Issue 587 Problems with Solar Power May 8, 2015

Solar power is where you get free power from the sun.  In this case we will be talking about the two main obstacles that solar panels have with respect to replacing traditional fossil fuels.  Let's get started.

Absorbing Light:  The first key problem is that solar panels are not 100% efficient yet with respect to absorbing light.  They can to a certain degree absorb one particular spectrum of light very well, but cannot absorb the others, or the panel can absorb a variety, but never come close to even 50% efficiency.  Work is being carried out to fix this problem, but it is a hard process, for apparently, the alignment of the molecules and chemicals that make up the material dictate the level of efficiency.  While research is ongoing and progress is being made, this is a slow process, and thus will take many days, or possibly more years of trial and error to get it right.

Manufacturing:  Our other hurdle is the manufacturing process.  More particularly the chemicals involved.  To make the solar panel work, the manufactures have to use toxic chemicals which in turn leave toxins left over to be disposed of once a chemical is used up.  Thus, despite their use at protecting the environment, they can negate that just by being made.  Work is ongoing for a viable solution, and it also explains why heating and other aspects of solar energy are being explored so as to reduce the need for electrical energy usage and thus the need for large arrays of panels to be used which in turn mitigates the environmental impacts.

Conclusion:  Once these two key problems are worked out with respect to efficiency and manufacture, solar panels will completely surpass most, if not all fossil fuels especially if it is paired with an equally good battery to store the energy it collects.  A greener future is a sure thing if we give scientists enough time.

Issue 586 Concept: mixed weapon martial arts May 7, 2015

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has taken the world by storm.  However, martial arts has never been limited to turning the body into a human weapon.  In fact, martial arts encompasses all skills that also include the use of weaponry.  So I had an idea.  What if there was a division of MMA that brought the weapons back in.  Let's discuss.

The concept:  So the idea is really simple.  Add weapons into an MMA match.  Obviously, these would be of a non-lethal variety to ensure safety, and the combatants would wear a form of armor.  The armor would protect the wearer from the most powerful blows, but still allow the fighter to know and feel that they got hit.  However, if they somehow lose their weapon in the midst of the bout, they could still demonstrate their skills by fighting barehanded as there is a segment of martial arts moves which are designed to defeat armored opponents and also to be used while wearing armor.  This also allows for moves that include disarmament to be integrated into the match.  Basically, this brings in a whole new set of martial techniques into the ring which typically are not seen.

Acceptable weapons and win conditions:  Foam staff and club weapons seem to be the most appropriate.  These weapons are easily seen and felt.  So this could also include nunchuks, three section staffs, tonfas/police baton, and escrima sticks.  Large polyurethane knife like weapons would work such as knives with blades over 5 inches in length, or short swords like machetes, and of course long swords like the Katana, and hand-and-a-half sword.  Points will then be awarded as normal with judges looking at the number of landed blows which will be one point, and glancing blows being a half point.  If the weapon such as a spear is used and the spear point (a cushioned bulb in this case) would strike a vital area on the body, then a point and a half would be awarded.  Take downs with or without a weapon will be given two full points, and strikes without a weapon would be given a 1/2 point. Or you can win by submission in which points become irrelevant. 

Rope, and whip like weapons would be banned due to the potential problems with chokes, and entanglement and weapons under 5 inches would not work because they are not very visible but there are exceptions like knuckle dusters, and gauntlets which are weapons combined with the fist and the strikes can be seen.  Fantasy weapons like combining a tonfa with a knife would be allowable once tested for safety.  Shields are also an allowable weapon/defense tool as they too have a martial application on attack like a spike shield or hooked shield being used to punch, parry a blow or grapple.  Projectile weapons will never work because they defeat the purpose of integrating the other martial arts weapons, for they were designed as an equalizer on the battlefield for troops as opposed to professionally trained sword fighters.  And there you have it, these foam/hard plastic weapons would work perfectly for our purposes.

 Forbidden strike zones:  In this case hitting to the groin is never acceptable, and head shots to the back of the head, neck and thrusts to the face (unless barehanded to the face) are also off limits despite protective gear due to the possible severe damage that can be caused. Weapon hits with hard plastic to an unprotected head, or other parts of the body that cannot endure such punishment will not be allowed, foam weapons will be allowed as they are safer.  Beyond that, everything is protected and thus seems to me a legal target.

Conclusion:  This is a concept that would be cool.  MMA got its start by asking who would win if a karate fighter took on a kung Fu fighter.  And from there it evolved.  This weapon variety now integrates unused moves and looks to also see if a European Rapier can take on a Katana in a match.  Obviously more must be put in to ensure safety as different varieties of armor modeled on various historical types would all have to be tested to allow for variety and add to the flavor of the match, suitably modifying them for the ring of course.  So what do you all think?  Is this a potentially good idea, or just a pipe dream?  I'll let you, my readers, decide.

Issue 585 Pulling the Plug May 6, 2015

I recently watched an interview between Glenn Beck and the author of the book "Ghost Boy” Martin Pistorius.  In the book he chronicled his time while trapped in his own body.  Read on to find out what I mean.

The Ghost Boy:  Pistorius was in a vegetative state for 12 years.  Yes, the kind of vegetative state that many people pull the plug so to speak to take them off life support.  His vegetative state was caused by a disease, so as you can imagine, it was hard on his family.  So much so, that he heard his mother whisper in his ear that she hoped he would die (she said this while he was in the vegetative state).  However, in his vegetative state, he could see, hear, feel, everything that went on around him, he was simply trapped in his own body.  Unfortunately, his mother's whisper was not the only sad thing to happen to him while in his condition.  He was sexually abused by a nurse during his stay at the hospital.  Pistorius would chronicle that and more in his book "Ghost Boy".

Impact:  From this interview, we can surmise there is hope for men and women trapped in such a state can come out of it.  In Fact, according to the interview, there are others who have come out of this vegetative state, though it is not common, it is not an uncommon occurrence either.  But there are no tell tail signs to determine if they are actually still in there or if and when they will awaken or not.  Basically, we do not know, and thus people will continue the pain and suffering of waiting, hoping that their family member will wake up.

Conclusion:  What this interview did was give me hope.  It gave me hope that people's suffering could end and that these people can go about their lives, or start new ones after an accident or disease causes them to be trapped in their own bodies.  It is torture to both the victim and the families, but keeping the person you care about alive may just pay off.  They may come back to us.  So, it is then up to us to determine what to do at this point.  Do we pull the plug and end their trapped existence, or keep them alive and hope to one day talk to the person trapped within.  I know what I would do.  I would cling to hope, and keep the person I love alive.

Issue 584 Giant Bus May 5, 2015

There was an article about potential projects that could change the future.  In this case, the concept comes from China.  Their idea was a giant bus that could hold up to 1000 people.  Let's discuss.

The giant Bus: So the concept was designed as an alternative to both trains and other large scale mass transit.  This bus which could hold well over a thousand people would ride above the highways of China, thus eliminating the need for special railroad tracks.  Essentially, the buses wheels would be on the end of struts and the main cabin(s) would be elevated above the highway traffic.  If you haven't guessed yet, the traffic of the highway drives underneath while the bus rides above them.  Very cool right.  

Possible impacts:  This vehicle could essentially replace railroads and subways in any city.  Reason being is that it does not require tracks and their associated maintenance as it only needs a segregated road surface upon which to ride upon.  So no need to find room, or go through the expense of uprooting buildings or using large sums of money to modify a city to fit an entire mass transit system.  Basically, the main savings is cost, and efficiency, as the giant busses tires make less noise, are more easily replaced, and just use a regular road.  As such, future cities may opt for this cheaper alternative.  There is also a possibility of a cargo version to move cargo containers, which could eliminate the need for trucks and cargo trains in a city altogether if the system is planned out correctly, or at the very least reduces the number of trucks needed in an urban environment to supply goods and other materials.  It is even possible to have these go from city to city as well, eliminating city to city trains and mass transit as well.

Conclusion:  Obviously, this was a concept that was proposed as a cheap alternative to rail for Chinese cities and their congested highways that could not be readily adapted to have a mass transit systems.  But I believe it is a viable concept from which future cities and older cities can use to solve their mass transit woes.  So if it works, why not try it.

Issue 583 The Undying Soldier! May 4, 2015

We have talked about several technologies that literally can make the soldier immortal on the battlefield.  Here in today's issue I will tie them together to give a possible glimpse into the soldier of a not so distant future.

The culmination of ideas:  For one, the key feature will be the memory chip.  It will download all aspects of what soldiers see, hear, taste, touch, and smell, and possibly even emotions and keep it on record.  This allows for downloadable learning.  In short, parts of soldier’s memories can be copied and then placed into another soldier's mind.  Literally, almost all knowledge and data a soldier needs can be uploaded to their brain on command, including maps, and other pertinent information needed for a mission.  So soldiers can get all that needed combat experience without ever setting foot on the battlefield. Additionally, this can also remove certain memories that have caused severe trauma, and thus could solve post-traumatic stress disorder.  It may also be possible to share what each other soldier is seeing/feeling at the moment.  So soldiers can fire link their bodies together to do a coordinated strike.  Scouts don't need a radio to relay information as what they see will be seen in real time by the rest of the squad, or downloaded later to their minds if there is a disruption in the network that shares the data of their minds and acts as their lifeline if they would die.

So long as there is a signal the chip of course means that if a soldier dies, the brain is downloaded into a new body.  So they can replace bodies like they do ammunition.  But this also has the possibility of a surrogate body.  This means they can download themselves into a vehicle or robotic fighter or even another specially designed flesh and blood body to fight.  As such, they can go back and forth between a "battle body" and then back into their normal bodies once done.

Battle bodies could be specially designed flesh bodies with robotic enhancements, and specially "bred" or designed to be the perfect body to fight with.  As such, there will no longer be any need to have a soldier be physically fit, as they merely switch from body to body.  This body may even be able to directly link to combat vehicles so that a soldier's mind drives the tank or operate the weapon as if they were their own limbs. Basically, a wire from their bodies can plug in to drive a vehicle, or go inside a computer to snoop around.  Heck, the soldier can even become the tank or computer.  All the communication equipment will be integrated into the body along with all necessary medical/maintenance equipment to repair the battle body in the field.  Any additional equipment can be added in the form of smart tattoos for compactness, and thus the only weight needed to be carried will be the weapon and its ammunition.

Conclusion: Obviously this is only a possibility once the technology is perfected.  Each one will be a step toward total control over one's brain and its potential to learn and its ability to literally transplant the soul of an individual from one body to the next.  However, this lifeline once cut traps a soldier in their other body, or prevents them from being saved, which is the most obvious weakness.  Also, if memories can be deleted, this means they can be corrupted and thus, a skilled hacker will be more dangerous than any weapon used on the battlefield.  It will be interesting to see what becomes of this technology, and if it is actually viable for the future.

Issue 582 Only the Bullets Move May 1, 2015

Rail guns and similar technology seem set to overtake traditional guns once power requirement issues have been worked out.  So what are the advantages of this technology?

Magnetic launch:  Firstly it is important to know that this technology uses one of two methods to launch a round. A magnetic field is created to accelerate the round to the speed of sound to launch toward the target, with the other also generating an electrical field to stimulate a chemical that ignites to launch the projectile.  Both require a battery to function and ammunition to work.

Advantages:

1) Stacked ammo:  Unlike traditional guns, the bullets are not in a clip or magazine.  They are not fed through a slot with a spring to be ejected and thus the gun does not jam.  This is because the rounds are stacked in the barrel in a row.  The front projectile is launched first, followed by the second, then the third and so on.  It can do this because the bullets have sensors in them that lets the gun know which bullet to fire first. But there is no ejection mechanisms for cases, or similar as the bullet is the only physical moving part.

2) Multiple barrels and ammo: Interestingly, the gun can have multiple barrels each with multiple types of ammunition that can be selectively fired.  Thus, specialized rounds like a shot guns can also be used (the speed of the bullet can also be adjusted depending on the firing mechanism as well).  Also, multiple barrels means multiple options and less need to reload or carry extra ammunition.   If reloads are needed, the bullets are stacked, so the tube that acts as the barrel is ejected, and a new one is put in, thus simplifying reloads and reducing the risk of the clip/magazine getting caught and pulled out of the gun in high speed combat.

3) Weight:  Because the ammunition no longer requires a shell casing and the other mechanisms of the gun are removed, the gun and ammo are lighter. This is because the gun has zero moving parts.  You simply carry the bullets themselves in the barrel, the battery and the internal computer in a plastic shell.

Conclusion:  These weapons are a new tool, and obviously mean less fatigue due to weight for our soldiers.  But power requirements are the primary issue.  As such, the first weapons are going to be mounted on ships, and then armored vehicles as battery technology progresses.  But once development is complete and is perfected, soldiers will both gain range superiority (these weapons typically have longer firing range based on speed of the projectile coming out) and fire control (speed of the projectile and rate of fire can also be adjusted).  Together combined with the fact that these weapons are fully compatible with smart rounds (detonate at pre-determined distances or have guidance mechanisms), soldiers will become all that much more powerful.

Issue 581 Less than lethal April 30, 2015

The effort to reduce the chances of killing people by both police and the military is growing.  Here I will discuss some of the ways they are trying to keep people alive in an arrest situation, or in a riot.

Less than lethal technology:

1) Those that sting:  Weapons such as bean bag rounds and rubber bullets have been around for a while.  But they can be potentially deadly if shot from too close a range, or a ricochet as the case with the rubber balls.  As such, new rounds have been developed that disperse the energy over a larger surface area of the body to reduce the chances of an accidental death.  One such round is a piece of plastic that is just a large plastic ring that is an about 1 inch in diameter.  On impact this plastic ring hits a large surface area and gives a nice oomph to knock a target off their feet, but does not concentrate the blow so as to avoid internal injury.  Alternatively, other less than lethal guns like the bean bag round are getting upgrades that release the gas pressure that launches the bag so as to reduce the force of the bag as the intended target comes closer.  As such, the gun automatically adjusts the power of the blow based on the range to the target so as to avoid accidental death as well.

2) Paint ball guns:  These guns have pepper spray inside the ammunition, but alternatively there is stink balls that literally smell like rotten fish and other very smelly things that make people heave at the mere smell of it.  All this is to disable an opponent and make them run away or surrender so as to get the smell (or pepper spray) washed off.

3) Electrified water:  Past water cannons are so powerful that they can rip skin off a person’s body.  But instead water sprayers with reduced power are being developed that introduces an electrical charge to get a similar result to a Taser.  This reduces damage to the human body while increasing range and ammunition capacity so as to take on larger groups.

4)  Directed energy weapons:  Microwave technology has been advanced where they can heat the upper layer of your skin so that it feels like you just opened a really hot oven.  Thus driving you away from a specific location.  They have a similar weapon that can destroy a car, and others if the car is suitably equipped to simply shut down the car temporarily.  And of course there is directed sound waves that also can annoy a target and deafen the target if they do not heed warnings, so as to drive the intended target away or force them to submit.

5)  Frictionless and sticky:  Two chemicals have been developed that do two very opposite effects.  One is a frictionless coating that can cause any surface to become so slippery that it is like walking on a sheet of ice.  The other is a chemical that causes shoes to stick to any surface as well, and even people to stick to the ground.  Both are designed to reduce mobility and can be either sprayed by a water cannon, used as a paintball round, or used in a grenade.

Conclusion:  The market to reduce death is very wide.   Many of these weapons are already in the field, being used by both the military and/or police.  Truth is, there are many situations where being forced to kill someone is less than optimal, as such, less than lethal weaponry exists.  I look forward to what the future holds for these interesting little devices.