Science for Use in Science Fiction

[Stryder50]

And here's a probable from more distant human history;

Comets and The Bronze Age Collapse​

By Bob Kobres​

Comets and The Bronze Age Collapse

By Bob Kobres Mirrored from The Cosmic Tusk. The original page is here. . . . and from heaven a great star shall fall on the dread ocean and burn up the deep sea, with Babylon itself and the …

craterhunter.wordpress.com

Also

Comets and the Bronze Age Collapse

 

[Stryder50]

At the risk of sounding like I'm recommending/advertising, I need to plug "The Great Courses" programs.
The Great Courses

I've recently acquired and started viewing their DVD course on "

How Science Shapes Science Fiction "​

I'm finding it very entertaining and informative, especially since the DVD version has some great visuals to go with it. He covers the range of authors, works/books/movies, and topics that are foundation to Sci-Fi while looking into the science used, or mangled, by these favorites.

The Great Courses

www.thegreatcourses.com

- You may want to just get on their mailing list, get the catalogs, and shop when they have the best discounts/sales. Once or more each year nearly every course is down to about 20% (or less) usual price.

 

[miketx]

With our Galaxy being about 100,000 light years across (diameter), this is relatively close by;

Experts spot two stars falling into other 1,500 light years from Earth​

Experts spot two stars falling into other 1,500 light years from Earth

Never happened under Trump.

 

[Stryder50]

Being the archive thread for Sci-Fi, some article links;
...

Is Physical Law an Alien Intelligence?​

Alien life could be so advanced it becomes indistinguishable from physics.​

Is Physical Law an Alien Intelligence?

Alien life could be so advanced it becomes indistinguishable from physics.

getpocket.com

...

What if There's an Earth-Like Planet at One of Our Closest Stars?​

MSN

www.msn.com

...

20 facts you might not know about 'Alien'​

MSN

www.msn.com

...

These are the best 'Twilight Zone' episodes of all time, according to data​

These are the best 'Twilight Zone' episodes of all time, according to data

 

[Stryder50]

A click bait slide show, but still a couple interesting items within;

Teleportation and the mysterious 'Philadelphia Experiment'​

MSN

www.msn.com

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Massive plasma eruption on the Sun shot 2.2 million miles into space​

MSN

www.msn.com

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There’s a Chance the Black Hole at the Center of Our Galaxy Is Actually a Wormhole​

The odds are slim, but a new analysis shows it’s possible.​

There’s a Chance the Black Hole at the Center of Our Galaxy Is Actually a Wormhole

The odds are slim, but a new analysis shows it’s possible.

getpocket.com

 

[Stryder50]

Leaning into the Sci-Fi part here;
Philip K Dick: the writer who witnessed the future
...
Forty years since the death of the sci-fi author – whose stories have inspired films like Blade Runner and Minority Report – Adam Scovell explores how prophetic his work has been.

I am in passport control. I can see my face on a screen. The technology recognises me and lets me through. I scan codes showing my vaccination status and recent Covid test results. The machines assess the data regarding my health and microbiology. Through into the waiting room, people are staring into little screens. A strangely large number have the camera flipped, and are capturing their faces at different angles, as if they've forgotten what they look like. I open my laptop and join in. I give my details to a company to enter the digital realm. Adverts tailored to my personality pop up. They know me better than I know myself.

This is 2022. And 2022 is a Philip K Dick novel.
...

Philip K Dick: the writer who witnessed the future

Forty years since the death of the sci-fi author – whose stories have inspired films like Blade Runner and Minority Report – Adam Scovell explores how prophetic his work has been.

www.bbc.com

 

[Stryder50]

12 of the strangest objects in the universe​

MSN

www.msn.com

 

[Stryder50]

The weirdest moons in the solar system​

MSN

www.msn.com

 

[Stryder50]

Interesting ...

Earth Has a 27.5-Million-Year 'Heartbeat', But We Have No Idea What Causes It​

MSN

www.msn.com

 

[Stryder50]

You’ve probably never heard of terahertz waves, but they could change your life​

Welcome to the electromagnetic dark zone.
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You've probably never heard of terahertz waves, but they could change your life

In the far infrared band of the electromagnetic spectrum, engineers are exploring the terahertz gap, which could lead to a wave of faster, more sensitive technologies.

www.popsci.com

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The Most Important Scientific Problems Have Yet to Be Solved​

If certain areas of science appear to be quite mature, others are in the process of development, and yet others remain to be born.
...

The Most Important Scientific Problems Have Yet to Be Solved

If certain areas of science appear to be quite mature, others are in the process of development, and yet others remain to be born.

getpocket.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Mysterious beams of light in the sky have been spotted around the world​

MSN

www.msn.com

 

[Stryder50]

Hubble sees most distant star ever, 28 billion light-years away​

MSN

 

[Stryder50]

The Long Goodbye to Saturn’s Rings​

The planet’s defining feature is slowly disappearing.
...

The Long Goodbye to Saturn’s Rings

The planet’s defining feature is slowly disappearing.

www.theatlantic.com

 

[Stryder50]

A Powerful 'Space Laser' Has Been Detected Beaming From Deep Space​

Powerful, radio-wavelength laser light has been detected emanating from the greatest distance across deep space yet.
...

MSN

www.msn.com

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Telescope discovers galactic space laser at a record-breaking 5 billion lightyears away​

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A powerful telescope in South Africa has detected a space laser, known as a "megamaser," that is 5 billion lightyears from Earth. Scientists named it Nkalakatha, an isiZulu word meaning "big boss."
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Telescope discovers galactic space laser at a record-breaking 5 billion lightyears away

The megamaser, named Nkalakatha, was discovered by the MeerKAT telescope in South Africa.

www.cbsnews.com

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Hmmm ... ???

 

[Stryder50]

Astronomers discover small but mighty 'micronova' star explosion​

...
Astronomers have discovered a new kind of star explosion called a micronova. Although it may be smaller than the giant supernova explosions that claim the lives of stars, this incendiary event still packs a punch.

Each micronova can burn through "around 3.5 billion Great Pyramids of Giza" of material (or 20,000,000 trillion kilograms) in just a few hours, according to the researchers.

These extremely powerful outbursts can occur on the surface of white dwarfs, or dead stars about as small as our planet, based on observations made by a team of astronomers using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile's Atacama Desert.

"We have discovered and identified for the first time what we are calling a micronova," said lead study author Simone Scaringi, an astronomer and assistant professor at Durham University in the United Kingdom, in a statement. "The phenomenon challenges our understanding of how thermonuclear explosions in stars occur. We thought we knew this, but this discovery proposes a totally new way to achieve them."

A study detailing the findings published Wednesday in the journal Nature.
...

MSN

www.msn.com

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Lyrid Meteor Shower 2022: When To See Fireballs Over Washington​

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SEATTLE — Earth Day dawns Friday with the peak of an out-of-this-world event, the Lyrid meteor shower. The best time to see this often-fireball-rich star show in Washington is early in the morning. You may see them in the late evenings now through Friday as well — weather permitting.
...

MSN

www.msn.com

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What would happen if we didn't have the moon?​

MSN

www.msn.com

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Puget Sounders may have prime view of Saturn, Mars, Venus, Jupiter on Wednesday​

MSN

www.msn.com

 

[Stryder50]

IIRC, this "vehicle" may have featured in a Clive Cussler adventure novel. Still, a rather interesting episode in USA exploration ventures and something which could be varied in other world explorations, as well as any future ones here on Earth.

There’s a Massive Antarctic Exploration Vehicle Lost Somewhere at the Bottom of the World​

Last seen in 1958, it was designed to travel 5000 miles and self-sustain for an entire year.​

...​

...​

Note: The aircraft shown is a Beechcraft Staggerwing fitted with skis for landing gear.​

...​

You’d think a massive machine like this would still exist somewhere, even in pieces. And surely they made more than one for the journey. But no—the single Snow Cruiser built is lost somewhere in Antarctica (or at the bottom of the Southern Ocean). Just where exactly is an international mystery that’s likely to remain unsolved forever.​

...​

...​

The vehicle—there is no other word for it—had a twenty foot wheelbase and a total length of about 56 feet. Powering the cruiser were two Cummins diesel engines. Their combined 300 horsepower spun two generators, which sent their power to four motors—one per 10-foot-diameter wheel. Yes, this was a diesel-electric drivetrain in a vehicle way before that was a thing. The motors could push it to a top speed of 30 mph and up a 35 percent grade.​

...​

With four-wheel steering, the Snow Cruiser had a 30 foot turning circle, excellent for its size. It could also raise and lower its suspension, allowing it to (theoretically) push itself over wide crevasses on its smooth underbelly—like a 75,000-pound penguin. Interestingly, that independent articulation was designed to allow the craft to tuck its wheels up into the body when parked so the rubber tires could be warmed with exhaust gases.​

​

Inside was a control cabin, machine shop, kitchen, store room, and living quarters. These living quarters could accommodate the crew of five and Navy, a Labrador Husky along for the ride. All of the other space inside the vehicle was taken up by two massive spare tires and fuel. The Snow Cruiser not only carried 5,000 gallons of diesel for itself, but an additional 1,000 gallons for the plane it carried on its roof.​

...​

Having never actually given the vehicle a test drive on snow—its August-November development timeline didn’t allow for that—the crew began the journey of just two miles to the Little America exploration base. The Snow Cruiser was immediately out of its depth. It lacked power and traction. It was far too heavy, and its smooth tires were next to useless on the ice even with the addition of chains. (Winter tire tech was still in its infancy then, and it had been tested on the dunes of Indiana, where those massive balloon tires were actually of use.) The envisioned cruising speed of 30 mph was laughably ambitious.​

​

They weren’t going to make it to the South Pole; the Snow Cruiser could barely make it across the Ross Ice Shelf where it landed. The thing reportedly had better grip in reverse, so the expedition’s crew resorted to driving around backwards when they needed to move. Remember, these scientists had work to do and this was both their only shelter and mode of transportation apart from dogsleds and the plane—which eventually suffered engine failure and needed to be shipped out for repairs.​

...​

The mighty Snow Cruiser was found in 1946 by a U.S. Navy expedition, at which point it supposedly only needed air in its tires and a little tune-up to run. In 1958, the behemoth was again uncovered by chance—the international team that spotted its signal poles dug through feet of snow and discovered its weatherproofing had held up and the interior was just as the original crew had left it, cigarette butts and all. Seeing as it definitely wasn't going anywhere now, they left. That was the last time anyone saw it.​

​

Antarctica’s ice is forever shifting, and several years after that final Snow Cruiser sighting, a large chunk of the Ross Ice Shelf broke off near where it had been parked. Whether the vehicle is still entombed on the landbound side or lost at sea is unknown. Ironically, Poulter’s belief that the Antarctic could be seen by car wasn't totally off base— in 2017, Hyundai sent a Santa Fe crossover to the South Pole as a publicity stunt.​

...​

There’s a Massive Antarctic Exploration Vehicle Lost Somewhere at the Bottom of the World

Last seen in 1958, it was designed to travel 5000 miles and self-sustain for an entire year.

getpocket.com

 

[Stryder50]

I'm rather skeptical of this event and this slide show on it is questionable since the only two images of warships are USN battleships, not destroyers. Significant size and shape differences between the two types.
...

Teleportation and the mysterious 'Philadelphia Experiment'​

Do you believe in alien life? Do you think time travel is possible? If you answered no to either, take a look at this story that supposedly took place in the United Stated during World War II. Imagine being on board a war ship that suddenly disappears into thin air and suddenly reappears somewhere else seconds later. Imagine you haven't just experienced teleportation, but you've time traveled a few years into the future. It may sound like something out of science fiction, but there is a theory that says the U.S. Navy did it.
...

MSN

www.msn.com

 

[Stryder50]

Some more for the eclectic offerings here;
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Who Actually Created The Klingon Language In Star Trek?​

MSN

www.msn.com

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A huge solar flare just struck Earth — and there may be bigger ones to come, experts say​

MSN

www.msn.com

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Physicists make ‘impossible’ superconductor discovery that could make computers hundreds of times faster​

MSN

www.msn.com

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Watch a Sikorsky S-92 Snatch a Rocket Right Out of the Sky​

MSN

www.msn.com

 

[Stryder50]

That "pass" is further than the Moon's orbit, and measured in millions of miles. Maybe close relative to distances within the Solar System, but no worry of impact here. Still, NEOs will be a concern and these two look to "be back" in not too distant future.

Huge Asteroid to Pass Earth Thursday May Be Over 2,500 Feet Wide​

...
On Thursday, Earth will be visited by a massive asteroid with a width that could be as great as double the height of the Empire State Building, but it won't be alone and its companion is even more tremendous in size.
...
The asteroid 418135 (2008 AG33) with an estimated size of between around 1,150 and 2,560 feet will speed past Earth at 23,264 miles per hour on Thursday. But, just a few days after this, another asteroid, potentially even larger will also pass our planet.

This asteroid, designated 467460 (2006 JF42) which will make its closest approach on May 9, 2022, has an estimated size of between 1,247 and 2,822 feet. That means that potentially it could be as wide as two and a half Empire State Buildings.

This second asteroid won't just potentially top 418135 (2008 AG33) in size, however. It will also whip past our planet more rapidly, traveling at around 25,277 mph. To put that velocity into perspective, it is twelve and a half times faster than a bullet fired by a rifle, 17 times as fast as a jet fighter, and 1,000 times as fast as Usain Bolt.

There is one category in which 418135 (2008 AG33) has 467460 (2006 JF42) beaten. The April 28 visit to our region of the solar system will see this asteroid come within about two million miles of Earth. During its visit in May, 467460 (2006 JF42) will remain around 3.5 million miles from our planet.

Using NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory at California Institute of Technology's Small-Body Database Lookup it is possible to track where these objects are in relation to Earth.
...

MSN

www.msn.com

 

[Stryder50]

Out of a Magic Math Function, One Solution to Rule Them All​

Mathematicians used “magic functions” to prove that two highly symmetric lattices solve a myriad of problems in eight- and 24-dimensional space.

Out of a Magic Math Function, One Solution to Rule Them All

Mathematicians used “magic functions” to prove that two highly symmetric lattices solve a myriad of problems in eight- and 24-dimensional space.

getpocket.com

 

[Stryder50]

The Machiavellians of the Animal Kingdom​

Want to see a power play in a group? Behold the mongoose.​

The Machiavellians of the Animal Kingdom

Want to see a power play in a group? Behold the mongoose.

nautil.us