Hanging on the wall of the Aviation Museum near Robins AFB:
Jun 182011
Jun 182011
Organic beings that create energy weapons are a staple of comic books and Japanese animation. As it turns out, there may now be some slight justification for that.
Living, biological raygun produced in lab
Glowing mammal-jellyfish chimera-blob emits laser beam
In short, scientists managed to turn cells that fluoresce into tiny little laser generators by putting them into tubes with mirrored ends. The power levels were not given, but I imagine they were real, real low.
Just offhand the idea sounds pointless. But the article does have one astonishingly useful idea:
“One of our long-term goals will be finding ways to bring optical communications and computing, currently done with inanimate electronic devices, into the realm of biotechnology,” explains the scientist. “That could be particularly useful in projects requiring the interfacing of electronics with biological organisms.”
What this could mean is hooking electronics directly into nervous systems. This would be especially useful for running cybernetic limbs for amputees. If the system can be made to work in reverse so that a pule of light from an optical fiber casues a cell to react, then artificial nervous systems could be built. Not only could an amputee run a robotic hand… he could *feel* the robotic hand. And potentially, a severed spine could be “bridged” with an optical system. It would be clumsy and probably slow compared to a functional spine, but it just might work.
Jun 172011
Iran successfully launches satellite into orbit
Oh, goody. I, for one, don’t want to go to bed under the light of a Shariah moon.
Jun 172011
Jun 172011
Japan scientist synthesizes meat from human feces
The technology and science described sounds – at least to me – to be both credible and impressive. If it works on a large scale, it could of course solve a great many problems. Poop is, after all, simply “processed” former food; un-processing it is simply a matter of proper chemistry. But still… bleah.
I mean… bleah.
Jun 162011
On occasion all three of ’em can get along well enough to coexist in a confined space. Doesn’t last for long, though… Buttons will start a fight, or Fingers will put her moves on Raedthinn, and the pile flies apart.
Jun 162011
From this presentation comes an image (probably scanned from amagazine of the early 1960’s) showing a Thiokol concept for using a 260″ diameter solid rocket motor as the first stage of either a space launch vehicle or an ICBM. As a space launcher, it’s nothing special… 90,000 pounds into orbit. But as an ICBM with a range of 8000 nautical miles, the payload is an impressive 110,000 pounds. Which means either one truly hugenormous warhead, or a whole bunch of little ones. Like… a *hundred* little ones.
Jun 162011
French village seen at threat from Apocalypse sects
The tiny southern French hamlet of Bugarach has drawn scrutiny from a government sect watchdog over droves of visitors who believe it is the only place in the world that will survive a 2012 Apocalypse.
Jun 162011
I can see this going so very, very wrong so very, very quickly. But if the bike has a sufficiently adequate computer controll and stabilization system, I can see this working fairly well… and being the absolutely coolest thing EVAR.
Jun 162011
Through the weekend, I’m running a sale on the Miranda/Mercado “Reichdreams Dossier” series. Buy in groups of seven, and save 33%!
RD’s 1 through 7 would be $68.00 to download individually. Buy them together for only $45.33!
RD’s 8 through 14 would be $102.50 to download individually. Buy them together for only $68.33!
RD’s 15 through 21 would be $105.50 to download individually. Buy them together for only $70.33!
Sale has ended.