Prince Roger's Balistic Armor of today... Well it is still a few years off...

If you have read the Empire of Man Series commonly called the "Prince Roger Series" of Science Fiction novels by David Weber and John Ringo, you will perhaps recognize this next story's importance in making a bold stride forward on the Armored Frontier.

Protecting The Soldiers of Tomorrow


These "inorganic fullerene-like nanostructures" or IF as the IsraCast abreviates them are to my mind the basic threads that could easily be woven into cloth-like material. In so doing it would then be possible to produce from that material a flexible light-weight suit that would give our soldiers the protection they vitally need from IED's and sniper fire when on patrol. This ballistic IF material will be much better than the previously examined carbon based nanotube fibers. As the article states, the "IF is easier and much less expensive to produce, it is chemically stable and is less reactive and consequently less flammable... [and] ...have been tested extensively and deemed safe." This is especially obvious when they are compared with the highly toxic Organic Fullerenes.

As I look at this new ballistic material I can see countless applications for sensitive areas that need additional protection from not only bullets and explosive devices but also consider the application in say a car bumper and other structural partitions within an automobile. Not only would it strengthen it but it would also decrease the weight of the material in all likelihood. This will in turn make the hybrids more efficient and the so on and so forth in that industry. It could perhaps decrease the level of damage vehicles retain when impacting in a collision. What a benefit to countless lives that would be.

What about laptop computers this material could likely be integrated into the shell to add additional cushioned rigidity to the HDD as well. There is also the possibility that this could be used to help armor aircraft and I suspect spacecraft too would benefit from this "nanoarmor" as an extra internal protective skin as it is currently envisioned if I am not mistaken.

Mechanized Exo-Skeletal Armor Systems (MESAS XP)... Anyone????

Here is an idea for the X PRIZE Foundations, next X PRIZE competition; Mechanized Exo-Skeletal Armor Systems (MESAS XP).

The competition should be based around practical usage niches such as Fire Fighting, SWAT, Under Water Rescue, Mining and Handicapped Mobility. I leave out the Military applications, as it is clearly an area that the Defense Department is working and I am quite certain the bureaucracy of DARPA isn’t going to participate.

Oh well, I guess that won't be happening anytime soon, but a guy can hope can't he!

Automotive X PRIZE (AXP)

WOW! Now this is how innovation and free enterprise can work hand in hand to build a better tomorrow, without oppressive government regulations. I take may hat off to the founders of the X PRIZE Foundation and their commitment to change the world by inspiring individuals to pursue “a prize and acclaim”. The creation of the Automotive X PRIZE (AXP) is in my opinion as a adamant and devoted constitutionalist this is an inspired approach to environmentalism and conservation or resources. I whole-heartedly approve of this sort of environmental activism that doesn’t ignore the realities of real American everyday life and liberty. Nor does it destroy the spirit that made America the great nation it truly is and can continue to be in the future.

Now if they would offer an X PRIZE for a working MECH, I would be thoroughly ecstatic! Oh well one can always dream right!

Enjoy the read, I know I did and I look forward to following this competition as it unfolds next year.

Mecha in real life...

As many of you know one of my primary interests is Mecha. I believe there is a future to this sci-fi dream of writers like myself. We see things in our heads that make sense to us and we think why not. I continue to research the topic and figured I would share two of bolder attempts by individuals to build these massive machines.

Granted these examples are crude and wouldn’t last 30 seconds on a battlefield, but then again the first automobiles were jokes by today’s standards too.

The first is one that was built in here in Alaska several years ago by an ambitious fellow; I have tried to track him down but haven’t had much luck. The flamethrower is kind of cool effect but with I would have liked to see it walk.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dhs7t70_YVg&feature=related

The second was built in Japan and is much more functional from what I can see. Though it really can’t walk at this point it does manage to slide through the movements well enough. The crude air weapons are a nice touch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c2ZjEflcps&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtovadY4lYk&feature=related

Regardless of their current rough state I can tell you that we will continue to see improvement in the related technologies and in time these will become viable. Until then I will just have to keep writing and dreaming, with the rest of you.

Top 10 Strangest Things in Space... uh don't they mean 11... ;)

Well after a bit of a hiatus... I am back with another slide show of interest from Space.com folks. I love their site.

It is entitled the "Top 10 Strangest Things in Space", oddly enough though there are eleven slides... Oh well inspite of thier obviously questionable ability to use their fingers and toes to count the list is quite cool. One I am going to incorporate into my sci-fi story, Azmathia.

Enjoy!

Rumors of my untimely demise...

Contrary to the rumors circulating I am indeed still alive; just working two jobs... Hence the decrease in actual blog time available to me. I have mostly adjusted to this new schedule and I hope to be able to post once a month from this time forward. If you are wondering why this is the case I suggest you stop by my financial councilor's website . It is all his fault as he has modivated me to get out of debt FOREVER! Hence, I actually have need of a breif burst of income to help move my debt snowball downhill faster.

THE SPACE EDUCATORS' HANDBOOK

I just stumbled across a really cool site. It has tons of stuff from the archives of Space history. Especially pleasing to me was all of the cool concept sketches from the early days of the space race. What a treasure trove!!!