from Erik Wernquist
Wanderers — a short film by Erik Wernquist from Erik Wernquist on Vimeo.
Wanderers
Posted in human trajectories, space, space travel
Category: space travel – Page 513
The Lifeboat Foundation Guardian Award is annually bestowed upon a respected scientist or public figure who has warned of a future fraught with dangers and encouraged measures to prevent them.
The 2014 Lifeboat Foundation Guardian Award has been given to Elon Musk in recognition of his warnings about artificial intelligence, his promotion of space exploration including the creation of self-sustaining space colonies, and his efforts to improve our environment with electric cars and to expand solar energy generation.
Elon is often likened to a real-life Tony Stark from Marvel’s Iron Man comics for his role in cutting-edge companies including SpaceX, a private space exploration company that holds the first private contracts from NASA for resupply of the International Space Station, and the electric car company Tesla Motors. Watch Elon in Iron Man 2!
Artificial Intelligence
Elon recently described his investments in AI research as “keeping an eye on what’s going on” rather than aiming for a viable return on capital. He said, “I think we should be very careful about artificial intelligence. If I had to guess at what our biggest existential threat is, it’s probably that. So we need to be very careful.”
Considering that oversight of AI development by governmental and nongovernmental agencies is about zero, it is helpful for Elon to bring attention to this matter. For example, thanks to warnings like his, Google now has an AI Ethics Board. (This matters since Google is putting a lot of resources into creating smarter and smarter AIs.)
Self-Sustaining Space Colonies
There are many existential risks that could be survived if we had self-sustaining colonies outside of the Earth. Elon said, “What matters is being able to establish a self-sustaining civilization on Mars, and I don’t see anything being done but SpaceX. I don’t see anyone else even trying.” He also said, “Sooner or later, we must expand life beyond this green and blue ball — or go extinct.”
Elon is CEO and CTO of SpaceX. Historic achievements by SpaceX, among others, include the first privately funded, liquid-fueled rocket (Falcon 1) to reach orbit in September 2008; the first privately funded company to successfully launch (Falcon 9), orbit, and recover a spacecraft (Dragon) in December 2010; and the first private company to send a spacecraft (Dragon) to the International Space Station in May 2012. The launch of SES-8 in December 2013 was the first SpaceX delivery into geosynchronous orbit.
Sustainable Energy
Elon is CEO, Chairman, and Product Architect of Tesla Motors. Tesla first gained widespread attention following their production of the Tesla Roadster, the first fully electric sports car. The company’s second vehicle is the Model S, a fully electric luxury sedan, and its next two vehicles are the Models X and 3 respectively.
Tesla also markets electric powertrain components, including lithium-ion battery packs to automakers including Daimler and Toyota. Elon has said that he envisions Tesla as an independent automaker, aimed at eventually offering electric cars at prices affordable to the average consumer.
Elon is Chairman of SolarCity, the second largest provider of solar power systems in the United States. Continuing its strong growth, the United States installed 1,354 megawatts of solar photovoltaics in Q3 2014, up 41 percent over the same period last year. Only 440 megawatts had been installed in all of 2009 to show how fast this market is growing.
Written By: Jason Dorrier — Singularity Hub
Why blow billions of dollars on space exploration when billions of people are living in poverty here on Earth?
You’ve likely heard the justifications. The space program brings us useful innovations and inventions. Space exploration delivers perspective, inspiration, and understanding. Because it’s the final frontier. Because it’s there.
What you haven’t heard is anything to inspire a sense of urgency. Indeed, NASA’s struggle to defend its existence and funding testifies to how weak these justifications sound to a public that cares less about space than seemingly more pressing needs.
In a quiet announcement that has sent shockwaves through the scientific world, Nasa has cautiously given its seal of approval to a new type of “impossible” engine that could revolutionize space travel.
In a paper published by the agency’s experimental Eagleworks Laboratories, Nasa engineers confirmed that they had produced tiny amounts of thrust from an engine without propellant – an apparent violation of the conservation of momentum; the law of physics that states that every action must have an equal and opposite reaction.
By Robin Burks — TechTimes
Not only is Boeing looking to replace the space shuttle with its new Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) program, but it’s also hoping that this new “space taxi” will someday carry commercial passengers to space.
When NASA’s space shuttle program retired in 2011, American astronauts were left with no way of transport to and from the International Space Station, except by Russian spacecraft. Considering tensions are now high between the two countries, thanks to Russia’s takeover of the Crimea region of Ukraine, NASA is looking for new options.
An experimental engine is gaining acceptance among scientists, and could introduce a new era of space travel — it only had to break a law of physics to do so.
The picture, below, is of the EmDrive. It uses electricity to generate microwaves, which then bounce around in a closed space and generate thrust. The drive does not need propellant, an important part of current space-travel mechanics.
Astrophysicists like Robert Nemiroff have shown, using Hubble photographs, that quantum foam does not exist. Further, the famous string theorists, Michio Kaku, in his April 2008 Space Show interview stated that string theories will require hundreds of years before gravity modification is feasible.
Therefore the need to fund research into alternative propulsion technologies to get us into space cheaper and quicker. We can be assured that such space technologies will filter down into terrestrial technologies.
This video explain how this can be achieved and the benefits of doing so. The two organizations that are actively engaged in this endeavor are Propulsion Physics, Inc. and the Xodus One Foundation.
Please make donations through this link, <a href=“http://xodusonefoundation.org/wordpress/donation-page/” target=“_blank”>http://xodusonefoundation.org/wordpress/donation-page/</a>
Thank you for you funding efforts.
The thousands who flocked to last week’s Farnborough Airshow were treated to spectacular evidence of humanity’s unending propensity to push back boundaries.
Hearts as well as eyes were lifted and imaginations set free during air displays which made the human spirit fly.
The Xodus One Foundation will be conducting workshops on Gravity Modification, based on Ben Solomon’s 12-year study titled “An Introduction to Gravity Modification” and other later peer reviewed papers. And has been vetted by the Foundation’s Chief Science Office, Dr. Andrew Beckwith.
This thought provoking & bleeding edge physics/technology workshop will assists attendees to understand how the future of propulsion technology is changing. And therefore, adjust their corporate programs to expect these future technologies and research programs.
Note, my peer reviewed paper “New Evidence, Conditions, Instruments & Experiments for Gravitational Theories”, Journal of Modern Physics, Volume 4, Number 8A, August 2013 (Special Issue on Gravitation, Astrophysics and Cosmology) has as of August 05, 2014, had 3,482 downloads since publication August 27, 2013. This paper details the issues with contemporary physics that has hampered the discovery of gravity modification physics and proposes possible solutions.
————————————————————————————————
FAQ:
1. Types of Workshops:: There are 2 types, the Short 1-day and the Long 2-day.
2. Who Should Attend: Engineers, Physicists & Corporate Managers responsible for propulsion research programs.
3. Workshop Fees: See respective brochures, below. Workshop fees are tax deductible.
4. Workshop Payment: Uses secure Amazon Payments. If you don’t have an account please sign up a head of time, prior to making tax deductible workshop fee payments.
5. Seating: On a First Come First Served basis, based on payment dates. In the event of overbooking, later registrants will placed in the next business day workshops. If you are attending the Long workshop, please confirm seating dates before finalizing travel arrangements.
6. Future Schedule: Link to Future Schedule
7. Some Comments: Thorough, Well Thought Out, Brilliant …
————————————————————————————————
Short Workshop:
Type: This is a 1-day workshop.
Brochure: Link to brochure.
Location: Webcast
Workshop Date: August 20, 2014. Future dates to be determined.
Pay By Date: August 13, 2014. Future dates to be determined
Payment: Use donate button below to make $100 payment via Amazon Payments
————————————————————————————————
Long Workshop:
Type: This is a 2-day workshop, still under development:
Brochure: See tentative brochure.
Location: 1624 Market St., #202, Denver, CO 80202.
Workshop Date: To Be Determined
Pay By Date: To Be Determined
Payment: Payment button coming soon.
————————————————————————————————
Mike Wall — Space.com
NASA researchers have reported fresh evidence that an “impossible” space propulsion technology might actually work.
A study from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston says a microwave thruster system that requires no propellant appears to generate a tiny amount of thrust. If the technology pans out, it could make spaceflight far cheaper and speedier, advocates say. They argue that the thruster harnesses subatomic particles that pop into and out of existence in accordance with quantum physics — a hypothesis that’s mentioned in the study.