that way.

24 hour home: Look up Contour Crafting. It's a tech developed by a professor at USC. All he lacks is the funding to build the full scale prototype.
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Windbourne wrote: Oh, I had not forgotten your service (thank you btw).

As to the terrorism, you hit it right on the head. We DO need to help all, come up in living standards. That was the idea of our doing Free Trade Agreements with so many nations. The problem is that nations, like china, SK, Iran, and Burma, are totalitarian countries in which the upper crust do NOT care about ppl since they already have it so good. In addition, those nations still see themselves at war with the west esp. USA. Our FTA will not work with them as long as they get to manipulate money, and ppl, at will.

I disliked our going into Iraq, while ignoring Afghanistan. Any nation that we go into, I believe that we NEED to re-build. Iraq at least is looking like they will do ok. Now that we have found minerals in Afghanistan, HOPEFULLY, we can help these ppl to rebuild their lives, and forget all about terrorism.

But in the end, we still need a strong military. It prevents nations like NK, Burma, Iran, and even China from pushing their will on others.
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MasterSith wrote: Windbourne - The upper crust in America don't care about people beneath them either, else they'd not always prefer profit over people, and would gladly use larger percentages of their wealth for worthy causes that help build hi-tech sustainable systems, even for those in our own nation, instead of keeping their wealth in off shore banks and "buying" politicians to do what they want them to do.

The problem with Afghanistan's mineral finding is that powerful nations have historically raped and pillaged smaller nations of their resource wealth for their own benefit, the USA included. Anyone who thinks otherwise is ignoring history.

The USA is brilliant at masking this fact by suggesting we're "helping" other nations, but in fact it's our companies and our industry that infiltrates these nations and basically dominates their landscape. It would be nice if we'd stay out of it, and let Afghan companies work on Afghan resources, but I don't think that will happen. Mark my words, American companies will make their way into Afghanistan to mine the resources and the Afghan people will not benefit from it. Corporate hostile takeover is the American way these days.

Check out this simple video as an example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7Fzm1hEiDQ

"But in the end, we still need a strong military. It prevents nations like NK, Burma, Iran, and even China from pushing their will on others."

-- We'll need less of a strong military the moment we start actually giving a damn about people around the world and start doing what's right to better all lives, and not just the lives of a select few. And besides, how many more extravagant ways of killing people can we come up with? Between laser guided missiles that enter windows and global nuclear threats, I'm pretty sure we've reached the peak of killing efficiency. Time to start putting our amazing scientists and engineers to work on long term self sustainable systems that benefit the world. But then again, there's no profit in self sustainability.

As for pushing will on others...last I checked, the USA does a pretty good job of doing that too, but we mask it as governmental and economic freedom, when in fact our very practices are destroying the planet and are linear in consumption with no regard for the end game...which at this rate means nothing left for anyone...dead planet, dead humanity.
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rreilly656 wrote: """" Then you get the "human nature" nonsense, which has already been proven to be a false notion. Human behavior is 90% environmentally driven. Not just parents, which is just one part, but also society, commercials, friends, what you see, how things are taught, etc. """""

Sorry Doug, you are making a false supposition to try to support your notions. Human nature is not the strict taskmaster that animal nature is, but it is an underlying natural phenomenon that well-meaning "enlightened" people, as well as hard-core totalitarians ignore at their peril. It is the ignoring of human nature that is at the root of a whole lot of the world's problems. Your dismissal of human nature is a recipe for disaster.

But keep in mind that accepting human nature for what it is is not fatalism. As you allude to, what distinguishes us humans is our capacity for choice and our ability to develop all sorts of new options for ourselves. The conceit comes when one assumes (as you seem to do), that "technology" will "save us." No. It. Won't. Technology will help, but wisdom will matter more, and one wise thing to remember is that there will always be human conflict, with the attendant miseries it creates. No utopias, ever. Utopian thinking is dangerous and deluded.

As to the pessimism about the human condition I see from your posts and some respondents, I've got some very good news, if you'll only accept it. It is indeed tha natural human condition to desire peace and peaceful pursuits than to desire conflict. It is also a fact that most humans most of the time spend, and have spent in the past, most of their time in peaceful pursuits. That there is too much conflict and upheaval is a given, and it is both rational and worthwhile to want to reduce the levels of conflict, violence, and upheaval. Appreciating human nature at its core is one of the most important elements of resolving world problems; these days most governments and institutions stubbornly and persistently refuse to do so. Well-meaning progressive solutions and technological advances aren't worth spit if the powers-thst-be ignore or show contempt for the way humans really act and think, and what ordinary humans actually want in their lives.
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MasterSith wrote: rreilly656 - Thanks for the comment, because I see I need to be more clear. I appreciate that.

I'm not dismissing human nature, I'm properly defining it so that people understand the difference between what we can control and what we can't, nature vs. behavior. You can't do much about genetic defects or propensities or eye color as passed by parents to children, which is real human nature, but you can modify the living environment to help foster a positive and amazing life for people such that there is no need to steal, kill, or exhibit any other aberrant behaviors.

Human nature is very important, but far too many people "think" they know what it is, and unfortunately they're wrong. Most people suppose human nature to be fatalistic, as you mentioned. Ideas like, "Well, mankind is just aggressive and will always be that way...it's human nature." Or, "Greed is natural," as if it's like breathing. Nonsense, and I don't just say things without being able to back it up with scientific study, so here's a lecture by an expert in the field that sites many other experts and studies in this field:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vMC3TPuOOo

Another thing of serious note by a leading expert in the field:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KahBhoHvd-M

"The conceit comes when one assumes (as you seem to do), that "technology" will "save us.""

-- Your assumption about me is incorrect. I wish you'd ask me instead of making assumptions. No, tech will not save us like that. Tech gives us the ability to save ourselves. Big difference. People starve around the world and many fight because of their desperate situation, yet we have the tech to build solar/wind powered self sustaining hydroponic farm facilities (10 story buildings) that can feed 200,000 people a wide variety of fruits and vegetables without any soil requirements. A one acre footprint would be the equivalent of 400 acres of farm land. One acre feeds around 500 people, and that's actually low balling it considering the tech used. And these systems could be made of the best materials so they last 20 years without need for maintenance, or at least very minimal maintenance. But of course, this would drive the big food industry out of business. Can't have that now, can we.

Proof of this:

www.omegagarden.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCTOR6m3k9w

So as you can see, right away we can eliminate a stress just with food. And stress leads to irrational and improper mental states, making people prone and susceptible to aberrant behaviors. Same goes for shelter, transport, communication, energy...especially energy which is the driver of all other things, etc. It's not that we can't relieve these stresses, it's that we don't.

And here you go throwing out the Utopian statement, which I knew would come. Another assumption you are projecting on me as if you know what I'm thinking, and I even mentioned this earlier. lol. Utopia is fantasy. There is no such thing as perfection. The only constant in the universe is change. What is possible is developing a system that is better suited and capable of utilizing that change, embracing that advancement (not restricting it), and properly evolving itself as things progress. It's not Utopian, it's just a better method that's adaptable for change.

I actually fully accept that people are more prone to peaceful pursuits and cooperation than they are of violence and selfishness. We would never have survived as a species if our neanderthal ancestors didn't work together for survival. For another example, the human being was not designed for war, because if it were, our veterans would not have so many mental and physical issues after returning from combat. We'd not be so traumatized by seeing death and destruction and we'd have little or no empathy. We're not designed like the fictitious Klingon's, who actually revel in violence. Quite the opposite, we suffer serious mental and physical hardships when exposed to or having to participate in violence.

However, we live in a system that promotes and glorifies selfishness, greed and aggression. When war is profitable, who the hell will stop it? I guarantee if the government conscripted companies to fund wars, and no profit was to be made from it, we'd rarely be in war and spend most our time actually bridging the differences in peaceful manners.

When the pharmaceutical industry actually profits off people being sick, who's to think they'd actually want to heal everyone?

When using money to make money off of others is glorified, why would people stop doing it?

When cutting corners and making the least common denominator products for the maximization of profit is standard practice, what stops people from continuing the practice?

So to recap, we can use our tech to better our world, better our living environment, better the natural environment, and live high standards of quality life, thereby enabling us to save ourselves from our self inflicted negative traits, but we need a better system to accomplish that, and the current system and its practices cannot do this.
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rreilly656 wrote: Doug,

Thanks for your reply to my reply. We are not as far apart now, but still separated by matter of degree: I give more value to human nature, which is not just about genetic traits, but much deeper and more pervasive in how it affects human interactions, than you're willing to believe.

It's OK, because I also know you're not a utopian, and should have left those references out.

The other thing to note is we're not that far apart on the notion that technologies can have huge beneficial effects for humans, including on the individual level. We may only differ in that we come from different directions on how technology helps, or not.
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AirSpaceMan wrote: Doug - I haven't seen you this exercized about something in quite a while! Who put the burr under your saddle?
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Windbourne wrote: The burr was probably from me. Doug has total belief that we can solve these issues, and get all nations to work together. I do not believe that.

It is easy to solve the terrorists. They are typically a group of ppl that count on the majority of the population to look the otherway, while they push their way. They also count on hard times. If they did not have that, they could not recruit. Afghanistan, Somalia, etc. are PERFECT breeding grounds for these areas.

That really is why we MUST re-build these nations, and give them hope and a future. Without that, we can not solve it. BUT, terrorists also know that, and will work hard to block progress while blaming the other guy.

Totalitarian nations are a very different creature. The heads of North Korea, CHina, Burma, Iran, etc live MUCH better than their own nation does. They have a very different motivation. They are not into ease of living. They are into POWER. And there is not enough in the world to satisfy that desire for those kinds of ppl. Basically, no matter what we do, they will want more.

Doug is frustrated because ppl like myself support the military on this. BTW, doug, I agree with much of what you say. I have no issue with most. The thing is, that you try to apply logic to a situation that is not logical: the desire to seek power.
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MasterSith wrote: rreilly656 - Quality discussion is always awesome to me. :)

I value human nature too, but I guess what matters is how we define it. As I mentioned, it's not just about genetics, but I think people put too much stock into the genetic part. It's more about environment than genetics, and science is proving that (nature via nurture, not versus nurture). They are complementary, not competitively exclusive. It's more like 90/10 or 80/20 in favor of environment over genetics as far as what molds our behavior.

We might actually be debating the wrong thing here. I'm more interested in human behavior than I am in human nature. How we interact with each other, the values we hold, are directly representative of the environment (culture) we live in. Better the environment and, by default, you better the people.

Not perfect, as you'll still have a small percentage that will be mentally unstable for no reason whatsoever, and it's hard to address that unless you adequately solve real mental illness (not fake illness like A.D.D. in 10 yr olds, when all they are is 10 and loaded with energetic boredom). lol.

"We may only differ in that we come from different directions on how technology helps, or not."

-- Very well, I would ask you then, in what ways do you see tech as being a benefit, or detriment? And a follow up, (hypothetical thought experiment) assume money is gone and there are no longer financial restrictions to what we can do, our collaboration, and our purpose. In what way then would you envision the role of tech?
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AirSpaceMan - lol. The burr was placed when I woke up and realized that we are capable of so much good, but are doing so much wrong, and that it's not really the fault of the people, but the fault of the system under which the people are reared.

Our potential is being squandered by archaic principles that should have long since been allowed to go extinct.
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MasterSith wrote: Windbourne - Ah, but I maintain that the desire to seek power is programmed into us, and cultivated by the very nature of the system we've created for ourselves. It's profitable (financially and otherwise) to be a power seeking selfish bastard. This is what we teach, this is what we cultivate. Change the system, change the outcome, change the value system from self to others because of abundance.

Before the 21st century...totally not possible. No instant global communication for the sharing of information, no means of highly efficient abundant production with zero human labor requirement for sustainability, no clean energy options, no method by which to supplant a monetary exchange system, etc. So for all time prior to the 21st century, that status quo made sense, and bred status quo thinking. But today...ah today...things are very, very fundamentally different.

The situation is logical, and can be fixed, because the problems are technical in nature. Technical problems warrant technical solutions, which are logical. From your statements, you see mankind as fated to be as it is, distraught and constantly defensive. I see mankind as stuck in that scenario by its own devices, so if you change the devices, you change mankind and its behavior toward itself.
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AirSpaceMan wrote: Windbourne - Yup, that was the burr. I don't remember a time that MasterSith got this excited since Bill Wright would post about about perchlorates from the SRB's for the shuttle.

Talking about human nature will set all sorts of people in various directions.
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MrcACrl wrote: I'm with the Sith on this one.
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motie wrote: Have you noticed that as our weapons technology becomes more expensive and advanced, our success in war decreases? Where is the return on investment? Have you ever suspected that the big weapons contractors may exert undue influence over war policy? What other nation is stupid enough to spend millions on each "enemy" killed?

I'm amazed that some of you are still talking about "terrorism". Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden will never be defeated, because the US needs a bogeyman to justify its endless wars in central Asia. Do you think it's a coincidence that central Asia, including Iran, is the "center of gravity" for the world's oil and gas supplies, and major pipelines from/to Russia, China, and Europe? Have you ever wondered why Saudi Arabia is our "friend" even though most of the 9/11 suspects came from there, and Wahabi fundamentalism is based there, and Saudi Arabia exports its brand of religion all over the Muslim world? Have you ever wondered why the mainstream media never explores these issues in any depth, and almost never talks about the relationship between our wars and oil?

Our wars are dictated by our total addiction to fossil fuels. And I don't see a way out. Without fossil fuels, our industrialized western civilization, as well as Russia and China, collapses. Think about this: the third world supports a huge human population with almost no wealth and almost no artificial energy sources. When fossil fuels and uranium are gone (in roughly 50 years), the third world may have the right set of survival skills. That's assuming that the industrial world doesn't start the mother of all wars, and "cleanse" the planet with their nuclear-armed hypersonic playthings.

Think about this: the world's wealth is being concentrated in the Middle East, China and Russia. If the US continues to pursue its arms race (even though it is nearly broke), who will ultimately come out on top? Hint: follow the money, always follow the money.

All the information that you need to understand this is accessible via Google. Or read "Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet", "Globalistan", or any of the many other books on the subject. Please note that I have not mentioned global warming. My argument is based solely on resource dependency.
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MasterSith wrote: AirSpaceMan - Nope, I mentioned the cause of the burr already. :) It's not Windbourne, although he does spawn lively debate, but that's a good thing. :)
____________________

motie - "Our wars are dictated by our total addiction to fossil fuels. And I don't see a way out."

-- Under the current system, I completely agree. Change the system and you change the outcome significantly. This is what the Venus Project is trying to do, and it's not just about energy, but everything else as well.

Your notion regarding resources...natural ones, not artificial ones like money...is right on. It has always been about resources. Sadly, people are blind to the fact that our current socioeconomic system is the destructor of resources in a linear fashion. Nature doesn't work that way, and no matter how technologically advanced we become, if we don't use that tech properly in accordance with natural law (the ultimate law) then we're dooming ourselves.

This is what the Resource Based Economy is all about. It's always been about resources, but throughout history, we've never had the tech to actually manage global resources effectively or efficiently for all the worlds people. Now we can. The paradigm has shifted so drastically that we can now not only manage the resources wisely for the whole human race, but also ensure that the whole human race lives amazing, high standards of life.

Billions of dollars spent on missiles, bombs and guns would be better served building solar/wind powered automated self sustaining hydroponic farm towers, 10 stories tall, that can feed 200,000 people a variety of fruits and vegetables, yet only take up 1 acre of land space to do it. You solve conflict by resolving the problems that cause the conflict, not by just spending money on more weapons. Yet our current system is predicated on the latter of those two, and it needs to go.
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END

Whew, what a discussion. lol.

Come Sail Away

2010-06-18T08:41:00.001-05:00

So JAXA's Ikaros, short for Interplanetary Kite-craft Accelerated by Radiation Of the Sun, is now gliding its way through our solar system.

This may be slow, but it's cool. And ya know, the idea of using this as a big power collector is good, because maybe it could power VASIMR rockets. :)

Who knows, but I love science, engineering, collecting new data and space. :) Beautiful combo package!

Dark Matter Challenged?

2010-06-14T11:28:00.002-05:00

Ah, little does my heart fonder than a good old scientific counter punch on a controversial topic. The article I'm referencing is here on Space.com. And my comments are as follows:

Consider this: What if the premise (theory) by which all other measurements are made is in and of itself, wrong, and that other "ludicrous" ideas might actually have merit, but are ignored? Just something to chew on.

Anyway, a quote form the article interests me. "Yet other astronomers, particularly those who first analyzed the WMAP results, remain unconvinced."

Well of course they are. If they were convinced they were wrong, their funding would stop and they'd all have to find another gravy train to study on. As altruistic as I'd like scientists to be, money still drives the boat, especially in today's world, so you don't bite the hand that feeds you...or at least you allow that hand to blind you just enough to conflicting data that you hold steadfast to your position.

I'm not saying astrophysicist Tom Shanks of Durham University in England is right or wrong (although I personally can't stand this Dark Matter/Energy dogma), but I do like his position that he hopes future measurements of the microwave background radiation from new telescopes will help clear up the issue. At least he's not saying, "We're right. You're wrong."

SpaceX Launch Afterthoughts

2010-06-08T14:06:00.002-05:00

It's been a few days since SpaceX successfully launched its Falcon 9 test. I didn't post anything on this immediately on purpose, just so I could see how the mass media would digest this, and follow the blogs, and see what people thought.

News: Small quick blip on their radar. Typical.

Blogs: Loaded with opinions...like mine. Some informed, others not.

Reactions: Generally good. I guess all the SpaceX and Commercial Space haters went into hiding.

In summary, I wouldn't call this a victory, nor would I minimize the accomplishment. It was awesome! It was special, and it was vastly cheaper and better than the Ares-IX test launch. At least this went to orbit. There, I got my jab in. :)

Nevertheless, it's time to turn things around, check the data, do another launch, then ramp up for bigger and better things. All things considered, it was a good day for NewSpace and Government space, as one proved it's worth and the other probably gave a sigh of relief.

Now if we could just get the government to commit to a real plan with a serious deadline, like building a Moon Base in 10 years. :)

Student Probe Goes Kaput?!

2010-06-01T14:10:00.003-05:00

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18982-first-studentbuilt-interplanetary-mission-goes-silent.html

Alright, so the story is pretty simple, but my 2 cents are thus: It's still pretty sweet that students are working on designing and launching real systems into space. More of this needs to happen, especially probes to other planets, whether they're landers or orbital platforms doesn't matter. The point is getting young minds actively involved, building things, doing things, and contributing to science.

As noted in this article, this student built system piggybacked on an existing mission, so it's not like there was major expense or infrastructure needed to make it happen. I'd like to see things like this launch on every rocket we send into space. The more we have out there, the more we learn.

Impossible Possible

2010-05-21T09:44:00.003-05:00

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18944-levitating-glass-bead-proves-einstein-wrong.html

I love the word "impossible". So many people throw it around, and sadly, even prominent scientists of massive intellect and world renown status even do it. Still, science is an ever progressing system, constantly evolving and changing itself to reflect better data and better analysis. This is why I love it so much.

We don't...well, we shouldn't...ever state that something is final and nothing more can be done. Or that anything is "holy" and unquestionable. LIFE is nothing BUT a series of questions for which we strive to find the answers. Blind faith results in just that...blindness. What was once thought to be impossible can quickly become commonplace is a short amount of time.

Just look at space travel. Kind of mundane now, right? Major news stations cover a Shuttle launch for about 2 minutes and then bugger off to go talk about Lindsey Lohan and her ever present social retardation. Now, go back 200 years and discuss space travel and people would think you're nuts, or a witch! lol. Careful what you say...representatives of God might try to get you.

My point is, whether in science or any other aspect of life, do your best not to throw around the word impossible, because even for great minds like Einstein, that word can come back to bite you in the butt. :)

Been Away...But Back

2010-05-20T14:34:00.003-05:00

So yes, I've been off for a bit, mainly due to the fact that I finally had my officially wedding ceremony in Orlando.

Been together 8+ years with my lovely bride, have a wonderful daughter, and finally now had the ability to have the ceremony. It was a Star Wars wedding, very awesome, came together perfectly, weather was awesome (outdoor wedding) and in general was amazingly fun for all. It was elegant Star Wars, not corny Star Wars.

Anyway, now that I'm back I will be catching up on space/sci/tech news and posting my 2 cents on whatever appeals to me. That's kinda why you guys follow this blog, right? :)

Oh...if you want to see a boat load of wedding pix, they are on my Facebook profile. Just look me up. Until then, take care and best wishes.

NewSpace Players in the Highest Game

2010-05-03T09:03:00.004-05:00

With President Obama's new vision of space exploration laid out, although by no means final, it's important to note some of the main players in the game. After all, with so much riding on NewSpace (Commercial Space), these companies might be headliners very, very soon.

Virgin Galactic is probably one of the best known NewSpace companies with its sights set on catering to the public more than to the government. Now yes, I'm sure SpaceX wants to get into that game as well, but they're taking the government path, which may or may not be a good idea. That really depends on how the dominoes fall over the next few years, and whether or not SpaceX turns into Boeing or Lockheed...a government contractor. I lump Orbital Sciences into this mix as well, since for the most part they already are a government contractor in most respects.

But one must also remember that there are more players in the game than just the ones who currently grab the media spotlight. Armadillo Aerospace seems to have just locked down a deal with Space Adventures that hopes offer a sub-orbital ride at half the cost of Virgin Galactic. We shall see. I'm hopeful and curious to see how this unfolds.

It's hard to mention Armadillo without mentioning Masten Space Systems, who beat out Armadillo for the $1 million dollar prize in the 2009 Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander X PRIZE Challenge. Now Masten seems to be more focused on payloads than people right now, but I don't see them stopping short of the human launch goal.

Then you have Blue Origin, whose work seems to be more classified than the X-37b that was recently launched by the Air Force. Jeff Bezos seems to like keeping things hush hush, which could be a good idea. At least then when you test something and it fails, the media doesn't get all reactionary and all the pundits against NewSpace can't step up and spout off like idiots. It seems people forget that testing can and does result in failure, but the media just doesn't get that. Bunch of non-contributing zero non-scientists. :)

Now don't forget about XCOR, when back in December of 2009, the South Korean Space Center selected XCOR's Lynx for suborbital operation. They are moving hot and heavy on getting their craft up and running, and firing off thrill seeking people to the edge of space.

And to top things off (but this is by no means ALL of the companies, just those that I consider to be the biggest players) is Bigelow Aerospace. No, they aren't a launcher, but they will provide a destination. It would be kind of difficult to justify so many NewSpace launcher companies if they didn't have somewhere to go, and Bigelow is current the front runner in providing habitats in space, either orbiting in LEO, placed in GEO, stuck in a Lagrangian Point, or part of a Lunar Base infrastructure. Bigelow has a lot of options, especially once more of these NewSpace Heavy Lift options come online.

So as you can see, the game is in full swing. For the first time in human history, at least in my informed opinion, there is a light at the end of the tunnel that has restricted space travel to the select few as appointed by government. That light is NewSpace, and they are ramping up right before our eyes. What an exciting time we live in, because as far as I'm concerned, space exploration is a key variable in the equation for human advancement. Ad Astra was never a more valid term than today.

Let the games begin.

Cassini Flyby

2010-04-28T09:55:00.002-05:00

So NASA's Cassini probe "buzzed the tower" over Enceladus last night. I look forward to seeing what the data shows, well, at least reading the reports on what the scientists say the data showed. I can't wait until we actually drop a probe that drills down and unloads a cute little robotic submarine to go snooping around. Now THAT should be...maybe...headline news worthy stuff. That is unless some political scandal or ridiculous financial shenanigan is going on. Funny how we focus on the idiocy more than we focus on advancement. Such a shame, but hey, at least us science geeks are out there trying to do something to better humanity and its knowledge. :)

Obama NASA Speech Reactions

2010-04-16T18:37:00.004-05:00

http://www.newsy.com/videos/pres-obama-defends-space-program/

Interesting video. I like how they bring several sources into one piece, showing different angles. I still stick by my thoughts on this issue, and completely disagree with people who dislike commercial space for LEO operations. I don't think NewSpace is ready to build Moon bases or conduct Mars missions yet, but NASA sure as hell is. :)

Obama Addresses NASA

2010-04-15T15:15:00.002-05:00

Alright, so I decided not to make a canned blog article that I could post 10 seconds after the speech. I listened to the whole thing, did my best to remain objective, and have concluded thus:

Although I do like the mission ideas (human asteroid visit and Mars orbit), the time frame is way too long. Congress will mess this up within 10 years, and that's the real problem. When an organization lives and dies, financially, based on political ebb and flow, there is no way a plan spanning 20+ years is going to work. Period. I'm pretty sure that's why Kennedy wanted the Moon in 10. At least then he could have the chance to oversee the majority of it directly.

Hell, it took just 8 years for NASA to fall under the gun for the Constellation Program. I admit, I didn't like that plan myself, but it's always politicians (who for the most part don't have the foggiest clue about science, engineering, or technology -- other than the on/off switch) who jump in and screw up the process and the flow. Lawyers and bankers have no business regulating that which they have no knowledge.

It would be more prudent to just give NASA HSF a lump sum of $60 billion and give them a more definitive goal set and time line. At least then Congress can't muck it up. Here's what I think is a solid plan of action (based on historical evidence that we can move fast if given the resources). This also includes using international partners AND bringing China, India and other aspiring nations into the mix. Nothing should boost national pride more than WORKING with other nations to do amazing, peaceful things in space.

1. Establish a Trans-Lunar Infrastructure by 2015. Spacecraft (commercially developed), Orbiting fuel depots around Earth and Moon (NASA developed) and dropping supplies on the Lunar surface for phase 2 (both). Work on phase 2.

2. Build Lunar Base for 15 people by 2020. Both commercial and NASA partnerships to be used by NASA and general public scientists (globally as well, but as a rental space).

3. Spend the next 5 years (up to 2025) learning how to maintain, hold, operate and expand the base. 5 years to learn lessons AND inspire. Actually having a base there manned full time would kind of be a big deal for kids.

4. Mars landing by 2030. Use those lessons learned for the next main step, Mars mission. Probably just a landing for a month, depending on the orbital trajectories used, but a mission nonetheless.

At least in this manner, you have something big happening every 5 years. Things are being built, established, done and move forward. Yeah, NASA might need more money after the initial $60 billion, maybe not given commercial and international involvement, but either way at least we'd be getting things DONE! That's the problem with the current way of thinking...will we ever get anything actually done before it's messed with?

As an aside: For NASA doing R&D on advanced systems, I think it's about time we demand the military (Air Force especially) to reveal and employ all the Top Secret crap they've been working on with respect to space based assets. No more cloak and dagger nonsense. It's time to grow up and use what we've already paid for.

On the Eve of Announcement

2010-04-14T11:28:00.002-05:00

So Obama will be giving a speech tomorrow at the Kennedy Space Center, and it appears that a small amount of back peddling is underway as politicians scrap and fight to do what they can to "save" space...more like save their jobs from pissed voters.

I think it would be more prudent to base all decisions regarding human space exploration not on what makes Florida happy, ergo Florida voters, but what's in the best interest of the longevity of human space exploration and the advanced technology it develops, our passion and desire to learn and do complex things, and our ability to pass that spark to future generations who will, without question, be the ones who implement and drive the bus.

So let me see if I get this right:

1. Orion is back in a light form to act as the ferryboat for the ISS. Didn't we have CRV (X-38) on the table for this? And CRV was canceled in 2002 for...er...whatever.

2. The new system does nothing beyond LEO. How nice...more laps around the same track.

3. It looks like Lockheed makes out rather well in all this. I wonder how much their lobbyists got paid for pulling this one off?

4. NASA is going to put serious focus on R&D for beyond LEO operations. Okay, as long as there is a good amount of 'D' being done and not just a bunch of 'R'.

5. And just how do we get our own people up there to use this lifeboat (if necessary) in the first place? Build the lifeboat, then the crew launcher? Or, what's missing in the data, are we relying completely on SpaceX ET AL for that bit? Which is fine by me, but just not stated.

What we have here is a supreme failure to announce a mission, a mission with substance, drive, passion and goals. I am getting very sick and tired of lawyers and bankers determining my fate, my future, the future of humanity and the future of space exploration.

I am getting sick and tired of people who don't have a clue about anything regarding space to be the ones who dictate how space is funded, what we do there, and hold the strings of who's put in charge.

I am getting sick and tired of risk averse pansies who don't have the courage to step up and announce that space is difficult...duh...but vastly rewarding, and every astronaut or person who wants to go into space is well aware and fully accepting of the challenges. BRING IT ON!

But oh, someone might get hurt. PEOPLE DIE BY THE THOUSANDS ANNUALLY IN CAR ACCIDENTS, YOU IDIOTS!!! Do you see Congress regulating that sector as they do space? In fact, I'm sure you can come up with many other things that are far more dangerous and deadly than what we've experienced in space exploration.

When is enough enough? When do we step up and demand better? When do we elect better (not that we really have a choice with who we're presented with, do we)? Will we EVER be educated enough to understand how damn important things like this are, and how completely incompetent the people are that we put in charge? All the while we struggle to survive daily, our world view so narrowly focused on just making it through the week.

THIS is why we are in need of a system change. We're being herded, blinded and led by jackasses whose personal political and financial interests trump common sense, reason and logic...oh yeah, and OUR interests and survival without stress or dominance from controllable forces.

Vision, focus and clarity would be nice right about now, something that inspires...not just placates.

Bob Lazar's Vindication?

2010-04-08T11:56:00.003-05:00

http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2010/04/finally-element-117-is-here.html

Okay, maybe not, but still, the development of making a few atoms of element 117 is pretty cool.

Oh, and if you don't know who Bob Lazar is, just Google him. It's interesting stuff, and great fodder for alien lovers and conspiracy theorists about Groom Lake. Nevertheless, his element 117 notions and the 'island of stability' are interesting, so there may be a kernel of truth to be found yet, no? :)

Ocean Power

2010-04-08T09:40:00.002-05:00

http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-04/submarine-runs-eternally-thermal-power-ocean-currents

So a question here would be, can this technology be used on Europa? I know the thermal differences are vast between here and there, but if the material in the system that expands and contracts can be made to work with the temperature differences on another world, then maybe we could power an other-worldly submarine that way.

Of course, maybe a simple RTG system would be a more logical approach, but hey, it's something to think about. :)

Robotic Winged Space Plane

2010-04-05T12:51:00.002-05:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100403/ap_on_sc/us_mystery_spacecraft

I find this to be fascinating and annoying both at the same time. Fascinating because I love advanced technology and pushing our knowledge to the next level. Annoying because of all this top secret, cloak and dagger bull crap associated with anything done involving the military.

I want to know what this craft is, what it's supposed to be doing, what data collection capabilities it has, and what the purpose of the craft is anyway. It's not like they're punching out future versions, and up sizing it to carry people has already been done...it's called SpaceShipTwo. lol.

So in short, I'm fascinated and annoyed. Time for some coffee.

Small Sensor - You Name the Task (Audience Participation)

2010-03-24T09:01:00.002-05:00

http://www.livescience.com/technology/smallest-solar-powered-sensor-100209.html

The only thing I have to say about this article is that it's wicked cool. Now, what do you think this kind of tech could be used for in space applications? Just something to get you thinking and hopefully stimulate your brain for a moment. :)

I look forward to seeing what people think.

One More Step Along the Journey

2010-03-23T10:47:00.003-05:00

http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/virgin-galactic-spaceshiptwo-carry-test-100322.html

Virgin Galactic has completed one more step along the journey of making Commercial Space a reality. Yesterday marked the first attached flight of WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo, taking to the air together. Moving in the forward direction, it's nice to see Virgin Galactic making progress towards their ultimate end goal of providing more people a way to see the Earth as never before, and experience a thrill of a lifetime. One can only hope that that eventually leads into an avalanche of support for the advancement of humanity into space. :)

On a side note, SpaceX recently did their Falcon 9 three second test fire on the pad at the Kennedy Space Center. I didn't think that was really Blog worthy, even though it is important, but what could I say about that. Still, in the next month or so I hope to be writing about their successful Falcon 9 test launch. Now that is Blog worthy...at least to me. :) That is another step forward to the end goal, but only one goal of many to be set, I'm sure.

The steps that will be taken over this next year will probably come slowly, with little fanfare by the mass media who find it more compelling to talk about athletes and their infidelity for hours on end than serious news that can positively affect many of us. Alas, that's the pop culture we live in. I guess it's up to us insiders to do what we can to bring it to the forefront, a job I'm more than willing to undertake. :)

Ad Astra!!!

The Idiocy of Lunar Ownership

2010-03-23T09:46:00.002-05:00

http://www.space.com/news/soviet-moon-rover-space-law-100322.html

This is where the notion of ownership becomes retarded. We're going to commit the same acts of stupidity on the Moon that we do/did on the Earth if we don't change our ways. Territorial disputes account for what...over half of all wars in history? Yeah, those are great parts of our history, where we killed each other over dirt (or the resources on or below said piece of dirt). Of course, that's no better than killing each other over fairy tales, mythos, or faith I suppose.

Sure, let's do the same stupid things on another solar system body by establishing property, ownership, false borders and selfish nonsense...idiotic.

No one owns the Moon, just like no one owns the Earth. And the notion that it's human nature to assume control and fight for 'things' is asinine. We are TAUGHT those values, they are not born into us. You can teach people to share and get along just as easily as you can teach them to be selfish and fight for pieces of dirt. Unfortunately humanity isn't civilized enough to teach the former of those two...yet.

I'd like to assume we would learn from our mistakes and not take our negative baggage with us when we start to expand humanity into the stars. I guess that's too much to ask once you bring lawyers into the mix.

Imagine If You Will

2010-03-19T11:26:00.003-05:00

Imagine if you will...

You wake up on a Monday, living somewhere in the central United States (could be anywhere, but I'm using my local reference for the sake of discussion). When you wake up doesn't really matter. If you're a night owl, who functions better in the dark, maybe that's around noon. If you're a morning person, it could be at the crack of dawn. It really doesn't matter since you dictate your own schedule like everyone else does anyway, but let’s just say it was at 8am.

You stroll yourself to the kitchen, noticing that you're a bit low on some groceries. You make your way over to the kitchen wall computer, access your local food distribution center, and select what you need. The system says your goods will arrive in an hour via the automated cargo transport system. That works. This gives you time to eat breakfast and then take a shower. Good thing money is gone, because the high level of technology now implemented in agriculture has made food plentiful for everyone around the world, and the advances in robotic transportation are no longer hamstrung by costs or profit margins.

Breakfast is uneventful as you watch television, uninterrupted by commercials since there’s no such thing as “selling” products anymore. Now what used to take 30 minutes to watch (like the morning news), takes only about 15, and it’s nice that the majority of the news is about technical developments, the budding space exploration programs around the world, fun social events in the city and the past months efficiency ratings on key city systems. Always nice to see those numbers creep up, and numbers like the global crime rate continue to decrease.

Anyway, the shower is typical, and with a few minutes until the groceries arrive you check email and video chat with a friend in England, who you might visit today. The computer calls out indicating your groceries are about to arrive, so you grab your holding cart and walk out to the front yard. The cargo transport pulls up, the on board computer (with GPS and built in radar systems) knowing where you live just like the old post office people did when sending mail. You pull out the full cart with your groceries and replace it with your empty one, so that it can be returned, cleaned and used many times over throughout the city by the people. You press a button on the transport and it zips off back to the distribution center. A few moments later, your groceries are put away and it’s only 9:30am.

Well, what to do now? Last week was your only real work week for the year, as a volunteer technical expert on the automated hydroponic greenhouse building in your area. If something goes screwy, your volunteer team would be called in, much like how volunteer fire fighters used to operate, well, until we started building things out of fireproof materials. Anyway, with over 300 of you living in the area, it’s easy to rotate 5 to 6 person teams so that you’re “on call” for a week, but off for the next 51 weeks of the year. Of course, personal projects are what drives you, like the one you’re working on with about a thousand other people around the world on a new improvement to the international transportation grid system, but you don’t need to do that every day. That’s just interesting for you. And last week was uneventful, with no calls, so you spent your time researching on your project, and you did try to paint something...but we won’t talk about that endeavor. It’s nice to be able to work on what you like, instead of behaving like a rat in a maze doing something you “need” to do just to survive.

Take this house for example as a necessity for survival...shelter. After living in an apartment for a while, you decided a few years ago that a little place of your own away from everything would be nice, if just for a little while. It’s not like you have to lug furniture or many things around, since everything is always furnished how you like anyway. So you went downtown to the residential development building, selected an open plot of land, and started telling the computer what kind of house you wanted. Man you love voice recognition software. Those software people are amazing. Of course with millions of them working collaboratively around the world, it’s no wonder we always have the most amazing capabilities. After an hour or so, you’ve put together the exact house you like, including a nice virtual walk though in the VR room, complete with your personal landscaping touch and all the best furniture you enjoy.

Of course, everything produced these days is of the best possible quality, designed to last as long as possible. Good thing too. It was getting ridiculous with the amount of waste that went into making a bunch of redundant, second rate products. People used to complain that we didn’t have enough resources. It had nothing to do with availability, it had everything to do with waste and misuse. Anyway, your house was ready in less than a week, constructed by the automated robotic systems that build virtually everything these days (bye bye pointless human labor), complete with its own power system, independent of the grid. Although there is a grid system as backup, provided by the geothermal/solar hybrid plant in the center of the city, but it’s mainly used for powering city systems like the transport conveyors and automated subways. Anyway, the move was a piece of cake, since it’s not like you have to schedule everything in your life around a soul sucking job requirement, or bills, or costs, or what you can afford to do.

So, you decide you would like to visit your friend in England and call them up to make sure it’s all good. Sounds good to them, especially since you’ll be there in just under 4 hours and will be able to hit the clubs later that evening, no problem. 45 minutes from your house to the station, and the bullet train leaves at 11am and arrives around 7pm London time. Man you love those 2,000mph Maglev trains! Why did we ever use those loud, inefficient, gravity competing, pollution contributing airplanes that could only hold 400 people at a time anyway...and go only about 400mph?

Getting to the train station is no big deal, and the ride is just as relaxing as all 1,500 people on the train have their own suite (well, families have their suites as families). Might as well fit a workout in today by hitting the gym on the train. A good workout and a nap later and you’re notified by the lovely voice computer that you’ll be arriving in London shortly. Your friend greets you, and hoping you had not eaten yet, wants to take you to a nice restaurant in town with the newest meals programmed using the latest cooking techniques employed by an amazing up and coming chef. You knew they’d do that, so you held off dinner until now. The restaurant ambiance is amazing, as all restaurants are these days, since they all reflect what used to be called 5 star ratings. Some have people serving the food and some have robotic waiters or conveyor systems that serve the food. Either way is fine by you, but your friend is nostalgic, and this restaurant has a service staff of good old flesh and blood people.

The best thing, in your mind, is that the people are always nice and happy, always. It’s not like they’re working to pay bills anymore, or pay for college, or any other old world cost reasoning that would drive up their stress level and sour their mood, but they’re working this kind of job because they simply love interacting with people, serving food, having pleasant discussions and making people happy. In fact, the stress level of the whole planet has dropped significantly, including you, save for when your annoying sister calls, but that’s family. In general, people are now free to pursue their intellectual or artistic passions, no matter what they are, because nothing is holding them back.

The robots in the back kitchen, programmed to mimic the cooking styles of the most world renowned chefs on the planet, have just been upgraded to reflect the newest style of chef Antonio Misconi. Italian food never tasted so good, and no matter where you go in the world, the robots make it exactly as he would make it. It’s beautiful, and tasty.

The conversation is great, the food wonderful, and the nightlife just as enjoyable and fun. While out, you have a flash of brilliance, or so you think anyway, and you use your phone to add a suggestion to the global central database where that project is that you’re working on with others around the world. Your friend mocks you for always “working”, then you both bust out laughing and enjoy the nightlife of the city. You’ll get back on the details of that idea later when you get home in a few days, if you don't decide to take a trip to the Moon Base you've been thinking about, and maybe by then someone else in the world would have taken that idea and expanded it to arrive at a solution. Who knows, but right now, life is for living. And the best thing about this day is that never once did you have to worry about the old world notion of cost. You just live.

Note: If you’re a married person in this scenario with a family, it’s really no different.

Every single aspect of this mental exercise is possible in today’s world. The question remains, do you want to continue living in the world we have now, or be part of the solution that drives humanity to the next step in our social evolution, on Earth and among the stars?

www.thevenusproject.com

www.thezeitgeistmovement.com

ISS thru 2028 and NewSpace Laws

2010-03-12T11:20:00.002-06:00

http://www.space.com/news/space-station-life-2028-sn-100311.html

Well, I'm glad to see people actually thinking about life even after 2020. I think the international partners of the ISS are starting to make their feelings known. I don't think they sunk loads of money and staked a good portion of their national worth on a project that was going to fall into the ocean just a few years after completion.

There is still so much we can learn using the ISS at full capacity, including how to replace old and broken systems with new, updated ones. Talk about "This Old House" meets "Star Wars". lol. It will be very beneficial to learn how to replace entire modules, parts, solar panels, etc. while on orbit. And of course we can throw up Bigelow attachments, maybe a sister station floating around, and learn how to go from station to station maybe? The things we can learn are numerous, not just about all the science that can go on board, but also station operations and upkeep in general. :)
____________________________

http://www.space.com/news/virgin-legal-protection-lawsuits-100310.html

Oh, am I thankful for some common sense legislation to protect NewSpace. Space travel is dangerous and risky, wear a fraggin' helmet! As it was so eloquently put, and in my opinion so awesomely said by a friend:

Here's the short form:

Please check all boxes below to signify that you both understand and agree with them:

[ ] 1) I might die

[ ] 2) Even if I die, this will be totally awesome!

Signed: ____________________________

What Drives Innovation and Advancement?

2010-03-02T15:05:00.002-06:00

Time to put this one to bed once and for all, and yes, it will end up tying into space exploration and development, so hang on. Over and over again when talking about the Zeitgeist Movement and the Venus Project, I am confronted by people who say basically this, "If you get rid of money, what's the incentive?"

So here's their assumption, that the pursuit of money, the creation of personal fortune (at whatever level a person wants) is what motivates people to build the better mousetrap. So let's analyze this a bit.

Why do people want money? Here are some fundamental reasons, and there could be more picky ones if you really wanted to develop a huge list, but that's not my point here. Anyway...

-- To have a nicer home.
-- To have a nicer car.
-- To provide abundant food.
-- To have nicer quality clothes.
-- To be financially independent, meaning no debt or financial obligation to anyone.
-- To provide for self education and/or the education of ones family.
-- To be able to enjoy life at will.

Hmmm, you know, all of these sound to me like this person simply wants to have a better quality of life. They want to have a high standard of living that is relaxed, comfortable and truly free. They are not really interested in the pursuit of MONEY, they are simply interested in the pursuit of a better quality of life.

In the current system, money is the means by which that better life is to be attained, and money is a fickle beast that people fight over, kill for, and many cannot get much of, so by the very nature of the system, it's not possible for the multitude to achieve that higher quality of life, even though ALL of them want it. I don't know about you, but I've never met anyone who wants to starve, be homeless and barely survive.

Look, Galileo didn't go up against the Church (at great personal peril) for the pursuit of money. Newton didn't invent Calculus for the pursuit of money. Albert Einstein didn't develop theories on Relativity for the pursuit of money, nor did Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, James Watt, Louis Pasteur, and many others who have developed new and/or better systems that positively affect the human quality of life.

We are conditioned to think that money provides our incentive. Bullshit. The incentive is and has always been the human desire to better their life, which in turn betters the lives of others who use whatever was invented or created. This innovative spirit does not come with a price tag. It does not hinge on material gain, but hinges on the positive advancement of the human condition.

Now, money grubbing business bastards will twist and use this innovative spirit to fund and then rape the inventor of their knowledge for the sole purpose of making money. This happens all the time. Tesla was an eccentric and half nutty brilliant inventor, but brilliant nonetheless. JP Morgan funded and profited significantly off the man, who cared less about financial gain, and cared more about advancing the human condition. So, when he built Wardenclyffe in an effort to provide free wireless electricity, JP Morgan cut the funding. FREE?! Can you believe Tesla wanted to create a system that distributed a needed service for FREE?! JP Morgan can't make money on free things, and in the end, Tesla died a broke and broken man, but gave the world amazing technological advancement. Yeah, money is such a wonderful thing.

So to summarize, money does NOT spawn innovation. Mankind today is riding on the work of a small few, people who only cared about making a system or piece technology better. Most people have no clue how their TV works, or their cell phone, but they use it. They didn't invent it. Of the billions of people living on the planet, less than a million throughout history have provided advancement to the world, and mankind will always produce those kinds of individuals. In fact, I bet because of starvation and rampant poverty throughout the world, we LOSE thousands of brilliant minds every day that NEVER have the opportunity to provide great things for humanity.

We can produce even more brilliant altruistic people if we geared our educational system towards focusing on that goal, not the pursuit of money and material gain, but the pursuit of always trying to make things better, easier, faster and more abundant for all mankind, enabling humanity to be the free and wondrous creatures we can be.

And to tie this into space exploration and development, how can you NOT see the potential of our species among the stars the moment we adopt such a logical and rational approach to how we manage our lives.

Dry and Quiet Space Industry

2010-02-26T08:37:00.003-06:00

Well, aside from mass conversation about NASA, Congress, Ares and NewSpace, which is pretty much boring me to death right about now, there's not a lot going on in the space industry. STS-130 went well, and the new view the ISS has is amazing (reminds me of looking out a TIE Fighter window), but even that doesn't really get much pub these days.

Blue Origin peeked its head out from the cave for a bit, and landed a small article on Space.com, but it wasn't very informative. Hush hush.

Virgin Galactic isn't doing much from what I can see, nothing press worthy anyway. Spaceport America is simply under construction, so no special news there either.

SpaceX is prepping for it's Falcon 9 test with wet runs, a static test fire, and whatever logistics they need to iron out with the Air Force and NASA, hopefully to launch in May, but this isn't really new or special news. The special news will be when they launch the darn thing.

Otherwise, there is nothing much going on. Isn't that sad. We have a whole globe loaded with space people who want great things to happen, and the strongest story point in the world is Government Space vs. Commercial Space in the USA, and the prospect of Russia jacking up Soyuz travel costs after the Shuttle goes away. :(

I go to arXiv.org every now and then to read research papers, but that would bore most people to death. It takes a special breed of nutjob to get into papers "On the angular momentum transport due to vertical convection in accretion discs." lol. Or "Micron-scale Fast Electron Filamentation and Recirculation determined from Rear Side Optical Emission in High Intensity Laser-Solid Interactions." Anyone ever wonder why research paper titles are so darn long? :)

Anyway, where's the news on plasma drives, or anti-gravity research, or what the hell is going on with CERN? Details, not bullet points. This is something I'd love to learn about, but I bet most of it is classified or under ground. So sad. Well, I hope something amazing happens soon, because it's awfully dry and boring around here right now.

A New Pledge

2010-02-25T09:49:00.002-06:00

I pledge allegiance to humanity of which we are all a part of,
And to the cosmos in which we live,
One world, undivided, with prosperity and life for all.

Time to expand human thinking to be something more than just immediate geographical location. We are all made of star stuff, we shall all return to star stuff, and it's about time we all start recognizing the plethora of things we have in common, instead of focusing on the few contrived and falsely propped up things that divide us.

Vegetarian Rant

2010-02-23T11:06:00.002-06:00

Yes, this article has a scientific point, but you must get the full story to appreciate it. :)

So I was at a stoplight yesterday and the car in front of me had vegetarian bumper stickers. 'Go Vegetarian and save a cow', or something like that. That crap drives me nuts.

(Edit: For those who think the person was joking around, there was also a bumper sticker that said 'If you eat meat, you're a killer'. THOSE are the people that drive me nuts. Hope this clarifies why I'm ranting on this.)

What, are plants not alive? Last I checked, they intake CO2, and release Oxygen. They absorb nutrients from the soil and convert energy for the purpose of sustainment and growth. Yeah, they are alive and basically perform the same core processes that we do.

So basically what vegetarians are saying is that unless you have eyes, walk around and make cute little noises like moo, cluck or oink, you're good for food. I wish plants could bitch slap them, because what they're doing is isolating one kind of life as 'special', while focusing completely on another in herbicide! What a bunch of hypocritical crap. Just because broccoli doesn't give you "sad" eyes, it's not on the same level? Then again, maybe it's not about life, but about seeming all empathetic and kind. Blah.

We have sharp teeth for a reason, to gnaw and thrash meat. We're NOT gummy plant eating herbivores. What a bunch of political nonsense....for most of them. I do know several vegetarians who simply can't process meat very well. That is totally different. That is a biological restriction. My wife can't eat shrimp because she's allergic, ergo no shrimp for her. But the majority of this vegetarian, save the animals crap is ludicrous.

Now to the science part: Everything on this Earth is here for a reason, including the things which we consume biologically to survive. Until science and technology can make meat that looks like meat, tastes like meat, smells like meat, feels like meat, has the chewy texture of meat, and provides the exact proper nutrients as meat, then I'm fragging eating MEAT!

Now the moment science does develop Star Trekkian style food replication/synthesization that is indistinguishable from the real thing, I will have no reason to eat animals, or plants for that matter, so then everything can live as it wishes. I will then, and only then, change my natural ways. Until then, bring on the fillet with a side of broccoli, 'cuz I don't discriminate in the life I will consume to sustain my own. :)

Have I Lost or Gained Focus?

2010-02-19T12:02:00.005-06:00

Some of you may be wondering why I've suddenly started going off on the Monetary System, bashing the way the current global economic system works, when I'm supposed to be blogging about space and getting humanity into space on a more permanent basis.

If anyone does not think that money and space are directly linked, then I have no idea what world you live in. Money affects everything, especially space and the proper development and use of technology. Case in point:

http://www.economist.com/sciencetechnology/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15543675

As much as I advocate for Commercial Space, part of me wonders if the costs will EVER come down to reasonable levels. As stated in the article, "Mr. Bigelow’s price is just under $23m per astronaut. That is about half what Russia charges for a trip to the international station, a price that is likely to go up after the space shuttle retires later this year."

Even if the costs come down by a factor of 100, the cost is still ridiculous. When do I get to go? When do YOU get to go? When the hell can we afford to let every human have the glorious opportunity to visit space and see this awesome world from afar?

Every time I turn around I see money as the noose around the neck of true space development. It's not knowledge, we have that. It's not resources, we have that, and we can go get more on asteroids. It sure as hell isn't motivation or willpower, because there are MANY of us who have ample amounts of that. One could say it's governments, but not really. They have motivations based on the real problem...money.

Budget restrictions, cost concerns, cost/benefit analysis crap, etc., etc., all reduce our potential. How many awesome projects have been canceled because of money? I bet all of us could name 3 or 4. How many great ideas never got started because of money? How many innovations were squashed and hidden because of money?

I can't get away from the fact that everything we want to do in space is possible right now, but we're always told we can't AFFORD to do this, or AFFORD to do that. I'm sick of the excuses. I'm sick of human expansion and knowledge being sequestered by a system made up of fake, bogus bullshit money that's not even based on anything real anymore. I'm sick of having the future of humanity determined by a myopic few who value money over humanity. I'm sick of all the crap, the greed, the stealing, the lying, the crime and the artificial state of social stratification that is brought about by the system we're stuck in.

Who the hell said the Monetary System was the best thing ever, and that nothing could ever be better? From what I can see, we are immersed in a load of problems, nearly every one of them linked to money. Yes, it served its purpose for a while, under certain specific conditions, but it is WAY overdue for a shelving, as those conditions have completely flipped. Time to evolve to the next level.

I want to go to space. I want to stay at a hotel on the Moon for my 50th anniversary, sipping Lambrusco wine, eating a nice chicken dinner with my wife. I want my daughter to be able to visit Mars whenever she wants. I want the same for everyone. Shouldn't we all?

No, I've not lost focus. My eyes are still fixed on the prize. I want humanity to become a space faring civilization, to grow and prosper as we explore this amazing universe. To use the great technologies we develop for that purpose for the betterment of all mankind, no matter where they live on the planet. My focus is strong and my resolve even stronger.

The questions are, are you willing to cast aside old ways for the pursuit of the same? How is your focus and resolve?

Social Evolution is Coming

2010-02-12T14:26:00.002-06:00

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18516-seti-opens-up-its-data-to-citizen-scientists.html

Global resource utilization. Hmm, that sounds familiar. In this case, it's human resources all working together globally to achieve a goal, which is helping SETI search the universe for signals from another world. Great use of human power...mind power. Now, it does NOT require a large jump to notice this can also apply to all resources.

I'm telling you, for anyone stuck in the 50's, or even the 70's way of thinking, you're in for a rude awakening, because the majority of my generation and those before us are NOT products of selfishness and close mindedness.

We are children of a world that is more united than divided. We are part of a global community striving to be a universal community. We are part of something bigger than ourselves, and understand our place in the world of sharing ideas, processes and global talents for the betterment of the many, over the betterment of the self.

Our global connection enables a new mindset of collaboration over competition, of benefits to all humanity over asinine divisions among us, of true growth of the human condition over your self-destructive systems and old world ways. All of which will lead us to the stars, to a better home on Earth and to a future worthy of positive contemplation.

Social evolution is coming. Ride the wave or be drowned by it, for there is no sitting on the sidelines hoping it will simply pass.

A Question for Capitalists

2010-02-08T10:46:00.002-06:00

I have a question. Yes, this is somewhat long, but details and explanation are required to help provide full context for the argument.

Since Capitalism, and the more general fundamental concept of the Monetary System that the entire world employs, relies on the supply and demand model, how do you address technological advances that eliminate scarcity and provide surplus supply with limited and in some cases zero manpower required for daily operations? Especially since the current system was developed several hundred years ago in an Agrarian society where human toil and hand tools were the primary source for all work done for all purposes, so purchasing power was directly related to human labor, and justifiably so...back then.

For example: We have the technical capability to build solar powered, fully automated robotic food production facilities that require no people to run. They can be outdoor or indoor facilities, so they can be built anywhere no matter the climate of the region. They can use soil or hydroponic technologies, with hydroponics being overall better in the grand scheme of things since that technology prevents soil depletion (like what happened to the soil of Haiti and why it's so prone landslides). They can, like cars do now, be programmed to notify a local technical staff when they require maintenance, so production would never cease, and they can be programmed to produce vast amounts of food (both plant and animal) 24/7/365 in all locations of the world.

Capitalistic self preservation requires that businesses prevent this kind of technological use, because of it was used in this most humane and amazing way, every man, woman and child on the planet would have access to vast amounts of food all produced on a local level so as to reduce needs for shipping internationally. The multi-billion dollar a year food industry would completely disappear, because in effect, all food would now be as free as the air we breathe. You cannot sell air because it's plentiful for all. The use of advanced technology can do the same for food, shelter, transportation and a lot more.

So how does one address the situation where we have the technical means to provide plenty for all, but the system under which we live requires that a false sense of scarcity be in place to ensure "price" remains at an acceptable level, even if that means people must starve? Just look at the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933, where during the Great Depression, even though we had surpluses of food throughout the country, the government purposefully destroyed food to ensure farmers maintained proper market prices, even though people were starving. What kind of crap is that?

I'm just using food as one example, but there are other industries where this is just as valid. I believe we are ignoring a fundamental truth, which is that throughout all of human history up until 1782 (tens of thousands of years of human history), humans could never produce more than they could consume. In most cases, they produced much less. But now, with advancing technology (thanks largely in part to the space and computer industry), we can readily produce more than we consume, which is in huge conflict with the supply/demand system of economics.

So Mr/Mrs Capitalist, what are your thoughts on this?

If I Were President

2010-02-03T12:29:00.002-06:00

Scary thought, no? :) But, I need to vent. Here is what I would do on a few topics if I were in charge:

Jobs and Economy:

Science and Technology is the present AND the future. It is time to usher in the 21st Century, and the best way to do so is to embrace the advancement of humanity in every way possible.

1. A REAL Infrastructure Project: First figure out where the top 20 cities in the nation are that export the greatest amount of goods to the rest of the nation, our nations top 20 producing cities. This is a national distribution thing, not an international shipping thing. Now, make every one of those cities a hub for a major MagLev Rail Station and connect all of those cities with each other by building an advanced MagLev High Speed Rail system.

To do this, LOAN...not give, but LOAN money to the private sector to facilitate the construction of the system in 20 years or less. Get it done fast. Those companies have to pay back the loan at a very mild interest rate. This is exactly what the government did for the construction of the intercontinental railroad, so let's employ it again. The government will take the money gained and ONLY use it to buy down the national debt, and the nation establishes a major high-tech, low pollution, reliable and advanced transportation system that travels nearly as fast as an airplane (~300mph), but at a far less operational cost. It's also quiet, requires no gas or oil, and can run constantly 24/7/365.

Nuclear power facilities would be appropriately built to cover the energy requirements of the system so as not to strain the existing grid. The design, construction and operation of this system would employ vast numbers of people immediately in a variety of well paying jobs and help drastically reduce domestic shipping costs. It's also a long term project, stimulating employment over a long period of time.

2. NASA and NewSpace: Have NASA, its research partners and its international partners focus on building the Moon Base (and invite CHINA and INDIA to help!), establishing the Lunar living facilities, water reclamation and distribution system, transportation system and a fuel manufacturing, storing and distribution system. Rely heavily on robotic construction practices as much as possible before sending humans to tidy up the place.

As its envisioned now, have NewSpace assume LEO operations to and from the ISS and any other orbiting platform (Bigelow Hotel, etc) in a LEO orbit, but also have them work on building all the spacecraft to get to the Moon, but don't design them for just a Moon trip. Design them as if they were going to Mars.

This would be funded by 50/50 LOANS that the companies would pay back over time, much like how we'd establish the MagLev Transportation System. What I mean by 50/50 is that the government would match every dollar the private industry would raise, assuring the companies have a vested interest is not blowing government money, because they'd be out a lot as well. The companies can use those rockets for whatever they want, but they must give free rides to the government to bring all the Lunar Infrastructure items to the Moon, and provide a certain number of initial NASA Astronaut trips. After that, NASA maintains an operational, science and research division on the base while NewSpace is the taxi paid to get them there, as well as other paying customers who wish to go, NOT just NASA.

Additionally, reform ITAR so that private space companies can work with international partners in the same way the governments work with each other. The peaceful commercialization, exploration and development of space is NOT a national defense issue. Missiles, bombs and guns belong on ITAR, not peaceful space transportation systems. Also ensure that there are reasonable regulations in place that govern the commercial space industry responsibly, but that aren't overtly restrictive.

These two things will not only upgrade America to the 21st Century in a hurry, but employ tens of thousands of people in the process, with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering and math, pushing our youth to embrace those fields. As the nation goes, so go our youth.

Environment and Energy:

Stop cutting down trees to build houses! How stupid is that in today's technologically advanced world? You want to help the environment, start by replacing 19th Century methods with 21st Century ones. Part of the Lunar Base program is to develop advanced construction techniques WITHOUT the use of wood, in faster amounts of time, and with less waste! This would be employed on Earth to drastically reduce construction costs, improve living conditions and help under developed nations to develop.

Also, as noted earlier, build Nuclear Power Plants to reduce our dependence on oil, domestic AND foreign oil, and put serious focus into all forms of renewable energy (solar, space based solar, wind, tidal, wave, geothermal, etc). Require that every major city be 25% (or more) powered by renewable energy by 2030. Use colleges, universities, private industry and part of the military budget to facilitate this endeavor. After all, everyone says energy is a national defense issue, so use national defense money to help get it done.

Health Care:

4 simple bills with absolutely NO additions, attachments, pork or ANYTHING added to them, at all. Short, simple and to the point legislation. I know, hard to fathom these days, but possible if the public is involved and eyeballing the process, especially if this is stated publicly right off the bat so that everyone knows what's expected.

1. Tort Reform Bill, fixing all the legal garbage that financially inflates the health care industry.
2. Insurance Portability Bill, allowing health insurance to be just like car insurance, where you can get and use your coverage in any state.
3. Pre-existing Condition Bill, preventing insurance companies for being bastards and denying people who need coverage, or drastically inflating their costs after they get sick. The purpose of insurance is to protect you when you get sick, not screw you after you've gotten sick.
4. Medical Record Digitization Bill, using the internet and proper military style security to completely digitize all medical records, saving a load of paper, and allowing any doctor anywhere to bring up your medical records from a database. Never again would you have to fill out any forms whatsoever when visiting any doctor, anywhere. They can bring you up in the system in seconds. And if the military can protect its digital infrastructure, then they can help create a protected health care records digital infrastructure.

There...done. Now watch the costs drop!
____________________________

Well, there you go. This should stir up some conversation. :)

NewSpace 1 -- Govt. Space 0

2010-02-02T08:52:00.003-06:00

Okay, not exactly zero. NASA still serves a vital role in the advancement of humanity into space, but WOW, I find it hilarious that there are so many people who consider Obama's new direction for space as a death blow to NASA. If you're one of those people, quit crying in your beer for a moment and think about this:

The politicians most affected by this new direction will fight for NASA, not because of their love of space, but because of their passion for getting re-elected. They just want to make their constituents happy by "fighting for their jobs", even though it's obviously time for NASA to move into a different and more productive direction. This is exactly the kind of nonsense that gives NASA ulcers and prevents them from doing all things for all people. Politics screws up everything, period. This is mostly the reason why I'm shocked at this new Obama stance on space, because he's actually encouraging the privatization of space, versus expanding the government part. Somewhat against his character as of late, but I'll take it.

Commercial space should have been supported and developed for LEO operations years ago, and NASA should NOT be building rockets anymore. I guess one could say that they don't build them in the first place. Boeing, Lockheed and the other major contractors build the rockets, but NASA provides the requirements and has their noses in the mix every chance they get. Rocket science is no longer rocket science, if you know what I mean, and there are more competent players in the game than just NASA.

As I said in my last blog article, 'Former NASA Administrator Speaks About HSF Future', NASA engineers are not smarter than engineers at the private space companies. They all have quality educations and can produce results. The key is, which ones are bogged down by the political winds, and which ones aren't.

NASA should be building Moon Bases, and/or long range spacecraft to asteroids and Mars. The only way to do that is to shed off tasks that are no longer required, passing them to an industry that will drive our national economy in the direction of advanced technology and a true space age.

This is finally the right move. I'm not happy about losing the Moon return, but I knew this would come at a price. My hope is that Commercial Space will see all that new found water on the Moon as a lure, and cause them to want to build a base there, with or without government help.

As for those of you who question going back to the Moon, what did we really do the first time? Drive a dune buggy, hit a golf ball and bring back some rocks? Seriously? We didn't really do anything ON the Moon, we just went there to lay flags and footprints in an effort to one-up the USSR. Whoopie fraggin do.

The reason to go back is to USE the Moon, not just visit it. To make it a research station, to make it a vacation spot, to make it a fuel station, to make it whatever else is beneficial to the advancement of science, knowledge, and exploring further into space. THAT is the reason for going back to the Moon, and it needs to be done. If the governments of the world don't want to work together to make that happen, then NewSpace will.

Former Nasa Administrator Speaks About HSF Future

2010-01-28T10:04:00.002-06:00

http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/local.ssf?/base/news/1264673781201110.xml&coll=1

It would be helpful to read this article above before reading my reply. Then you'll get the context.

All Griffin cares about is government space, which as we all know is run terribly, and cannot fathom the commercial space industry doing anything significant. He's arrogant and short sighted, and has always appeared that way to me with his condescending attitude towards the NewSpace movement.

NASA should have shed LEO operations to commercial space years ago, and the government should have helped commercial space establish itself while in its infancy, then cut it loose to run on its own. This would have saved NASA and the government billions of dollars.

The engineers working at NASA are no different than those working in the private industry or at Universities. To think NASA has a monopoly on all brain power in America is ludicrous, arrogant and insulting to every hard working space visionary who is not part of the government system, but has a true passion for getting humanity fully into space, to work, to play and to grow.

NASA should not be building LEO rockets anymore. Companies can do that, and in fact they do. Boeing, Lockheed, ATK and other contractor companies build the systems that NASA uses, not NASA itself, so the notion that commercial space can't do it is stupid. NASA just sets requirements. They rarely bend metal anymore. And when they do, it should be for behemoth spacecraft that are designed to build Moon bases, conduct Mars trips and facilitate asteroid missions.

Time to grow up, grow out, and commercialize space. :)

On Earth as it is in Heaven

2010-01-26T08:07:00.004-06:00

http://www.space.com/news/nasa-budget-billion-boost-sn-100125.html

At what point will humanity realize that science and technological advancement is more important than money? We complain about the environment, we complain about poverty, we complain about hunger, and we cry into the aether that something should be done to help all people of the world, but with a significant divergence from logic, we always go back to cost, money and financing as a bullshit reason for NOT doing the right thing.

Has it ever occurred to you that maybe, just maybe, we now live in a world that is so drastically different than anything in the past, that we cannot possibly use outdated forms of economic controls or reasoning?

For anyone who is religious, I have a question: do you think God cares more about money, or doing the right thing? Is the Almighty hamstrung by finances in Heaven? Do banks, investors and politicians dictate the ongoing operations of the hereafter? At what point did our wallets become more important than our humanity, ESPECIALLY in a world where the human mind and ingenuity has developed technology and systems that can provide a high standard of living for all? Is it not part of the Lord's Prayer to make the Earth as it is in Heaven? WHY ARE WE NOT REALLY TRYING TO DO THAT!!!

This article on Space.com reflects just one more instance of the same nonsense. People like Obama, Bush, and so many others blow smoke up our asses on a regular basis about how they love science, engineering and technology, then when the rubber meets the road, they never deliver what is actually needed. Why? Money. It's ALWAYS money that screws up the advancement of humanity more than it helps us. We're willing to dump hundreds of billions of dollars prolonging wars against elusive and invisible foes, in countries that don't really give a damn about really defeating them, but we're not willing to slightly boost funding for something that ends up being a significant boon to humanity for generations? Really?!

The United States of America is going to fall behind other nations when it comes to space exploration and development, because we are more concerned with social programs, saving banks, and propping up idiotic car companies than we are about driving down a path of advancement, abundance, global cooperation and true freedom. Sounds good, doesn't it?

Appearances - Past, Present and What's Better

2010-01-16T10:59:00.004-06:00

I had a great time talking with Mr. Jim Bohannon last night. It is so much easier to discuss the potential of space exploration during a full hour and I'm thankful he gave me that much time. In fact, I'm thankful for all of the great shows that have had me on to discuss this important topic.

However, nothing beats someone getting the book and learning the full details. Then you are armed with knowledge you can share with friends, family, and even those pesky politicians who think they know more than you. If they refuse to understand, then they need to be replaced by people who do value space as a solution for our present and our future.

It's important that the American public become aware of the potential of space, that it is not just a side project, but that it should be our MAIN project...our economic pillar of stability and strength. I only hope all these appearances help drive people for further inquiry, that they get the book and tell others about it, and that this starts shifting public opinion of space. Word of mouth is a powerful thing.

I'm not asking everyone to become space geeks, but I am hoping everyone gives space serious respect for what it can do for our country, and do what they can to make sure we go in that direction. Ad Astra; to the stars. It's our calling, it's our solution, it's our destiny.

Contour Crafting - Amazing Tech We Need Now

2010-01-14T09:10:00.002-06:00

http://www.contourcrafting.org/

If there was ever a time when technology like this should be put into full scale use, the time is now. With the recent Haitian disaster, is doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that technology like this can be put to amazing use in rebuilding Haiti at a drastically reduced overall cost.

No, this can't help the rescue and recovery effort, but it can help significantly on rebuilding. However, I must note that this technology was available a few years ago, albeit in its infancy, but available for serious development. There is no reason why we could not have employed its use in fortifying Haiti in advance of this disaster.

People will site money as the problem, but we're having no problem coming up with money now, are we? It seems millions of dollars are available after the fact. Where was this logical investment beforehand? Haiti has a history of major earthquakes every 200 years or so, so it's not a stretch to assume that living in shacks and on unstable landscapes is a sure way to lose large numbers of lives when something like this happens, and it was bound to happen. Sometimes I think the world is an ostrich with its head in the sand. Only when the crap hits the fan do we look around for the source of the smell.

Now we are left scrambling, building up funds through the amazing donations of the American people, even as we ourselves struggle with our own economic woes. Funny thing about America, no matter how much the world bashes us for whatever reason, we always step up to help in significant ways when disasters like this strike anywhere in the world. It just so happens that this time it's in our own back yard.

I advocate that we bring this technology to the public eye, for the rebuilding of Haiti. The costs would be amazingly low compared to any current rebuilding systems. Can you imagine clearing the rubble, possibly recycling it, and then building a fully functional house every 24 hours, one after the other? 7 houses a week by just one system, building solid structures, not shacks, nonstop via a solar powered automated robotic system. Technology put to use at its best when people need it the most! Now imagine several of these bad boys on the ground doing great things.

Contact the media about this technology. Make it public, make it viable, make it happen! Contact Dr. Behrokh Khoshnevis and let him know there is support to make his invention mainstream, to help Haiti and help us all. His email is: khoshnev@usc.edu

Don't just sit there with Haiti in your thoughts and prayers. DO SOMETHING! If you can't contribute money, then contribute time and support the development of a technology that drastically reduces construction costs, enables rapid building in short amounts of time, and can make a significant difference in the world we live in.

Haiti - The Deaths That Should Not Be

2010-01-13T07:36:00.002-06:00

It is eerie to me that I have just concluded my social/technology experiment, only then to have something like the Haitian earthquake occur, which showcases my very point in a way that is so tragic and sad, that if this doesn't give you pause and reason to think about a better way to do things, nothing will.

I am saddened by the events which have rocked, literally, the island country of Haiti. Last night a massive earthquake wreaked havoc on this island, and the death toll will undoubtedly be staggering. What upsets...no...what pisses me off the most is that so many of these deaths could have been prevented.

It's one thing when deaths happen as a result of war, or brutal governments. It's another thing when nature causes deaths as it continues its natural ebb and flow. We have the technology, thanks to science and engineering advancements, to prevent buildings from collapsing during earthquakes. We have the capability to protect infrastructure from hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods. In most cases, we have the ability to predict when disasters will happen and brace for them, but more importantly is our ability to protect ourselves from them when they surprise us.

Why then do we not use that technology throughout the world to ensure that, at the least, natural disasters don't claim the lives of innocent men, women and children, or drastically reduce the number of those killed? Because they are poor? Really? Is the value of human life directly dependent on the amount of money someone has? Do any of you seriously believe this to be true? If so, you are not human. There is no reason whatsoever that human life should be lost to natural disaster in a world so full of knowledge, innovation and technology.

For the record, I'm an Atheist. I don't have an attachment to any God, Religion or Doctrine to guide my moral compass, but I sure as hell know what feels right and what is right. Why then, in a world dominated by such religious conviction (no matter the faith), do we even remotely allow things like this to happen, knowing full well we are capable of preventing such catastrophic losses of life? Do you worship God, or "In God We Trust?"

I don't give a damn about cost. I don't care about monetary value or investment return. When did we become a people whose bottom line is more important than doing the right thing? I'm not suggesting people can't play the game to make the best of it, but if any company or business is making billions of dollars in profits AFTER covering all expenses, including reinvestment into itself to make it better, then why can't we press them to make "Earth as it is in Heaven," as the Lords prayer mandates? Why don't we urge people to do the right thing before the disaster happens, and help all impoverished countries protect themselves against the unwavering forces of nature by fortifying their infrastructure on the most basic level?

This is not about giving something to someone who doesn't deserve it. This is about helping to significantly reducing the number of deaths under conditions we have the capability to protect against. It's our duty as humans to use our knowledge, our technology and our compassion to help others before bad things happen, not just afterwords. In your heart, you know this is the right way of thinking. Will your actions and words suggest the same?

My Social/Technology Experiment

2010-01-12T08:20:00.005-06:00

I love science. I love technology. And I also love experiments. Over the past few weeks, starting on December 21st with my 'Time Must Be Spared For Self Education' article, I have been looking to see what the reactions would be for a topic of this nature; the implementation of what The Venus Project (TVP) has in mind and the ideals it holds for a social structure.

I was interested to see if the conversations would go more towards the social aspect of what's been proposed, or more the technical aspect. After several debates in the comments section of various articles I've posted, I have concluded that the easiest argument revolves around the social construct, specifically the money construct. Now I fully admit, I pushed the money button on purpose, just to see if people would bypass that and go right towards the technology implied. That never really happened and I didn't want to push it that way. I wanted to see if people would push it that way, finding the technology aspect more important than the idea of abolishing money and restructuring our global system accordingly.

I'm a little saddened by this, because I figured the people who visited this blog would be more prone to shift the debate towards the technology and science behind the idea. I was actually hoping to get someone who would ask me to do an article on the technology proposed and how that may work, or how we could start implementing the idea, or build a test city as a research facility.

Clark was the only guy who got close to that line of thought. Thanks Clark. I did enjoy our debate, although I was hoping you'd pull away from the money argument and shift towards the technology bit. You somewhat did that at the end, which is what prompted me to wrap this all up by writing this article. I didn't make it easy for you though, as I flowed with what you wanted, a social/econ debate, but I did throw out technology enough times to see if you'd bite on that. :)

All in all, here's my point: It's easy to get all wrapped up in the social part of TVP. Thinking you can change the world by just talking about it is stupid. I've told them as much. Now, in the long run, I'm in favor of abolishing the monetary system and moving towards a more resource based system. Systems change as needed, and it would be unwise for us as a species to hold on to a system that is outdated. We upgrade things all the time. None of you have 386SX computers with a monochrome green monitor anymore, do you? Of course not. When better systems became available that made things easier, you upgraded. There is no reason why we can't do the same thing with our socioeconomic system.

However, I am a firm believer in the, "Build it and they will come," theory. What we need to do is build a fully functional, self sustaining test facility (town) that accurately models a majority of the aspects of what the RBE (Resource Based Economy) would be like. This is not like the biosphere experiment. It's more dynamic than that, and less isolated. If you take the time to look at how TVP has designed its cities, they make wonderful use of technology as a means to help run the city with extreme efficiency, making life better for every resident. I'm all for that!

Then put webcams all over the place (except in private living areas of course) and show the world how it all works. 24/7/365 live webcasting of something like this, with interviews and streaming shows that educate people as to how things work, would go a long way in opening the eyes of the world to a much better life. Once people see that something like that is possible, then there will be a move to make it happen, town by town, city by city.

So, as you can see, I'm more interested in the science/technology aspect of TVP than the social construct. That will come in time. Try not to get bogged down in the social ideology debates. If you are a fan of science and engineering, and space exploration, the ideas involved in the technical aspect of TVP are very appropriate. What needs to happen now is a serious effort to build the test facility to showcase how the system would work. The fun part is figuring out how to accomplish that.

SpaceX - Falcon 9 2nd Stage Test Fire

2010-01-08T13:11:00.002-06:00

http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/spacex-rocket-test-100107.html

Well here we go! The main booster test fire went good. The second stage test fire has now gone well. So, add that up and I think we're looking at a great scenario when it comes to the Falcon 9 test launch from the Kennedy Space Center in February. Without a doubt, SpaceX is paving the way for commercial cargo transport. I really don't know what Orbital Sciences is doing, because they haven't made any news rumblings.

Last night I was involved with a panel discussion on China Radio International out of Bejing regarding Space Tourism. You can hear it on the link above. One of the things I stressed towards the end of the show was that it's not just about Virgin Galactic and XCOR's capability to go sub-orbital that helps drive the space tourism industry, but also companies like SpaceX who, if all goes well, will be a major heavy lifter for Commercial Space applications.

You have Bigelow Aerospace who has the capability to build and maintain orbiting hotels, then you have SpaceX with the ability to launch those systems (using Falcon 9 Heavy once it's online), then you have Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, XCOR, et al who will be able to get people to that location -- once they develop that capability beyond sub-orbit. There you have a fully private system providing a destination, resupply and transport capabilities. These next 10 years will be amazing times in our lives.

It seems to me that science and engineering are accomplishing more productive things than governments. Maybe it's time we put scientists and engineers in charge of things, instead of lawyers and bankers. At least then we'd be applying more logic and reason to any issues we face.

My Reply to Anonymous

2010-01-04T21:09:00.002-06:00

My reply to a comment on my "Money - What is it good for?" article. It was too big to post in the comments, so I decided to make it its own article. You'll have to go to the "Money" article to see the comments that were made, even though I've included the majority of them in the body of this post.
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Anonymous - I love getting comments from people who don't identify themselves, then attack what I've written. It shows a certain lack of conviction in your statements if you won't step up and identify yourself. Nevertheless, let's proceed.

1. "Brother, if you ain't bustin you own ass to take care of your own family then you must have the luxury of being financially independent."

You are wrong. Did you not read my profile just to the left of this article? I do work hard, every day, to support my family. I struggle with debt, bills and the basics of life just like everyone else, but I should not have too. No one should. If I was financially independent, do you think I'd advocate for the abolition of the Monetary System? That wouldn't make sense, would it?

2. 'freedom shortage'

Are you really free? I live in America too...again, it's on my profile...but am I free to peacefully go where I want, when I want? I would love to see the Grand Canyon, or go to Paris, but I am significantly limited by what I can AFFORD. We are slaves to money. Money holds far too many of us back from being worldly citizens of the Earth, from attaining the highest levels of education, and from being truly free.

3. "Dictators, warlords, elite class of Communism, Marxism does not allow the free distribution of foods to the masses..."

You are absolutely correct that dictators of the past have ruined, abused and destroyed what would otherwise be a perfectly fair and legitimate social construct. The problem has always been the people running the show, not the show itself. With today's technology, people can be removed from the loop, making it completely fair and just for all.

However, money is far worse. How, you may ask? First, I go back to my previous point, that money enslaves us. But let's also look at the fact that money is fake. It's made up out of thin air by governments, ESPECIALLY the United States, but when you borrow it, you are obligated to pay back not just the fake money that was shoved into the system, but also additional money in the form of interest. Where does that come from? And make sure you educate yourself on how the current monetary system works before you say something ill informed.

4. "I don't know what country you're from but America gives more than any other country in the world when it comes to humantarian need."

I'm in Houston...again, on the profile. Yes we do, and I have stated that time and again, but has it really helped? Seriously? With all the "money" we have, why the hell is there a single homeless or hungry person in this nation? It's simple: 's not profitable to build homes for free and provide proper conditions for everyone.

5. "I for one am not guilty because I work and provide for my family."

Nor should you be. We are all products of a system that raises us to do just that, be proper workers for the almighty dollar such that we can afford to live, and maybe have some fun. Some get lucky and acquire great wealth, sometimes for very little work. Some work hard all their life, busting their knuckles, but barely support their families and can't send their kids to college. How is that right?

The system is fundamentally flawed, and it has nothing to do with how hard you work, how much you donate, or how good your intentions are.

6. "You go on this rant about how making money is the problem... so what is the answer? you never told us..."

I'll cover that last, since it's the most important point.

7. "You brag about how great and how far we've come - what do you think got us there? The ability for a free man to own and sell his own production and surplus... using money... money is not a piece of paper - it only represents YOUR OWN LABOR and intellectual property - a God Given Right to utilize the property as you see fit..."

WRONG! What got us here were people like Isaac Newton, who developed advanced math and physics that enabled others to invent technologies to better humanity, all without the desire for monetary gain.

It was people like Galileo, who risked his life against persecution from the CHURCH for believing and proving the Earth rotated around the Sun. Such open minded people...the Church.

Name me any scientist or engineering visionary who became wealthy from their labor? No, it was other people who used those gifts for personal gain, off the backs of others, that have amassed the wealth of the world while screwing many others in the process.

I think our best God Given Right is our ability to want to help others, even without monetary gain. You've shown yourself to be a Church going man, so did God create money, or did man? What's more important, doing the right thing, or holding onto a Monetary System that separates people between the have's and the have not's? We give of ourselves all the time. You yourself mentioned the effort you put into helping others. Why? Do you need money to do that? In fact, you SPENT money to do that. A line in the Lord's Prayer sums this up quite nicely: Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven. Why are we not striving to make Earth like heaven?

Do we need money to be nice and to do the right thing? I don't think so. Then why do we need money to live, when everything we need can be easily provided for through the proper global use of advanced technology? If you are willing to give to help someone in need, then why can't we use a system that is automatically designed to help everyone live comfortably without stress, strain or anguish?

THE SOLUTION

Back on Monday the 21st of December I posted an article called "Time Must be Spared for Self Education." Here's the direct link:

At the end of that article are several links to videos that explain exactly what the problem is, in greater detail than a post ever would, and also gives the solution, also in greater detail than a post ever would. You really only need to watch the first video to get the point, but the other videos add greatly to the concept. The link is here:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3932487043163636261#

The challenge is up to you. Are you willing to spend some time watching the video to learn, or are you just content to rag on me in a blog and not take the time to look at the solution I've given you, the one you asked for? The ball is in your court, brother.

Money - What is it good for?

2010-01-04T11:14:00.002-06:00

I think it's time we did some serious thinking about how our world works, the motivations behind it, and why we find ourselves facing so many problems in a world that has plenty, but provides for so few.

Money has existed for at least over 5,000 years, but why? Have you ever stopped to think about why people used money? First, money as paper was created to stand in place of precious metals (gold and silver) as trading items. No more need to carry around heavy gold and silver coins. Just deposit those into a bank and get paper of equal value.

So then why did people need money? It boils down to one simple truth: people needed money to buy things that they could not make or build themselves. Scarcity of resources required a system to be developed to trade those scarce resources. If you had something I needed, but could not get, and I had something you needed, but could not get, the legal way to transact between us would be physically trading items (bartering) or using money. The more "rare" the commodity, the more "value" it had, and eventually money won out over bartering, allowing you to get something you wanted or needed even if you didn't have something viable to trade for.

That makes complete sense in a world where traveling 100 miles was a serious challenge on foot or by horseback. The ability to go get something for yourself, or have it transported with ease, was simply not possible 5,000 years ago. Hell, it wasn't very easy just 200 years ago.

But now we find ourselves living in a world that has been completely transformed due to technological innovation, a lot of which is a direct result of space exploration and development over the past 50 years. Global communication is literally in the palm of your hands, goods are transported routinely every day around the globe with ease, and advances in science and technology give us the ability to create sustainable systems that can provide an abundance of everyday living necessities for the entire world. All this thanks to technology.

Moreover, money today isn't even backed by any tangible object. This is called fiat money. Fiat money is money whose value is not derived from any intrinsic value or guarantee that it can be converted into a valuable commodity (such as gold). In other words, it's just made up out of thin air by governments, and the governments "say" it has value. What kind of system is that?

So then we move to the next most logical step, what is money good for in today's world? Think about it. We have the technology to mass produce food in any location around the world, even the driest deserts (it's called hydroponics). We have the technology to mass produce homes, better ones not made of wood, but made of composite materials that would be so energy efficient it would make your head spin. We have the ability to mass produce clothing and we have the technological ability to transport any and all of this throughout the world in under 24 hours. There is NO MORE scarcity, at all, in the world we live in today. And anyone who says that we have a food shortage, a water shortage, or any shortage of anything is absolutely ignorant and/or lying! Period. So what stops us from doing the logical, humane thing? MONEY!

What used to be a necessary item during a time of scarcity and technological deficiency is now they very reason why people starve around the world, don't have clothes and don't have shelter. Money is now the end-all, be-all of existence. "He" who has the most toys wins. "He" who has the nicest car, biggest house and fattest bank account wins. And if you can't make a profit on it, don't do it. It is simply not profitable to be humane. It requires donations!

So what is more important, money or humanity? I bet most of you instantly thought humanity, because in your heart you know this to be true, but we sure don't act that way, do we? With all the technology we have in the world, and all the abundance we can create, sustain and provide, why do we cling to a system that causes us such stress, anxiety, depression and destruction? How many of you have struggled under the thumb of money? In today's economy, it's probably even more apparent that money is a fickle beast.

Why do we live in a world of such capability, but also such poverty, disease and turmoil? The monetary economic system is an outdated, old world method that needs to be put to rest. There are alternatives to a monetary based system, and there are many more people living in this world without money than there are of those who want to hold onto theirs. Are we going to let the greed of such an insignificant few drive the direction of the entire planet, a direction which is obviously flawed and broken?

Throughout history mankind has developed new and better systems to live under, and now is no different than then. We are fortunate to live in such an age where anything is possible, such as traveling into space, which would have made us Gods just 2,000 years ago. People are fearful of such drastic change, but in light of the obvious truth, how can anyone sit by and continue to let the mess continue?

Consider this: There are children in this world, maybe even in your own city or town, that will grow up to be criminals, not because they are evil, but because they are poor, hungry and distraught. They are products of a system that cares less about them, because it's not profitable to do so. There are children in this world who will die from disease or starvation, and they don't have too, but it is not profitable to help them. There are children in this world that have the minds of geniuses, who would have the ability to solve mankind's greatest problems, but they will never become great, never become visionaries and never harness that potential, because it's not profitable to educate them.

So what's more important, money...or them?

Moon Holes

2010-01-01T22:17:00.000-06:00

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/091231-moon-hole-lava-tube.html

I can't help but wonder why we've not sent a satellite with ground penetrating radar to the Moon in an effort to see if there are tunnels under the surface that were created by lava tubes, or whatever else.

The trip is short, the mission simple, and the data would be collected quickly. I haven't found a mission like this for the Moon in the history, unless I simply missed something. I think it would be a good idea to see what nature can provide us, because that would save a LOT of digging and manufacturing time.

Russia to attack Apophis?

2010-01-01T21:52:00.001-06:00

http://www.space.com/news/091230-russia-asteroid-apophis.html

Man, this is a time when I wish you could update a book you've written to cover new events. In my book, Turning Point, I talk about Apophis and its 1-in-45,000 chance of hitting the Earth. Of course, soon after I finalize and publish the book, new data comes out making it a 1-in-250,000 chance.

Such is the nature of science and proper data collecting. I'm okay with that. My point is still valid in that we need to make sure we seriously study and come up with legitimate solutions to save our bacon if we spot an asteroid heading for us, when the odds are 1-in-1.

With this in mind, I like what Russia is doing by planning a mission to nudge the orbit of Apophis, or at least test options, despite its ever growing odds of hitting us. Could they make the situation worse if they nudge it the wrong way, sure, but I doubt very seriously they'd be going into this half-cocked and without having all their ducks in a row. Additionally, they've already mentioned that they will invite the United States and other nations to join in the mission. Good. This only helps ensure proper mission planning.

However, leave it the the USA to be slightly arrogant about the idea and thump their chest about the risk of visiting Apophis. That's slightly depressing. I see it this way, if nothing else, we can get some seriously good data from a direct visit and test. Again, I'm giving the benefit of the doubt that everything will be planned properly.

And as the Russian Official said at the end of the article...

"People's lives are at stake. We should pay several hundred million dollars and design a system that would prevent a collision, rather than sit and wait for it to happen and kill hundreds of thousands of people," Perminov said, according to RIA Novosti.

People Just Don't Think Before They Speak

2009-12-23T08:57:00.003-06:00

Sometimes, I get into debates with really stupid people. I hate to say that. I don't like calling anyone stupid, but stupid is as stupid does. They are probably nice people, but God do they say stupid things without thinking. That drives me nuts. This reminds me of what I said about Nancy Pelosi's dumb statement about human spaceflight, but that's not what this rant is about. :)

I've stumbled upon a really interesting group called The Venus Project. This ties into Monday's posting. Of course, any time you come up with something this different, this radical, and this detrimental to the status quo, you'll definitely find detractors and people who have nothing serious to contribute, so they say stupid things. Case in point, a discussion between a guy I will simply call "Him" and me. It started off because he hates the architecture depicted in the animations:

Him: Wow...how to make life completely sterile and lifeless...
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Me: Your comments are indicative of the current symptoms of the problem we have today. You've been conditioned to think that having completely unique and special places of living, even at the expense of efficiency, is the best method. Nothing can be farther from the truth. Certain methods and structures are scientifically better than others, period, regardless of how much you may like Victorian architecture, or Gothic structures. A change in thinking is required.
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Him: The only way? This sounds a lot like the Christianity movement. The overall intent is good but is selfish and based on very limited knowledge of technology and our WORLD. The problems of today are a result of greed, ignorance, and lack of good education/leaders.
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Me: No, it's all based on the Scientific Method, and every bit of technology spoken of is completely available right now, today. I think you don't know enough about current technology to make that statement, else you would not have made it at all. Greed, ignorance, lack of education and more ALL revolve around a broken Monetary Economic System that promote scarcity and division. Eradicate that, and all can prosper.
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Him: Personally I don't care to live inside a cold machine...And I'm positive there are a lot of people who would agree. Hell, one could say technology is a result of greed and the scientific method. We don't need these things to survive. People are afraid to die and think it will somehow save them. But all is not lost, it will balance out.
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Me: Tesla developed a crap load of things, furthering technology significantly, and died broke. He's the true inventor of the radio, but was not a money grubbing profiteer. Einstein, Newton, and many other major scientists didn't become millionaires off their work. People used their work to become millionaires. Scientists and Engineers love the pursuit of knowledge and truth, natural truth, not fictionally developed 'truth'.

Yes, we do need technology to survive, to survive longer and live better. You don't need to be a genius to know that human life expectancy is twice as long now than just 100 yrs ago. Science made that possible. I refuse to revert back to caves.
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Him: Yes the scientific is method at the core as well... However the scientific method is uncovering quite a bit about ourselves and our reality that will permanently change the way we perceive. Everything is coming to a critical point and it's all inclusive.

I am not against the movement, I am against seeing people put in little compartments stacked on top of one another...the entire building is symbolic of the monetary system...There is plenty of room for everyone on floor1.
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Me: Jacque definitively states many times that his models don't represent what will actually happen. People will design the city to be as "pretty and useful" as necessary. As for everyone living on the ground floor, that's retarded. You'd run out of usable land for farming and animal cultivation real fast if everyone took up a parcel of land. Hell, the whole world can't sustain that anyway.

6 billion+ people even taking up just 1 acre a piece would consume 6 billion+ acres for living. 1 acre is roughly 4 square km. So now we're looking at 24 billion square km needed for this. Even if you averaged 4 people per plot of land, you're back to 6 billion square km. The entire known land area of the entire world (including Antarctica) is 148.9 million square km. And this includes coastlines, inland bodies of water, like lakes, rivers, etc.

Sorry friend, it's impossible once you apply...I don't know...MATH! Do some research before you speak, it might serve you well.
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That's it for now. No idea what he'll come back with, but I love it when math and proper logic trumps flippant statements that are completely B.S. :)

Time Must Be Spared For Self Education

2009-12-21T21:48:00.004-06:00

One of the most important things a person can do is to find the time to educate themselves. Self learning is what separates us from a lizard, goat or most other creatures.

Usually I stick to matters of space, science, technology and the like on this blog. For the first time in a while, I am straying from this general topic genre to focus on something just as significantly important, if not more so.

Below are several links to videos, and every single one of them should be watched by you. Additionally they should be watched by your friends, family, loved ones, EVERYONE!

It is important that as you go though these, you do NOT try to accept, deny or argue every point made as it's being delivered. This is a lesson in patience for overall understanding. I myself do not subscribe to every notion presented, but the overall message rings loud and clear, and that is what's important.

I hope you make the time, find the time, manufacture the time to watch these videos and see just how important self education is. The more people understand how the system is flawed, and understand the very probable and realistic solutions to resolve many of our issues, the sooner we can begin the serious move to making life infinitely better for every man, woman and child on this planet. Especially the children.

It is much easier for you to simply watch these videos with an open mind, than to give cursory explanations of what each video entails. In the end, I hope this has the same impact on you that it had on me.
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The Zeitgeist Movement (Basically the Philosophy & Reasons Behind the Movement):

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3932487043163636261#
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Peter Joseph "Where are we now?":

http://vimeo.com/6346955
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Peter Joseph "Where are we going?" Part 1:

http://vimeo.com/7857584
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Peter Joseph "Where are we going?" Part 2:

http://vimeo.com/7938805
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Jacque Fresco of The Venus Project (Part 1):

http://vimeo.com/7866864
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Jacque Fresco of The Venus Project (Part 2):

http://vimeo.com/7979712

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Zeitgeist Movie Website, including the original film from 2007 and the Addendum from 2008. Both help give greater detail if you wish. They aren't necessarily required, as the Orientation Video covers most things on a base level, but these are recommended and very revealing and informative if you want greater detail.

http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/

Obama's Preliminary Decision on Human Spaceflight?

2009-12-18T09:01:00.003-06:00

http://blogs.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2009/12/exclusiveobama.html

Once again, far too many statements with respect to NASA are about maintaining jobs and not producing viable products. This is why government space will fail in taking humanity to the next level of space exploration. NASA is now a jobs program, NOT a Research and Development branch of the government for the purpose of space exploration and development.

Is it nice that Obama is considering boosting the NASA budget by a billion, focusing on Heavy Lift, and killing Ares 1 in favor of using NewSpace companies to accomplish the tasks Ares would have done? Yes. But when you have entrenched politicians who only care about keeping jobs in their districts where NASA centers are located, you completely lose sight of the real purpose of NASA. Sometimes, as a viable company would, you trim the fat or relocate your staff to be better utilized. That's just how it is, if you're a private company. NASA is so bogged down by political nonsense that they can't get out of their own way, and it's not their fault really.

I wish this was considered when NASA was being put together, but alas, NASA was a whirlwind creation with the Moon as the prize. I don't think anyone involved in the process saw the detrimental affects of spreading the organization throughout the nation based upon Congressional fancy. Nor would they have foreseen how such a structure and its governance would end up being the cause for its stagnation.

It would be nice, for once, if a President would step up and publicly tell Congress to shut up, that we're going to do what's right for the nation as a whole, and not just your district. That people can move to find new and better jobs if necessary, and although that's not ideal for those people and families, it's better than cutting things completely. For once, I'd like a President with the balls to put Congress in their place and set the stage for the greater good. I am getting sick of the selfish nature of individual politicians who care less about the big picture and are solely focused on their next election. Aren't you?

However, I still find this to be a half-assed move. Obama has yet to address one of the key aspects of the future of human spaceflight, which is fostering the growth of the Commercial Space Industry, not just placating it. What we need are moves like creating tax incentives to start space based companies, increased funding for space based university research, and the restructure of ITAR to get back to missiles, bombs and guns, and get out of peaceful commercial space. Hell, the last one doesn't require a dime to accomplish, but would result in huge economic boons to our nation.

As I said last night during the SpaceVidCast show, WE are the ones who need to get into positions of power, or elect people who share our vision of the future, if we're ever going to make the kind of moves necessary to make our dreams a reality.

Obama Meets with Bolden (and Pelosi is a Bonehead)

2009-12-17T09:03:00.004-06:00

http://www.spacepolitics.com/2009/12/17/bolden-and-obama-and-pelosi-too/

Much ado about nothing really. There were no real announcements as it happened later in the day, so there was no real contribution to the press briefing. So they met, which I guess could be considered a good thing, but I want to touch on what Pelosi said.

Nancy Pelosi is an idiot. Oh, I'm sorry, was that not politically correct? Too bad. Stupid is as stupid does, or as stupid says. As the above article quotes her, “I have not been a big fan of manned expeditions to outer space, in terms of safety and cost.” This woman has absolutely NO fraggin' clue what space means to the advancement to humanity. She only cares about the advancement of herself.

She's happy to spend billions on a socialized medical system, which throughout history has been shown to be a huge mistake for the future condition of the people it's supposed to help, which in and of itself incurs major cost and safety risk, but she's willing to cast aside human space exploration using the excuse of cost and safety. What a hypocrite.

Without human exploration of space, we would not have achieved MANY of the major technological advancements that help people every day. Many medical advancements are a direct result of human space exploration, including medical systems, technologies and even biological analysis. The lessons learned from putting people in space directly affects how we diagnose and treat people here on Earth, and this moron Senator doesn't have the foggiest clue, nor do I think she cares about that fact.

It's FACT! Not trumped up B.S. It's FACT! For the life of me, I cannot fathom why the people of California constantly elect such a myopic dolt, unless many of them truly share the same perspective. If that's the case, I do hope California falls into the ocean. It's obvious she doesn't have any significant care for the future of this country, unless that future means more power for her, her party and government in general.

Nancy Pelosi, you're a bonehead. You don't have a clue, you never have and I venture to say that you never will. Fortunately you have not managed to take away free speech (yet), so I proudly sit here and say this, and I'd gladly say it right to your face. Human space exploration is not only beneficial, but necessary for the survival of the human race.

Space can solve many of the key issues we're facing today, such as the economy, employment, education, environment, energy, international relations and more!

It's about time "We the People" start to put people in Washington D.C. who understand this fact and look to make America a space faring nation.

It's about time "We the People" push and demand that our growth is not based on banking, investments and "invisible money" bubbles that can/will pop, but that it's based on solid production, true advancement and sustainable growth.

It's about time that "We the People" strike now, strike often, and strike true with our message, our votes and our demands.

It's about time that "We the People" start acting like "We the People" and do what is right for the future our our children and generations to come.

Let's get it done!

The Flyers Among Us

2009-12-16T11:48:00.002-06:00

The Flyers Among Us from Stanley Von Medvey on Vimeo.

This was far too good NOT to post on my blog. Great message and great graphics! Well done and very true!

The Revolution is Coming -- Try and Stop It

2009-12-14T11:36:00.002-06:00

The revolution is coming, the NewSpace Revolution. Last week marked the unveiling of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, the newest craft designed for the sole purpose of commercial space. Now, there are those who will argue that Virgin Galactic is not going to space, because by their definition, if it doesn't orbit the planet, it's not real space travel.

I think some would disagree, like the World Air Sports Federation (FAI), which sets the altitude at a simple and fixed 100km. You break that altitude, then you're in space. NASA has adopted this fixed altitude as well, and no where in the definition does it say how long you have to be up there, or whether or not orbiting makes the point more valid. Suffice to say, many of the people complaining are also the same ones who are against the commercial development of space. No surprise.

And now we come to today, when SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies) has announced that not only is it conducting training with bonafide astronauts on its Dragon system, which is their capsule craft designed to rendezvous with the ISS and any other orbiting platform, but that it plans to be up and running to support crew shifts for the ISS between May and November of 2010.

Notice I said up and running, not developing and testing. With Ares still undergoing good old fashioned NASA testing and development, which as we all know is a wonderfully streamlined and delay free process, SpaceX is stepping up to the plate with the full intent to knock the ball out of the park. Now, I can hear the bickering already, "Falcon 9 hasn't even launched. SpaceX is being pre-mature. This is a PR stunt. No way they'll be ready by then. Falcon 9 is much more complex than Falcon 1, and they screwed up Falcon 1 three times before it worked." Blah, blah, blah.

The core systems between Falcon 1 and 9 are the same. The trick, which is genuine, is to make sure all 9 engines run properly at the same time. The issues related to Falcon 1 all represent learning and growth in understanding of new systems. Last I checked, new rocket systems don't always perform perfectly the first time. What's unique here is that SpaceX achieved success in a very short time at a fraction of the cost when compared to government programs. That's the difference, achieving the same results at a lower cost, which is what commercial space provides us all.

Couple this with Masten Space Systems winning the Northrup Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge, Armadillo Aerospace coming in a close and respectable second in the same competition, and other NewSpace players making strides of their own, and it's becoming apparent that NewSpace is not a fleeting movement.

Do you hear that? That's the drum beat of revolution, and it will be a benefit to us all.