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Scientists detect small pockets of carbon dioxide-rich liquid water in a meteorite dating from the early solar system

April 25, 2021
MThomas

“This assumption is consistent with recent theoretical studies of the solar system’s evolution that suggest that asteroids rich in small, volatile molecules like water and carbon dioxide formed beyond Jupiter’s orbit before being transported to areas closer to the sun.”
http://en.ritsumei.ac.jp/news/detail/?id=585

Just announced by my workplace!

And no, I don’t teach in that department.

However, it does show the need for STEM students and researchers in Japan to improve their English. For every study like this published in English there are many more only published in Japanese. Lots of interesting research going on in Japan that people *outside* Japan need to know about!

Still very much a work in process!

April 24, 2021
MThomas

Apologies to readers for the weird mix-up in chapter numbering. I’ve been (slowly, painfully slowly) writing Bringer of Light on Scrivener…which I forgot to update on my desktop PC, which led to some sort of weird misnumbering of chapters in two different versions of the file.

Anyway, I have begun to finish up the story but now I’m going back and doing some editing while continuing to finish the first book of the series off. I’ll be adding more details (especially about technology) while trying to keep the technobabble out and getting more focused on character interaction and development.

It’s a process, after all! Hope you’re enjoying it.

See here for a list of chapters so far (draft form).

Frogs embryos turned into xenobots

April 12, 2021
MThomas

Using blobs of skin cells from frog embryos, scientists have grown creatures unlike anything else on Earth, a new study reports. These microscopic “living machines” can swim, sweep up debris and heal themselves after a gash.
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/frog-skin-cells-self-made-living-machines-xenobots/amp?__twitter_impression=true

The possibilities are endless…

Space elevators, revisited (and even possible)

April 2, 2021
MThomas

“Technical-wise, it’s kind of ready” (Prof. George Zhu of York University)
https://academictimes.com/far-from-science-fiction-space-elevators-may-be-nearing-deployment/?fbclid=IwAR0owexz5xK1IW9ye4FxiocqnrL7DgroSeRaqtgbNwpDVx4RIDVLZSuLWXc

The possibilities…the tether doesn’t actually have to touch the ground. Basically, you put up a satellite with two tethers (one for things going up, one for things going down) and then have a rocket sent up and attach to the tether.

The tether would then push the payload the rest of the way into outer space (as the article points out, space begins at 62 miles above sea level, but 98% of the weight of rockets is used to break away from the Earth’s gravity to that point).

Now, this article was published on April 1st, so I’m really hoping it’s not a prank…

(Also, wordpress looks REALLY BAD today for some reason. Wth? This “block” style is clunky AF and looks more like Netscape ca. 1996)

Apologies for the delay…

February 21, 2021
MThomas

I missed my last post of Bringer of Light. It should have dropped on Saturday, February 20, to bring the story up to Chapter 15.

To be honest, for most of the past couple of weeks I’ve been feeling like I was on the edge of a nervous breakdown. Things at work and home were just finally getting to me and I needed to take a serious break from life in general. Just way too much to do and not enough time to do it.

And I’m really, really super sick of this pandemic and the government’s completely irresponsible behavior (I’m in Japan, if you’re interested…the LDP is, was, and will be only concerned about their stupid Olympics, which ought to be cancelled and, quite frankly, never held again…complete and utter waste of taxpayer money).

I’ve managed to calm my nerves somewhat, but I think I’ll just rearrange the schedule a bit. Every week is just getting to be too much.

So I’ll see if I can get the next chapter up this coming weekend (Saturday February 27th) and continue the story every TWO weeks rather than every single week.

Sorry for the delay. Stay safe, everyone.

Weebles wobble — and so does Mars

February 5, 2021
MThomas

Looks like Mars doesn’t spin perfectly on its axis. In fact, it wobbles.

And no one knows why.

This makes Mars only the second planet in our solar system to exhibit what’s called the “Chandler wobble.”

The other planet?

Why, Earth, of course.

(And, no, nobody knows why. Hmm. Chandler?)

Blue Jets, Red Sprites, Trolls, and Elves in Space

January 25, 2021
MThomas

“Blue jets” rise up from clouds.

Above the lightning, “red sprites” can be seen (plasma discharges).

Known about since 1886, not photographed until 1989….and now known to occur on Jupiter.

Check out this page for some amazing photos…

“NASA captures blue jets and red sprites above thunderstorms from space” (somebody needs to help Forbes with its grammar…”from space” is a misplaced modifier…)

https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2021/01/25/nasa-captures-blue-jets-and-red-sprites-above-thunderstorms-from-space/?utm_medium=40digest.intl.carousel&utm_source=email&utm_content=&utm_campaign=campaign&sh=5a7c63a71d98

How to get a new tooth in Japan

January 23, 2021
MThomas

Note: the screw is nowhere near this big.

This past Thursday I got a metal spike screwed into my jaw.

And it hurt.

But not as badly as I feared. To be honest, it’s all my fault. Well, all my 20-year-old-self’s fault. Too much soda and not enough brushing and flossing in college.

Damn you, Dr. Pepper!

A ‘Megasatellite’ Orbiting Ceres Would Make a Fine Home For Humans, Scientist Says

January 22, 2021
MThomas

Ha! I knew it.

Well, OK, I guessed it.

And added miners.

And space pirates.

Whatever.

https://www.sciencealert.com/could-humans-live-in-a-megasatellite-settlement-around-dwarf-planet-ceres?fbclid=IwAR08gSQ8savsJSsMt4aaTYS-DHwy7z-MhzyBR7-btnSejMig-m0anKMk6RI

Xenobots: Self-healing organic “robots”

January 6, 2021
MThomas

Xenobots could be used to clean up radioactive waste, collect microplastics in the oceans, carry medicine inside human bodies, or even travel into our arteries to scrape out plaque. The xenobots can survive in aqueous environments without additional nutrients for days or weeks — making them suitable for internal drug delivery.
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/13/us/living-robot-stem-cells-intl-hnk-scli-scn/index.html?fbclid=IwAR0QfYHsd6BzLeuiQdTomcmaJua7SQbNfI-I9qyLUqDio8M60JF-gPjgGg0

Sounds great. After all, what could go wrong?

(At least it couldn’t get any worse than things already are…well, maybe…)

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