Mars and the Hellas Basin Theory Jumps the Gun

Scientists and Theorists will not give up on the Martian question. Many cling to the notion that Mars might be a dead planet that once sustained life. Gradually, ideas are eliminated only to be replaced by new ones. The optimism that Mars once sustained life remains. Many explorations and experiments are waiting to be conducted. Unmanned space craft have been sent and more will follow to scratch the surface and find evidence that might support the notion that our Red Planet once harboured, carbon based, organic cells. We have the robot jeep Discovery project carrying out surface tests and soon ExoMars will launch two missions. One via satellite and another robotic jeep like the Discovery will land on the surface. This will be done by the ESA (European Space Agency) with help and support from the Russian Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS)

Observersof the Red Planet are continuously puzzled by many of the rock formations. Geologists often question the possibility that once water might have been there. Why did it all end if the planet was once on the journey to evolve carbon based life forms? 

Perhaps a violent ecological disaster might be the reason for the sterile landscape that teases the observers. Some theorists have tried to peddle the idea that Mars was hit by a huge asteroid over a thousand miles in width and this created the Hellas Basin. Before the planet could recover more asteroids hit the surface denying Mars any chance of the healing process being able to kick in. Somehow, the magnetic field stopped working and water could no longer be contained and left the planet. This all sounds far-fetched and fanciful. Many scientists understandably laugh at the notion.

If Mars did once have life, the reason for it becoming extinct would be a new undertaking of discovery. Then new ideas will need to be looked at, but wild speculation like the Hellas Basin concept is often like running before we can learn to walk and looked down upon by most geologists. After all, we are not sure still, if Mars has ever had life in the first place. Inventing ideas as to why it is no longer present, is jumping the gun. 

Brit Alien Busters Want to do Intensive Search through Galaxy.

A group of British scientific researchers want to invest a substantial amount of money spying on the universe for alien lifeforms. They want to become super snoopers and 11 universities throughout Britain want to help do the secretive monitoring - a sort of Bletchley Park for aliens. Who knows; they might find secret Nazis on the dark side of the moon.

The group of collective researchers for Extraterrestrial life feel certain they can blow the myth of aliens out of the water with positive results in a few years. They might open Pandora's box and let these aliens know we are here. What if humans are a delicacy for a group of obsessive self indulgent aliens and they look upon us as very tasty sheep or chickens?

On a more serious note, I think it would be something we need to know, but perhaps we should be a tad cautious about gate crashing some alien party. It might be best to let them not know we are watching them; if we have the ability to do so.

Europe and the UK Political Classes' 'Big Nothing.'

Sir John Major - the former UK Prime Minister was regarded as pro-European. He now accepts that the UK must have a referendum on EU continued membership. He makes a point about being cordial and polite with other member states and speaks, I think, from the point of view that the UK referendum will bring about the UK remaining in the EU with returned powers and vote winning concessions. 

Hooray! Little rabbits in green fields, a beautiful blue sky and a rainbow, in fluffy bunny land - NOT!

I can understand that he wants our ministers to talk politely with all EU states. He talks about gaining understanding. This is admirable and correct, but it is also the way we get patronised by our political classes before they feed us the usual 'big nothing' and this stinks to high Hell. 

Europe will be cordial and polite and try to offer minuscule concessions that will be reclaimed at a later date - slowly, slowly, catch a monkey. Both these quibblers (EU and UK) might be talking along lines that don't mean anything to the anti-EU voters. The one thing John Major did get right; is that this is a huge gamble. He means for the pro-EU Brits.

Mass uncontrolled migration - irresponsible, cruel, inconsiderate, migration is the one reason why UKIP may win enough votes to carry its argument on Britain withdrawing from the EU. No one is allowed to voice this too strongly for fear of being called racist, for fear of being ostracised by left wing apologists. I don't think it will matter what the UK and EU negotiators thrash out. Its like two arrogant teachers squabbling over whether to make the class learn  Biology or Geography. The class is fed up and wants to go home and they don't care about the subjects on offer. Teachers that teach but refuse to learn are useless and school is boring. The voters may want to leave and find their way because all UK political parties are oblivious to the real problem with the exception of untested UKIP.

However, there remains 60 million voters that know these problems. Some are happy with the mass migration, while a great many are not. Perhaps the majority of this electorate will not vote from the point of view that John Major and many of the political classes are negotiating on. Many of the British electorate feel betrayed by the political classes in the UK. Whatever concessions the political classes claim to win may not matter. I honestly think that this John Major speech does nothing for the 'UK remaining in the EU' argument. I don't think the electorate are hostile to the new EU policing laws or the industrial laws. They are just concerned about mass migration that they have no control over.

If someone wants their house clean and tidy and they are restrained from doing this, its no good offering them a dog biscuit or a set of golf clubs. No one is interested in these little gifts - they mean nothing. I don't think the pro-EU Brits will be able to sell this reclaimed powers thing in a referendum. A large portion of British people are are fed up with  mass uncontrolled migration into the UK from Eastern Europe and other countries. At the end of the day UKIP will argue against minuscule gains if the government tries to renegotiate the UK's relationship with Europe. UKIP can show the 'big nothing' for what it is, and still present the problem of mass uncontrolled and irresponsible migration to the British electorate. A multitude of angry voters who will only see this one huge irresponsible past undertaking of their deeply distrusted political classes, talking the usual patronising - 'big nothing.'  

Robots Will Become House Hold Appliances

On YouTube there are examples of advanced prototype humanoid robots that can walk about and have perfect balance. One was an Asimo Honda model that had perfect coordination and balance. Its movement was very fluid and it could side step as well. Then another model appeared at a conference show. It was made by Kawanda and was taller and leaner looking than the Asimo model. I could not believe how advanced these Robots were and how well they moved. The Kawanda model began posing upon the stage as though it was at a Mr Universe contest, showing various arm movements then stretching out its arms, standing on one leg with perfect balance. It was incredible.

Robotic engineering is increasing at mind boggling rates. How long before we have such things as domestic appliances? How quickly will the new upgrades start coming out as we quickly replace them the way we do mobile phones or computer tablets?

I can imagine them with their own mobile phone systems. You'll ring home and it will answer. You'll tell it what you want for dinner and it would have done all the chores. We will become lazy. They might have agricultural ones ploughingfields and picking crops. Where will it stop and what will we do? Devote ourselves to scientific or artistic past times? Yes everything sounds Hunky Dory or will it be?

Even out in Space they could be used. We were talking about mining asteroids and using them as vehicles in space or extracting minerals from them. Rather than use astronauts in such a hazardous enterprise, how about robots? We could reduce the risk and it all seems very probable that this type of solution will be used.

Again, robotics makes the possibility of many tasks we perform even more remote. The benefits of such machines could be tremendous. The amount of unemployed looks even worse however. A vast amount of the population will need to be motivated or we could all drift into a state of apathy.

When I watched part of the Robotic display I found it exciting and also potentially scary. I was not afraid of the actual machines, but more by what their integration will do to mass population employment. All the science fiction notions of machines doing the work become frighteningly more plausible. Multi millions of these machines will become common domestic appliances like a hover or washing machine. Every household will have one. I sincerely believe this will happen and possibly in my lifetime. I think if we do not adjust ourselves to the potential pit falls, we could ruin our society for some considerable time.

I have an image of me driving along the motor way with these humanoid things litter picking. They might be used by councils for waste disposal in town centres or be traffic wardens. The potential is limitless and the mass of people becoming unemployed is even more ominous. Sometimes technology advances at a pace we can’t keep up with. I was truly shocked by how advanced these humanoid robots could move.

Out on the fringe of society these robots would be great; like mining or space exploration in hazardous areas. This I see as positive, but that trend of domestic reliability is the one that makes me wobble. The manufacturers need to get them into domestic reliability to create a popular demand and enable them to lower costs of mass purchasing these robots. However, if lots of people are unemployed how will the economics for upgraded models come about?

We are going to have to radically change our society to motivate large sections of our population because we might struggle to adapt quick enough.

In Virtual worlds we Bring the Universe to us.

Virtual Worlds While Exploring the Real Universe.

As Carbon life forms we can’t live in the vast majority of places in the real universe. Most planets will be hostile to our carbon body vehicles. We need to create artificial environments to aid us.

One day, all necessary alterations might be done for an advanced virtual world where we could live - perhaps via a cryogenic chamber or some other scientific or biological way. We could overcome many problems concerning light speed, uninhabitable planets, and be set along a new course.  You will also be learning of the real universe from the Cryogenic or other type of stasis chamber in which you are mentally plugged in to and functioning in a virtual world.

Maybe such cryogenic chambers are aboard space stations wandering into the universe. Time is slowed down, in the cryogenic chamber, enabling your life span to fit into a bigger real time period (one virtual lifetime into one thousand years real Earth universe time.) If a star with a carbon habitable planet did exist but was say, a hundred light years away; how could we, in carbon life form get there? How could we in carbon life form wait 200 years for a probe at light speed to return with such information? Cryogenic chambers in storage, away from the real hazards of our carbon world, could be an answer.

If we lived in Virtual worlds, could we slow time down? Imagine a Carbon body – your own, cryogenically frozen and then stored somewhere safe. Then imagine space probes – hundreds perhaps thousands – going out into our universe. They could bring back topography of planets, moons, asteroids and then they could be Terra formed for the virtual world you live in from a cryogenic chamber – a little like the Matrix movie, though not with the ominous angle.  From an Eco-point of view in the real universe these places are not polluted or contaminated by us – they have just been scanned.

You could be in this virtual realm, that you know to be, and the information brought to you from exploring probes would be used and assimilated into realms where you might want to live. (A progressive library of worlds constantly updated) You could own a castle or a mansion on an asteroid floating around an uninhabitable gas giant. There might be a huge water fall flowing from such a celestial platform down into the gas giant just because you wanted one from your duplication. This realm is yours, but the probe in the real universe has gathered the information – or topography for you to work on, such to your own requirements. You could have blue sky, fine weather – it’s your realm. You could have social realms or academies were you would need to interact with people. You would just walk through a link or port hole from your asteroid castle realm, into a design for social gathering.

Our virtual world would have a slow time setting and we would function harmoniously within this new time frame. Outside, in the real universe, everything would fast forwarding like the speed version on a video. From outside looking in, we would be seen as hardly moving. Like staring at the hour hand of a watch as it revolve full cycle.

For instance: One virtual day, lived in the virtual world, would be 50 years in the real universe. Our probe in the real universe is halfway towards its destination in one day of our virtual life. The star, our probe is to explore, is 100 light years distance. Upon the second day our probe is at the destination of intended planet exploration. Wow, we may even have virtual life forms on the probe and supervise the exploration. Within two virtual days we are there. The exploration could take many years in the real universe, say ten years. That is not even a virtual day. Then two virtual days coming back and 210 years in real time is less than a week in our virtual world.

Of all the various worlds and star systems explored, we finally have found a place that has an atmosphere like our own. Carbon people can live there, but it is in the real universe, and time will be accelerated outside the virtual realm and we will spoil and contaminate it to carbon Earth needs. Would we want to leave our virtual worlds when we can just watch, scan, recreate from our sanctuary of virtual chambers? A carbon habitable world might not hold the lure anymore because we would have adapted beyond such needs.

The Problem with Cryogenics.

Cryogenics can be very useful to us in the future if the defrosting can be mastered to bring a human out of deep freeze intact. Obviously, it is much easier said and imagined in theory. It is of course, illegal to freeze a living person and cryonics means living and frozen. There are people with terminal diseases who have volunteered to be frozen, but even these are technically dead when the process starts. A terminal patient dies in as much as the heart monitor goes dead, but the neurological part may not have yet shut down. Therefore the subject is not brain dead.

This when our Cryogenic scientists spring into action and anyone who imagines a group of having go mercenaries might be forgiven. The technically dead people are wrapped and quickly rushed off by a team of scientists who are discovering as they go. The body enters a cryogenic chamber and is nothing more than a specimen lab rat that previously hoped for the best and is perhaps – still hoping.

Ice can preserve, while a body remains frozen. It can even stop ageing, but defrosting back to life is a whole new challenge. We freeze embryos and have been able to produce life from them after defrosting and placing into a uterus, but multiple celled creatures like human beings cause great problems for cryogenic scientists, who search for ways of prolonging life and bringing someone out of cryogenic freezing intact.

The fact that no human has been successfully brought out of cryogenic freezing intact is not too encouraging either, but this does not mean it can’t be done one day. We know some amphibious life has come out of frozen stasis because these creatures have a protein in their cells that activate in cold temperatures. This acts like antifreeze which protects the cells when thawing. It stops crystallization.   

When you see a minute magnified ice crystal under a microscope; imagine it in a human cell - a minute sack with a membrane wall. The little sharp stalagmite edges would rupture such membranes. Imagine if it is what happens inside every human cell when frozen. Perhaps the best way to explain the damage is to visualize a gigantic model of a body as tall as a building. The wall and internal organs have been made out of bubble wrap. Each bubble of all these millions upon millions of bubbles gets filled with liquid. We see this epidermis of bubble wrap in the shape of a giant person. Then we freeze it. All the liquid inside each bubble becomes sharp crystal stalactites and stalagmites it also expands inside each bubble. The plastic of each bubble’s wall would puncture and when the model cooled down all the liquid would run out of the bubble wrap

.

Such ice crystals would puncture our cell walls and as we defrost our cell structures can't contain water and we turn to mush. That is why we can't defrost frozen people. Cryogenic scientists still live in hope and nanotechnology combined with stem cell research offer potential methods of overcoming the problem of cell crystallisation. Some biotech researchers are boldly speculating that we may defrost a cryogenically frozen patient by 2045. It is rather rash, perhaps, but we have speculated about things in the past that have come to be.

If the secrets of successful cryogenics can be mastered, transhumanism begins to gain more ground in the quest for human flawlessness.

CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI.)

CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI.)

There are small remote-controlled research spacecraft known as CubeSats. They are nano-satellites. These little cube-shaped outposts get released into orbit and are no more than half the size of a shoebox. This is a U-1 CubeSat but they can be clipped together. Two or three together may contain more monitoring and comlinks. Thus we get U-2 or U-3, depending on how many are clipped together.

Multiple CubeSats are stored in a large container that is attached to the main launch vehicle when it goes into space. This holder acts like a giant candy tin called a Nanosatellite Launch Adaptor System (NLAS.) When it opens, one can imagine these small CubeSats being released like sweets from a tube. They float out over the stratosphere or where ever else the project owner might wish them to go.

CubeSats have been used to patrol around space stations or satellites. They search for malfunctions or other damage. They can gently breeze the length of solar panels and check all is well, even report minor irregularities that can be tackled promptly, in case a fault becomes more substantial.

Now NASA has a programme called CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI.) This innovative idea allows free-thinking projects within CubeSats. These projects are independent but hitch a ride, into space, upon a NASA rocket launch. A room for passengers appeals where space exploration is concerned.

Once in space, the NLAS releases its CubeSat passengers out and into orbit. Off they go on their own little adventures, leaving the NASA magic bus to do its own thing, while the little CubeSat goes about its self-indulgent quest for knowledge, in a field of its owner’s choosing. It might take photographs of Earth to study weather conditions, scan space for asteroids, survey the moon, Mars, Venus, or watch material test samples in a space vacuum. There are all sorts of things. These little undertakings can be controlled from a university classroom by students on Earth.

For a university to win the prized chance of controlling a CubeSat, they have to pass stringent tests via NASA monitors who judge each project for viability. The agency gets to filter the financially lucrative bidders for the choice of those most useful on the knowledge acquisition front. This is because NASA will have access to all information gathered before the reports go down to the students in control of the CubeSat project.

There are many CubeSats in orbit already and a growing number of projects waiting in line. NASA will be paid for getting this free information as a transport provider for independent CubeSats, which are just paying passengers on the main launch project.

Everyone wins when this experimental information starts to come in. The CubeSat can cost between $65,000 and $80,000. If there is a launch that can carry four or five CubeSats, NASA gets a little of the cost back towards the main mission and a potential amount of updated and free information. It also ensures that they have a growing and enthusiastic candidates for future space exploration technology.

These delightful little parasitical spacecraft will develop over the decades and all launches might be able to lower funding costs by accommodating CubeSat projects. NASA may find ways to lower costs of building launch projects too, especially developing re-usable craft like the Orion MPCV. Every time an Orion launch goes up it will have CubeSat minor projects paying for a lift. Depending on how many CubeSat projects at $65,000 + it can get aboard; could re-launchable MPCV claw back substantial finances against original costs of building main launch projects in the future.

Imagine the return in the shape of these four-inch cubes. Not to forget long term and constant free information updates. NASA has stumbled upon a large number of independent projects lining up to be selected and waiting to hand over their money to get a CubeSat into space.

How long before large multi-corporate organisations offer large sums of money for their own space exploration tests, lowering the cost on the US taxpayer? Space exploration will cast away all national industry commitment and begin to pay for itself. Privatisation, once again, paves the way.