Just noticed this thread via the newsletter.

Assuming that the warp interferometer comes up with a positive result, there’s then going to be a trick engineering problem of how to produce a negative energy field around a vehicle, with the right manifold shape.

I’m assuming we’re going to need to do with with metamaterials (i.e. simulate negative…[Read more]

Not so sure I agree.

In a certain sense, things like space travel (at least to LEO) have become almost common-place.

But then once in a while you get somebody like Chris Hadfield who just makes it all spellbinding.

One of the reasons why tornadoes in some specific parts of “Tornado Alley” in the US are so devastating is that the ground is hard (i.e. there’s only a thin layer of soil above the bedrock) and it is an expensive process to dig deep enough to put in basements.

Using stronger building materials would help. Concrete and steel are more resistant to…[Read more]

There’s a lot of press in the past few weeks about using Roman-style concrete (made from volcanic ash and limestone) instead of Portland cement.

It undergoes an exothermic reaction which basically turns it into rock.

It is apparently much stronger and more durable than Portland cement, and only produces a fraction of the CO2.

Should probably be used in combination with fresh fruits/vegetables, in case they miss something that turns out to be important.

Right. Even space folding would be helpful though – imagine what it would do for increasing the amount we can lift up the gravity well.

Not sure if this is intentional, but comments on posts seem to be closing after a very short period of time (looks like roughly a day). Its an easy config option in WordPress if you wish to change it.

I also […]

Where NASA really excels is in laying the groundwork for commercial space to follow.

If they focus on key technologies and infrastructure that can later be used for, say, space resource extraction, that will be […]

Somehow in the tug of war between introverts and extroverts, us ambiverts get left out. 🙂

I did enjoy that book though.