tech
Curious tech and technology from the realm of science and science fiction.
Joint NASA/ESA Mission Proposed to Search for Life on Europa
Europa is one of the most fascinating places in the Solar System, and is considered to be at or near the top of the list of worlds to search for possible evidence of life. Beneath its outer ice crust lies a deep and dark salty ocean, thought to be quite to Earth's own oceans. Could that ocean be inhabited, even if just by microbes? Scientists want to know, and now a new proposal calls for a joint orbiter/lander mission between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency), to try to answer that question.
By Paul Scott Anderson9 years ago in Futurism
Operator
OPERATOR By Shane Phillips This was supposed to be an easy mission. They usually were, and even when they weren’t, she was always notified in advance. But as she tried to peek around the corner of the old brick wall she had her back to, the sudden shower of bullets that forced her back into cover reminded her that today had been an unpleasant surprise. And indeed, today was full of unpleasant surprises, as her accuracy was frustratingly poor, and she was quite confident that it wasn’t her fault.
By Shane Phillips9 years ago in Futurism
Alex The Inventor-Chapter 11 (Pt.2)
Read Chapters 1 - 11 at Deep Sky Stories Chapter 11 (Part 2) - Rainah's Pain... Jade greeted the two of them as they entered. She cast them a sharp, warning look and swished her long Dragon-tail when she saw Alex. Jade took longer than most creatures to warm up to strangers of any sort; especially strangers who had just befriended her Mistress. She gave Alex a haughty, dismissive look then turned, giving him a deliberate bump with her club-like tail, and disappeared round a sharp corner in the otherwise round room.The first impression Alex had was of being inside a large, dimly lit, cozy red beach ball. The walls and ceiling curved around and overhead as one continuous surface, even the floor stayed flat for only a fraction of its area before it too curved upward to blend in with the encircling wall. The whole effect was like being inside a large, smooth pudding-bubble room and Alex relaxed a little, feeling that he was being protected from the dangers of the outside world for a while.Soft, dim red lights glowed down from the small dome overhead, bathing everyone in a fuzzy red hue. Everything was of a smooth-edged design and even the walls had contoured padding to prevent injury to the occupants of the sphere.In the center of the room, about twenty feet away from the doorway stood an odd pillar or pipe, running from floor to ceiling and coiled around it were two sets of graceful spirals, one within the twist of the other. The spirals came down from the ceiling like an upside-down cone, with the wide base gradually tapering down to a point only a few feet above the floor. The inner spiral merged with the pipe and the outer spiral slid into a hole in the floor just beside the pipe.
By G.F. Brynn9 years ago in Futurism
The 21st Century Challenge
The die has been cast, the gauntlet thrown, do we dare pick up the challenge or do we retreat to our safe haven of complacency? For too long we have ignored the warning signs of what we have done to our planet by our continued drilling, extracting, processing and consuming fossil fuel sources. Ever since the first Industrial Revolution mankind has been consumed with it's unquenchable thirst for energy sources that are known to be detrimental to every form of life on this planet and yet we continue our onslaught of destruction by not fully integrating alternate fuel sources that will have a beneficial impact on not only the environment but have a very profound and positive effect on humanity as well.
By Dr. Williams9 years ago in Futurism
Let Guinea Pigs be Guinea Pigs
If you work in a biomedical research lab, you better not get emotionally attached to the lab animals. For some lab workers, it isn't easy. Those mice and guinea pigs, and sometimes rats, can look downright cute and cuddly. If, however, you can't jab the animals with compounds that make the critters sick, and even kill them, then you need to find a new line of work.
By Alan Kotok9 years ago in Futurism
The Year 2525
"In the Year 2525, if man is still alive, if women can survive, they may find." That opening to one of the most memorable hit songs of the late 60's set a very ominous tone for the future of mankind. Subsequent verses pick up a very foreboding story of mankind spanning 10,000 years. As with Nostradamus's disturbing predictions, Zager & Evans constructed an altogether more disturbing and sobering scenario for the future of humanity. A little more than 500 years from now we may find mankind at the mercy of all the technology we have created.
By Dr. Williams9 years ago in Futurism
ATPC Hit with Ransomware, Does Not Pay
On February 15, 2017: a company called ATPC (the Alternate Text Production Center) was hit with a ransomware strain. The E-mail that was sent to me indicated multiple things that I would like to highlight in this ever important effort in continuing to educate the public about this epidemic.
By Jared Rimer9 years ago in Futurism
Crisis: Water
Whatever you may think of the Syrian crisis, the Iran nuclear agreement, or the troubles with North Korea, there still remains an undercurrent of economic uncertainty in every part of the world today. That economic uncertainty stems from the fact that fresh water isn't available to millions the world over. When we here about our own infrastructure failings right here in the good old USA too many of our elected officials omit the plain fact of the matter that access to fresh water is vital for all other infrastructure projects to succeed. And without access to fresh water our whole economy will crumble.
By Dr. Williams9 years ago in Futurism
Look Out Pharma. The Tech Industry is After You
In early March, a clinical trial reported results of an experimental treatment for migraine, which in two hours provides noticeable reductions in pain. And, most importantly, the treatments don't use opioids. In fact, the treatments don't even use drugs. Pain relief is provided by an electronic patch worn on the arm and controlled by a smartphone that sends mild electrical impulses through the nervous system to block pain signals to the brain.
By Alan Kotok9 years ago in Futurism
Through the Latest Looking Glasses
When Snap Inc., creators of Snapchat, announced in September its plans to roll out its first actual product, the video-enhanced Spectacles eyewear, speculation was strong that the product would be a game-changer in the world of wearable technology.
By Michael Eric Ross9 years ago in Futurism
