A look at Mars Exploration, Google Style...

Google Earth is a wonderful tool for viewing the imagery collected by satellites and aerial photography. BUT did you know that there is the same option available for Mars to be viewed. It is admittedly in its BETA development phases due to the lacking nature of imagery available to Google at the moment but someday soon it will be just as useful to the planetary researchers a its Earth centric predecessor.

The following link is to a view of all the spacecraft that have either landed on Mars or crashed attempting to land on Mars. By clicking on the links on the side it will highlight the site with a text bubble and a picture. Then if you click on the picture it will take you to a page where you can read about the probe.

I learned something today that I was unaware of previously. The USSR sent three probes to Mars before the USA. All save one crashed on landing and the Mars2 only transmitted for 20 seconds after landing. This seems typical for what I have learned of the Old Soviet Era, it was ever the quest for quantity and never the heartfelt concern for quality. In sharp contrast the Viking 1 probe not only landed but also operated for 6 years; similarly Viking 2 remained operational for 3.5 years after landing.

The probes of this decade have had their own slough of failures and successes though none seem to be as unexpected as the two rovers (Spirit and Opportunity) that are still operational and sending valuable information back.

http://www.google.com/mars/#lat=2.108898&lon=-153.28125&zoom=2&q=spacecraft

Combat Armor Concepts

I have done considerable research on my own on suits of armor and other armor systems, for my epic sci-fi adventure story, I figured I would comment. On the latest combat armor imagery I have been exposed to as a result of the media blitz surrounding the roll out of Starcraft 2 by Blizzard.

I watched the Starcraft 2 Cinematic with the suiting up of a space marine; Tychus Findlay. I enjoyed it immensely. I love the sequence! It is unique and inventive. And I would never want the process done to me.

The whole process raises several serious concerns in my mind. First, if you ever needed to escape your armor to save your life. Being welded into it you have no where to go. Though I grant you that the sequence seems to hint that the Terran Marines are impressed criminals rather than voluntary civilians. Thus welding the convict into their armor is a way to force loyalty as it is a sort of prison cell that the commander would doubtlessly have a kill switch for emergencies. Thus it would be the commander's way or they die in the suit. It would be effective I suspect though that would explain a few issues I have always had with the Terran Space Marine.

Second, it seems highly impractical to have to have this processor anywhere you needed marines. Sure it could be done but why? It is very energy intensive and the process seems in efficient some how. I will grant you that sequence seems plausible enough.

The other oddity is the proportions of the armor. It seems to not be a good fit in this respect. Since we know from the video that the hand is inside the gauntlets and the feet are at the bottom of the boots. Take a look at this image from Blizzard's website. Once you have watched the cinematic this oddity appears. Oh it is after all just a game, a highly desired and well loved game in the end but this is one of those little details that I have always noticed. Take a look and tell me what you think.



Don't get me wrong I love the sequence. I am just noting items that seem odd to me with the this design.

Additionally, I noted with interest that there is some from of internal interface plug in bedded into the convict marine. Though I am not certain of its purpose in the whole scheme of things. Perhaps it is similar to the heart plug used by the Harkonens in Dune to control Thufer Hawat.

The gauntlet was a particularly smooth sequence. I liked the hand interface it seems simple and very practical. Kudos to the design team and the modeling team there at Blizzard.

Again I am IMPRESSED by this video and its quality. My comments are simply observations on the combat armor itself.

I'll be wandering off now... ;)

StarCraft 2 website

What a cool look and feel to the www.starcraft2.com site! I look forward to playing this game. I haven't done that in nearly five years! The thing that has me even more excited is that this time I will have my seven year old to play with from time to time. I look forward to that one. My sweet wife isn't much on the video games because it is a waste of time. She is right but at least now I can waste it with my son! =D


If you don't know what I am talking about then let me just refer you to the original game's website ( http://www.blizzard.com/starcraft/ )read through its accolades and then know that it has been a full decade since the original appeared on our radars in some cases. We all loved this game and begged for years on numerous sites and forums for a second installment that continued the story we were abandoned with at the conclusion of the Brood War Expansion Pack ( http://www.blizzard.com/broodwar/ ). Now our hopes are realized and the graphics are AWESOME! WOW! I have watched it again.. Okay actually a few more times then that... and I am really looking forward to this game. Blizzard put it quite well on their website intro: HECK YAH!!!!

I have many friends and relatives who I used to play with over Battle.net and I hope that we all will enjoy many more hours of pure enjoyment this coming holiday season... Since I am convinced that Blizzard is going for the Christmas season release on this game there by completing the ten year cycle.

Blizzard's Rip Van Winkle moment...

I know we have all been waiting for this moment... Starcraft II is now an officially announced and far into development game. If I know Blizzard they will be trying to mirror their schedule from ten years ago. Hence, the game should be released around Christmas time. I have watched the video and looked at all of the screen shots and all I can say is WOW!!!!!!

I will add more once the smoke clears and more details are available. Until then, the best source for information is IGN.com's reporter on the ground Charles Onyett. His article is here: http://pc.ign.com/articles/788/788627p1.html

YEE HAW!!! I feel like playing a little Starcraft for a few days.

The "Conspiracy" seems to be no more...

The Face on Mars Conspiracy Theories seems to now be sufficiently debunked by this image, released by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on April 11th 2007. The face has lost its mysterious allure in many ways as the quality of the imagery improved. from the original Viking images. Farewell to a fond dream of many... Though it wasn't ever really a dream of mine. As a Map maker by trade I have seen many aerial images that at one resolution looked remarkable and a higher resolution assumed the ho hum of reality. Though I am certain there will yet be some folks who have much invested in the "face" that claim it is still visible and that it is the visage of a deformed "grey"... That will require that they stretch it a bit but hey anything for a good story is fair game in the realm of Sci-Fi!

Entanglement

No it isn't a knot tied by my five-old daughter... Though heaven knows she is a master at entangling shoe laces chairs and toys in to one combined entity. That is in deed entanglement after a fashion.

I am actually talking about the Quantum Theory Entanglement. I am currently listening to Amir D. Aczel's Excellent book on the subject. Which is appropriately titled, Entanglement: The Greatest Mystery in Physics .

If you have no clue what I am talking about then perhaps this short definition will only deepen your confusion on the matter because the reality is for us as mere mortals and not having an ability to truely comprehend infinity it is difficult to grasp the twists and turns that Quantum Mechanics presents.

Perhaps though the following simplified version will help. It was written by Justin Mullins back in 2000.

"Certain objects can become linked by a mysterious process called entanglement.
Particles that become entangled are deeply connected regardless of the distance
between them. If they become separated by the width of the Universe, the bond
between them remains intact. These particles are so deeply linked that it’s as
if they somehow share the same existence.

Physicists do not yet fully
understand the nature of entanglement but there is growing evidence that it is a
fundamental property of the universe. Unfettered by the restrictions of space,
entanglement may be the ghostly bedrock upon which reality is built."

(Justin Mullins, 2000).

Justin mentions one of the first links I found when writing this as well; that of the definition provided by Wikipedia.

"Quantum entanglement is a quantum mechanical phenomenon in which the quantum
states of two or more objects have to be described with reference to each other,
even though the individual objects may be spatially separated."

(Wikipedia, 2007).

I really enjoy the simplity that Amir has manage to weave into such a complex topic in his book. I would strongly recommend it to everybody. If you like the traditional tactile experience Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Entanglement-Greatest-Amir-D-Aczel/dp/1568582323) obvious first stops; Or if you prefer the audiobook then I highly recommend Audible.com as your source to procure this wonderful book.

Sales plug here for Audible.com from a loyal listener of nearly five years. It is a very easy to use service that makes digital audiobooks a joyous experience. I highly recommend their service to you.

I have to tell you about an amazing Web site where you can download and listen
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It's called audible.com and they'll let you try a free 14-day
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Right now there is a special of 50% off the Gold membership and you get 3 audiobooks for 7.49 for your first three months. That is a steal of a deal if you buy audiobooks.

http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/offers/learnMoreMembership.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes

If you do decide to join I hope you will do this Audiobook junkie a favor and enter my username in as the person who refered you to Audible. Why? Because if you like it as much as I do I will get a free audiobook on your anniversary. That is a nice bonus in my book. My username is iceworm72.

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Reference Links
Wikipedia, (2007), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_entanglement

Justin Mullins (2000) http://www.justinmullins.com/entanglement.htm

Antarctic Aliens...

I just closed the windows and the last one was MSN and the rotating banner had this beauty steering me in the face... Proof that we know less than we think we do 90% of the time. Especially when it comes to this AMAZING PLANET and the DARK WATERS BELOW...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18704209/?GT1=9951

I did see one image that I liked very much. The sea spider is very cool and I am going to find a way to weave a much larger version of this creature in a story someday.