While it’s not quite ‘beam me up, Scott!’ fans of Star Trek and SF in general will find this article about using quantum dots, which allow for the identical signature of an atom to get sent somewhere else on the quick means teleportation. More of a breakthrough for communications (think Ursula K. LeGuin’s Ansible) and computing than in creating the Human Fly, but still pretty nifty.
Category Archives: Blog
Ten Politically Incorrect Truths
Psychology Today, in a transparent bid to stir up a little traffic, has published ten politically incorrect truths about human nature. For example: blondes do have more fun, most suicide bombers are Muslim, beautiful people have more daughters and men sexually harass women because they’re not sexist. [slashdot]
Bill Gibson interview
There’s a good in-depth interview with William Gibson on the College Crier website, where Gibson talks about the ideas and motivations that have informed his writing over the years.
The Real Bioweapons Threat Is Homegrown
In order to protect its citizens from terrorist bioweapons, the United States government has undertaken a massive expansion in bioweapons research. I recall articles several years back that worried this kind of crash program might not be in our long-term best interests. Although nothing catastrophic has happened yet, it seems the authors of those articles might have been on to something. There have been a whole series of accidents at labs in the last few years, including accidental infections or exposures to tularemia, brucellosis, Q fever, anthrax, Valley Fever and tuberculosis. [image by tedsblog]
Spacesuits designed for comfort
Via the latest Carnival of the Space Geeks hosted at Colony Worlds comes word of a new design of space suit, created by Louise Riofrio. Although, as Ms. Riofrio admits, it’s actually quite an old design, at least in principle; the suits given to the X-1 test pilots were based on the same theory of using mechanical counter-pressure as opposed to inflating the suit with air. Riofrio’s suits are allegedly lighter, safer and more comfortable than the ‘bubble suits’ currently in use … and they look a bit more stylish, too.