Today's physics lesson:

Ultraviolet rays can burn you even if it's cloudy. The higher one's altitude, the more severe the risk -- especially if you're traipsing around mountaintop observatories. (If the subject has a shaved head, this increased exposure can lead to mild burns in a remarkably short length of time.)

In addition to scheduled filming, today I hooked up with Dr. Leo Sprinkle (who I personally hope makes the cut, although his inclusion was about as serendipitous as you can get).

I'd probably be in the hotel pool right now if I'd remembered to bring swimming trunks. But at least now I have a hat.

I'm writing this in a hotel in Laramie, WY -- which, frustratingly, is out of my cellphone network. Twittering will be sporadic at best until I leave for Wisconsin in a couple days.

Much of today was spent shooting at a mountaintop observatory. Since I haven't shared the screen with anyone yet, my job so far has mostly been posing for "establishing" shots and otherwise wandering around attempting to look at least moderately contemplative.

The scenery is incredible. Naturally, everyone's been taking pictures. Expect a fairly extended photo-essay when I get back.

Enough late-night blogging from me; I seem to remember that I'd decided to go on temporary hiatus . . .

A jet-pack to wake the dead:



Hey, you asked for it.

(Thanks: BB.)

If Life Exists on Venus, Could it be Blown to Earth?

We've heard about the possibility of extraterrestrial life arriving on Earth from another planet, asteroid or comet, but the mode of transport usually includes a chunk of rock falling through the atmosphere as a meteorite. But there could be another form of interplanetary transportation. What if there are microbial forms of alien life floating in the upper atmosphere of Venus (the planet's clouds contain compounds that could indicate presence of micro organisms)? Could they make the trip to Earth?

I'm intrigued by Dr. Cliff Pickover's books. His books explore topics ranging from computers and creativity to art, mathematics, parallel universes, Einstein, time travel, alien life, religion, dimethyltryptamine elves, and the nature of human genius. His main web page is here.

(Call me a little crazy, but one reason I've placed this text on my web page is that I hope he will discover it and give me one of his books as a gift. In fact, like a mindless zombie, I copied these very words from Cliff.)

Not only am I intrigued by his books, I'm more than a little interested in finding out if his viral marketing effort works.

Random Acts of Senseless Violence: Why isn't it a classic of the field?

Why not indeed?

I have a whole page of Womack capsule reviews here. I can only stand in awe of his ability to create abhorrently plausible near-futures.

In other science fiction news:

Great Opening Sentences From Science Fiction

Image: Mondolithic Studios.


I'm putting Posthuman Blues on a week's hiatus, as I'll be out-of-state helping shoot a documentary (in which I'll actually appear at some length). My first jaunt, which begins Sunday, will take me to Wyoming and Wisconsin, respectively. I'll be speaking with Jeffrey Lockwood and Maggie Turnbull about -- you guessed it -- alien life.

I plan on keeping a minimal online presence by updating my Twitter page through my cellphone. Alternatively, you can check out the five most recent "tweets" on this blog's sidebar.

I pretty much saw this coming, having experienced the UFO "disclosure" song-and-dance one too many times. Questions remain, but they're not nearly as intriguing as they might have been.

The lesson? Never, ever, underestimate the power of a meme that appeals to our sense of planetary identity, because there are those who will exploit it for any number of reasons.

Having said that, I'm not blaming Mitchell; whether he realizes it or not, he's exposed the duplicitous underbelly of the memetic beast -- not exactly an opportunity we're afforded everyday.

And just in case you think I'm being a fun-killer . . .

Irene Klotz from Discovery interviewed Mitchell after his UK radio interview and here's an excerpt:

Irene Klotz: I wanted to ask you if there was anything about the radio interview you did that was different from what you've said in the past.

Edgar Mitchell: No, there's nothing different. Several of (the reports of the interview) that I've seen come around have some flaws in them. Some of the reports pushed it or spun it incorrectly. NASA had nothing to do with anything I've done. I wasn't briefed by NASA. There haven't been any sightings as a result of my flight service there, so if that part of it comes out on anything you've seen it is just totally wrong.

In this Discovery interview, and in previous interviews, Mitchell has not offered any definite proof of his claims, and said he's only been "told by people who were utterly sworn to secrecy" about alien visits to Earth. Mitchell grew up in Roswell, New Mexico.

Let the hate-mail commence.

(Big thanks to William Michael Mott.)

Greg Bishop poses a few sensible questions regarding Dr. Edgar Mitchell's recent statements:

It would also be nice to know where and from whom Mitchell heard these stories, but that might be naming names. Given that he's not afraid for his safety anymore, could he name places and times that could be checked out? What about deceased individuals who wouldn't have a problem if their names were mentioned? (Admittedly, this last factor might not help that much.) In any case, Mitchell is a respected American hero, and many people are inclined to take him seriously.

I don't think Mitchell is lying or delusional, but that doesn't mean his revelations are necessarily accurate (even if he believes them to be so). Of course, they could be entirely legitimate; if so, they're certainly among the most explicit UFO "insider" remarks we've yet to hear.

I freely admit that I'm skeptical of open disclosure, as I discuss in my latest piece at SETI.com:

The so-called UFO "community" is continually aroused by specious claims that the governments of the world are preparing for a monumental disclosure of UFO evidence. For once and for all, we're assured, the truth will be revealed -- and our identity as a species forever redefined by the knowledge that our planet is routinely visited by extraterrestrial spacecraft.

Although this theme (characterized by vague, if tantalizing, comments by insiders both real and imaginary) has been repeatedly enacted over the last sixty years, many UFO commentators remain oddly unfazed, content to await the next revelation in a disturbingly Kafkaesque pageant.

If Mitchell can demonstrate the veracity of his claims, he's poised to help end the charade. I'll be most interested in what -- if anything -- arises.

Design Observer Hates Steampunk

For what it's worth:

UFO Disclosure from Astronaut Edgar Mitchell

I suspect the ufosphere* will be fairly simmering with Mitchell's alleged revelations for some time.

*Hey, I think I just coined a word!

(Thanks to The Anomalist.)

Manned spaceship design unveiled

The first official image of a Russian-European manned spacecraft has been unveiled.

It is designed to replace the Soyuz vehicle currently in use by Russia and will allow Europe to participate directly in crew transportation.

The reusable ship was conceived to carry four people towards the Moon, rivalling the US Ares/Orion system.

Unlike previous crewed vehicles, it will use thrusters to make a soft landing when it returns to Earth.

Today's feature presentation: "Android 207."

With its macabre fusion of insect and pharmaceutical imagery, the latest from Mondolithic Studios has the makings of a cover for a William S. Burroughs novel (had Burroughs ever dabbled in the rust-tainted waters of steampunk).

The perfect gift for the banana slug enthusiast who has everything:

Cyber Clean

Did you know that the average computer keyboard is proven to accumulate more germs than a public toilet? Now there's a Swiss solution that can help protect your vulnerable electronic devices, not to mention your health!

(Via BB.)

A couple semi-random Fortean resources I found stashed among my bookmarks:

The Earth's Anomalous Lightforms

The British phantom airship scares, 1909-1913

I'll stop posting Pat Condell videos when I stop agreeing with him.

Scientist Defends UFO Phenomenon (Greg Bishop)

I always thought that the "extraordinary evidence" argument was not only unfair, but unscientific as well. The extraordinary evidence may have been staring us in the face for the last 60 years, but since it doesn't fit in the protocols we have established for learning about the world and universe around us, perhaps the protocols need to be evolved.

Proponents of rational UFO research are also unfairly saddled with Occam's Razor, which pseudoskeptics interpret as some sort of cosmic statute (along with the "Fermi Paradox"). But Occam's Razor is a scientific guidepost, a helpful suggestion -- not an existential tenet.

Self-described skeptics continually demand that we address the possibility of interaction with some form of nonhuman intelligence in terms of likelihood. "What's more likely?" we're asked. "That we're dealing with something genuinely new or that we're misinterpreting mundane phenomena?" But the pursuit of knowledge seeks the correct answer, not necessarily the simplest.

For that matter, who reserves the privilege of defining "simple" in a universe that, in many respects, remains humiliatingly enigmatic?

"My man likes something unexpected now and then. That's why I serve rice."

Moller International's M200G Jetson flying vehicle goes on sale in 2009

The two passenger saucer shaped aircraft can take-off and land vertically, is the size of a small automobile, operates vibration free with little noise and is also qualified to travel short distances on the ground as an automobile as well.

It's not a "real" flying car, but I like it.

NASA's Use of Cadavers to Test the Orion Capsule

NASA is debating whether the new Orion capsule should land in the water, like Apollo, or on land, similar to how the Russian Soyuz capsule returns to Earth. To help them determine the potential for human injuries with each possible landing scenario, NASA has used human cadavers during their tests.

Psst! Looking for steampunk wallpaper for your desktop?

Here's one of those deceptively simple images that manages to encapsulate our worst dystopian anxieties. More Segways and guns right this way.

Tim Binnall interviews Jacques Vallee.

UFO-related nuclear missile shut-downs discussed on Larry King. To my mind, this is an engaging and disturbing mystery that demands scientific follow-through.

Sometimes the best ideas really are the simplest.

The Deal Of A Lifetime

When I first saw one of these things my immediate reaction was, "Sweet! Space-toilets!" It took about 2.5 seconds for me to realize that these would not be the space-toilets that years of sci-fi TV had indoctrinated me to expect. There would be no automatic doors, no spongy material carpeting everything in sight, no toilet to thank me in calm tones for unleashing the wrath of the space-burrito into its glistening, chromed orifice before misting the air with rose perfume.

Monster octopi with scores of extra tentacles

In nature, it is quite rare to encounter octopi with extra tentacles (or "arms," for the purists), but a pair of aquariums in Japan's Mie prefecture have some extraordinary specimens on hand.

Lovecraft hadn't seen anything.

As usual, Bruce Sterling sums it up nicely: We're borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Persian Gulf to burn it in ways that destroy the planet.

I want to live here.

"I Know It's Over" (The Smiths):



Just because.

Hubble Kaleidoscope Finds Evidence Of Space Looking All Crazy

The object chamber, located on the end that gathers and focuses incoming light from the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum as well as the infrared and ultraviolet continua, is filled with 10,000 pounds of marbles, costume jewelry, beads, and the largest bits of colored glass ever produced.

"This new data will forever change how we look at the cosmos," said Stetler, who admitted he was "amazed" to learn that all galaxies rotate in a counterclockwise direction and never look the same way twice. "Before this, we couldn't even see the Lagoon Nebula, but now we are capable of detecting up to 254 constantly changing fractal versions of it at once. The further we probe the depths of space, the better we might understand just how vastly bonkers it looks."

God, how I love The Onion.

The Space Station as an Interplanetary Transport Vehicle?

I absolutely love this idea. Let's get crackin'!

Men find dolphin in inland garden

Mystery surrounds the discovery of a dead dolphin in the garden of two sailors in Dorset who live on a steep hill half a mile (0.8km) from the sea.

Mike Elliott, 28, and housemate Gary Harvey, woke to find the 3ft (0.9m) dolphin in Portland on Thursday.

The mammal appeared to have two puncture wounds in its stomach as if it had been speared.

Also:

Hundreds of baby penguins found dead in Brazil

DIY surrealism at its most inspired:



(Found at you know where.)

My oldest cat, Spook, has been particularly adamant lately about wanting to take strolls in the hallway outside my basement apartment.





She's mewling piteously as I type . . .

Behold! I have a new "Loving the Alien" column posted at Futurismic.

Pope: World's natural resources being squandered

Pope Benedict XVI says the world's natural resources are being squandered by "insatiable" consumption and urges people to care more for the environment.

Fun fact: the Pope forbids birth control.

Colonizing Venus With Floating Cities

Landis knows Venus' surface itself is pretty much out of the question for human habitation. But up about 50 kilometers above the surface, Landis says the atmosphere of Venus is the most Earth-like environment, other than Earth itself, in the solar system. What Landis proposes is creating floating cities on Venus where people could live and work, as well as study the planet below.

"There's been a lot of people who have been proposing space colonies, such as colonies that are in free space, separate from any planet," said Landis. "And I said, well, if you're thinking that far into the future why don't we think of some more groundbreaking, or perhaps we should say atmosphere-breaking possibilities."

And speaking of airborne life . . .

Uber-creepy fake babies in the news:

Frantic rescue effort saves doll, not baby

Ms Cernik said last week's case of mistaken identity mirrored a similar incident in the US when the window of a new Hummer was broken by police trying to rescue a "baby" that turned out to be a doll belonging to the owner's wife.

Selling for up to $1000, the painstakingly hand-painted dolls were so lifelike with eyelashes, fingernails, milk spots and wispy hair that they were constantly fooling people, Ms Cernik said.

Alan Watts: "Who am I?"



(Thanks to Dedroidify.)

Griffin: China Could Beat US in Moon Race

More bad news for NASA: even their administrator thinks China could beat the US to the Moon. Speaking with the BBC today, Michael Griffin shared his views about the Chinese space aspirations, pointing out that the super-state could, if they wanted to, send a manned mission to the lunar surface within a decade.

The Outquisition

It sounds implausibly weird, but then much of the world we're moving into is likely to sound that way at first. Our ideas of what's normal, or even what's possible, will not outlast the next decade, and it'll be the people who think in (what are by today's standards) abnormal, impossible ways who may just do the most good.

I read the first half of Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" this evening. I'd been hearing a lot of good things about it -- and hey, it takes place in a post-apocalyptic near-future and won the Pulitzer Prize, so how can I go wrong?





No one can plausibly dispute McCarthy's grasp of the English language. From the opening page, "The Road" glints with impressively understated feats of wordcraft and images of aching beauty: the omnipresent drizzle of ash that's turned the sky the color of gunmetal, the silent forests of blackened trees. McCarthy summons an image of a cataclysmic world so exquisitely realized it borders on the shamanic.

Nevertheless, I'm wary.

There don't seem to be any real ideas at work in "The Road." McCarthy's focus is the relationship between the unnamed father and son, whose trek across a gutted, toxic America forces them to perpetually confront their own mortality. But their strife is condemned to a vacuum; we view them in such extreme close-up that -- aside from a few obligatory shocks -- their devastated surroundings sometimes seem like an afterthought. (Compare McCarthy's approach to the vision of seasoned science fiction writers like Robert Charles Wilson, whose "Blind Lake" -- to use only only example -- utilizes the universe itself to underscore the inner lives of his characters. Forgive my impertinence, but I'll happily choose the latter anytime, Pulitzer Prize be damned.)

Just as ominously, McCarthy's novel is stained -- of only faintly -- with devices that serve little purpose other than to remind the reader that he's in the presence of True Literature. I'm unimpressed, for example, with the author's haughty disdain for punctuation. (In "The Road," abbreviation marks have been obliterated almost as thoroughly as the population.)

The Future of the Avatar

Regardless of how creepy this may appear to people viewing the world from our current vantage point, and what we consider normal by today's standards, avatars are destined to become routine, everyday fixtures in our future way of life.

But here's the most important part. Avatars will only live in the computer world for a short time longer. It is only a matter of time before they emerge from the computer and appear as visual beings, walking around among us.

Remembering Thomas M. Disch

Few people make a successful career of contemplating death and suicide; fewer still approach the subject with the genuine ebullience and elegant despair of the prolific, criminally underappreciated writer Thomas M. Disch, who shot himself in his Union Square apartment, in New York, on the Fourth of July.

If this image isn't Photoshopped, it qualifies as one of the most quietly eerie cityscapes I've seen in some time.

I've made no particular secret of my affection for retro-futuristic airships. Now Centauri Dreams has posted about the possibility of sending a robotic blimp to explore Saturn's moon Titan.

Artist Treats Gdansk to "Real" Fake Flashing UFO Encounter

Created in collaboration with New York artist Peter Coffin, the 23-feet aluminum UFO is covered with 3,000 individually controlled Color Kinetics LED nodes, and gets its power from an on-board 6kw generator. And get this: you really can "phone home" with this UFO, as its displays are remote-controllable via SMS messaging.

Sound cool? Wait until you watch the clip . . .



The only downside to that the "UFO" is suspended from a helicopter (not seen in the footage above). But hey -- the conspiratorially inclined will simply incorporate this into the description of their sighting: "It was a disabled saucer, dig, and a military chopper was escorting it."

In any event, wow.

(Thanks to Steve S. for the tip.)

You've thrilled to the critically acclaimed play. Now prepare for the movie!

A must-read post for anyone intimidated by pseudoskeptical rhetoric:

How Secret Was Mogul?

Researcher Kevin Randle points out that Project Mogul, the program the Air Force insists can explain the alleged crash of a "flying saucer" in Roswell, is an exceedingly poor candidate.

(Once again, I should qualify my comments by pointing out that the Roswell case remains unresolved. Just because Project Mogul fails to explain it doesn't mean that the events at Roswell involved extraterrestrials. Indeed, the ET mythos that surrounds the case could very well be a smokescreen for a terrestrial project deemed unfit for public consumption even sixty years later . . .)

Antarctic ice shelf 'hanging by thread': European scientists

New evidence has emerged that a large plate of floating ice shelf attached to Antarctica is breaking up, in a troubling sign of global warming, the European Space Agency (ESA) said on Thursday.

Images taken by its Envisat remote-sensing satellite show that Wilkins Ice Shelf is "hanging by its last thread" to Charcot Island, one of the plate's key anchors to the Antarctic peninsula, ESA said in a press release.

U.S. Finds It's Getting Crowded Out There

Although the United States remains dominant in most space-related fields -- and owns half the military satellites currently orbiting Earth -- experts say the nation's superiority is diminishing, and many other nations are expanding their civilian and commercial space capabilities at a far faster pace.

Stripper From Future Jumps Out Of Birthday Cake To Warn Humanity (audio)

:-)

On my "to read" list:

"Spook Country" (William Gibson)

"The Road" (Cormac McCarthy)

"Saturn's Children" (Charles Stross)

"Mars Life" (Ben Bova)

"Mainspring" (Jay Lake)

"Women of the future will make the Moon a cleaner place to live."

Well, someone's got to scrub those habitat modules.

(Thanx: BB.)

Just a heads-up that the SETI.com blog has resumed posting. The design upgrade I'd been anticipating hasn't materialized, but in the meantime I'll take what I can get. Comments are welcome, as always.

Shipping Justice

The box is 10-by-6-foot, with an eight foot-high ceiling. Inside nothing exists but cold white walls, a platform with a measly mattress, a stainless steel toilet/sink fixture, a florescent light, and a slitted window to meet the bare minimum requirement for a human’s right to natural light.

Needless to say, the bright crate isn't delivering a diplomatic gesture of internationally prized oranges. And thankfully not a menacing experimental crowd control robot, either. It's actually a scaled replica of a maximum security prison cell at Guantanamo Bay where detainees are known to spend up to 23 hours a day in total isolation.

Boeing Building Biggest Helicopter Ever

A combination of an aerostatic-lift aircraft and a helicopter, the JHL-40 will be a "neutrally buoyant" aircraft that, like today's airships, features a helium-filled balloon (known in the industry as an "envelope"). In addition, it will have four helicopter-style rotors for vertical lift, and computer graphics of the planned aircraft show it also fitted with ducted propellers to propel the JHL-40 horizontally.

Something about this behemoth just appeals to me. I suppose it's because it looks plausibly steampunk (disregarding the small matter of its not actually using steam as propellant, which would be cool indeed).

And any proposed vehicle that might plausibly be mistaken for an alien spaceship can't be that bad.

Moon Water Found, Raises Questions About Origin Theory

Water found in moon matter counters the long-held belief that Earth's satellite is bone dry, researchers announced today.

Geologists used new technology to coax water molecules from volcanic glasses brought back decades ago by two Apollo missions.

The researchers believe the water was ejected along with magma when "fire fountains" erupted more than three billion years ago from the moon's surface.

In the 50s and 60s UFO sightings were attributed to nuclear proliferation; now they've become harbingers of CO2 excess:

British UFO sightings at 'bizarre' levels

"Some experts believe it could be linked to global warming and craft from outer space are appearing because they are concerned about what man is doing to this planet."

An irresistibly surreal Japanese music video (courtesy of Pink Tentacle):

I like the way Cliff Pickover describes this amazing footage: "A large flock of birds behave as one group brain, flowing like sentient lava in a space of three dimensions."

This looks like one hell of a good time. More information here.

Chinese Air Bars

In a short post on MadRegale, Wired correspondent Alexis Madrigal suggests that we should open a series of "Chinese air bars" so that people around the world can temporarily experience what it's like to breathe the polluted city air of China.

China, home to some of the most polluted cities in the world, could thus capitalize on its newest export: vials of urban atmosphere. They'll simply export the sky.

It's not that I sat down intending to create a mass of link salad, but . . .

Urinals that look like flowers. Discuss.

Giant styrofoam robots on the attack!

With the largest of his creations towering overhead at 22-feet tall, Michael Salter's packing foam robot sculptures are a sight to behold. Surrounded by an army of pint-sized sentry Styrobots, the gargantuan 'bot is actually made from discarded packing materials, hung on a wooden skeletal system for support.

Why Fly When You Can Float?

As the cost of fuel soars and the pressure mounts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, several schemes for a new generation of airship are being considered by governments and private companies. "It's a romantic project," said Mr. Massaud, 45, sitting amid furniture designs in his Paris studio, "but then look at Jules Verne."

I say go for it. A post-steampunk age needs some posh dirigibles drifting overhead.

My thoughts exactly.

Nick Redfern has a new book out -- and I still haven't finished "The Cryptoterrestrials."

Damn you, Nick!

Greg Bishop -- live from Roswell!

Ballardian explores the "fusion of science and pornography." (NSFW)

A prototypical flying saucer lands in the dated but still-effective "The Day the Earth Stood Still."



I'll probably go see the remake out of obligation -- which, of course, is exactly what the film-makers want me to do -- but I hardly expect it to wield the sheer cinematic power of the original.

Faceless posthumans invade Britain!

Fortean advertising at its funniest:

The Threat Of Private Mechanical Police

I'd like to see a hobbyist somewhere actually build one of these things . . .

Group Asks for Divine Intervention to Ease Oil Prices

As the price of oil continues to rise, some are turning to God and prayer for an answer to their financial troubles.

The Pray at the Pump Movement, founded by Rocky Twyman, has been holding prayer vigils at gas stations across the country.

(Via Chris Wren.)

This made me smile.

Blogs of the day: Grinding and Teleomorph

WOW! Interstellar Spam?

Of the 88 constellations on the sky Sagittarius is the Monopoly game's "Boardwalk" and "Park Place" on the sky.

Why so special? Because it lies in the direction of the galactic center. This is a region of the Milky Way galaxy that contains the highest density of stars because we're looking right into the hub of our star-city. It includes some of the oldest stars in our galaxy.

Sagittarius is the first constellation I would pick to go looking for signals from E.T.

[. . .]

At a recent astrobiology meeting I sheepishly approached veteran SETI astronomer Frank Drake about the WOW signal. I half expected him to say: "Oh that silly thing!"

Instead, Drake shared the same belief that it was a real interstellar message.

(Via The Keyhoe Report.)

Terence McKenna gives an amazing talk on language, artificial intelligence and the role of the shaman in an ever-accelerating future.



(Thanks: Communist Robot.)

For Elan:



(There's a Fortean angle here.)

Here's a clip from "Afterville," a Turinese science fiction movie (!) about UFOs.



(In case you were wondering, that's indeed author/critic Bruce Sterling making a cameo. More here.)

First some sanity, courtesy of Pat Condell:



And now back to business as usual:

Obama courts conservatives with new faith program

'Ghost' Photos through Quantum Physics

The technique, called "ghost imaging," has potential military or space applications, such as using aerial drones to survey of battlefields obscured by clouds, or the smoke that follows airstrikes.

9/11 canine hero to be cloned: California lab

A dog that sniffed out survivors from under the rubble of New York's World Trade Center after the 2001 terror strikes is to be cloned, the California-based firm conducting the procedure said.

If you aren't charmed by this bit of biotechnological surrealism, you probably want the terrorists to win.

(Brought to my attention by Nick Redfern.)

The Buzzball, A Motorized Hampster Ball For Humans

Can a spherical lunar transport be far behind?

I have a column in the new issue of UFO Magazine, on news-stands now. Keep your eyes peeled for additional appearances.

Kindly ignore the (now deleted) post announcing my "resignation." I essentially let impatience and professional paranoia get the best of me, for which "UFO" deserves none of the blame.

In other news, look for another regular column in the UK's Alien Worlds, edited by Stuart Miller.