Artificial Intelligence - should we be worried?

There’s a lot in the media at the moment concerning Artificial Intelligence, some hailing it as the next industrial revolution, others as Armageddon waiting to happen.  I know science fiction over the years has been full of the latter.  However, as any writer will tell you a good story needs conflict and in sci-fi what’s better than man vs. machine?.  I also know that Stephen Hawking is suggesting we, or at least some of us, need to get of this planet before the end of the century and find a new home before AI becomes too powerful.  I just don’t see why it has to be that way.  Why does it have to be the alarmist view?  Although, I admit neither I nor the professor will be around at that time, mores the pity. 

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Science round-up inspiration 15

I haven't produced a science round-up blog for some time.  It’s not that I haven’t been following events and news, it’s just that I’ve had other things to blog about.  Anyway, time to put that right.  As always these are in no particular order of importance or merit they are just an eclectic mix of items that have caught my eye.

Out of this world

Pluto fly-by

NASA have amalgamated more than 100 images from New Horizons to form a video fly-by of Pluto.  New Horizons, in July 2015, became the first spacecraft to fly by the dwarf planet which is more more than seven billion kilometres from Earth.  

For the full blog and more inspiration from science follow this link

Science fiction and the human tribe

As a science fiction writer I’m always imagining what the future might hold for us human beings. I imagine us travelling to the stars and new worlds.  It represents an almost unlimited opportunity for a species that has always had a thirst for the new, exploration, pushing the boundaries.  In scifi land we think of global societies or even multi-global societies.  However, what history tells us, along with what is happening in the world today, is that that may be incredibly simplistic or just plain wrong.  That human beings will never feel comfortable living in some form of global society.

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Science fiction- how it works

I have recently returned from a ski holiday.  We’d just boarded the plane taxied out when they announced the need to have something checked.  We taxied back and then were told there would be a twenty minute delay.  A groan echoed around the aircraft.  The fact that we were all sitting in a metal tube that in a short space of time would fly us a distance that a few generations ago would have taken weeks to complete was irrelevant.  Also, that it would be at an altitude that is inconsistent with life in normal circumstances, while sipping our drinks and watching moving pictures on hand held devices was forgotten.  All this had me thinking of our relationship with science and technology and the science of science fiction.

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Science Round up Inspiration 14

As anyone who has read my science round-ups in the past will know I peruse a number of sites on a regular basis.  These are fascinating in their own right, however, as a scifi writer (and even if you’re not) I believe they are a great source of inspiration.  I know I haven’t done one for a while so I thought it was about time.

I normally start with items from beyond our planet and then come down to earth.  In this round-up however I will concentrate on efforts to solve some of the pressing issues that face us here on good old terra firma.

Trapping CO2 and turning it into stone.

While I fully support all efforts to reduce our global output of CO2, progress in setting and complying with any limits that will reduce the amounts we send into the atmosphere is painfully slow.  So to my mind we have to look at other ways of reducing CO2 in the atmosphere.  Researchers have succeeded in turning carbon dioxide (CO2) into solid rock.  They inject volcanic basalt rock with pressurised liquid CO2, chemical reactions then trigger the transformation.

This at least gives scientists another option for capturing and storing the excess CO2.   It might even be possible to scale up the process to take significant levels of carbon out of circulation.

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One writer's resolutions for 2017

I do this every year and yes looking back I don’t always follow all my resolutions.  However, at the beginning of the year it’s not a bad idea to review what you did last year (my last blog) and think of what you might like to change / achieve / try in the coming year.  For me writing them down, whether you call them resolutions or not, makes them more than just a passing thought.  So here are mine for 2017

Finish and implement the Slight Edge.

I mentioned this in my 2016 round-up.  It’s a book by Jeff Olsen which is all about doing to those small things consistently over a long period of time that will make a big difference.  Also not giving up on them.  Obviously there is more to it than that, after all it is a book.  However, I admit that over the holidays I have let it slip.  For me it’s all about my profile as a writer and of course selling more books.  I need to decide which of those “small actions” are the ones that are going to make the difference and then stick to them for long enough to tell if I’m right.  At least if I follow the advice I will be taking positive steps and not just letting things drift.

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Science round-up inspiration - 13

Welcome to my end of month round-up of science items that have piqued my interest as they’ve flowed across my social media stream.  As a science fiction writer (and scientist) I keep track of these for both a personal fascination and writing inspiration.  I never cease to be amazed at the advances and discoveries that are happening around the world and I know I’m only aware of a small minority.  Anyway, here’s this month’s selection:

Mars

Every month there are new plans/ideas as to how we will reach and colonise the red planet.  Although it seems the most notable event this month was the failure of the European Space Agency ExoMars lander.  It appears that it’s parachutes did not open early enough and it crash landed into the surface.  Helpfully NASA has released images of the disaster (follow this link – it’s the fourth item down).  This is on the Popular Science site – well worth a look if you don’t know it.

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Science round-up inspiration - 12

Here is my latest my round-up from the world of science.  As always I attach no measure of relative importance to what I include.  They are simply items that have caught my eye as they flow through my social media stream.  This time it’s a little more space based, perhaps because I’m a science fiction author and I’ve been revising a book based way out there in the future.

The journey to Mars – its not all about Mars

William Gurstenmaier (NASA’s associate administrator for human exploration and operations) has been talking about NASAs ambitions for a Mars mission.  What was interesting for me is that for me it’s the first time I’ve read an article that isn’t solely focused on Mars.  A Mars mission is just part of broader mission for the human exploration of the solar system.  They will use robots to build the base and they see robots and humans working together to conquer all the issues that humans will face in that wider exploration.

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Science round-up Inspiration - 11

It’s been a while since I produced one of my end of the month science round-ups.  However, recently a few items have grabbed my attention as a science fiction writer.  As always these are not in any order of scientific importance.  However, as any writer knows it’s these sort of things that start you asking questions that lead to… well who knows where.

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Science fiction writer + holiday = inspiration

The joy of a holiday to me is that I’m away from all those little chores that have to be done and in a world of things I want to do, which I have to admit on holiday is not a lot.  Yes there are places I want to see, otherwise why travel somewhere new?  One or two are must see’s, the rest, well it’s all new and interesting to me.

There’s also that other thing that holidays give you and that’s time.  In my case more time to read. 

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Why I write science fiction

In my last blog I questioned if blogging was wasting my time.  I concluded it was, but it wasn’t all the time if that makes sense.  I don’t want to stop blogging, I enjoy it.  However, I did need to reassess my blog, content, timing, frequency etc. so that it both works for me and of course provides entertaining and interesting content for the reader.  So having taken a little blog holiday I’m back.  And for this first in a new era I thought I should go back to the beginning and explain why I feel compelled to write science fiction.  http://wp.me/p3ycbY-1nj

Blogging - am I wasting my time?

In a recent series of blogs I described my experience of taking the James Patterson master class on writing.  This was triggered by the simple fact that I’m not selling many books, despite the fact that those who have read them have enjoyed them.  And yes, taking that master class has changed the way I think about my writing and book construction.  So having, I feel, made positive progress in that direction I am now looking at the other activities surrounding my writing.  Top of the list is marketing and part of that is blogging i.e. this blog.

For three years now I have blogged every week on writing, science and science fiction and a few other things.  Recently though I have read other blogs that are making me question what I’m doing and why.  

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My monthly science highlights - 10)

I can’t believe I have now been producing these monthly blog round ups of what’s caught my eye in science for 10 months. From the feedback they 
seem to be appreciated. So here we go with this month’s selection:

• Space missions to look forward to

• More earth like planets found

• Umbrellas in the sky,

• A little hope for a long and healthy life

• The GM crops argument

• Some weird facts and more:

    Follow the link for the full blog

Go on, try it - read some science fiction

I write science fiction, I read science fiction and I watch science fiction.  That’s not all I do I hasten to add.  If you’ve been reading my blog recently you’ll know I’ve been reading a number of detective stories / thrillers and that I’m writing a sort of detective story (OK with a supernatural element to it).  I also enjoy good historical fiction.  In my mind the divide between this and scifi/fantasy is not so great i.e these are about worlds that can seem totally alien to us.  I’ve also watched some great non-scifi movies recently such as:  The Eye in the Sky, Bridge of Spies and the Water Diviner.  Yes, at the same time I’ve seen the new Star Wars and The Martian and I’ve Childhood’s End recorded (the book being the one that got me hooked on science fiction in the first place).  However, in no way do I see myself as a science fiction ‘geek’.

But then you try and talk to most people about science fiction and you get that sympathetic/superior look/reply as if you’ve just admitted you’ve got all the Spice Girl records (I haven’t, not one, honest). 

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My writing - back to basics 5)

I’m nearing the end of the James Patterson Master class set of videos.  I have a routine for them now, I watch them in two’s.  I watch the second one I watched the previous time and a new one.  The first time I watch one of them I take notes, yes to refer to, but for me it also helps plant what I consider those important nuggets in my head.  The second time through I try to just listen and it’s amazing how you then latch onto new words of wisdom.  I’m now onto his thoughts on the thing that we writers must consider besides the actual mechanics of writing (some are perhaps more relevant than others – you’ll understand).  I’ll skip over working with a co-author, only because at the moment I’m not even remotely considering it.

The next three are all things that are perhaps the most difficult for the new/self-publishing author: Getting Published, Book titles and Covers, Marketing i.e. marketing yourself and your treasured work.   

Just follow the link for the full blog

My monthly science highlights - 9)

How time flies when you are enjoying yourself, or at least blogging and before you know it it’s the end of the month and time for my personal round up of nuggets of interest from the world of science.  Again these are not in any order of importance, they are simply what has piqued my interest as numerous headlines flit across social media.  As always I hope you at least find them intriguing, in some cases thought provoking and if you're a writer a little inspiring.

This month the search for ET, Steam powered spacecraft, drones helping to fight disease and more. http://wp.me/s3ycbY-science9 

My monthly science highlights - 8)

The end of the month again and time for another dose of science inspiration. The more I do this, the more I see ideas that only a few years ago were science fiction becoming science fact, or at least being talked about as a serious possibility. So here are a few of the things that have caught my eye in March.  This month's highlights include, amongst others, a new Mars mission, a bug that eats plastic and the possibility of immortality. http://wp.me/p3ycbY-1lP

What would aliens make of us?

I find that being an author I have become a more diligent observer. So the upcoming UK/EU vote prompts me to ask what watching aliens might think of us? My blog: wp.me/p3ycbY-1l2

We are someone's ancient history

I love historical fiction, but it is easy to forget that people five hundred or a thousand years ago were much the same as we are today.  As a science fiction writer I wonder what sort of legacy we will leave behind?  What will they make of us?   http://wp.me/p3ycbY-1kR

A travelling writer's blog

Travelling to new places is always an inspiration for writers and good for the imagination.  This time it's mountains, snow and skiing.  My blog: http://wp.me/p3ycbY-1kB