OK, here’s a challenge – think of five tasks you might build a robot to accomplish.

Done?

Right. I’ve got five British Pounds Sterling right here that says you didn’t include ‘giving promotional presentations about vinegar‘ in your list.

Ideal for the ecologically-minded person who’s always enjoyed Easy Rider but isn’t so keen on the loud noise and strong smells of a real hog, The Stealth is a totally electric-powered motorcycle for city use. You can use the money you’ll save through not having to pay for gasoline to pay for the hospital bills after you pull up next to a group of proper bikers …

I think it’s fair to assume that most of you who read Futurismic are interested in reading science fiction writing. So it’s not a great leap to conclude that a good percentage of you may be interested in reading writing about science fiction writing, too – and those people might want to check out the newly launched Scalpel Magazine, devoted to quality reviews and critical writing about genre fiction. The first batch of work includes an editorial from Pat Cadigan and an interview with Charlie Stross … and, best of all, absolutely nothing from Harriet Klausner.

Wouldn’t it be great if we had access to a cheap and clean source of energy that did no damage to the planet and provided no reasons for wars? It sure would – and Al Globus has an article over at Space.com that suggests a solution that will be more than familiar to the veteran science fiction reader: solar satellite power. Unusually for space advocacy, he’s using sound economic and sociological arguments – perhaps if enough of us start suggesting this sort of thing, it’ll actually happen some day.

Another day, another huge reversal of stated policy by the Uk government – maybe Tony’s resignation is having repercussions already. Whatever the cause, the news is that a new draft bill will allow scientists to create hybrid embryos for research purposes – that’s ‘hybrid’ as in ‘human and animal genetic matter combined’, by the way. They’ve stopped short of permitting the outright fertilisation of human eggs by animal sperm, but this is definite legislative progress toward a future where medical research is unrestrained by the knee-jerk objections of tabloid media consumers. w00t!