Daily Archives: June 14, 2017

In BriefA company funded by NASA is proposing the development and useof fusion rockets, which are propelled by the same nuclearprocesses that power stars. Nuclear Powered Rockets

Princeton Satellite Systems, which is funded by NASA, has announced the possibility of fusion reactor rockets which could according to the companys president Michael Paluszekenable new and exciting science missions that are too expensive and difficult to do with todays technology. Such missions could include propelling spaceships towards planets and stars, exploring space deeper than we ever have before, and deflecting asteroids.

Fusion rockets are propelled by the same nuclear processes that power stars. They can produce more energy and do so more efficiently than traditionalchemical propellant or ion drive designs. Princeton Satellite Systems design uses nuclear fusion by heating a mix of deuterium and helium-3 with low-frequency radio waves, then harnessesthe energy produced with magnetic fields. This technique confinesthe resulting plasma in a ring. As theplasma spirals out of the ring, it can be directed towards the blasters.

While this system would prove expensive for bigger projects (around $20 billion), the smaller rocket estimated to be 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) in diameter and 4 to 8 meters (13 to 26 feet) long would only cost about$20million per generator; ten times cheaper than the larger model.

Cost aside, there are still two other significantobstacles:first, the system would emit so much radiation that it would preclude the propulsion of any spacecraft with humans aboard, and second, while one generator may only cost the relatively small sum of $20 million, each ship would have to contain multiple generators to ensure both the stability of the plasma, andto make them capable of achieving thespeeds the rockets aspire to.

Space travel has become a trend among the worlds tech elite, with many big names intechnology working to develop canny ways explore the final frontier further,ideallyby sending humans into outer space to guide those expeditions.

Paul Allen recently revealed the worlds largest plane, which aims to take spacecraft to the atmosphere, thereby reducing the amount of energy required to launch spacecraft from Earth.

Elon Musk has had a series of successful test runs for reusable rockets, including the Dragon spacecrafts second landing at the International Space Station. He plans to test the Falcon Heavy rocket, designed totake people to the moon,in the next few months.

Related to one of the fission rockets goals of transporting robots to make observations of never-before seen parts of the galaxy is NASAs mission to touch the sun with its Parker Solar Probe. The probe will investigate solar wind and gather more data on our closest star thanweve ever had before.

Gaining a deeper understanding ofand visiting space has never been closer in our reach.Ideas like these are endlessly exciting and may be a sign that we may beentering the golden age of space travel.

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NASA-Funded Company Wants to Redefine Space Travel With ... - Futurism

Come the end of June, KFCs Zinger chicken sandwich will truly be in rare air.

Stratospheric exploration company World View announced Tuesday it plans to carry the chicken chains sandwich during the first extended duration development flight of its high-altitude Stratollite. In other words: KFCs chicken sandwich is headed to space, or at least to the stratosphere, some 60,00080,000 feet above Earths surface.

Were excited to be the ones pushing spicy, crispy chicken sandwich space travel forward, says Kevin Hochman, KFC U.S. president, in a statement. But in all seriousness, were proud to support World Views commitment to advancing space research and trust them to take our world famous Zinger sandwich to space.

The launch window opens June 21 and the flight will be broadcast live. KFC even has an entire website dedicated to the experience.

One of World Views ultimate goals is to send passengers on five- to six-hour flights on a system called Voyager. Tickets are currently selling for $75,000, with a target date of sometime in 2017.

But for now, the company will forge ahead with KFCs Zinger in the drivers seat.

The Stratollite is spearheading a new market for data collection of our planet, the environment and human activity from a perch at the very edge of space, says Jane Poynter, World View founder and CEO, in a statement. This next mission will be our first attempt to really push the envelope with a flight designed to test, for the very first time, all the integrated critical systems needed to bring this Stratollite online for commercial markets.

KFC unveiled the Zinger spicy chicken sandwich to U.S. audiences April 24. Already a hit in more than 120 countries (Australia alone sells more than 22 million Zingers each year), the brand is banking on big things.

If exposure was the roadblock, this trip into the unknown should do it.

KFC and creative agency Wieden+Kennedy approached World View about the idea. World View says it saw the opportunity as a chance to demonstrate its technology to a mass audience, while simultaneously financing a portion of the vehicles development program. Thus, the World View and KFC partnership was born, aiming to usher in a new era of stratospheric discovery and chicken sandwich space exploration.

Stratollites have the capability of carrying a wide variety of commercial payloads, the company says. Everything from sensors to telescopes to communications arrays. This could help scientists identify and track severe weather, provide WiFi, and assist first responders during natural disasters.

Previous test flight have lasted just 612 hours in length. This KFC journey is scheduled for four days. The solar-powered balloons, according to the company, can fly up to 28.5 miles above the planet.

The Stratollite was created to deliver more routine and meaningful access to space for all, and this mission allows us to give edge-of-space access to a commercial customer that would previously deem a project like this unimaginable, says Taber MacCallum, World View co-founder and chief technology officer, in a statement. Sure, this whole chicken sandwich payload is a bit funny. But, KFC gets to embark upon a one-of-a-kind marketing experiment, while we get to pursue our first multi-day shakedown cruise in the stratosphere. Its a win for all. Were pleased to have the opportunity to creatively bridge the divide between our industry and global brands that carry a more mainstream audience.

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KFC's Zinger Sandwich Prepares for Space Travel - QSR magazine (press release) (registration)

When hes not hanging out in the Ziff Davis office guesting on our premier talk show The Convo or talking about Star Trek captains, everyones favorite charming astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson shares his knowledge of the universe with the masses. Whether its on his radio show StarTalk or his Cosmos TV reboot, if you want to know about space, hes your guy.

But what if you dont watch TV or listen to the radio? What if you want to learn about star stuff but all you do is play video games? At E3, we got a solution. Neil deGrasse Tyson is Kickstarting a video game about space exploration.

Neil deGrasse Tyson Presents Space Odyssey is a downloadable game for PC and Mac, and the campaign makes it sound a more modest take on No Mans Sky combined with Tysons knowledge of the actual, real universe. Players begin on Proxima b, a real planet discovered in 2016 thats 4.2 light years away and the closest known exoplanet to the Solar System. From there Tysons voice answers questions and guides players of all ages to the surfaces of other planets and moons, creating an online community of astronomy enthusiasts. Theres also a world-building mod component. Hopefully the in-game currency isnt too egregious.

The other force behind Space Odyssey is a kind of proprietary physics engine. Apparently, Tyson is giving input to make the physics as realistic, educational, and accurate as possible. The 3D language and scripting can create real-time physics puzzles, too.

If you want to hop onboard Neil deGrasse Tysons Space Odyssey check out more details on the Kickstarter page. The target is $314,159 and theres a month and a half left to go. Weve got a crowdfunding campaign over here.

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Neil deGrasse Tyson is Kickstarting a Space Travel Video Game - Geek

Taboo for some and trendy for others, the real heart of the Butcher's Block's exotic meats list may actually be marinated more in tradition than any sort of novelty.

I have a vivid childhood memory of absolutely badgering my mother for green eggs and ham. It's hard to tell whether it was due to an emerging taste for the exotic or the firm insistence of Sam I Am, but I can be sure of one thing: the dish was far better in concept than it was in execution. Later in life, during my time in Cambodia, I once ordered an omelet and received a mound of rice topped with what I assumed to be chicken breast. All I can say is I'm certain there was something more foul than chicken on my plate.

Perhaps all of this uncertainty and intrigue is meant to demonstrate why I recently found myself in the Butcher's Block, discussing which meat between kangaroo, camel, antelope or alpaca was most flavor-forward and different from the standard fare of beef, poultry or pork.

"Its interesting that theyre not that much different," David Schell, owner of Butcher's Block, later said over the phone." Its what we create in our minds that puts these things in our heads."

Whether it's because of globalization or an understanding of the similar anatomies between animals of all types, Schell said the strange is no longer strange. When your nation bills itself as a melting pot, there will inevitably be an intermingling of cultures and culinary infusions.

"I think the bigger hurdle is whether you eat meat or not," Schell said. "Once you understand youre OK with eating animal protein, its just another way to make a creative meal for your family."

Schell pointed to our region and how many within a 30 mile radius of Bloomington wouldn't think twice about eating venison because of the prevalence of hunting in southern Indiana. Eating wild game such as deer, duck or rabbit may seem strange to others even within the state, but hunting what's close in proximity is something that's been going on since the beginning of time.

"The United States is so unique, for better or worse, in how we view food. Its all about what somebody is familiar with," Schell said. "You leave the bubble of the Midwest and your perspective opens up. Its just amazing what that can do to somebodys tastes and views in general."

Having recently traveled to Mexico, Schell said he saw cricket tacos as well as crickets in salt and lime at a resort. Whereas other cultures have readily accepted insects as a sustainable and alternative protein, Schell said our nation is only recently adopting such a diet.

Though, more progressive cities, such as San Francisco and Seattle, have been quicker to accept bugs into their diets. You can now get a basket of toasted grasshoppers to go with your Cracker Jacks when you visit the Mariner's Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington.

Butcher's Block has entertained the idea of insect protein, Schell said, but there are some exotics the store won't touch.

"We do draw a line at some point," Schell said. "There are certain species we wont carry because weve had too much resistance with the offerings that would be available."

While the venison listing often prompts jokes about Bambi, don't expect to hear any jokes about Rover or Whiskers. For now, you'll have to travel to find any dog, cat or horse meat.

At an average of $20 per pound of ground exotic meat, the culinary adventures you go on should still be less than the cost of a plane ticket to Peru or Cambodia. For those that have grown up eating camel or wild boar, a return to culinary tradition can transcend both time and space.

Butcher's Block employee Rob Dicks said the ground exotics the store typically keeps on hand tend to offer flavor profiles comparable to ground beef. He sold me on ground, farm-raised alpaca sourced from Minnesota and cooked over an open grill in the style of a Greek kofta, which is a sort of kebab that typically uses a mixture of lamb and beef. The recipe was a good fit, since the Peruvian staple falls somewhere between lamb and beef with a hint of sweetness.

I'll probably never look back to my mother's green eggs and ham or the Cambodian mystery meat I dutifully ate with any sort of fondness, but I do know that what you eat today may set up your palate for tomorrow.

Schell said one of his first exposures to an exotic meat occurred when he spent several months in Leone, France, where a lot of specially prepared dishes in the region include organs. Because he didn't speak French, he accidentally ordered what he now believes to be veal heart, and it was experience that opened his mind to trying new things.

"When I started getting into food that was plated, that was kind of an eye opener," Schell said. "There is value in things that have no value to someone else in the world."

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Exotic meats a substitute for time and space travel - The Herald-Times (subscription)

The double-headed worm from space. Look for the googly eyes.(Credit: Junji Morokuma/Tufts University)

Researchers have been sending animals to space for decades, and the growing roster includeseverything from dogs andmonkeys to scorpions and jellyfish. But a morerecent animal space traveler returned to Earth with something never before seen: an extra head.

The newly bi-cranial creature is a flatworm of the speciesDugesia japonica, one of 15 flown above the International Space Station for five weeks by Tufts University researchers. The flatworms were cut in half before being launched to study their unique regenerative abilities. Severing a flatworm usually just results in two identical flatworms, but something appears to have gone awry in one individual, who returned with another head where his tail should have been.

This behavior has been observed before in the species, but its exceedingly rare the Tufts researchers say theyve never seen it happen before, evenafter 18 years of working with a colony that now contains over 15,000 flatworms. Even more intriguing, the mutantflatworm kept on making two-headed copies of itself as it further divided, indicating that it wasnt a freak mutation but a true change in the invertebrates physiological makeup.

The 14 other flatworms that experienced the unique stresses of outer space experienced fundamental changes as well, although none so noticeable. The researchers observed them for 20 months after their return and found changes in their behavior when exposed to light and in the content of their microbiomes as compared to control flatworms kept on Earth.

In a paper published Tuesday in the journal Regeneration,the researchers propose that the absence of both gravitational and magnetic fields in space could have something to do with the dramatic transformation. Previous research into flatworms has indicated that Earths magnetic field influences how the basic structure of their cells grows, and the microgravity aboard the ISS could be affectingeverything from gene expression to how ion channels within their bodies communicate. These effects likely extend beyond flatworms as well, making research into their space travel side effects highly informative for future human missions.

We already know that astronauts experience significant physical changes when in space: bones and muscles atrophy, eyesight can falter, blood thins and the sense of taste is diminished. Long-term issues could include vision impairment, heart disease and more, although further study is still needed. Ongoing tests of astronaut Scott Kelly, who spent nearly a year in space, and his twin brother who remained on Earth could reveal additional long-term effects of space travel.

The researchers hope that the flatworm experiment marks only the first of many such research projects. Because they were unable to control for every variable, such as temperature differences during the flight and the stresses of takeoff and landing, they plan to conduct further experiments to pin down the exact mechanisms that affect flatworm physiology in space. In addition, their two-headed worm represents a sample size of just one. To truly scientifically validate their finding, theyll need to replicate their results.

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Flatworm Travels to Space With One Head, Comes Back With Two - Discover Magazine (blog)