Robot Nurses and Tractor Beam May Be Here Soon

In another example of Star Trek influencing real-life technology/research, NASA is spending $100,000 to analyze tractor beam techniques at its Goddard Space Flight center.  The article referenced discusses past research and intial successes with "optical tweezers" that can trap objects in small lasers.  Near-future applications could include installation of such devices on rovers to be sent to other worlds or deep space probes - allowing them to collect samples that otherwise would not be obtainable.  Personally, I like the idea of the "optical tweezers."  This could be a good term/technology for writers to use, especially if they want a credible tech basis for their writing.  When I first heard it, I was thinkinging mainly about healthcare applications - like optical surgery, but you make your own decisions.

Speaking of healthcare, Roomba owners might find this interesting.  Toyota and iRobot has developed a home-use "robot nurse" named Ava which could be available for purchase as early as 2013.  I must admit that the video attached to the article isn't exactly something to ooh and ah about.  Ava looks like a mobile broomstick/post with a tablet computer on top.  That tablet would seem to be the key as the iRobot CEO mentions can show the face of a doctor or actually connect to a real physician.  What isn't really mentioned is that this device could probably be easily adapted for healthcare monitoring.  I mean basic vitals could be taken with attachments (automatic blood pressure cuff, pulse sensor, pulse/ox meter, respiration...) that are currently used by medical professionals.

The robot article also shows an example of another device attached to a patient's leg from the knee to the foot.  The caption shows the device as something that could help patients walk, but not just by giving support and possible muscle enhancements.  Patients who undergo knee surgery could use this device as part of their rehab and reduce the time needed with a physical therapist.

I've discussed bigger examples of this type of technology in my Iron Man 1/2 post last year.  One thing I find interesting is the size difference between the device shown in the post developed last year and the picture of the device on the person's leg.  While there are obvious differences in functionality, it's still interesting how much more streamline the medical device is and it's technology is only one year newer.

Cool Stuff From Kepler For Science Fiction Writers

A couple of days ago, I found a link to an interesting article on space.com.  The article/slide show focuses on the strangest alien planets found by the Kepler spacecraft/telescope.  Some of the worlds discovered could be particularly interesting for science fiction writers who want to include real science to add to the story credibility.  Here are a few examples of worlds from the slide show and how they could be used. 

• Closest planet:  Epsilon Eridani b orbits an orange sun-like star only 10.5 light years away.  Whether your story uses faster-than-light (FTL) travel, near-light-speed, or stasis, you could reference such a world as a staging area for sending ships deeper into space.  A space station or planet-side outpost coule be used.  It could also be a staging area for an aggressive species planning to invade Earth.
• A planet in Globular Cluster M4 is referenced as the oldest planet found - an estimated 8 billion years before Earth.  If you want to discuss more advanced races, an older planet is a good place to start, that way you don't have to get into debates on the speed of the evolutionary process.  They had a head start.
• Fastest planet:  at only 740,000 miles from its sun, this planet makes its orbit every 10 hours.  I honestly couldn't say how to use it, but it just seemed too interesting not to mention.
• Waterworld:  A hyperspace-hop, slipstream-skip, and warp-jump away at only 40 light years lies GJ 1214b.  Researchers believe that this planet (about 3X the size of Earth and over 6X as massive) is most likely a water world.  I shouldn't have to give the obvious suggestion that humans move to this world for the water.  It could be a good place to bring up aquatic alien life (sentient or otherwise).  But another possiblity is another staging area.  Load up on more water for consumption and/or splitting water atoms to take oxygen for life support and hydrogen for fuel.
• Dying world:  WASP-18 is another world with a fast orbit - less than one Earth day and scientists theorize it could be orbiting closer to its star and impending doom.  This could be tied to lost civilization, planetary evacuation types of stories.  Encountering ships from the survivors.
• Most Habitable:  Gliese 581 d.  Only about 20 light-years away this is apparently the world with the greatest possibility for being habitable.  It's about 8X as massive as Earth.  I googled for a bit more since I'd heard of Gliese 581 before and found similar stories about the Gliese 581 c possibly being habitable.  Note that 581c also has a quick orbit  - 13 days.  Again, obvious story-lines one could use include staging area for deeper space travel, colonization...  Consider the potential difficulty of colonizing a world with a short orbit.

Keep in mind that Kepler's mission is to search for Earth-sized/like worlds.  Some of these don't fit that description, but they're interesting nonetheless.

50th Anniversary

As Cinco De Mayo comes to an end, let us take a moment to remember an important historical event - one especially relevant for sci-fi and space fans.  It was 50 years ago today that Alan B. Shepard Jr. climbed into the Freedom 7 capsule and, in a 15 minute sub-orbital flight, became the first American in space.

Thank you Mr. Shepard.

NASA Conference - Paradigm Shift in Search for Life.

A NASA-funded study has concluded that the definition of what comprises life must be expanded.  Carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur are the six basic building blocks of all known forms of life on Earth.  While carbon is most commonly known - reference to carbon-based life forms, Phosphorus is critical for the energy-carrying molecule in cells and also the phospholipids that form all cell membranes.

The research has discovered a microorganism on Earth that substitutes arsenic for phosphorus in its cell components.  One reason this is so interesting is that arsenic is well know as being poisonous to most  life on Earth.  As such, it forces researchers to re-define what they believe constitutes life forms. 

Since typically researchers searching for evidence of life have focused primarily on life that would need an Earth-type environment must now broaden their horizon.  And, theortically, since these microorganisms substitute arsenic for phosphorus (given similarities between the elements), could life exist substituting one of more of the other five building blocks? 

Imagine the possibilities, science fiction fans and writers.  I like to say readers are becoming more advanced, so credibility in stories and world building are important.  This give credibility for world building in a variety of environments poisonous to humans.

So take a moment tonight and look at the stars again.

Hope you have clear skies.

Write On.

NASA Conference Announced

On Thursday, December 2, NASA will hold a news conference to discuss an astrobiology finding that will impact the search for evidence of extraterrestrial life.

News reports are saying that NASA is not giving many details, but that's no surprise.  If they give too many details, who will need to listen to or watch the conference?  The conference/announcement is scheduled for 2 pm Eastern time December 2.

The most popular theories include evidence of some type of life (beyond bacteria) existed on Mars.  The only tie is the rover that's been stuck for the last ten years.  While that gives plenty of time to study the soil for microscopic organisms, was the rover designed to conduct that type of long-term study?  Probably not.

Some believe the announcement is more related to the quest for extraterrestrial life on Saturn's moon, Titan.

It's a pretty safe bet this won't be something that will change the world as we know it, but any evidence of the existence of life, or even the possibility is very exciting to science fiction writers.  It gives us hope for credible theories to support aliens and world-building in our stories.

We'll know tomorrow.

Until then, look to the stars and

Write On.