Category Archives: Inspiration

Science Fiction Roundup: Updates on Lasers, Railguns, PETMAN, and Virtual Reality

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Hello everyone! Last week I started into examining the historical context of Cyberpunk within the history of Science Fiction, but I decided to put that on hold until next week as I reexamine my direction for the series. It’s been a month since my last round of posts, and there have been loads of articles that I have wanted to talk about, so I was going to do a Round-up at some point anyway. Might as well do it now! If you’re not familiar with these posts, my rules for them are thus: find cool articles about science and technology that would make a cool or interesting story idea. Enjoy!

The Navy Really Does Get All the Coolest Toys

If you haven’t been following my Roundups for a while, you might assume that Naval technology has basically stayed the same since the World Wars, other than the inclusion of more nuclear subs and sophisticated jetfighters. As cool as cannons the size of trees are, the Navy has been trying to find effective replacements for their outdated systems and gradually retrofit their ships. There are two major and surprising directions that this development has gone: lasers and railguns.

LaWS (Laser Weapons System)

The navy has been looking at lasers for a while, and I’ve taken a look at many projects, some of which are now defunct. But the idea of lasers on battleships has stuck around, and one current solution is being introduced for the U.S.S. Ponce, commissioned in 1971, to get a shiny new laser to shoot drones and enemy speedboats. The weapon is actually much cheaper to operate than conventional weapons, and much faster and more reliable than the typical cannon solutions.

Source: PopSci

GA Blitzer Railgun

It’s not hard to imagine this on a spacecraft or future tank. I’ve actually been following this particular weapon system for a while and seen it go from warehouse-sized machine to something looking much more like a cannon. The railgun fires its projectile with staged electromagnetic pulses, hitting air, sea, and land targets up to 200 nautical miles away. It’s so effective, there’s almost no application it isn’t good for, making it a solution for naval combat, artillery strikes, anti-air, and even missile defense.

PETMAN 2: The Return

I’ve covered this particular robot several times now due to his high publicity and coolness factor. PETMAN, another project by Boston Dynamics, the creators of BigDog, another well-known robot developed for DARPA, the research and development arm of the US military. They still claim this is just for testing new chemical suit designs, but I don’t buy it.

Source: 33rd Square

Virtual Reality Glove? Please.

Virtual reality is one area of science fiction and technology that I get really excited about. It’s all about immersion: how do you make the user feel like they’re really present in the simulated environment? The visual aspect of this is quickly being solved, however, the method of control is very difficult. Sure, you can give someone a controller and leave it at that, but some companies are vying for more elegant solutions. Thalmic Labs’ MYO has the advantage of being useful for many applications (I don’t think I’d mind at all using that armband for every computer interface, if they found a way to make it easily transferable), but adding natural motion controls that rely on actual muscle movement rather than trying to teach a computer to read an understand gestures is probably a much more direct approach than the motion control technologies we see in other industries (the current generations of video game consoles, for example). Extrapolate this to the entire body, and you’ve got yourself a full-fledged VR suit.

Source: Singularity Hub

Virtual Reality Meet Virtual Exertion

Sorry for the Vimeo link, it looks like there isn’t a Youtube equivalent. This project, from University of Wisconsin-Madison, struck me as very closely related to the MYO project above. I’ve talked about virtual reality at length, especially the problems associated with attempting to replicate the holodeck from Star Trek, and it hadn’t occurred to me to go about it this way, at least as a stopgap. I remember quite clearly straining my muscles when pretending to lift some heavy, imaginary thing when I was little. I even still today, when playing a videogame where something has to be lifted or pushed, often strain my own muscles when immersed in the task. Using this sort of feedback, where the computer  measures your strain to determine how much force to apply to an object, seems like a very effective way to integrate force feedback into virtual reality without running into the problem of requiring couch potatoes to actually perform strenuous tasks.

That’s it for this week! I hope these ideas will come in handy for your science fiction stories. Until next week, do you think that motion controls like the MYO will become the norm? Why or why not? Let me know in the comments below!

A Month of Ireland: The Magic, Faerie-Hunting Cat Named Pangur Bán

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Last week I provided a very dark but beautiful bit of poetry about the faeries stealing away a child.  This week, my Irish-themed post has a slightly happier note.  As previous posts have mentioned, there is a cartoon called The Secret of Kells about the writing of the Book of Kells.  In that film is a cat named Pangur Bán, white with one blue eye and one green eye.  Multicolored eyes indicate magic, as we all know.  So today, we will talk more about what it means to have a magic cat.

The original cat Pangur Bán (he was real!) exists for us in the pages of a 9th century Irish manuscript.  An Irish monk reflects on how his own struggle for words compares to the hunting of his “whiter than white” cat.

Messe ocus Pangur Bán,
cechtar nathar fria saindan
bíth a menmasam fri seilgg
mu menma céin im saincheirdd.
    . . .
I and Pangur Bán my cat
Tis a like task we are at:
Hunting mice is his delight,
Hunting words I sit all night.

The thing about magic cats is they have a tendency to show up in unexpected places.  This Irish cat now lives in my house.

pangur ban white green eye blue eyeThe other thing about magic cats is that they do not see the world the way other cats do.  Pangur Bán’s eyes are her gift and her curse.  She sees our world with her blue eye, the mundane eye.  However, with her green eye, she sees the faeries.

Pangur Bán’s eternal battle with the invisible house faeries has been going on for months now.  She hunts them, chases them, and pounces on them, but our house is overrun.  Fortunately, Pangur Bán refuses to give up, and her hunt for the faeries continues.

 

The Pangur Bán of the 9th century hunted mice, so says the poem, but he, too, was a magic cat.  He had the ability to inspire his master to write. It is through observing his cat that the anonymous Irish monk is able to conclude:

pangur ban

He fesin as choimsid dáu
in muid dungní cach oenláu
du thabairt doraid du glé
for mu mud cein am messe.
                   . . .
Practice every day has made
Pangur perfect in his trade;
I get wisdom day and night
Turning darkness into light.

(Translation by Robin Flowers)

The Irish monks of this man’s time were facing many years of darkness – literary darkness, that is. They are responsible for preserving much of the early literature that we value so much today. They were writers and readers, lovers of books, masters of their craft of illumination. You know a true book-lover when he not only writes the book, but he is driven to make it beautiful.

This poem is so especially beloved not just because it is such a strange little bit of writing tucked in the margins of a manuscript.  It also shows us just a glimpse of man’s thoughts aside from his long hours of writing down and preserving valuable texts.  Over a thousand years ago, a man sits at his desk and struggles to find inspiration and to use just the right words.  Another translation of the first verse by Seamus Heaney:

Pangur Bán and I at work,
Adepts, equals, cat and clerk:
His whole instinct is to hunt,
Mine to free the meaning pent.
How many times has any one of us sat in front of a blank screen or stared at a page, pen in hand, and struggled to free the meaning trapped in our thoughts?  If we could just find the right words, the story would come to life.
Pangur Bán may seem to be no more than a small white cat, but this cat has managed to travel through time to tell a very simple, but universal story of the writer’s experience.  A magic cat, indeed! Although the author of this poem is nameless, he has given us a name to remember.  It seems, thanks to his cat, he found his words, after all.
pangur ban cat rabbit friends

Pangur Ban makes friends with the evil Bella Bunny.

Science Fiction Round-up: Video Games Driving Technology, and Cyberflippers

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Hello everyone! Last week I went on about media and important differences between them (etc. etc.). It was a thorough and in-depth article, and this week I was supposed to dive right back into it.

Well, I think we need a quick break from that. So instead, this week, I’ve compiled another Science Fiction Round-up for your reading pleasure. If you’re new, this is a series of articles I’ve scrounged from my own vast surveys of SF-related news sites and blogs (because I’m into that sort of thing) and pull them together for your inspiration. I get ideas from reading these things all the time, so I thought I’d pass them on to you. You’re welcome!

As I’ve outlined before, there is a unique, chicken-and-egg relationship between science fiction and technology. Many ideas in science fiction literature comes from actual science (obviously), however, many technologies are developed after being imagined by SF writers. Similarly, a lot of technological development is spurred by video games, either because the tech is useful to the gaming industry, or as a consequence of the games themselves.

Oculus Rift: Affordable Virtual Reality (Finally)

One example of this is the ever-sought (but rarely successful) niche of Virtual Reality. It’s interesting to note just how popular the idea of virtual reality is in popular media, but how unsuccessful virtual reality products have been historically. From Morton Heilig’s Sensorama to Nintendo’s Virtual Boy (which I actually own), virtual reality products have never really taken off. But of course, a certain quality vs. cost calculation has always been it’s bane (these products are always really expensive and never deliver much).

This is all changing, however, with the Oculus Rift, widely being touted as one of the first viable attempts to mainstream virtual reality. The system is intended as a display for video games, which have been the focus and driving force behind the technology in the consumer market, whereas simulations (such as aircraft and parachuting trainers) drive it in military and corporate markets.

In any case, this is an exciting development, but it mostly feels weird to me that we are actually going to have to integrate this technology into our lives in the near future. For instance, this article deals with thoughts on how to properly gain someone’s attention politely while they are using the Oculus Rift device, since you wouldn’t want to freak them out too badly in the process.

Source: NYTimes.com

Soon You May Have An Excuse to Scarf That Snickers Bar

I can’t tell from reading this article if the creators of this project got the idea from Deus Ex: Human Revolution or not (the chicken-or-egg scenario again), but the connection is clear. In the game, protagonist Adam Jensen, a cyborg, has to eat powerbars to replenish his strength after he hits someone in the face. In the game, it’s a mechanic that keeps the player from pile-driving every single enemy. In real life, it could be a legitimate way to power internal implants. The idea is to use the resources already present in the body to generate electricity for devices in leau of a battery. In this case, the biocells take oxygen and glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream and break them down to create a charge.

cyberboost proenergy bar deus ex human revolution

It’s unlikely that the researchers responsible for the bio cells actually got the idea from Deus Ex, but the idea has been floating around in SF and video games for years. It’s interesting to see that this appears to be not only possible, but a very practical technology.

Source: The Escapist, BBC

Finally, Prosthetics for Quadruple Flipper Amputees

To end on a completely different note, apparently some Japanese researchers found it necessary to give artificial flippers to a loggerhead turtle. After being caught and mangled in a fishing net in 2008, the turtle lost its flippers. Scientists have been trying since to design prosthetic flippers to allow the critter to swim normally. It’s taken a lot of tries (this is their 27th iteration) but I think they’ve come pretty close:

I’m not quite sure about the general applications of this research, but I’m finding it hard to care. Daw.

 

Well, that’ll be it for this week. Next week I’ll get into the details of elements that transcend media. Until then, how much is too much for virtual reality? Since the push for mainstream VR is coming soon, do you think you’ll buy into it? Let me know in the comments below!

Science Fiction Roundup: Weird Science Edition

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Hello everyone. Tis I, Erik the Reddest back on rotation and ready to go. I read a lot of science articles for research (and because I actually do find this stuff interesting), and I am constantly amazed by emergent technologies. However, sometimes I am not only awed, but totally weirded out by what I read. Quite a few strange stories have come around recently, so I thought I’d share them with you for my first post of the month to give you some inspiration for your writing.

Apparently Fish Do Have Thoughts, Just Really Simple Ones.

Fish Thought scanOh Japan. Not only does your culture consistently bewilder us Westerners, but your scientists get in on the fun too. Apparently, at the Japanese National Institute of Genetics, this means asking the question: do fish think? Well the answer, surprisingly, is yes. Not about much, mind you. Just things like “That looks good to eat.” The purpose of this research was to begin developing methods of mapping neural activity, but the whole idea for the project still brings a smile to my face.

Source: 33rd Square

Welcome to My Giggly Nightmare

Also coming out of Japan (no surprises there) is a recent project in creating realistic facial expressions for robots with the hope that they will someday be able to interact with humans on an emotional level. “Diego-san” is modeled to look and act like a one year old boy and has 27 moving parts in his face to create expressions. You tell me: creepy or adorable? I’m going with creepy.

Source: Singularity Blog

Clearly the Term “Microscope” is No Longer Good Adequate

I would have thought it was impossible to do this, but apparently IBM‘s new microscope afm hexabenzocoronene molecule imagetechnique (“Micro” seems the wrong prefix) has captured an image of a hexabenzocoronen molecule at 100x the resolution of an atom, officially confirming its shape and organization to be the same as its theoretical models. It was news to me that they could even get an image of an atom at all, but that was achieved in 2009, believe it or not. To the right is an image of the HBC molecule. Oh the world we live in…

Source: 33rd Square

Doctors Give Vet New Arms (Not Cyborg Ones)

arm transplant diagram

Speaking of things I thought were impossible, doctors recently performed an incredible feat of surgery, giving 26 year old Sergeant Brennan Marrocco two new (human) arms. I honestly thought that giving someone replacement limbs would either have to be done by cloning spare parts,or else advanced prosthetic limbs would be used. I was amazed to hear that this surgery was not only attempted, but successful. Just look at that diagram they had to connect bone, muscle, arteries, even individual nerves to make this work. Truly incredible.

Source: Singularity Blog

At Least We Don’t Have to Worry About A Strong Iranian Airforce

I thought I’d end on a humorous note, at a dictator’s expense. As much saber-rattling as Iran is known to do, they’re still (thankfully) lacking in the technology to pull off their threats for the most part. While that could quickly change if they obtain a nuclear weapon as they are keen to do by most analysts’ opinions, at the moment at least it’s clear they have no idea how to build a proper stealth bomber. Mere weeks after their triumphant space launch of a rhesus monkey into orbit that certainly didn’t die in the vacuum of space, Iran proudly displayed this little piece of engineering:

iranplane iran hoax stealth bomber Qaher-313

This is the Qaher-313. For those of you (like me) who don’t have an aerospace engineering degree, head to the linked gallery at the source and enjoy the slide-by-slide take down of exactly how ridiculous this is. It may look kind of cool at first glance, but it’s likely this is a poorly executed hoax (like the monkey) that the Iranian brass just don’t realize is embarrassingly inadequate to fool the 1st world’s educated public. A few things to note are the Mason-jar glass cockpit, the shiny plastic, and copy-cat wing designs that probably don’t actually let it fly, if it even has an engine. Check out the last few slides to see a few actual stealth bombers to get a comparison.

Source: Ars Technica

Well, that’s all for now. Lots of things to write about now, eh? Good! Now what weirded you out more, or just made you laugh? Let me know in the comments below!

Five Ways to Avoid Last Week’s Procrastinating Extravaganza: Okay, It’s Time to Write

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I feel a little guilty about last week’s post.  Maybe I have incited some of you to cast off the weight of an unfinished book/story/whatever, and as it slowly dawns on you that the fulfillment to be found in avoiding your writing is fleeting, at best, you are beginning to blame me for the fact that you and your novel are now, for all intents and purposes, strangers.

So I am going to redeem myself this week with a post on things you can do to get back to your novel (along with inspiring library pictures).  There it sits, a file on a laptop, scribbled words in a notebook, a plethora of ideas on stickies on the wall… and it is now angry.

But don’t worry, because writing isn’t that hard to get back into.  Really.  At least, I hope it isn’t because I’m about to do it.  Soon.  Like, any day now…

1. Take Your Novel on a Field Trip

Your story probably feels neglected now, and it’s time to take it out and let it see some daylight.  Coffee shops, libraries, and bookstores will all soften your story up a bit and make it more inclined to like you.

I’ve talked about this before.  Finding that special place to sit and make the writing experience enjoyable is incredibly useful if you have been a dedicated procrastinator for the past… oh… however long.  For me, making a date with a bookstore or coffee shop inspires me to work.  I give myself a certain number of hours there and for those few hours, I am in The Zone.  I want to write as much as I possibly can in that span of time.  Plus, I normally get tea or something, and then it becomes relaxing instead of toil.

A field trip to this library in Prague would probably do the trick...

A field trip to this library in Prague would probably do the trick…

2. Edit Sparingly

If you are getting back into writing and you have a story sitting there in some state of unfinishedness, you are going to want to be gentle.  A constant temptation of mine is to go back through the whole thing and edit it fiendishly.  It’s not that this editing is bad and I usually change all sorts of things that needed changing.  However, by the time I get up to where I stopped, I’m burnt out and depressed and I don’t want to write.  Then I need to recover from the editing.

I do like to edit sparingly, though, when I’m getting back into things.  I reread the last few chapters, however much I need to in order to become familiar with what I’ve written and where I was going.  This also helps me get back into the right rhythm of that particular story.  If I spot something small, I will change it, of course.  Spelling errors horrify me.

I won’t dig deep into the story at this point.  Not yet.  First, I need to write a little bit more so I can see actual progress being made.

3. Find Someone to Guilt Trip Motivate You.

prague libraryLet’s face it, when you’re only accountable to yourself, you are much more likely to give yourself free passes.  Aw, you poor thing, you tell yourself, you’ve been working so hard and no one appreciates what you go through! You don’t really need to write that chapter today.  Tomorrow will work just as well. You just go watch some Doctor Who and feel better, alright?

You need a writing buddy. I have a writer’s group and I use the pressure of those meetings to motivate me to write a new chapter.  If I don’t write it, then I don’t get to read it and get feedback and appreciation.  And they will know that I didn’t write anything.  The shame… the unspeakable shame.

Find someone to pester you for chapters.  Find someone who will tell you that you have been an abject slob of an author and that books everywhere are thinking evil thoughts about you.

On a more positive note: find someone who likes your writing and wants to see more of it.  Then you have someone to please and your friend gets to read the next bestseller before it’s even out!  It’s a win-win!

4. Reward yourself for writing a specific amount.

We all like treats, right?  If you tell yourself (very strictly, mind, with no cheating) that you will buy yourself that lovely new book you have been wanting for ages, but only if you finish writing thirty pages of your novel (or whatever – maybe at this point a sentence deserves some sort of prize), you have something to look forward to besides the joy of seeing the written pages.  Sometimes, let’s be honest now, writing just doesn’t feel rewarding in and of itself, especially if you are convinced your book hates you.

5.  When All Else Fails, Write Something New

robert burns writing desk dumfries scotland

This is the desk where the poet Robert Burns did his writing. Just think, someday your writing desk will be famous too! If you ever finish a novel, that is…

This sounds somewhat familiar to my suggestion last week to start a new novel when you don’t want to work on your current one.  I’m not cheating (really!) by suggesting it again.  Most of us have probably reached a point where we flat out aren’t interested in our current book.  Maybe we just can’t figure out how to get past a certain point or we don’t like where it’s going.  Maybe we do need to step back for a while.

The thing is, it’s very tempting to feel like we can work on that project and that project only.  It’s our novel!  It’s our ticket to fame, bestsellers lists, movie deals!  It’s the most Amazing Thing We’ve Ever (Nearly) Accomplished!  I know I’ve felt guilty about setting something aside in favor of a new idea, like I’m being unfaithful to my current work.

But if you’re writing, you are writing, and sometimes that’s what you need most.  The novel will still be there when you come back to it and, in the meantime, a short story or two, a new novel idea, a poem, a song, a how-to handbook… whatever it is – you’ll have written it.

So enough with the procrastination.  It’s time to face that writing again.  Do it.  Right now.

You’ll thank me later (or at least forgive me for leading you astray last week…)prague library