Category: News

Skylon: The Future of Commercial Aerospace Flight?

skylonBehold the Skylon! The Mach 5 hypersonic aerospace ship that is the future of commercial flight. Well, that’s the hope anyway, and if a British company known as Reaction Engines Limited get’s its way, it very well could be…

For some time now, hypersonic commercial flight has been batted around as an idea. And with billionaire Richard Branson promising commercial space flight to the world, it seemed like only a matter of time before aerospace flights became the norm. As it turns out, we may be closer than anyone previously thought, thanks to a heralded breakthrough by Reaction Engines.

In a recent statement, the British company claimed they have made “the biggest breakthrough in aerospace propulsion technology since the invention of the jet engine.” In the past, hypersonic flight has been hampered by the problem of propulsion, since at speeds beyond Mach 2, a jet engine has trouble getting the oxygen needed for combustion. Attempts to remedy this have already been made, such as with the SR-71 Blackbird which managed to reach speeds in excess of Mach 3. But for high-altitude and aerospace craft, where Mach 5 and above are essential, the problem remains, as does the issue of the amount of heat generated.

Reaction Engines claims it has solved the problem with a design that could allow a vehicle to take off, reach orbit using a combination of an air-breathing engine and rocket, then return to Earth. The secret is cooling the air as it enters the hypersonic SABRE engine. The air-breathing engine will accelerate a vehicle to about Mach 5.5, according to the company, after which a liquid oxygen tank will supply a rocket engine for the portion of the flight in space. But unlike current space vehicles, there will only be one stage involved for the entire flight thanks to the boost from the SABRE design.

In the same press release, RE claims the “pre-cooler technology is designed to cool the incoming airstream from over 1,000 Celsius to minus 150 Celsius in less than 1/100th of a second, without blocking with frost.” The company further claims to have conducting 100 test runs of the new engine’s cooling system and believes they can begin production of a prototype by 2015. The European Space Agency also says it has evaluated the design and is in negotiations to support further development.

To put it in terms every jetsetter and international traveler can understand, their proposed aerospace craft – known as the Skylon – will allow a passenger to enjoy breakfast in New York City and then lunch in Tokyo. And with a few years and plenty of investment, not just from the ESA, but NASA and the RSA as well, Skylons could be ferrying people all over the world in a matter of hours.

Source: Wired.com

Curiosity Rover’s First X-Ray Analysis of Martian Soil

Curiosity_cheminanalysisA bit of retro news from the Curiosity front here. Roughly one month ago, before the big announcement about “earthshaking news” was made, there was some other news regarding Curiosity’s ongoing soil analyses. And given all the attention that was dedicated to the possibility of organic molecules, this is one news story that might have been overlooked.

Put simply, Curiosity performed tests that were previously impossible on Mars, using an x-ray scanner that was roughly the size of shoebox in order to conduct detailed analyses of Martian soil. The purpose, of course, was to determine what kinds of minerals it contains and how its soils first came into being.

The device in question, called CheMin, takes a sample of sand – just a thimbleful – and shakes it 2,000 times a second, all the while bombarding it with x-rays. The rays then penetrate the grains, and the way in which they diffract can tell scientists about their constituent atoms. The results are then scanned to see just what kind of mineral composition it has (take a look up top to see the results rendered in stunning technicolor!)

Up until now, this technique has been impossible simply because the equipment needed to carry out such operations were far too large and clunky to fit on a rover. But thanks to NASA engineers, the device in question was shrunk down exponentially in size and even boasts improved electronics, ensuring it is both portable and energy-efficient.

As a result, the Curiosity rover has made some very interesting discoveries. For starters, Curiosity has determined that the soils in the area are extremely similar to those found around the Mauna Kea shield volcano in Hawaii. In fact, it’s identified crystalline feldspar, pyroxenes, and olivine – all of which are common to the soil here on Earth.

Yes, not exactly earthshaking news is it? But it’s interesting nonetheless, and let’s us know once again that Mars and Earth have plenty in common.

Source: Wired.com

NaNoWriMo 2012: A Requiem

tome-of-undeadNovember is finally coming to an end and December is now upon us, which means the following things. It’s time to get the snow gear out, people who have grown mustaches for Movember can finally shave, and NaNoWriMo is officially over. For those who took part in it this year, my congratulations. For those who finished on time, my profound congratulations and respect. As for me, I started, stopped, and then started again. It seems this November I had a bout of temperamental inspiration which led to a weird outcome.

Originally, I wasn’t going to participate, seeing as how I had just finished work on my zombie apocalypse story known as Whiskey Delta. That took me at least a week into the month of November and I kind of felt burnt. Yet at the same time, I was rearing to go on production of the sequel and even got some encouragement to do so. Didn’t seem like a good time to take on another writing assignment. But then I was struck by an idea about the lives of future people who lived in an Arcology, a concept I’d been wanting to tackle for some time.

After coming up with a name – Etemenanki, the name of the Ziggarut that is believed to have inspired the Babel myth – I set to work. However, my passion soon faltered as I realized the idea was not well thought out, and the burden of having to write 2000 words a day sapped my inspiration further. I realized what I wanted to be writing was the sequel to Whiskey Delta – aka. Pappa Zulu – so I shut down Etemenanki and got to work on that instead.

But then I noticed that at NaNo website, you can easily change which story you’re working on by simply changing the title on your entry and resubmitting its basic data. Nowhere, except on the word count feature, does it keep track of the story itself. So I figured, what the hey? I changed the entry name to Pappa Zulu, and began submitting my chapter for it instead of chapters for Etemenanki, and the month of November proceeded. Granted, I lost a lot of time thanks to my starting and stopping, but at least I enjoyed it this way.

As of today, my final word count on Pappa Zulu is 27265 words in length, roughly half of what it needed to be to complete the challenge in time. Ah well, so sad. Better luck next year. By that time, I hope to have my act together on what I plan to write, to start on time, and not change my mind partway through. This is why they say not to change paddles in midstream, you know 😉

Ice and Organics Found on Another Planet!

mercury_messengerYes, the announcement from the Curiosity team yesterday that no organics have been found on Mars (yet) certainly came as a big disappointment. However, people may be interested to hear that organic molecules were discovered on a different planet in our Solar System, along with water and ice. Would you believe it, the planet is Mercury? Yes, the world famous for lakes of molten metal and extreme heat may actually boast the building blocks of life.

This information is the latest to come from NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft, which is now orbiting the closest planet to our Sun. It confirms what was postulated 20 years ago, after images were taken of the polar region and detected radar-bright materials which were beleived to be water and ice. And where water and ice occur, organic molecules are often sure to follow. Though Mercury boasts the hottest environment of any planet in the Solar System, the area in question lies within a permanent shadowed series of craters on the northern pole.

Scientists today said that Mercury could hold between 100 billion to 1 trillion tons of water ice at both poles, and the ice could be up to 20 meters deep in places. Additionally, intriguing dark material which covers the ice could hold other volatiles such as organics. Unfortunately, all of this water comes in the form of ice, as surface temperatures in the poles are too cold to allow for a thaw. In addition, the total lack of atmosphere on Mercury would mean that any liquid would evaporate and be sucked into space very quickly.

At a briefing which was held yesterday, Sean Solomon – MESSENGER Principal Investigator – has this to say about the news: “These findings reveal a very important chapter of the story of how water ice has been delivered to the inner planets by comets and water rich asteroids over time.” In short, it is believed that these ice deposits and organic molecules were delivered to the planet through a series of meteor impacts, and which have survived thanks to the existence of Mercury’s permanently shadowed polar regions.

Granted, no settlers are ever likely to be making a home on Mercury – not without some serious technological innovations! – but the discovery is a very interesting find and does help scientists to understand how life may have begun here on Earth. What’s more, this news may help Curiosity and other science teams to determine where and how organic molecules and ice could be found on Mars. The challenges there are similar to those on Mars, since she too is an inner planet that has virtually no atmosphere and a great deal of surface radiation, not to mention that she too would have been the recipient of water ice and organics through meteoric impacts.

So c’mon Mars! Show us what you got. You don’t want to be outdone by your Hermian cousin do ya?

“Earthshaking” News From Mars!

Curiosity-RocknestCancel the champagne! Turns out what we have here is a tentative conclusion made by some overzealous scientists. According to an update made earlier today, scientists working for NASA indicated that no organic molecules were found in the sample of Martian soil taken by Curiosity nine days ago. The news first appeared on NASA’s Twitter feed as follows:

“Everybody, chill. After careful analysis, there are no Martian organics in recent samples.”

This was followed shortly thereafter with:

“Why the wait? We’re moving at the speed of science. My team needed time to analyze the data.”

Uh, yeah. Because that’s what we were concerned with; the wait, not the getting of our hopes up! But last but not least, there some words of reassurance:

“Turn that frown upside down: We’re fewer than four months into a multi-year mission. We’ve only just begun!”

To be fair, this announcement doesn’t rule out the possibility of organic molecules on the Martian surface. It’s just that no organic molecules have been found yet. Unfortunately, having thought that they had detected some traces in their samples, Grotzinger conveyed the team’s excitement about the possibility of a discovery and triggered a bit of a media frenzy. Understandable, but frankly, I have a bit of a bone to pick with Grotzinger himself.

Dude, you had to know we’d all get excited and start hanging on your every update with baited breath. But in the end, we were like a bunch children on Christmas morning, desperately waiting to rip into our presents, only to find that Santa had stuck us with an IOU! Or worse, a note saying: “There are plenty more Christmas’s coming! Be happy!” Turn my frown upside down, Grotzinger? You owe me restitution!

Okay, now that I’m ranted out, I sincerely hope the mission meets with the results they are looking for soon. Granted, Curiosity still has many more years before her mission is complete, but I don’t think I can stand this kind of suspense! And frankly, I’d like to hear about some definitive proof that terraforming is possible on a planetary scale. Get on it, NASA! You got a planet to prep for colonization!

New Vaccine Could Wipe Out The Flu

For some time now, researchers and scientists have been trying to develop a way to immunize people against the common flu. Traditional vaccines are available, but for most people, the need to get a shot once a year seems like a bit of a bother. For others, potential side effects are reason enough not to get one, especially when getting one doesn’t guarantee they’ll stay healthy. However, that all may be coming to an end, thanks to research being conducted at the Friedrich-Loeffler Institute in Riems Island, Germany.

The key, apparently, is to use an RNA-based vaccine. Traditional vaccines work by teaching our immune systems to recognize a pair of key proteins, known as HA and NA, found on viruses. But those proteins constantly change due to mutation, and at a rate that requires that new vaccines be produced every year. However, the proposed new kind of vaccine would work by targeting the underlying RNA-driven processes that create the NA and HA proteins, regardless of their precise form.

According to an interview conduct by New Scientist with Lothar Stitz, “the mRNA that controls the production of HA and NA in a flu virus can be mass-produced in a few weeks. An injection of mRNA is picked up by immune cells, which translate it into protein… These proteins are then recognized by the body as foreign, generating an immune response. The immune system will then recognize the proteins if it encounters the virus subsequently, allowing it to fight off that strain of flu.”

What’s more, this new type of vaccine could be produced in the form of a powder, which would eliminate the need for refrigeration. And an RNA vaccine is more appealing to researchers than proposed DNA vaccines because there’s no chance of them getting spliced into the human genome and disrupting normal genetic behavior. In addition, the German research team has also discovered a protein known as protamine, which protects the RNA vaccines from being ripped apart in the bloodstream.

Naturally, there is plenty of testing to be done, and human trials to be conducted to make sure the entire sequence works within the human immune system, sans harmful side effects. But the early results are encouraging and researchers are optimistic. Between this news and the possibility of an HIV vaccine, we could be looking at the end of infectious diseases sometime in the not-too-distant future. But I wouldn’t say that definitively though, since don’t I want to jinx it 😉

Now if only we could find a cure for the common cold…

Source: IO9.com

Star Wars News!

Big news from a Galaxy far, far away… Sorry, couldn’t resist! There has been some new industry buzz regarding the upcoming relaunch of the Star Wars franchise of late. Ever since the media giant bought out Lucasfilm from Mr. Lucas himself, there has been plenty of speculation about what the focus of the new trilogy will be. According to Marketsaw, an entertainment and movie blog, the primary focus will be none other than Luke Skywalker himself.

Apparently, the source of this news is an industry insider who reported earlier this year that there would be an episode 7, 8, and 9, so fandom is treating this rumor as canon! Though Luke would be the main focus, they claim the rest of the original cast will also play a prominent role. As such, we can expect that Disney will be veering away from prequels and will be either taking the Thrawn Trilogy approach, or just picking up the story where it left off after Return of the Jedi.

What’s more, the age of the original actors was acknowledged as a bit of a hurdle, but the studio still seems committed to working with them. So perhaps a sequel that takes place many years later would be more the goal here. Or, as the source put it: “The main problem was the age of the cast, and the tone of the story. Now I do believe that Walt Disney intend on playing to the cultural significance of that original trilogy. You will see a tone more in line with the original trilogy, and specifically featuring that cast, if everything shakes out as intended. Which it will, I promise you.”

Promise, eh? Wow, that’s a bold statement!

Also of interest was the role that Lucas himself would be taking in the new trilogy. According to the source, the Disney made this decision after they “realized that George Lucas and STAR WARS are one and the same, so George will certainly have a voice on any angle taken, in fact I believe it’s one of many stipulations. However he will no longer have creative control, and as I said before George was already looking at other creative talents to bring his canon to life…”

Interesting. The source went on to say that the new movies were being “rewritten from previously secret drafts from way back during the making of the original trilogy.”

Well… this sounds like good news! In short, the new movies will feature the original cast and will be trying to strike a tone similar to the original trilogy. What’s more, while Lucas would have input and they would be working from his original notes, he would be relying on others to help bring his vision to life. If I recall correctly, it was this combination which made the original trilogy so enduringly awesome, and Lucas’ straying from it which made the prequels suck!

So really… score!

And that’s not all. The source also gave some information as to who would be starring in the new movie and who would be attached to direct. Apparently, many of the original actors have already been approached, and Mark Hamil is said to be “a certainty”. In terms of directors, the studio is apparently considering Steven Speilberg, Neil Blomkamp (District 9, Elysium), Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men, Gravity), Matthew Vaughn (Kick Ass, First Class), Darren Arnofsky (The Fountain, Noah) and Joss Whedon (Buffy, Firefly, Serenity, Avengers). Personally, I don’t know who would be best suited, as every name in this dossier seems like a winner!

All I can say is, this is exciting news indeed. A new dawning for the Star Wars franchise, with plans to make not just one, but a series of trilogies that turn the story into a multi-generational saga – which is apparently what Lucas originally hoped for. And since the studio is planning on mounting a very aggressive marketing strategy – a la Harry Potter- we can expect to be hearing plenty more before the first movie is set to air in 2015.

And may the Force be with us! Again, sorry!

Animation of Curiosity’s 1st “Touch and Go” Maneuver

In the days leading up to Thanksgiving in the US, Curiosity performed her first “touch and do” maneuver. This was the process whereby the rover drove up to and inspected an interesting looking rock using the Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) on its arm, then moved onto the next point of interest on the same day.

This latest maneuver now puts Curiosity inside the ‘Glenelg’ geologic formation. The NASA science team selected this as the first major science destination because it lies at the intersection of three diverse types of geological areas that will help unlock the secrets of Mars’ ancient watery history and evolution to modern times.

What makes this historic is that it is the first time the rover has conduct a touch and go maneuver on the same day. Ordinarily, the rover performs these duties separately. According to Curiosity Mission Manager Michael Watkins (of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif), “[this] is a good sign that the rover team is getting comfortable with more complex operational planning, which will serve us well in the weeks ahead.”

In honor of this event, NASA scientists created a animation of the maneuver using the same software they do to plan the rover’s movements. Beginning with the examination it made using its arm sensor, the animation then shows (with painful accuracy) the rover making the 25.3 meter (83 foot) transit to its next location.

The Future is Here: The Health Monitoring Patch

In recent years, there have been quite a few exciting developments in the field of medicine, which have included such things as medical implants which can deliver drugs, and even tiny medimachines which can navigate the human bloodstream. But as it turns out, flexible skin-mounted electronic patches might also be the way of the future.

Much like a temporary tattoo, these devices will be slapped on a patient’s skin and be able to monitor their vitals and attend to their medical needs remotely, sending information to either a portable computer, server, or even their doctor’s office. Combined with a specialized implant that delivers drugs, we could be looking at a future where truly hands-free medical technology is available.

Such a concept was unveiled a little over a year ago at the University of Illinois, where researchers were working to develop what they called the “smart skin” patch. Paper thin, flexible, and virtually transparent, the device platform includes electronic components, medical diagnostics, communications, and human-machine interfacing on a patch so thin and durable it can be mounted to skin much like a temporary tattoo.

According to John A. Rogers, an engineering professor at Illinois University, his team “threw everything in our bag of tricks onto that platform”, including LEDs, transistors, wireless antennas, sensors, and conductive coils and solar cells, just to demonstrate that it could work. The current design features such as EEG and EMG sensors that track nerves and muscles, something that tends to be limited to a lab given the number of electrodes and wires involved. And the patch itself, mounted on a thin sheet of water-soluble plastic before being laminated to skin with water, can be applied not only like a temporary tattoo, but even on top of a temporary tattoo to help conceal it.

But the real accomplishment here, according to engineering professor Yonghang Huang, whose group was charged with mechanics and materials questions, is the blurring of electronics and biology. “All established forms of electronics are hard, rigid,” he said. “Biology is soft, elastic. It’s two different worlds. This is a way to truly integrate them.” The next step for Rogers and his team is commercialization, which they are already trying to do through his own device company, mc10. The researchers hope to soon add Wi-Fi capability in subsequent models, giving it the ability to communicate with remote servers and computers.

Naturally, the issue of privacy is a concern. If a patient’s medical information is being broadcast by a remote device, will it therefore be obtainable by hackers or third parties who might be interested? And if your medical information is being broadcast directly to a doctor’s office, might this be a potential basis for “Big Brother” bio-monitoring. But like with all medical technology, these devices won’t be available to patients without prior consent, in an attempt to ensure patient rights.

And for people who are suffering from life-threatening or degenerative conditions, it could mean the difference between life and death. Just think of it, terminally-ill patients, seniors or individuals with severe allergies are given this patch. The moment they begin to have a reaction, heart attack, or some other brush with death, EMT’s are notified without the need for calling 911.

But of course, the technology is still in it’s infancy and we can expect any such issues to be debated as it nears completion. In the meantime, it is exciting news just to see how far and fast the field of biotechnology has come in recent years!

Source: news.cnet.com

Game of Thrones Season 3 Teaser Trailer

HBO has just released its first teaser trailer for the upcoming season of GOT Season 3. And I do mean a teaser, seeing as how the video is only fifteen lousy seconds of voice over and not a single shot of footage! Damn cable networks, always messing with our heads. And while we’re on the subject, why do they take so long to produce new seasons of our favorite shows? One would think they had to deal with more constrictive budgets, bigger and tougher production schedules, and more complex story lines. Oh wait… they do. Never mind!

Anyway, according to the video, Season 3 will be premiering in March 31st of 2013. And though there is not a great deal of footage from the new season forthcoming, there have been plenty of news releases regarding casting, filming locations, and other production details. For example, filming wrapped up just four days ago in Iceland, one of the prime locations for season 3 since much of the story takes place in the North, in and around “The Wall”. Other shoots were located in Northern Ireland, setting for the North, Croatia, which provided the scenery for Kings Landing, and Morocco, which acts as the setting for the East and the great cities of Slaver’s Bay.

The following new cast members have also been announced:

  • Kristofer Hivju as Tormund Giantsbane, a Wildling raider
  • Thomas Sangster as Jojen Reed and Ellie Kendrick as Meera Reed, two young Crannogman siblings, children of Howland Reed, a Stark bannerman
  • Tobias Menzies as Edmure Tully, Catelyn Stark’s brother
  • Clive Russell as Brynden Tully, the “Blackfish”, Catelyn’s uncle
  • Tara Fitzgerald as Selyse (Florent) Baratheon, Stannis Baratheon’s wife (the character, played by an unnamed extra, briefly appeared in the second season’s episode “The North Remembers”)
  • Kerry Ingram as Shireen Baratheon, their daughter
  • Diana Rigg as Olenna (Redwyne) Tyrell, the “Queen of Thorns”, Margaery and Loras Tyrell’s grandmother
  • Richard Dormer as Beric Dondarrion, the leader of the “Brotherhood Without Banners” (the character, played by David Michael Scott, briefly appeared in the first season’s episode “A Golden Crown”)
  • Paul Kaye as Thoros of Myr, a red priest with the Brotherhood
  • Philip McGinley as Anguy, an archer with the Brotherhood
  • Mackenzie Crook as Orell Skinchanger, a Wildling
  • Nathalie Emmanuel as Missandei, a Naathi servant of Daenerys Targaryen
  • Anton Lesser as Qyburn, a former maester of the Citadel
  • Iwan Rheon as “Boy”
  • Ciarán Hinds as Mance Rayder, the Wildling “King-Beyond-The-Wall”. Dominic West was offered the part of Mance Rayder, but turned it down.
  • Ed Skrein as Daario Naharis, a Tyroshi mercenary captain
  • Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm, a eunuch soldier, captain of the ‘Unsullied’
  • Dan Hildebrand as Kraznys mo Naklaz, a wealthy slaver of the Ghiscari city of Astapor.
  • Ramon Tikaram as Prendahl ze Ghezn, a captain of a notorious company of sellswords known as the ‘Stormcrows’

Other new characters will include Vargo Hoat, the leader of the mercenary group “Bloody Mummers”. The musicians Will Champion of Coldplay and Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol will make cameo appearances.

And of course, there were plenty of picture leaked, released, and phoned in from the sets. A simple Google search will turn up thousands, I’m sure. In the meantime, watch the trailer and be prepared for more to follow as we near the launch date of GOT Season 3!