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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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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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

My monthly science round-up - 7)

A month is a short time in writing and I got caught out by February, so here is my (late) batch of inspiration - the seventh of my monthly picks of what's new in science.  Or at least what's new that has caught my imagination. http://wp.me/s3ycbY-science 

Monthly science highlights - 6)

My blog: This months collection of the strange, and hopefully interesting, from the world of science -  http://wp.me/p3ycbY-1k1

Science fiction and science - chicken and egg?

My blog: Science fiction and science, which comes first and does it matter?  I think they need each other.  http://wp.me/p3ycbY-1jU 

Fortitude - a lesson from the canal builders

Sometimes in this modern world it is far too easy to give up on something.  Or we look at all the reasons not to go ahead with a project rather than see the benefits.  I think we can all learn something from the canal builders   http://wp.me/p3ycbY-1em

Is technology freeing us or restricting us - part 3)

 My third and final (for now) blog on the subject.  In this I remind myself of just how far technology has come in so short a time. http://wp.me/p3ycbY-1b3

Do we need to be a bit more Victorian?

The Victorians had very much a 'can do' attitude.  I think we have lost some of that in modern society.  http://wp.me/p3ycbY-15H

My top 5 science fiction inventions

This weeks blog looks at some of my personal favourite science fiction inventions.  What would yours be?  http://wp.me/p3ycbY-13e