Clipmarks | Silkweaver's 'space' clips

Sweden's Ultra-Modern Underground Data Center

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 02:23:37 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: When asked the motivation behind Pionen, Jon Karlung, CEO of Bahnhof said
“Rather than just concentrating on technical hardware we decided to put humans in focus. Of course, the security, power, cooling, network, etc, are all top notch, but the people designing data centers often (always!) forget about the humans that are supposed to work with the stuff.”

“Since we got hold of this unique nuclear bunker in central Stockholm deep below the rock, we just couldn't’t build it like a traditional – more boring – hosting center,” he said. “We wanted to make something different. The place itself needed something far out in design and science fiction was the natural source of inspiration in this case – plus of course some solid experience from having been a hosting provider for more than a decade.”

Regarding the design of the facility, he said “I’m personally a big fan of old science fiction movies. Especially ones from the 70s like Logan’s Run, Silent Running, Star Wars...

Clip Source: hothardware.com

Underneath Stockholm, deep in the bedrock exists a data center better than any high tech lair Hollywood could probably dream up. Bahnhof, one of Sweden's largest ISP's has created a bunker of high tech goodness that is surely to astound.

The facility is called Pionen and once you get past the 16 inch thick entrance doors into the once nuclear bunker now converted to a data center, the spectacular sights that await are simply breathtaking. Replete with waterfalls, greenhouses, German submarine backup engines, and simulated daylight this facility has the added benefit of being able to withstand an almost direct hit by a hydrogen bomb.

The space Pionen now occupies was originally built during the Cold War era as a nuclear shelter. Located below 30 meters of solid bedrock the space was completely redesigned during 2007-2008.

Backup power is generated by two Maybach MTU diesel engines that produce 1.5 Megawatts of power and were originally designed for submarines.

Tags: design, science fiction

New spaceship force field makes Mars trip possible

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:49:56 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: Now this has been confirmed in the laboratory in the UK using apparatus originally built to work on fusion. By recreating in miniature a tiny piece of the Solar Wind, scientists working in the laboratory were able to confirm that a small "hole" in the Solar Wind is all that would be needed to keep the astronauts safe on their journey to our nearest neighbours.

Dr. Ruth Bamford, one of the lead researchers at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, said, "These initial experiments have shown promise and that it may be possible to shield astronauts from deadly space weather".

Clip Source: www.physorg.com

According to the international space agencies, "Space Weather" is the single greatest obstacle to deep space travel. Radiation from the sun and cosmic rays pose a deadly threat to astronauts in space.

New research, out today, Tuesday, November 4, published in IOP Publishing's Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, shows how knowledge gained from the pursuit of nuclear fusion research may reduce the threat to acceptable levels, making man's first mission to Mars a much greater possibility.

Large numbers of these energetic particles occur intermittently as "storms" with little warning and are already known to pose the greatest threat to man. Nature helps protect the Earth by having a giant "magnetic bubble" around the planet called the magnetosphere.

Computer simulations done by a team in Lisbon with scientists at Rutherford Appleton last year showed that theoretically a very much smaller "magnetic bubble" of only several hundred meters across would be enough to protect a spacecraft.

Tags: space, space travel, radiation, magnetosphere

Hubble Back In Business: Pair Of Gravitationally Interacting Galaxies In Full View

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 17:27:12 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: Strangely or not, Hubble telescope became a piece of high technology almost everybody loves. It seems no other project has attracted so many sentiments. It is as if it became our eye into remote space, an horizon yet to be explored.

Clip Source: www.sciencedaily.com

The Hubble Space Telescope is back in business with a snapshot of the fascinating galaxy pair Arp 147.

Just a couple of days after the orbiting observatory was brought back online, Hubble aimed its prime working camera, the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2), at a particularly intriguing target, a pair of gravitationally interacting galaxies called Arp 147.

The image demonstrated that the camera is working exactly as it was before going offline, thereby scoring a "perfect 10" both for performance and beauty.

And literally "10" for appearance too, due to the chance alignment of the two galaxies. The left-most galaxy, or the "one" in this image, is relatively undisturbed, apart from a smooth ring of starlight.

The right-most galaxy, the "zero" of the pair, exhibits a clumpy, blue ring of intense star formation.

The blue ring was formed after the galaxy on the left passed through the galaxy on the right.

Tags: astronomy, hubble telescope

Homard (2008)

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:22:45 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: Cool or rather hot art....

Clip Source: www.vimeo.com

Here's one of the short-movies i edited for a "new creative space dedicated to experimental collaboration between artists and scientists located in the heart of Paris" : Le laboratoire.
Directed by Mathilde de l'Ecotais.
Edited by Romain de l'Ecotais.
Music : Frederic Galliano "Label brousse".

[Video]

Tags: art, science, video

Do not stay too late at work

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:12:57 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: A nice short movie for workaholics

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

The Gloaming takes office space to an eerie dimension following the misfortune of a worker ensnared by his cubicle and haunted by sinister visitors during the nightshift. A tale of macabre absurdi...

[Video]

Tags: youtube

The Statistical Universe - On the Vastness of the universe

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:43:53 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: But inflation does not really make the universe more uniform — just huge. If inflation is correct, then the billions of light-years that our telescopes probe are a mere dot on a far vaster canvas.

The multiverse comprises a large number of distinct patches, each far bigger than our night sky. What observers see, therefore, also depends on where they find themselves. Most of the regions in the multiverse are inhospitable to life, and their properties will not be observed. But what exactly is life? In order to extract predictions from the multiverse, my colleagues and I have developed a statistical tool to find regions with observers: We look not for life itself but for the disorder left behind by the complex processes that its formation depends on. To understand the physical signatures of life in this way may help us finally to comprehend our own little corner of the multiverse.

Interesting Read.

Clip Source: www.seedmagazine.com

We look up to an expanse of sky that is billions of light-years in size, but the universe may be far larger than what we are able to see.

We cannot see farther into the universe because the big bang happened only 14 billion years ago and light from distant regions has not had enough time to reach Earth.

Yet subtle clues are beginning to reveal some of the properties of the regions of space hidden beyond our cosmic horizon.

Our world appears to be only a small part of a "multiverse," an expanse vastly larger than the visible universe, and for the most part completely different from it.

To account for what we do see, cosmologists invented a theory many years ago called "inflation," in which a brief, ultra-accelerated expansion of the early universe stretched space to a size far greater than what we observe.

Tags: cosmology, multiverse

NASA launches probe to study edge of solar system

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:54:01 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks:
"The interstellar boundary regions are critical because they shield us from the vast majority of dangerous galactic cosmic rays, which otherwise would penetrate into Earth's orbit and make human spaceflight much more dangerous," David McComas, IBEX principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in San Antonio, Texas, said recently.

Clip Source: www.physorg.com

NASA on Sunday launched a probe into orbit high above earth to study the distant edge of the solar system where hot solar winds crash into the cold outer space.

The IBEX is on a two-year mission to take pictures and chart the mysterious confines of the solar system -- including areas billions of kilometers (miles) from earth.

The small, stop-sign-shaped probe is equipped with instruments that will allow it to take images and chart, for the first time, a remote region known as the interstellar boundary, where the solar system meets interstellar space. The area is a vast expanse of turbulent gas and twisting magnetic fields.

The only information that scientists have of this distant region is from the twin Voyager 1 and 2 probes, launched in 1977 and still in service today.

The mission will also study cosmic radiation, which has a negative impact on human health and space exploration.

Tags: space, solar system, nasa

Long-distance demonstration of solar-powered wireless power transmission achieved

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:10:18 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: In the longer term, with sufficient investments in space infrastructure, space solar power can be built from materials from space. The full environmental benefits of space solar power derive from doing most of the work outside of Earth's biosphere. With materials extraction from the Moon or near-Earth asteroids, and space-based manufacture of components, space solar power would have essentially zero terrestrial environmental impact. Only the energy receivers need be built on Earth.

Clip Source: www.nss.org

The United States and the world need to find new sources of clean energy.

Space Solar Power gathers energy from sunlight in space and transmits it wirelessly to Earth. Space solar power can solve our energy and greenhouse gas emissions problems. Not just help, not just take a step in the right direction, but solve. Space solar power can provide large quantities of energy to each and every person on Earth with very little environmental impact.

The solar energy available in space is literally billions of times greater than we use today.

As Earth receives only one part in 2.3 billion of the Sun's output, space solar power is by far the largest potential energy source available, dwarfing all others combined.

This technology on a larger scale, combined with already demonstrated wireless power transmission (see 2-minute video of demo), can supply nearly all the electrical needs of our planet.

Space solar power can completely solve our energy problems long term.

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

[Video]

Tags: clean energy, solar energy, space

Creature Survives Naked in Space

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 00:07:03 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: This is one trick we humans should know how to do.

Clip Source: www.livescience.com

A tiny, six-legged critter that can suspend all biological activity in extreme environments survived a journey to space that would have instantly killed any human and most other life forms.

In the first test of its kind, researchers exposed the hardy segmented creatures, called "water bears," to the open and harsh vacuum of space, with all its deadly radiation, on a spacecraft in low-Earth orbit. Many of them survived.

The radiation resistance was most surprising to scientists.

Most survived exposure to the vacuum and cosmic rays, and some even survived the exposure to the deadly levels of solar UV radiation, which are more than 1,000 times higher than on the surface of the Earth.

The survivors "could reproduce fine after their space trip," according to a statement released today by Cell Press, the journal that published results of the test.

How the post-flight tardigrades could do it "remains a mystery," the researchers write.

Tags: space, biology, microrganisms

New hyperspace engine could roundtrip Mars in 5 hours

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:05:12 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics awards prizes for the best papers presented each year. Last year’s winner went to a paper authored by physicist Jochem Hauser, calling for experimental tests of Heim’s theory. “This hyperdrive motor,” Hauser said, “would propel a craft through another dimension at enormous speeds. It could reach a star eleven light years away in just eighty days.”

Clip Source: memebox.com

“Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the Mars Inter-Dimensional Express. In a few moments, our spacecraft will transfer into a parallel dimension where we will achieve greater than light-speed travel.

This scenario may sound like fantasy, but physicists, encouraged by recent interest in the work of German scientist Burkhard Heim, believe his hyperspace propulsion idea could become a proven concept over the next two decades.

If the Heim idea works, it will radically change space travel.

Forget spending six months or more crammed in a rocket on the way to Mars, a round trip on the hyperdrive could take as little as five hours.

The US government believes this theory could become reality; researcher Roger Lenard at Department of Energy’s Sandia National Laboratories says he can test the idea with their “Z” machine, which can generate the necessary field intensities and gradients. NASA and the Department of Defense are also expressing interest in hyperspace engines.

Tags: space travel, advanced propulsion, hyper space

Four Reasons Not to Give Up on Interstellar Travel

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 13:42:25 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: It looks far, dark, and cold... Yet, 120 years ago, flight was science fiction as well. C. G. Jung said that all dreams of space travel are just an escape from one most difficult challenge of all, that is the journey to man's inner space.

...and see my clip from last week on suggested FTL drive. It seems the motivation to escape an inner journey just grows.

Clip Source: io9.com

According to the scientists who attended this year's Joint Propulsion Conference in Hartford, Connecticut, humans may never be able to achieve interstellar travel.

But don't add "space adventure" to your list of unlikely futures for the human species just yet — here are four reasons why.

1. We are likely to develop new propulsion methods.

2. Humans could figure out ways to endure long space journeys.

3. Earth is not the only source of fuel.

4. We may yet discover a way to achieve faster-than-light travel.

According to NASA's Robert Frisbee:

It's always science fiction until someone goes out and does it.

Tags: space, space travel, propulsion

Physicists Seek Answers to Quantum Correlations

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 01:44:51 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: The physicists ruled out several possible classical explanations for the instantaneous communication. For one thing, they showed that the photons did not share information before leaving Geneva, and so they didn´t travel knowing about each other´s properties.

In another test, the scientists showed that no communication could have occurred through a different reference frame, as might happen because of the photons´ high speeds. According to Einstein´s theory of relativity, observers moving at high speeds can get different measurements of the same event because they have different reference frames. But, by performing tests over a complete rotation of the Earth, the researchers ruled out this possibility.

"We think space and time are important because that´s the kind of monkeys we are,"

Clip Source: www.physorg.com

After performing multiple tests on two entangled photons, physicists have yet again found that the photons seem to be communicating faster than the speed of light - at least 100,000 times faster.

The researchers hope that their results might encourage theorists to come up with new explanations for the strange quantum mechanical effect.

The physicists, led by Nicolas Gisin from the University of Geneva, arranged their experiment by sending two photons down fiber optic cables to detectors in two Swiss villages located 18 km apart. Both photons started in Geneva, with one heading toward Satigny and the other toward Jussy.

When the researchers measured several properties of each photon at its destination, they found that the particles could instantly sense the other´s behavior without any known communication.

Although this correlation obeys the laws of quantum mechanics, it seems to defy the nature of space and time, at least from humans´ everyday perspectives.

Tags: physics, quantum physics, entaglement

String Theory Faster-Than-Light Drive Proposed

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:18:29 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: Dreams of interstellar travel may need to be put on hold for the moment, however. Cleaver and Obousy estimate that the amount of energy needed to influence the extra dimension is equivalent to the entire mass of Jupiter being converted into pure energy for a ship measuring roughly 10 meters by 10 meters by 10 meters. "That is an enormous amount of energy," Cleaver said. "We are still a very long ways off before we could create something to harness that type of energy."

But what if we could make ourselves very very small??? I am ready to squeeze myself quite a bit to get really far...

Clip Source: www.scienceagogo.com

Physicists Gerald Cleaver and Richard Obousy, of Baylor University, believe they have come up with a new method for a spaceship to travel faster than the speed of light without breaking the laws of physics.

They theorize that by manipulating the extra spatial dimensions of string theory around a spaceship with an extremely large amount of energy, it would create a "bubble" that could cause the ship to travel faster than the speed of light.

The Baylor physicists believe that manipulating the 10th spatial dimension postulated in string theory would alter the dark energy in three large spatial dimensions: height, width and length.

The new method is based on the Alcubierre drive, which proposes expanding the fabric of space behind a ship and shrinking space-time in front of the ship.

The ship would not actually move, rather the ship would sit in a bubble between the expanding and shrinking space-time dimensions.

Tags: physics, string theory, faster than light drive

Will NASA Test a Plasma Drive on the ISS?

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 00:58:34 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: A plasma engine such as the VASIMR uses radio waves to ionize a propellant, and magnetic fields to accelerate or decelerate the resulting plasma to generate thrust. The VASIMR injects a gas such as hydrogen in to an engine that turns it in to plasma. The radio waves are now used to energize the plasma further as it moves through the engine. The plasma, now accelerated and heated, is focused and directed as exhaust using a magnetic nozzle.

Clip Source: www.dailygalaxy.com

One of the biggest problems facing the possibility of interplanetary journeys is the lack of a proper propulsion system.

The booster rockets we use to get off the surface of the planet are all good and well, but they are just there to get a heavy load through Earth’s gravity and in to space.

Once in space

propulsion systems aren’t up to getting astronauts anywhere near Mars – at least, while they’re still alive

So NASA is obviously looking for the next form of space propulsion

US space agency's administrator Michael Griffin spoke about the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR).

VASIMR is an electro-thermal thruster for spacecraft already in space;

within a vacuum, VASIMR is capable of producing specific impulses anywhere between 3,000 to 30,000 seconds

This equates to jet velocities of between 30 and 300 kilometers a second.

Shuttle engines are capable of generating specific impulses of 453 seconds in vacuum, which equates to 4.5 kilometers a second

Tags: space, advanced propulsion, plasma drive

The White House is Briefed: Phoenix About to Announce "Potential For Life" on Mars

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 19:58:30 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: Is this another media spin or the real thing ?
Next, JPL scientists are going to be challenged with finding life on earth....

Clip Source: www.universetoday.com

It would appear that the US President has been briefed by Phoenix scientists about the discovery of something more "provocative" than the discovery of water existing on the Martian surface.

This news comes just as the Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer (TEGA) confirmed experimental evidence for the existence of water in the Mars regolith on Thursday.

Whilst NASA scientists are not claiming that life once existed on the Red Planet's surface, new data appears to indicate the "potential for life" more conclusively than the TEGA water results.

Apparently these new results are being kept under wraps until further, more detailed analysis can be carried out, but we are assured that this announcement will be huge…

n fact, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory science team

were kept out of the July 31st news conference (confirming water) so additional analysis could be carried out, avoiding any questions that may have revealed their preliminary results.

Tags: space, mars, nasa, jpl, life on mars, lgm