Tag Archives: science fiction

“Proof” of Time Travel!

18 Monday Apr 2016

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1,500-Year-Old Mummy Appears To Be Wearing Adidas Trainers

Time for conspiracy theorists to have a field day:

Adidas on a mummy

Photo credit: Fresh to death. Khovd Museum


That’s right, folks, a mummy wearing Adidas!

You don’t have to be a writer to come up with a half-baked plot for this one. Was someone sent back in time and can’t get back? Is this a call for help? Was sending them back an accident in the first place…or nefariously planned?! The mystery remains locked…in the past! /sosorryforthegodawfulteaserline

Seriously though, all this is proof of is that these guys were really good craftsmen.

The mummified remains were found 2,803 meters (9,196 feet) up in Mongolia’s Altai Mountains. The mummy, thought to be a native Turkic female, is estimated to be over 1,500 years old. Its discovery was prompted after local herdsmen stumbled across the grave and alerted the Khovd Museum.

Score one for history, here’s a nice little time-locked piece of history. They found other artifacts in the tomb as well, offering insight into the people of that time. You can see and read more here.

Well readers, can you come up with some crazy/hilarious/hokey plot-lines for an Adidas-clad time-traveler? Share in the comments!

Microrobots, Bugs, and Cars

14 Monday Mar 2016

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What do you get when you create bug-inspired microrobots? Six tiny “MicroTugs” that can move car all by themselves. Check it out:

Now, I’m not much of a bug person, but that’s impressive. Each MicroTug weighs only 100 grams. The car weighs 1800kg. These little machines can move 100x body weight up a wall, or 2000x body weight along the ground. Wow.

Want more? I found their website: Biomimetics and Dexterous Manipulation Lab!
They have this little guy too:

gecko robot

Credit: straight off the website linked above

For all the “I don’t want to live on this planet anymore” moments, there are cool things like this to give us a little hope. …Or at least keep us entertained.

Why We Should Build a Deathstar

01 Monday Feb 2016

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Death Star

I was having trouble blogging, so my fiance helped me. This is the result. Why should we build a Death Star? Here are his thoughts… (Okay yeah, mixed with mine.)

1. Economic benefits
Building a Death Star would be a massive capital project, causing multi-national economic stimulus. Such a construction project would require huge numbers of people and resources, generating jobs and all those other good things.

2. Unified Purpose
Building a Death Star would require a large scale coalition dedicated towards a common goal, helping to alleviate regional struggles and conflicts. If we really want to finish our Death Star, we can’t be stirring trouble up with our neighbors.

3. Technological Innovation
Building a Death Star would provide high pressure motivation to develop and test real-world, practical technologies. Obviously we don’t yet know how to build things in space or create planet-destroying lasers. We’d have to work on it. And think of all the other cool things we’d learn in the process.

4. Alternative Mining Methods
Building a Death Star would require massive amounts of resources. We would have to start mining meteors and other small scale celestial bodies. Note that developing the technology and doing so would likely reduce mining on earth, preventing further damage to our own planet caused by such activities. And who know what other industries we might relocate beyond our planet’s surface once the technology arises.

5. Life Boat
If things go bad on Planet Earth, we can abandon ship and hop on our Death Star. Theoretically, we’d have also developed space travel a little by then, and we could salvage a large portion of the planet’s population.

6. Asteroid Shield
There’s nothing like a gigantic laser to destroy asteroids before they can hit Earth.

Despicable Me minions laser

7. Deterrent Against Potentially Hostile Alien Life
Who wants to screw with a Death Star?

8. Defense Against Less Intelligent Hostile Alien Life
Shouldn’t have screwed with the Death Star. Aliens go bye-bye.

Now, of course there are also reasons why building a Death Star might be bad (after all, we never abuse any technologies we invent), but that’s a story for another blog.

What do you think, readers? Are these good reasons to build a Death Star? (You know it would be awesome.)

Mutant Mountain Lion

07 Thursday Jan 2016

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So this is a little disturbing:

Photo credit: Idaho Fish and Game mutant cougar

An anonymous hunter shot the above cougar in Idaho. And it evidently has… horns? teeth? growing out of its head.

The hunter didn’t know it, but he stumbled across the machinations of an evil scientist creating an army of mutant animals! Maybe. …Okay, probably not.

Still, it’s a little disconcerting. IFLS has more details, but in short, no one knows what exactly is up with this twisted kitty.

Here are the theories:
“Firstly, it could be that it has a teratoma. This is a rare type of tumor that spawns a grotesque growth capable of containing hair, bone, teeth, and even parts of limbs or organs. These tumors are incredibly rare in humans, although there have been a few isolated examples in the animal kingdom among dogs, horses, and other mammals.

Second, it could be the remnants of a “conjoined twin” that possibly died in the womb and was absorbed by the mountain lion.

Lastly, it could be the result of an injury to the cougar’s teeth or jaw, which healed in an unfortunate way. Zach Lockyer, a local wildlife biologist, told Idaho State Journal that this is perhaps the least likely of the possibilities as the image doesn’t appear to show any injury or trauma around the jaw.”

So readers, what do you think caused it? Teratoma, conjoined twin, trauma, or evil scientist?

Wound-Be-Gone

14 Monday Dec 2015

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Military Wound-Dressing Device Approved For Civil Use

Medical advances are always exciting, whether it’s soothing a minor ill or taking a step towards curing a major disease. We all want to feel better and live longer. And this one is pretty cool.

The XSTAT Rapid Hemostasis System is a wound-dressing device that can be used to save a victim in an emergency. The device releases sponges that expand in a wound and help stop bleeding – very useful for gunshot victims. The device was designed for the battlefield, but there are plenty of first-aid applications in the civilian world too. This device can buy a victim the most precious commodity in an emergency – time. Time to get somewhere where there is proper medical treatment. After all, first-aid only goes so far.

XSTAT:
Non-absorbable, expandable, hemostatic sponge for temporary internal use.

So okay, it’s not really Wound-Be-Gone, but since magic doesn’t exist outside fiction and science hasn’t yet achieved the wonders of science fiction, it’s a step in the right direction.

And it’ll still save lives along the way.

Diabetes Pills vs LAZERZ

30 Monday Nov 2015

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Leave it to humanity to have two opposing news articles on the same day: one to help humanity live longer, and the other, shorter. Licensed Diabetes Drug Could Dramatically Increase Human Life Span and China Unveils New Laser Weapon On State Television.

Both are actually kinda cool. The drug is one that’s actually already on the market, albeit only for treating diabetes. But this means that they’re already doing human trials. Who knows, in ten years, maybe this drug will be on the open market for the general public. The drug is supposed to combat degeneration in the body from natural age as well as some diseases. And that’s awesome.

Tests on animals have also pointed out that the drug extends their lifespan and keeps the whole body healthier.

And then, of course, there are the lasers. Are we happy that China has them? Debatable. But don’t worry, the US has them too. It doesn’t look just like Star Wars, but it’s all still pretty cool.

Here’s a video of a laser weapons system working:

Long story short, we’re edging towards the day when you’ll live forever if you’re not killed (by lasers).

But who am I to talk? I just had lasers used on me to fix my eyes. Big shout out to Vivid Laser Centre!

Vegetal Overlords Arise

23 Monday Nov 2015

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I seem to recall writing about super-plants taking over the world once before…oh yes, I For One Welcome Our Vegetal Overlords.

So you know, we are bringing our vegetal overlords into being: Scientists Develop World’s First Cyber Plant.

The scientists on this project say:

This technology could allow scientists to regulate growth and chemical processes in plants, as well as harness photosynthesis to create new solar cells.

Oh course, it could also help our vegetal overlords reach new heights. Cyborg humans? Boring. Thing of the past. Cyborg plants? Plague of the future.

Seriously though, the article is cool and you should read it. The possibilities are vast, from learning more about plants and how they work, to turning plants into digital displays.

What do you think, readers? Seriously cool, or seriously another step towards the apocalypse? What’s next in the rise of our vegetal overlords?

What Ray Guns And Cats Have In Common

20 Monday Jul 2015

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IFLS just did an article on some new, science fiction-y technology headed out way. Some scientists have invented a “small handheld ultrasonic emitter that accelerates tissue repair…healing times could be reduced by 30%. This both increases comfort for the patient and shortens how long the wound is susceptible to infection.”

ray gun healing medical technology

Probably not what it looks like.

This is way cool. IFLS compares the invention to Star Trek’s medical ray gun, although of course that instrument provides instantaneous healing (methinks we’re a ways off from that yet). Essentially, this device reinvigorates cells and “jump starts” the healing process. As the article explains, “[t]he ultrasound device works by inducing nano-vibrations in the membranes and surrounding environments of skin cells.” The scientists are very optimistic about various uses for ultrasound technology in the future.

There was an interesting tie-in when IFLS asked (and partially answered) Why Do Cats Purr?

“Vibrations in the body have been shown to promote healing.

This raises the fascinating possibility that purring is actually a way for cats to heal themselves. While ultrasound has been shown to accelerate skin healing, and high frequency vibration training increases muscle power, some suggest that a cat’s purring can help to increase its bone density. This would fit the idea that athletes have denser bones on average as a result of vibrations when their feet hit the floor during exercise.

With such sedentary life styles, it might actually make sense that cats would need to increase healing and bone density while effectively lounging around for most of the day. It would also explain why cats purr when sick or injured.”

So it looks like cats are one step ahead of us. Also, apparently purring is a superpower. It would certainly be an interesting superpower. Someone needs to write this superpower into a book! Wait! I know a writer!

And, just because, here’s a nine hour video of a cat purring:

For your health! You’re welcome.

One Step Closer To The Jetsons

13 Monday Jul 2015

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First, I’ll have to admit that I didn’t watch much of the Jetsons. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I didn’t like it, or didn’t want to, I just never had much opportunity. My family didn’t have TV when I was growing up (by choice), and when I did watch TV, it was usually Xena or something my sister watched (like Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

Still, what I remember are bright colors and lots and lots of flying cars. In fact, everything seemed to be robotocized and flying in that show. That was why, when I saw this IFLS article, I immediately thought, “It’s just like the Jetsons!”

Jetson's future drones flying cars

Anyways. This is a ways away from flying cars, but it’s still pretty cool:

Switzerland Could be Receiving Post by Drone

So apparently Switzerland is cooler than we are. I mean, yeah, we have a lot more area to cover, which poses logistical issues, but this puts them WAY ahead of us. Our mail system is SAD.

So kudos, Switzerland. You’re rockin’ it.

World-Ending Lasers On The Horizon

08 Monday Jun 2015

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We Could Have Lasers More Powerful Than Exploding Stars In Just 5 Years (IFLS)

Scientists have been playing with lasers again. They’ve figured out how to create matter/antimatter collisions, which sparks bursts of gamma rays.

Yes, you read me right: gamma rays.

Gamma ray bursts are a powerful explosion of energy that are emitted from extremely massive, energetic stellar objects, like black holes or exploding stars.

Hasn’t anyone seen the Hulk? You know, big, green, angry, and unstoppable?

But it gets better.

Perplexingly, no one knows which mechanisms are responsible for GRBs

So we can create these gamma ray bursts, but we don’t know why what we’re doing causes them.

Sounds perfectly safe.

Now, don’t get me wrong, lasers are awesome. I love lasers as much as the next sci-fi fan. But this sounds… unsafe. Since we’re playing with energies in the leagues of “black holes and exploding stars,” maybe we should conduct these studies, you know, off-planet? Or in another galaxy altogether? Just saying.

Then again…

If we don’t pursue science, how will we ever get sharks with lasers on their heads?