Blog

Terra Forming

Jan 2025

Terra Forming has been around in movies for some time. Often seen as some giant ‘nuclear plant’ appearing facility pumping oxygen into the atmosphere - loosely termed. The production of oxygen would more than likely require a few plants unless the plan was for decades. Part of the process would be the production, natural or artificial, of clouds to seed the planet with water. In fact, this might be the easier of the process, just assembling a team to build the plant or plants. The technology exists today to accomplish this. We have to find a way to get to another planet, perhaps Mars.

To terraform a planet, you need to add a breathable atmosphere and liquid water. Accomplishing this would be a relatively easy task, though expensive. Protecting the created atmosphere and water would be the more complex part of the undertaking. It would be imperative to develop some means of holding the atmosphere to the planet.

Earth’s atmosphere is protected by its Magnetosphere, which exists because of the iron in Earth’s molten core. The difficulty of creating a field like Earth’s Magnetosphere, which is likely not far off in the future, could probably be accomplished with today’s technology. The Magnetosphere refers to the region surrounding Earth that protects our planet that a magnetic field creates. Every planet in our solar system has one, but they are just not as strong as Earth’s. All but Mars and Venus have their Magnetosphere in our solar system. All other planets have a magnetosphere that shields them, but they are not as strong as ours.

The Magnetosphere consists of four parts: The Bow Shock, the Magnetosheath, the MagnetoPause, and the Magnetotail. The Bow Shock is the shockwaves created when solar winds strike Earth’s magnetic field. In effect, redirecting the solar winds around Earth deflects ‘solar wind’ around Earth. The Magnetsheath is approximately 40,000 miles from Earth. The next is the Magnetopause. This is the point where Earth’s magnetic strength weakens, allowing the hot solar winds and the cool plasma from Earth to combine, which are often called the ‘Polar Winds.’ The final area, known as the Magnetotail, is the primary source of the ‘polar aurora.’ Two tail lobes are separated by the ‘Plasma Sheet.’ The Magentotail can extend out to over 180,000 miles. The description is significantly oversimplified for the reader’s understanding. See NASA for a more exact definition. If Earth did not have a magnetosphere, cosmic radiation would strike and more than likely damage DNA. The increased radiation would see the risk of cancer and other serious illnesses in the human population grow across the world. The Magnetosphere also prevents the solar wind from causing erosion of the atmosphere.

The production of an atmosphere is straightforward. The use of native material as input would significantly reduce the cost if material had to be transported to a planet. A byproduct of atmosphere generation and the ability to hold the atmosphere to a planet would more than likely increase a surface temperature.

For the near future colonization, the building of domed cities and farmlands would be more feasible. But pressurized domes of the atmosphere are far more realistic. Keep a concealed space suit nearby in case the dome leaks.

Wormholes

July 2024

A wormhole is a hypothetical structure connecting points in space and time and is based on Einstein field equations. Wormholes would appear as an event horizon at one point in space and exit at a different point in space, potentially millions of light years from start to end. The distance between the entry point and exit could be related to only space or space and time. Einstein's theory of relativity mathematically predicts the existence of wormholes, but none have been discovered as yet. A negative mass wormhole might be spotted by the way its gravity affects light that passes by.

A wormhole is a tunnel-like connection through space-time, much like the tunnels bored by worms in an apple. Wormholes are considered to have two mouths connected by a throat. At present, space-time wormholes are only theoretical. There is no experimental evidence for their existence. Nevertheless, theoretical physicists study the mathematical properties of space-times containing wormholes because of their unusual properties.

A breakthrough occurred in late 2017, when physicists Ping Gao and Daniel Jafferis, both then at Harvard University, and Aron Wall, at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, N.J., discovered a way to keep a wormhole open. Quantum Entanglements that would allow a sort of long-distance connection. At this time, it is theoretical.

There are two types of wormholes theorized and investigated: 1. The Lorentzian wormholes (general relativity) and the Euclidean wormholes (particle physics). The current understanding of Lorentzian wormholes is that they cannot be proven to exist. Euclidean wormholes are even stranger: they are theorized in ‘imaginary time’ and are intrinsically virtual quantum mechanical processes. Euclidean wormholes are of interest mainly to particle physicists (quantum field theorists).

In February 2023, a team of physicists led by Norman Yao of Harvard University published information about the holographic wormhole experiment described in this article. A Quantum computer created the equivalent of a wormhole.

If wormholes exist, they could magnify the light of distant objects by up to 100,000 times - and that could be the key to finding them. Unfortunately, with today's technology, we haven’t been able to detect a wormhole capable of traveling through. Someday, we will.

Starship Weapon Options

January 2024

Should we build starships with or without weapons? If every species encountered were friendly, weapons wouldn’t be needed, but based on the fact that on Earth, everybody seems to want to conquer someone - weapons may be prudent. I firmly believe that as we venture deeper into space, we should bring a big stick, more than one. Weapons should come in two basic types: Offensive and Defensive. A powerful shield system should be part of a Starship's Defensive makeup. Regarding Shields, I think a Starship should have three overlapping, rotating frequency Shields. Shields should have a power source different from all other aspects of the starship, and weapons should also have a separate power source.

Defensive:

ORBs would be similar to a torpedo but with a non-liquid drive technology and circular to ease

altering directions more readily.

Scouts - Kind of a ‘Scout’ ORBs several surrounding a starship out for several light years.

They can scan in all directions for up to one light-year.

Combat Drone - These are weapons of both DEPs and smaller Nuclear ORBs.

Jammer Drone - These can generate disrupting communication signals within ten light-years of a starship or planet.

Farthest from starship:

Daggers (Dags-6 - Explosive Tip Armor Piercing Flax - Defensive).

Allows a Starship to fire thousands of tiny objects such as shrapnel or microexplosive pellets. They could be set to blow at a specified distance and spread their contents into a dense cloud that could tear small, lightly armored starfighters to pieces. Typically, they should be mounted on the surface, targeting all directions. They could come in three levels of strength: light, medium, and strongest.

nBATs (nBATs-150 - Nova Heat Seeking Counter Missiles - Defensive and Offensive).

It explodes with the energy and heat of a small sun. They could create a blanket between enemy missiles and a starship, target fighters, or even an enemy starship.

Comets (Heat/Energy Seeker Counter Missile quads) (Defensive and Offensive)

Lower-yielding missile with fusion drives. Defensively, it is to stop missiles or create an

umbrella to stop flax. They could be used to overload an enemy starship's defensive systems.

Closer to starship:

ShootingStars (ShootStar-6 - Heat /Energy Seeker Counter Missile) Quads.

CannonDARTs (Cdarts-6 - Deuterium Armor Piercing Explosive Tip Dart) quads.

Closeth to starship:

Stingers - Sting-6 - Twin Laser batteries

A Starship's primary ‘Close to Starship’ defense against incoming missiles, objects, torpedoes, or fighters. They should be mounted on surfaces covering all directions, including top (Dorsal) and bottom (Ventral).

FireBolts - Point Defense Laser Cannons (Twin Laser batteries - (Defensive)

Turbolasers (Defensive and Offensive)

They would operate like a blaster that converts high energy into plasma bolts. They would require a larger power source and, most likely, a larger number of crew running it. They should be able to vary power levels from crippling a target to destroying it. They should be mounted on the surface, targeting all directions, including top (Dorsal) and bottom (Ventral).

PulseARs (Defensive - short distance, machine gun-like with a heavy concentration of Pulse tachyon harmonic resonating Amplified Simulated Energy Radiated System pulses)

PulseFhracTLs (Defensive - are a short-distance machine gun-like energy weapon). Frequency, Harmonic, Resonating, Accentuated, continuous modulating sonic beam).

Proton Mines (Defensive)

A proton mine is a space-based defensive weapon. Hundreds of proton mines can be deployed to the aft of a Starship, helping to protect any attacks from aft.

AMats Mines (Defensive)

An anti-matter mine is a space-based defensive weapon. Hundreds of anti-matter mines can be deployed to the aft of a Starship, helping to protect any attacks from aft.

Offensive:

Energy Weapons (Beam weapons are lasers and particle beams. Kinetic weapons are

coilguns, railguns, and shrapnel weapons. Missiles are missiles):

Lightening Cannons (Offensive)

The lightning gun is an ‘antique’ weapon, not usually expected in a battle, and because it isn’t expected, starships have little defense against it.

Particle Beams (Offensive and Defensive)

A particle-beam weapon uses a high-energy beam of atomic or subatomic particles to damage the target by disrupting its atomic and molecular structure. A type of Directed Energy Weapon, it can be used Offensively and Defensively. They are predicted to come close to the speed of light.

Lasers or Phased Beam (Offensive)

A Directed Energy weapon fires a beam of energy light at the speed of light. Certain weather conditions may reduce the efficacy of laser weapons. Therefore, kinetic and non-kinetic weapons must work together in the same place.

Two potential types of energy could be employed:

ThraseRs (long-distance constant energy beam). Tachyon Harmonic Resonating Amplified Simulated Energy Radiated System

FhracTLs (are a long-distance constant energy type beam). Frequency, harmonic, resonating, accentuated, continuous modulating sonic beam).

Additional energy weapons that might be used:

Microwave (Offensive)

A Directed Microwave (electromagnetic weapon) is designed to penetrate a starship's hull and kill all crew members. These have been demonstrated for non-lethal use against people. As long as the weapon has electric power, it does not need to carry ammunition or reload.

ION Cannons (Offensive)

An Ion Gun is an instrument that generates a beam of ‘Heavy IONs’ with a defined energy distribution. They are devices that emit charged particles (ions and electrons, respectively) directed in a beam. Ion weapons fire ionized particles that disrupt electronic systems that can turn starships into silent, drifting hulks.

Disintegrator (Offensive)

Any starship or person struck by a Disintegor ray is reduced to a pile of ash, a very menacing weapon.

Projectile Weapons or Kinetic Weapons (They can use indirect fire versus a straight line of site fire):

PulseEMs-100 (Pulse Electro-Magnetic) releases a continuous EMP beam until the energy supply is exhausted. Would short-circuit electrical systems from a one-hundred-megaton blast. Capable of being used at long range, PulseEMs missiles are used to augment a warship's firepower by supplementing their ENERGY Weapons using a scaled-down version of fusion for propulsion. It employs a nuclear-pumped X-ray laser warhead as its explosive munition. The warhead can be swapped out with kinetic flax or fusion warheads. This missile is excellent for disabling electronics on an enemy starship.

NATs-150 (Nuclear Assault Torpedoes System) torpedoes with a nuclear tip, a maximum of one hundred and fifty megatons - a dirty nuclear weapon.

Nuclear ORBs (NukeORBs-100) - Nuclear blast. One hundred megatons atomic device.

MATs-250 (Matter/Anti-Matter Assault Torpedoes - lovingly called planet-busters. They could rip the very fabric of space with a maximum yield of two hundred fifty megatons of anti-matter energy.

Anti-Matter ORBs (AMatsORBs-250 - Defensive and Offensive)

Anti-matter blast generates at least two hundred fifty megatons of explosive energy. They could rip the very fabric of space with a maximum yield of two hundred fifty megatons of anti-matter energy.

nBATs-150 (Nova Burst Assault Torpedoes), commonly called HellFires. Near Nova (Sun) explosive releasing a small sun level of energy.

PKD-500 (Planet Killer Drill) - A massive drill that would pierce an object to its center and then detonate a five-hundred-megaton NukeORBs

The universe is filled with diverse entities; some won’t be nice. I think anything less will get space explorers killed. At the same time, I wouldn’t want to go into space with arms showing. Concealment until the need for a ‘Yellow Alert’ seems reasonable. I prefer to proceed with ‘Having weapons and not needing them’ rather than ‘Not having weapons and needing them.’ I value all life, but I am not sure every species will.

Goldilock Planets

July 2023

The ‘Goldilocks Zone’ refers to the habitable zone around a star where the temperature is right. Not too hot and not too cold. It is the correct zone for liquid water to exist on a planet. Liquid water is essential for life as we know it. Where we find liquid water on Earth, we also find life. Of the 1,780 confirmed planets beyond our solar system, as many as 16 are in their star's habitable zone.

Our ‘Goldilocks Zone’ extends from Venus to Mars. If water were found on Mars, we could find life or colonize it with adventurers from Earth. With the proper atmospheric generating equipment, we could create an atmosphere, in decades, that would eventually see rain hit Mar’s surface.

Kepler-62f is a super-Earth exoplanet orbiting within the habitable zone of the star Kepler-62. It is the outermost of five such planets discovered and is located about 1,200 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Lyra. It is about 40% larger than Earth. It orbits a sun that is dimmer and smaller than Earth’s Sun. It appears to have an atmosphere, water, and land. It is not likely to have oxygen similar to Earth’s, but it is probably the most Earth-like found yet.

Kepler-442b is a confirmed super Earth-sized exoplanet, likely rocky, orbiting within the habitable zone of the K-type star Kepler-442, about 1,206 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Lyra. Its Sun is about 40% the mass of Earth’s Sun and is projected to live for 30 billion years. It appears to have an atmosphere, water, and land. It has roughly 2 and 1/3 the mass of Earth and orbits its Sun in a little over 112 days. It is often referred to as Earth’s cousin.

Kepler-186f confirms that planets the size of Earth exist in the habitable zone of stars other than our Sun. Kepler-186f is about 600 light-years from Earth and would take 500 years at the speed of light or 22 million years on a space shuttle. It takes approximately 180 days to orbit its Sun. Kepler-186f is about 10% larger than Earth. Gravity on the planet could be similar to Earth’s. The Sun, Kepler-452, contrasts with our Sun, Kepler-452 is also 20% brighter than our Sun and 11% larger. No evidence of a moon has been discovered.

TRAPPIST-1g, the sixth planet, is located in the habitable zone and is an exoplanet. It has an orbital period of just over 12 days and is slightly larger and more massive than Earth. It orbits a Red Dwarf Star somewhat larger than Jupiter, approximately 40 light-years from Earth. It would take 39 years to get there at the speed of light. It is over 229 trillion miles from Earth.

Proxima Centauri B is the closest, potentially habitable exoplanet to Earth. It is orbiting in the habitable zone of the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to Earth’s Sun and part of Alpha Centauri's triple star system. Proxima b is considered tidally locked and inundated by stellar winds, which means it's unlikely to be habitable. Last year, scientists discovered another Earth-like planet orbiting one of our closest neighboring stars, Proxima Centauri. Currently, this planet is the best candidate we have for supporting human life.

The 10 most Earth-like planets are:

· Kepler-69c, Kepler-62f, Kepler-186f, Kepler-442b, Kepler-452b, Kepler-1649c, Proxima Centauri b, and TRAPPIST-1e.

If you have further interest, ‘Google’ the remaining stars.

Space Travel

January 2023

Traveling through space opens the way to two questions.

1. Is the travel within the Solar System only? or

2. Is the travel within the Galaxy or the Universe? Traveling within the Solar System won’t require ships that can travel super fast. The first trip to Mars is anticipated to take nine months, too long for liquid fuel. Traveling within the Galaxy will likely require an impressive WARP drive, and traveling within the Universe would likely require ‘Folding’ of space and time.

Nuclear,

Has been successful for 60 years (Fission)

More efficient than chemical rockets

Not used at launch

Used by NASA with DOE assistance for deep space probes

Low Enriched Uranium

ION,

An ion thruster, ion drive, or ion engine is a form of electron propulsion used for spaceships, and it creates thrust by accelerating IONs using electricity.

Ion thrust engines are practical only in the vacuum of space. Ions exist in the atmosphere and inhibit an ion drive

Used to keep communication satellites in proper positions

It would take nine months to reach Mars with an ION drive

Warp Drive

Matter-AntiMatter Drive

A warp drive is a device that distorts the shape of the space-time continuum.

DARPA and NASA Scientists Accidentally Create Warp Bubble for Interstellar Travel.

Extraterrestrials

July 2022

As of 2018, there were theorized 21.6 sextillion planets in the universe, with as many as 400 Billion Earth-like planets. In just the Milky Way, it is believed there are 100 Billion planets, with only 300 Million Earth-like ones. When asked if UFOs are genuine, I think that UFOs and aliens are real and have visited Earth throughout history. I believe that they’re even here today, and they’re vastly more advanced than us.

NASA has discovered more than 3,700 “exoplanets” - those likely to support life as we know it - and 2,700 planetary systems. The search for more of these worlds continues because at least a hundred billion galaxies are expected to exist, and each galaxy is full of stars.

One of the first considerations humankind should throw out is the concept of ‘Aliens.’ If we encounter another species, are we, or are they the ‘Aliens’? It seems that the term ‘Aliens’ was too quickly used for something new or that we didn’t understand.

I understand that the concept of ‘Aliens’ conjures up fear. Will they be hostile or friendly? In such a vast universe, the likelihood that all encounters will be with only NICE beings is unlikely. I would not want to venture out into the deepest regions of space without the ability to protect myself, my crew, and my starship. Of course, placing someone in command of a level of firepower could be dangerous if their fear overcame them.

As our understanding of other planets, the solar system, and the universe grow, we realize that intelligent life probably exists outside Earth. I do not subscribe to the theory that the universe was created from nothing, and I believe in GOD. I also believe that GOD created the universe filled with incredible diversity that we can’t comprehend. If Earth is the only inhabited planet, then GOD has a sense of humor. What greater joke can there be with the wanton killing we do to our species?

A few decades ago, belief in intelligent life outside of Earth - aliens - was still more often ridiculed than not. Today, it’s a very different story, and it’s more absurd not to believe in it. Even with changing attitudes, there’s still a long way to go until open discussion becomes the norm.

We deserve to know the truth. The Aetherius Society has been helping to spread the truth about UFOs and alien life since the 1950s. One day we will uncover the answer - YES or NO regarding the existence of aliens. Probably not in my lifetime.

Teleportation

January 2022

Teleportation is a hypothetical transfer of matter or energy from one point to another without passing through physical space. Is teleportation possible? While teleporting people exist only in science fiction, teleportation is possible now in the subatomic world of quantum mechanics - not as depicted on TV. In the quantum world, teleportation involves the transportation of information rather than matter.

Not convinced? Teleportation hasn't been strictly sci-fi since 1993, and in that year, it moved to theoretical reality. Physicist Charles Bennett and IBM researchers confirmed that quantum teleportation was possible only if the original object being teleported was destroyed.

In 1998, physicists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and two European groups made IBM's teleportation theory a reality by successfully teleporting a photon - a particle of energy that carries light. The Caltech team read the atomic structure, sent this information across 3.28 feet (about 1 meter) of coaxial cable, and created a photon replica on the other side. As predicted, the original photon no longer existed once the copy appeared.

To accomplish the experiment, the Caltech group had to skirt the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. This principle states that you cannot simultaneously know a particle's location and momentum, and it's also the main barrier for the teleportation of objects larger than a photon.

Since 1998, scientists haven't worked up to teleporting animals or people. Still, their progress is quite impressive. In 2002, researchers at the Australian National University successfully teleported a laser beam. In 2006, a team at Denmark's Niels Bohr Institute teleported information stored in a laser beam into a cloud of atoms about 1.6 feet (half a meter) away.

In 2012, researchers at the University of Science and Technology of China made a new teleportation record. They teleported a photon 60.3 miles (97 kilometers), 50.3 miles (81 kilometers) farther than the previous record. Given these advancements, quantum teleportation will affect the world of quantum computing far before it helps your morning commute time.

Teleportation may someday transport objects, animals, and even people, but without developing a tool to map the complexity of the human being, I prefer someone else go first. I believe it will happen in the future, and everything is impossible until someone does it.

Shields

July 2021

In Science Fiction, a force field, also known as an energy shield, is a ‘protective’ barrier made of some form of energy enveloping a starship. It is possible to create an energy shield. A paper published in the student's Journal of Special Physics Topics details how plasma could create a barrier around a starship or other objects that could deflect certain kinds of energy. There are potentially two types of shield requirements: Deflector Shields and Defensive Shields.

· Deflector Shield goes before a starship so that nothing hits it while moving through space.

· Defensive Shields could protect a starship, space station, or even a planet from weapons fire.

Below I suggest what seems like possibilities for the future. The only impossible thing is that which hasn’t been done or created yet. Never place limits on your mind.

Starship General (six types):

Bow / Aft, Port / Starboard, Dorsal / Ventral

Potential starship ‘Shield’ applications could be, but are not limited to:

Normal Flight:

Deflector - Particle protection against small debris in

space, asteroids, meteors, missiles, and slower torpedoes

Cloak - Invisibility of a ship, including all energy levels

Regenerative - Rapidly regenerate, the lowest power level of a

shield

Combat Ready:

Phased Cloak - Allows a starship to pass through solid objects

MetaPhasic - Allows a starship to pass through a sun

corona

Temporal - Prevents temporal weapons from nearing

starship

Combat:

Rotating Harmonics - Allow a starship to rotate the frequencies of its shields to prevent

an enemy starship from penetrating microscopic windows

Subspace Phasic Shields - Allow a starship to adjust shields

quickly and effectively render the starship impervious to energy or torpedo weapons

Applications for shields in Normal Flight, Combat Ready mode, or Combat mode should have available all proceeding shield capabilities.

Artificial intelligence

February 2021

Science Fiction is coming to fruition, and humanity is developing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to better society. I do have to say that AI does scare me a little. I think of Terminator and wonder in what direction AI will go. Can AI evolve into a self-aware entity? Will time tell? At this time, there are several companies actively working on AI (these are only the top 8):

· Nvidia Corp. (NVDA)

· Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL)

· Salesforce (CRM)

· Amazon.com (AMZN)

· Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)

· Baidu (BIDU)

· Intel Corp. (INTC)

· Twilio (TWLO)

Once AI arrives, millions or more jobs could be lost by people. These could require future governments to pay a rising unemployment figure. On the almost positive side, it would free people to do whatever they want. Sadly, governments might collapse, and all humanity could be governed by machines or even eliminated like a virus.

Two of the brightest people of the “computer age,” Bill Gates and Elon Musk, have warned that AIs might destroy the planet by doing away with humans by accident - or not by accident. Now that Mr. Gates is not with Microsoft, as the man at the helm, Microsoft is on a path to AI. I wonder where all of these different paths take humanity.

An AI is unlikely to exhibit human emotions like love or hate. Further, expecting an AI to be a caretaker to humans may not be realistic of a machine. Experts regarding AIs caution against two paths AIs could take:

1. Suppose an AI is programmed to do something devastating: control weapons and be programmed to kill. An AI might not launch, but a “person” could launch our nukes in the wrong hands. AIs in the wrong hands could be very dangerous.

2. An AI is programmed to do something good but could follow a destructive path to achieve its goal. Again, a more negative way might be pursued in the wrong hands.

A superintelligent AI would not likely be evil, but the human in control could be. An AI's resultant outcome must align with humanities. If not, Terminator could be a reality. Only time will tell. AIs can provide humankind with a tremendous advantage, technology-wise. AI is not inherently evil, but the person controlling them could be. Leaving ours or our children's future in the hands of AI, controlled by a whacked-out person, doesn’t seem like a great choice.

Book Writing - 101

July 3, 2020

First, there is no right or wrong way to write a book. I believe all books have three things in common; Beginning, Middle, and End. I often see two methodologies for writing a book:

Conceptually, think of a Beginning and an Ending. Once you have these in mind, writing the Middle can be easy, though not always.

Conceptually, think of a Beginning (at least have an idea for an Ending) and let the story/characters take you through the Middle to the End (could be original or different from your first thoughts).

I tend to write “stream of thought.” When I start a book, I have an idea. Beyond a conceptual Beginning, I let my characters take me to an Ending. And no, I am not crazy, but when the characters seem to come alive and direct me through the Middle and finally to an Ending - I believe readers are presented with a better story.

All stories (Science Fiction oriented) have several requirements, or so I think:

Characters

Story Line - map it out on a whiteboard

Technology (not what is currently available, but something that could be attained)

For the most part, most storylines are plausible or can be made so. Try and keep your storyline acceptable and not outlandish. If you are writing Fantasy, then if you can define it, anything goes. As for pure Science Fiction, try to keep it within the realm of real possibilities. I wrote on this Blog about Science Fiction / Science Fact. I believe that what can be seen in most SciFi stories could be in our future - that’s exciting. So try to keep technology within the realm of future possibilities.

While I may use “stream of thought,” and often I have an Ending in mind, I don’t let the story or characters become restricted by my thoughts. I am fairly certain none of my Endings remained as I first envisioned them.

I often go to Middle or High schools to chat with students in an English class; about my books and about writing books. If your teacher has any interest, have them email me (see website www.claytonlmcnally.com for the email address).

Follow up on January blog - A product called DxtER was created to scan people and detect a few issues with blood, not Doctor McKoys, but it is a start. The device can diagnose a variety of problems, including pneumonia, sleep apnea, diabetes, a UTI, and 30 other conditions.

Science Fiction and/or Science Fact

January 3, 2020

Trying to ascertain if Science Fiction can lead to Science Fact often cause people to jump on the nay-sayer bandwagon, but is that the right jump?

Decades ago, Star Trek filled the TV airwaves with wonders that could boggle the mind.

Kirk’s communicator device arguably could have been the forefather of the first “Cell Phones.” Real cell phones have surpassed the foldable device of the TV series. Now, we have “Smart Phones,” though they have moved far from the foldable communication devices that Kirk and crew used.

McCoy’s tricorder for checking out the health of a person could have been the forerunner of today's “Ultra Sound.” Albeit, the “Ultra Sound” of today has a long way to go to perform the functionality of Dr. McCoy’s tricorder, but it is a start.

Warp Drive (Alcubierre Drive) - Quote “Thanks to a NASA physicist, the notion of warp speed might just travel out of sci-fi and into the real world. NASA's Harold White has been working since 2010 to develop a warp drive that will allow spacecraft to travel at speeds faster than light -- 186,000 miles per second. Jun 12, 2014.” Where are they now?

Teleportation - Quote “An actual teleportation of matter has never been realized. It is questionable if it can ever be achieved because any transfer of matter from one point to another without traversing the physical space between violates Newton's laws, a cornerstone of physics.”

Photon Torpedoes - while not currently available. The creation of anti-matter (tiny amounts) gives rise to an eventual Photon Torpedo which is the mixing of matter and anti-matter. It will take many years to be able to produce anti-matter in bulk (safely).

ION Drive - As of 2009 researchers were working to build an ION drive to power the first mission to Mars. It would take a 6-month journey and reduce it to 39 days. ION drives can only work in space and, as such may need to be tested in Earth orbit, not on Earth’s surface (unless inside a massive vacuum generator.) Quote “The ion engine was first demonstrated by German-born NASA scientist Ernst Stuhlinger and developed in practical form by Harold R. Kaufman at NASA (Lewis now the Glenn Research Center) from 1957 to the early 1960s.”

Phasers - a more advanced laser. Not available yet, but one day.

I believe that nothing is impossible. Sooner or later someone will make the impossible work. Science Fiction is just a precursor to Science Fact. What person(s) can think of is likely to be somewhere in the future a reality. Wait and see.