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Modeling distant Earths

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Sci Fi Engineer

Modeling of various atmospheric pressures shows that Exo earths could have life friendly atmospheres across a broader range of orbital distances than our thin aired original. Since we are ‘seeing’ a lot of big worlds out there this is promising, though of course too much of a good thing is bad, as our sister world Venus shows.

A figure from Vladilo’s paper summarizing the general findings. The area of the circles is proportional to their habitability. The bottom axis shows the virtual worlds’ distance from their Sun-like star, with 1 AU (astronomical unit) representing the average Sun-Earth distance of approximately 150 million kilometers (93 million miles). The top axis (insolation) shows solar radiation (in watts) received on a unit area (a square meter). Surface pressure is on the y axis to the left. Credit: Vladilo et al. 2013, ApJ, 767, 65; http://wwwuser.oats.inaf.it/astrobiology/planhab/

Eyeball Earths…Red or Brown Dwarf Life Worlds?

Artist’s concept of a planet where one side always faces its star, with the dark side covered in ice. Credit: Beau.TheConsortium

Red dwarfs are small, faint stars about one-fifth as massive as the Sun and up to 50 times dimmer. They are the most common stars in the galaxy and make up to 70 percent of the stars in the universe, vast numbers that potentially make them valuable places to look for extraterrestrial life. Indeed, the latest results from NASA’s Kepler space observatory reveal that at least half of these stars host rocky planets that are half to four times the mass of Earth.

DARPA Finaly got the X51 to successfully ride its wave

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Sci Fi Engineer

Tucked under the B-52H’s port wing, the X-51A is pictured prior to launch on May 1

At www.aviationweek.com

The U.S. Air Force has released new details of the record-breaking hypersonic test flight conducted by the Boeing-built X-51A Waverider demonstrator on May 1. The diminutive scramjet-powered vehicle achieved a blistering Mach 5.1, covering 230 naut. miles in just over six minutes (240 seconds!) over the Point Mugu Naval Air Warfare Center Sea Range in the Pacific.

This technology could be the next breakthrough for space booster technology…next as in ten to twenty years. In the meantime it could fuel a new arms race in rapid strike weapons. This is not a US first move, the Russians, Australians, the Europeans, maybe even the Chinese have been leading in this speed regime up to this point.

NASA may support SST x-plane

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Sci Fi Engineer

An artist’s concept shows Lockheed Martin’s low-boom supersonic airliner. (Courtesy: NASA)
At www.flightglobal.com
Science and resultant technology may well have made Low Boom supersonic flight practical. A 100 to 150 passenger aircraft could fly NY to LA in something like 2 hours, making one day two way coast to coast trips a practical comfortable reality for premium passengers. This has been impossible because of the glass breaking, cattle disturbing sonic boom, but now aerodynamics and aircraft technology have shown a road forward.

With the ending of NASA’s last ‘five year plan’ on ultra efficient airliners, money will be available to build a scale but largish (fighter sized I’d guess) x-plane to make test flights provingthe boom mitigating design techniques. This sounds like a great idea, the sort of thing that NASA should be doing, has been doing, quietly, since its founding as NACA all those decades ago.

3D printed Camera accessories for cool effects

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Sci Fi Engineer

Here is a simple Tilt-Shift adapter which will attach to any micro four thirds camera body and hold a Nikon Series E 50mm lens. This adapter will creates a tilt-shift effect or miniature effect in your photos (see examples below). This is intended to be a more durable and cheaper solution than both DIY and commercial lens adapters ($2100).

Cheating favors extinction…scientific proof of the obvious

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Sci Fi Engineer

Sacharomyces cerevisiae cells in DIC microscopy. Image: Wikipedia.

This was the case when the environment was benign. But when those stable populations were suddenly exposed to a harsh environment, all of the pure co-operator populations survived, while just one of six mixed populations adapted to the fast deterioration in conditions, the researchers found.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-04-favors-extinction.html#jCp
Proving once more that scum proliferate in the good times and cause catastrophic collapse when the good times end…so it is with yeast so it was with Rome….

The Galactic Virgin | See Wired’s cool photo gallery

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Sci Fi Engineer

More at: http://www.wired.com/autopia/2013/04/spaceshiptwo-powered-flight/

Cool Coolidge

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Sci Fi Engineer

From the Liberty Law Site: Silent Cals 6 Simple Rules

1. “Don’t hurry to legislate.”

2. Don’t promise much.

3. Economize.

4. “Don’t expect to build up the weak by pulling down the strong.”

5. The Meaning of Progress.

6. Humility.

Coolidge was not looking to return to the days of “horses and bayonets,” as Obama has joked. “We review the past,” he said, “not in order that we may return to it but that we may find in what direction, straight and clear, it points into the future.” Several of Coolidge’s speeches read like short history lessons, tracing the path of civilization from the Greeks and the Romans, to the Pilgrims and the Puritans, to Washington and Lincoln. To Coolidge, the history of western civilization culminated in the American founding.

Crystalline Time, what a great SiFi title!

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Sci Fi Engineer

Physicists plan to create a “time crystal” — a theoretical object that moves in a repeating pattern without using energy — inside a device called an ion trap. Image: Hartmut Häffner

It appears to violate conventional physics but does it? Seems like this has some chance of creating a link between ‘classic’ and Quantum physics, maybe?

Galactic Virgin Rockets Away!

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Sci Fi Engineer

Love the Logo-shot! The space ship’s pretty simple really, it’s biggest downside would seem to be no fly around capacity if one misses the runway line up, but 1) how often does that happen theses days? 2) if theirs any juice left in the oxidizer tank a short burn would do the trick. Anyone know the plan: depend on getting it right every time or lighting ‘er up for the go-round?