The Frontiers of Future Science

[gorah_pindu]

Check out these books... Since I was born, the world has become a much cooler place to live. Things that were in the realm of science fiction and cyberpunk ten years ago, are now a reality. These changes do not awe us, because this pace of change has become the norm. People can enter cyberspace in fake bodies just like sci-fi writers predicted, invite others to their non-existant apartment, and even watch full-quality movies together on non-existant TVs. Game graphics today look as good as the pre-rendered computer graphics that blockbuster movies used a few years ago. 242 alien planets have been discovered. Space has been commercialised. Mammals have been cloned. Paper-thin screens have been created. The human genome has been sequenced. Androids have been created. The next couple of decades will be host to some amazing developments: - Cures for most known diseases. - Realistic virtual reality. - Detection of an earth-sized planet beyond the solar system. - A permenant colony on the moon. - Instant sharing of files. And who knows where the future will go from there: - Commercial mining of asteroids. - Interstellar spaceflight. - Practical immortality. - Fusion and antimatter power plants. - Permenant colonies on Mars and the Jovian moons. - Nano-robots swimming through the bloodstream. - Post-humans.

[THX_1138]

Check out these books... Since I was born, the world has become a much cooler place to live. Things that were in the realm of science fiction and cyberpunk ten years ago, are now a reality. These changes do not awe us, because this pace of change has become the norm. People can enter cyberspace in fake bodies just like sci-fi writers predicted, invite others to their non-existant apartment, and even watch full-quality movies together on non-existant TVs. Game graphics today look as good as the pre-rendered computer graphics that blockbuster movies used a few years ago. 242 alien planets have been discovered. Space has been commercialised. Mammals have been cloned. Paper-thin screens have been created. The human genome has been sequenced. Androids have been created. The next couple of decades will be host to some amazing developments: - Cures for most known diseases. - Realistic virtual reality. - Detection of an earth-sized planet beyond the solar system. - A permenant colony on the moon. - Instant sharing of files. And who knows where the future will go from there: - Commercial mining of asteroids. - Interstellar spaceflight. - Practical immortality. - Fusion and antimatter power plants. - Permenant colonies on Mars and the Jovian moons. - Nano-robots swimming through the bloodstream. - Post-humans.

GP i am familiar with David Darling's stuff on teleportation and trust me, its always something that we will never achieve. The whole argument about a "string theory" is absolute horse urine. on the other hand, i have not read that particular book by Michio Kaku but i am familiar with his other works and in 2005 i had the immense good fortune of attending one of his lectures in New York. That man is phenomenal. if you like his stuff, go to iTunes and a run a search for Explorations. its an hour long radio show he does on NPR every thursday afternoon that you can podcast and listen to later. that man is inspiration personified in my opinion.

[gorah_pindu]

Cool - I will be getting one of his books shortly - he seems to have quite a few interesting titles out - including one summing up 21st century future developments (but I chose 'The Spike' instead for a summary of that). Im not convinced about string theory myself, although it is at least an okay way of visualising interactions that we cant yet explain. I think ill go after that talk you mentioned :-)

[The Outsider]

Even though am a science person, have never been interested in science fiction. BTW, GP : - Detection of an earth-sized planet beyond the solar system. has been done.

[gorah_pindu]

Even though am a science person, have never been interested in science fiction. BTW, GP : - Detection of an earth-sized planet beyond the solar system. has been done.

Last time I heard, the closest they had come was a planet five times the size of earth - although papers labeled in 'earth-like', when I think of earth like, I mean something that wont crush humans to death :-) And more specifically, I meant detection of a habitable atmosphere :-)

[The Outsider]

Last time I heard, the closest they had come was a planet five times the size of earth - although papers labeled in 'earth-like', when I think of earth like, I mean something that wont crush humans to death :-) And more specifically, I meant detection of a habitable atmosphere :-)

Aaah!! High expectations! BTW, the mass of the planet is around 5 times Earth and radius 50% larger, so gravity will be around twice as much there, probably not enough to crush humans ;-)

[THX_1138]

Last time I heard, the closest they had come was a planet five times the size of earth - although papers labeled in 'earth-like', when I think of earth like, I mean something that wont crush humans to death :-) And more specifically, I meant detection of a habitable atmosphere :-)

numerous plants have been detected, but the latest is one with water. liquid water is a precursor for life. in fact, i can vouch for the existence of some form of chlorophyll based lifeforms on any planet with an atmosphere and liquid water.

[THX_1138]

Aaah!! High expectations! BTW, the mass of the planet is around 5 times Earth and radius 50% larger, so gravity will be around twice as much there, probably not enough to crush humans ;-)

a bit more than twice as much. and the correct term would be gravitational force (gravity is the term used to specifically define the earth's gravitational force).

[The Outsider]

numerous plants have been detected' date=' but the latest is one with water. liquid water is a precursor for life. in fact, i can vouch for the existence of some form of chlorophyll based lifeforms on any planet with an atmosphere and liquid water.[/quote'] The detected planet is in the habitable zone and there is a possibility it might have water but there is no confirmation on water presence on the planet as far as I know. It will have to wait for transit studies to confirm or deny that.

[The Outsider]

a bit more than twice as much. and the correct term would be gravitational force (gravity is the term used to specifically define the earth's gravitational force).

2.2 times as much. That's assuming it is a rocky planet. If it's a watery planet the radius will be larger and the gravity lesser. And do you want me to produce research papers where the term gravity is used in many other references besides the earth's gravitational force?

[gorah_pindu]

Visions: How Science Will Revolutionize the 21st Century by Michio Kaku Superstring physicist Michio Kaku turns his eyes to the future, and sees many bright developments in the 21st century. What is really remarkable about this book is Kaku's ability to explain in a clear way how the Quantum revolution of the turn of the previous century has dramatically effected, or perhaps invented, the three great revolutions of the 20th century: computers, biotechnology, and quantum physics. Kaku is especially good in outlining his reasons for his view of the future; and gives pretty reasonable timelines for the achievement of certain goals. The book is easy for a layperson to read and understand, and gives a good overview of scientific development. Well worth reading, at times profound.

Citizen Cyborg: Why Democratic Societies Must Respond to the Redesigned Human of the Future by James Hughes n the next fifty years, life spans will extend well beyond a century. Our senses and cognition will be enhanced. We will have greater control over our emotions and memory. Our bodies and brains will be surrounded by and merged with computer power. The limits of the human body will be transcended as technologies such as artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and genetic engineering converge and accelerate. With them, we will redesign ourselves and our children into varieties of posthumanity. This prospect is understandably terrifying to many. A loose coalition of groups-including religious conservatives, disability rights and environmental activists-has emerged to oppose the use of genetics to enhance human beings. And with the appointment of conservative philosopher Leon Kass, an opponent of in-vitro fertilization, stem cell research and life extension, to head the President's Council on Bioethics, and with the recent high-profile writings by authors like Francis Fukuyama and Bill McKibben, this stance has become more visible-and more infamous-than ever before. In the opposite corner a loose transhumanist coalition is mobilizing in defense of human enhancement, embracing the ideological diversity of their intellectual forebears in the democratic and humanist movements. Transhumanists argue that human beings should be guaranteed freedom to control their own bodies and brains, and to use technology to transcend human limitations. Identifying the groups, thinkers and arguments in each corner of this debate, bioethicist and futurist James Hughes argues for a third way, which he calls democratic transhumanism.

The Great Beyond: Higher Dimensions, Parallel Universes and the Extraordinary Search for a Theory of Everything by Paul Halpern Ever since Plato first told his students the allegory of the cave, people have wondered whether dimensions exist beyond the three we immediately perceive. An extra dimension—time—played a role in Einstein's work, although he saw it only as a necessary evil to get his equations to work. Other scientists were more receptive: mathematical physicists Oskar Klein and Theodor Kaluza made higher dimensions an integral part of their attempts to discover a "theory of everything" that would tie together strong and weak nuclear forces, electromagnetism and gravity. Halpern explains that over the past century gravity has been the shadow flickering on the walls of the cave hinting at other realms. Why is it so weak compared with electromagnetism? With string theory, and its successor, M-theory, physicists speculate that gravity "leaks" back and forth between our reality, an 11-dimensional "brane" (or membrane) and other branes, perhaps as close as a millimeter away. Halpern masterfully creates word pictures to illustrate mind-bending scientific theories, and he paints highly detailed sketches of the scientists involved—sometimes too detailed, leading readers to lose the thread of the narrative. Science buffs won't find much new here, but for average readers, this is an accessible account of the search for what lies behind our dim perception of reality.

Robo sapiens: Evolution of a New Species by Peter Menzel "Today's robots... are explorers, space laborers, surgeons, maids, actors, pets." What do they look like? How do they work? And what's next? If you believe the children are our future, you're only half right. Photographer Peter Menzel and journalist Faith D'Aluisio traveled around the world interviewing researchers who want to jump-start our evolution by designing and building electrical and mechanical extensions of ourselves--robots. Their book, Robo Sapiens, takes its title from the notion that our species might somehow merge with our creations, either literally or symbiotically. The photography is brilliant, showing the endearing and creepy sides of the robots and roboticists and feeling like stills from unmade science-fiction films. D'Aluisio's interviews are insightful and often very funny, as when she calls MIT superstar Rodney Brooks on his statement that we ought not "overanthropomorphize" people. Brooks is an interesting study. Having shaken up the robotics and artificial-intelligence fields with his elimination of high-level intelligence and dedication to tiny, insectoid, built-from-the-ground-up robots, he now works on large, human-mimicking machines. But hundreds of other researchers, in Japan, Europe, and the United States, are working on various aspects of machine behavior, from the eerily lifelike robotic faces of Fumio Hara and Alvaro Villa to the monkeylike movement of Brachiator III; each of them casts a bit of light on the future of their field in their short interviews. Though it's clear that we shouldn't hold our breath waiting for a robot butler, Robo Sapiens suggests that much cooler--and stranger--events are coming soon.

Our Molecular Future: How Nanotechnology, Robotics, Genetics and Artificial Intelligence Will Transform Our World by Douglas Mulhall Consultant Mulhall takes readers on a speculative tour of how nanotechnology will impact our world over the next decades. Along with describing what MIT types are currently cooking up (electronic paper), Mulhall injects pertinent questions about his topics, for example, whether business is adroit enough to adapt to the new technology; how nanotechnology might improve the environment; and if robotic "transhumans" should have rights. Mulhall contends that humanity is on the cusp of an unpredictably disruptive and decentralizing revolution and spins decidedly weird and disconcerting scenarios of a future of self-replicating nanobots, robo-slaves, and robo-pets. He also speculates on how nanotechnology might defend the planet against disasters such as cataclysmic earthquakes, tsunamis, or asteroids. Mulhall's eclectic tract bursts with amazement at developments in the field, but its very variety and digressiveness make technosavvy enthusiasts its likely audience.

[gorah_pindu]

Parallel Worlds: A Journey Through Creation, Higher Dimensions, and the Future of the Cosmos by Michio Kaku Well-known physicist and author Kaku (Hyperspace) tells readers in this latest exploration of the far reaches of scientific speculation that another universe may be floating just a millimeter away on a "brane" (membrane) parallel to our own. We can't pop our heads in and have a look around because it exists in hyperspace, beyond our four dimensions. However, Kaku writes, scientists conjecture that branes—a creation of M theory, marketed as possibly the long-sought "theory of everything"—may eventually collide, annihilating each other. Such a collision may even have caused what we call the big bang. In his usual reader-friendly style, Kaku discusses the spooky objects conjured up from the equations of relativity and quantum physics: wormholes, black holes and the "white holes" on the other side; universes budding off from one another; and alternate quantum realities in which the 2004 elections turned out differently. As he delves into the past, present and possible future of this universe, Kaku will excite readers with his vision of realms that may exist just beyond the tip of our noses and, in what he admits is a highly speculative section, the possibilities our progeny may enjoy countless millennia from now; for instance, as this universe dies (in a "big freeze"), humans may be able to escape into other universes.

Redesigning Humans: Our Inevitable Genetic Future by Gregory Stock Genetic engineering of humans: we can do it; we should do it; and we will do it. The author of this book is one of tbe best apologists for genetic engineering alive today, and this book is a fine example of his sound argumentation and comoon sense. He is unashamed of his position, delightfully unabashed, and one gets the impression while reading the book that he is very excited to be alive and be witness to the incredible advances in genetic engineering now taking place. Those who support the genetic engineering of humans should read the book, along with those that don't.

The Spike: How Our Lives Are Being Transformed By Rapidly Advancing Technologies by Damien Broderick If we are to believe the projections outlined in Damien Broderick's The Spike, the acceleration of change is increasing so sharply that the future is not just unknowable but unrecognizable. Dr. Broderick pulls together his vast learning to expand on Vernor Vinge's notion of the technological Singularity and to share with us his necessarily clouded vision of a posthuman future. Writing with a rare enthusiasm unmuted by years of dystopian fiction and news reports, Broderick peels back the layers of jargon enshrouding recent advances in nanotech, biotech, and all the other tech that's daring us to keep up. In any case, not everyone believes that the world of 2050 will be incomprehensible to those of us who lived through part of the 20th century. Will the curve spike, as Broderick suggests, or will it plateau? We should know in relatively little time, as we find ourselves either downloaded into space-traveling robots or watching the latest incarnation of holographic Star Trek.

Centauri Dreams: Imagining and Planning Interstellar Exploration by Paul Gilster Science and SF writer Gilster’s latest isn’t only an enlightening tour of propulsion and communication systems and the materials that might take us (in unmanned or even manned probes) to Centauri triple-star system 4.3 light years away (nearby in interstellar terms). The book is also a plea to remember that the urge to explore the unknown is what makes us human and that the future may not be as far away as we think. What separates this work from many scientific explorations of topics typically relegated to science fiction is that none of the methods described require breakthroughs in physics: we need no faster-than-light travel, no warp drive, no hyperspace or wormholes. All today’s scientists need is the time, funding, and license to turn their thought experiments into engineering problems. Like a master kite flyer, Gilster slowly lets out the line and allows the magnificent dreams of interstellar flight to soar – describing the relevant technologies we already possess – then he reels readers back in by pointing out the lack of funding and distance these theories still need to go before becoming reality. The technologies include sails that capture light instead of wind; a combination of fusion and antimatter reactions; and artificially intelligent computer systems that evolve over time. Metaphors and examples based on common experience put the science in perspective. This work is not only a clear, well-thought-out explanation of theoretical science and engineering but also food for the soul of anyone who has ever thought that space is a great adventure waiting to happen.

Islands in the Sky: Bold New Ideas for Colonizing Space by Stanley Schmidt Take off on a thrilling journey of space exploration and speculation—to the realm where science fiction becomes science fact—as leading writers, researchers, and astronautic engineers describe a not-too-distant future of interstellar travel and colonization. From cable cars that ride "skyhooks" into space to rockets that can refuel out of Martian air, from "terraforming" planets (a process that makes them habitable for human life) to faster-than-light propulsion systems, Islands in the Sky offers an astonishing collection of challenging—and plausible—ideas and proposals from the pages of Analog magazine. Brilliant and provocative, here is fun-filled reading for everyone interested in science, technology, and the future.

[gorah_pindu]

Entering Space: Creating a Spacefaring Civilization by Robert Zubrin Humans are not native to the Earth. So posits astronautical engineer Bob Zubrin in the opening of Entering Space. We're native to just a small sliver of it, the spot where our species originated in tropical Kenya. We set out from that paradise about 50,000 years ago, north into "the teeth of the Ice Age," and all the ground we've gained since then has been thanks to our tenacity and our tools. Zubrin reasons that it's time we cover a little more ground. Written with a boyish enthusiasm and formidable techie know-how, Entering Space urges us to realize "the feasibility, the necessity, and the promise" of becoming a space-faring civilization, of colonizing our own solar system and beyond. And Zubrin, author of the influential and widely acclaimed The Case for Mars, knows his stuff--NASA adapted his plans for near-term human exploration of Mars, and Carl Sagan gave the author no less credit: "Bob Zubrin really, nearly alone, changed our thinking on this issue." Entering Space plots the second and third phases of humanity's course--now that we've mastered our own planet, Zubrin says we must first look to settling our solar system (beginning with Mars) and then to the galaxy beyond. With its practicable visions of using "iceteroids" to terraform Mars and harnessing the power of the outlying gas giants ("the solar system's Persian Gulf"), Entering Space succeeds at making the fantastic seem attainable, the stuff of science fiction, science fact.

Mining the Sky by John S. Lewis As we near the end of the 20th century, humankind must deal with the energy crisis and the depletion of natural resources. Lewis (Rain of Iron and Ice, LJ 1/96) argues that the solution to both these problems lies beyond the earth-that we can tap the vast resources of the solar system, in particular the asteroids, as a source of materials and the sun as a source of power. He even describes how we could colonize Mars. Introducing each chapter with a science fiction-type prolog, Lewis goes on to tell how all this can be achieved. Through occasionally tedious passages, he argues that his proposals are both technologically and economically feasible if done by private enterprise, not as a government project.

The Space Elevator: A Revolutionary Earth-to-Space Transportation System by Gerrard K. O'Neill The authors take the reader through the history of the concept, technical design and economic practicalities of building an elevator to space, and, ultimately, the implications of what such a low cost transportation system would mean to society. Based on three years of NASA-funded studies and written for the technically literate layperson, Edwards and Westling discuss the recent technological advances that now make the space elevator feasible. They conclude by addressing the effects that the space elevator could have on mankind's future from communications and energy to colonizing space.

Making Space Happen: Private Space Ventures and the Visionaries Behind Them by Paula Berinstein Most Americans equate space exploration with NASA, but the general public is largely unaware that hundreds of passionate individuals and private organizations are working to allow ordinary people the opportunity to tour near space and to create permanent human settlements on Mars and other celestial bodies. Through a series of fascinating interviews, this book introduces the scientists, astronauts, engineers, and entrepreneurs behind the private space movement and offers a clear-eyed assessment of their prospects for success. The legal, ethical, and political challenges facing the exploitation of space resources are also explored, and issues such as environmental responsibility, safety, law enforcement, property rights, patents, and government policy are discussed.