Christopher McKitterick's Blog, page 22
July 13, 2012
Astro-Porn of the Day: Storm on Saturn's Moon Titan
Just popping in for a second before heading off to the CSSF Intensive Institute (novels this year - 25 of 'em!) to share a bit of Astro Porn on this poorly neglected LJ. Check out the wondrousness:
Click the image to see the NASA page for more info.
New photos from the Cassini spacecraft show high-altitude haze and a vortex materializing at the south pole, signaling a change of seasons on Titan. "The structure inside the vortex is reminiscent of the open cellular convection that is often seen over Earth's oceans," said Cassini team member Tony Del Genio. "But unlike on Earth, where such layers are just above the surface, this one is at very high altitude, maybe a response of Titan's stratosphere to seasonal cooling as southern winter approaches."
Just think: We have but to spend a few seconds on the NASA website to come up with wonders like this on any given day.
Have I mentioned that I love living in The Space Age? This is the future I dreamed of as a kid, except that more people need to be Out There doing the exploration, too.
Best,
Chris
Click the image to see the NASA page for more info.
New photos from the Cassini spacecraft show high-altitude haze and a vortex materializing at the south pole, signaling a change of seasons on Titan. "The structure inside the vortex is reminiscent of the open cellular convection that is often seen over Earth's oceans," said Cassini team member Tony Del Genio. "But unlike on Earth, where such layers are just above the surface, this one is at very high altitude, maybe a response of Titan's stratosphere to seasonal cooling as southern winter approaches."
Just think: We have but to spend a few seconds on the NASA website to come up with wonders like this on any given day.
Have I mentioned that I love living in The Space Age? This is the future I dreamed of as a kid, except that more people need to be Out There doing the exploration, too.
Best,
Chris
July 12, 2012
Foxes! Life update!
Just dropping in for a moment because 1) I'm still alive, and 2) I HAVE TO SHARE SOMETHING FANTASTIC!
On my way home tonight from the CSSF summer program's scholarship hall, a fox trotted across the road in front of me. I slowed down and pulled over, only to notice that this one little fox had joined up with THREE OTHERS! I've been seeing them almost every night. They look much healthier and larger than they did last year, and their tails now display big red poofs of fur in the middle.
No way could I have gotten a photo of them, so small and silent-swift in the night, so here's my little fox friend from a couple of years ago in the Colorado Rockies:
Life update: Yes, the Workshop is a wrap, and it was just wonderful this year. Two writers from Canada, one from South Africa, and several from across the USA brought unique writing styles and critique POVs, and it was a joy. Tiring as all get-out, but just great. The Campbell Conference in its new digs was lovely, our guests charmed all and the attendees had great conversations, and everyone made it home safely. Right now the SF Teaching Institute is underway, and the discussants are so lively that just a few questions keeps us going for three hours... and then into dinner and lunch the next day.
Pics to come of the events.
In summary: Hooray foxes! Hooray SF!
Chris
On my way home tonight from the CSSF summer program's scholarship hall, a fox trotted across the road in front of me. I slowed down and pulled over, only to notice that this one little fox had joined up with THREE OTHERS! I've been seeing them almost every night. They look much healthier and larger than they did last year, and their tails now display big red poofs of fur in the middle.
No way could I have gotten a photo of them, so small and silent-swift in the night, so here's my little fox friend from a couple of years ago in the Colorado Rockies:
Life update: Yes, the Workshop is a wrap, and it was just wonderful this year. Two writers from Canada, one from South Africa, and several from across the USA brought unique writing styles and critique POVs, and it was a joy. Tiring as all get-out, but just great. The Campbell Conference in its new digs was lovely, our guests charmed all and the attendees had great conversations, and everyone made it home safely. Right now the SF Teaching Institute is underway, and the discussants are so lively that just a few questions keeps us going for three hours... and then into dinner and lunch the next day.
Pics to come of the events.
In summary: Hooray foxes! Hooray SF!
Chris
July 5, 2012
CSSF Workshop final night party
The Writing Workshops aren't all critiques and pain. Sometimes they're full of stars... er, Space Monkeys:
Novel Workshop participant Tina Connolly is a professional face-painter and painted this dramatic tableau across my skull. That's a Saturn V schematic behind me. Naturally.
I'm going to try to sleep carefully so as to keep it from smearing. So I can wear it to the Very Serious Awards Ceremony tomorrow night.
Chris
Novel Workshop participant Tina Connolly is a professional face-painter and painted this dramatic tableau across my skull. That's a Saturn V schematic behind me. Naturally.
I'm going to try to sleep carefully so as to keep it from smearing. So I can wear it to the Very Serious Awards Ceremony tomorrow night.
Chris
July 2, 2012
Register NOW for the Campbell Conference! Last day to register for banquet...
Hi folks!
The Campbell Conference begins this Friday, so if you haven't yet registered, now is the time! If you haven't attended before, it's a wonderful opportunity to spend a weekend with a number of SF authors, editors, and other enthusiasts in an intimate and fun-yet-scholarly setting. You can read all about it here.
A few author and editor attractions for this year include:
Robin Wayne Bailey, who is not just an author and editor but also a past president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) and a key player in the creation of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Hall of Fame.
Andy Duncan, whose story "The Pottawatomie Giant" won the World Fantasy Award in 2001, as did his collection Beluthahatchie and Other Stories in the same year. His novella "The Chief Designer" won the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award in 2002. He's also this year's guest author for the SF Writing Workshop.
Sheila Finch, whose work has won several awards, including the Nebula Award for Best Novella, the San Diego Book Award for Juvenile Fiction, and the Compton-Crook Award.
James Gunn, who is CSSF founder, SF author and historian, SFWA Grand Master, and past president of SFWA.
Kij Johnson, whose fantasy and SF novels and short stories have won the Sturgeon Award, World Fantasy Award, Nebula Award three times, and IAFA Award.
Eric T. Reynolds, who is an author as well as publisher/editor of Hadley Rille Books.
Joan Slonczewski, whose YASF/adult SF novel The Highest Frontier is a finalist (and possibly more...) for this year's Campbell Award. Dr. Slonczewski is a biologist, and her novel, A Door into Ocean, won the Campbell Award in 1986.
Sheila Williams, who is editor of Asimov's Science Fiction magazine.
...and many more! If you're a writer, consider arriving early so you can attend the 1:00pm - 4:00pm Friday talk about "The Secrets of Successful Writing." And if you enjoy intelligent conversation in a museum-like setting, be sure to stay through Sunday afternoon, when local paleontologist Larry Martin hosts "Science Fiction Sunday" at his home.
We have decided to keep the early-bird (pre-June-14) pricing in place, so it's still just $45, even at the wonderful new Oread location just down the road from the usual Union setting. The Awards Banquet (which starts at 6:00pm Friday) is $25; if you want to watch the Awards Ceremony (which starts at 7:00pm Friday) but prefer not to dine, still be sure to register so we can have enough seating. TODAY IS THE DEADLINE for registering for the Banquet.
Saturday from 12:45pm - 1:30pm is the autograph session with the attending authors and editors in the Oread Hotel's lobby; you can purchase books in the adjacent bookstore. This event is FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
Hope to see you there, and help spread the word!
Best,
Chris
The Campbell Conference begins this Friday, so if you haven't yet registered, now is the time! If you haven't attended before, it's a wonderful opportunity to spend a weekend with a number of SF authors, editors, and other enthusiasts in an intimate and fun-yet-scholarly setting. You can read all about it here.
A few author and editor attractions for this year include:Robin Wayne Bailey, who is not just an author and editor but also a past president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) and a key player in the creation of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Hall of Fame.
Andy Duncan, whose story "The Pottawatomie Giant" won the World Fantasy Award in 2001, as did his collection Beluthahatchie and Other Stories in the same year. His novella "The Chief Designer" won the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award in 2002. He's also this year's guest author for the SF Writing Workshop.
Sheila Finch, whose work has won several awards, including the Nebula Award for Best Novella, the San Diego Book Award for Juvenile Fiction, and the Compton-Crook Award.
James Gunn, who is CSSF founder, SF author and historian, SFWA Grand Master, and past president of SFWA.
Kij Johnson, whose fantasy and SF novels and short stories have won the Sturgeon Award, World Fantasy Award, Nebula Award three times, and IAFA Award.
Eric T. Reynolds, who is an author as well as publisher/editor of Hadley Rille Books.
Joan Slonczewski, whose YASF/adult SF novel The Highest Frontier is a finalist (and possibly more...) for this year's Campbell Award. Dr. Slonczewski is a biologist, and her novel, A Door into Ocean, won the Campbell Award in 1986.
Sheila Williams, who is editor of Asimov's Science Fiction magazine.
...and many more! If you're a writer, consider arriving early so you can attend the 1:00pm - 4:00pm Friday talk about "The Secrets of Successful Writing." And if you enjoy intelligent conversation in a museum-like setting, be sure to stay through Sunday afternoon, when local paleontologist Larry Martin hosts "Science Fiction Sunday" at his home.
We have decided to keep the early-bird (pre-June-14) pricing in place, so it's still just $45, even at the wonderful new Oread location just down the road from the usual Union setting. The Awards Banquet (which starts at 6:00pm Friday) is $25; if you want to watch the Awards Ceremony (which starts at 7:00pm Friday) but prefer not to dine, still be sure to register so we can have enough seating. TODAY IS THE DEADLINE for registering for the Banquet.
Saturday from 12:45pm - 1:30pm is the autograph session with the attending authors and editors in the Oread Hotel's lobby; you can purchase books in the adjacent bookstore. This event is FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
Hope to see you there, and help spread the word!
Best,
Chris
Workshop rock concert. Also, Campbell Award and Sturgeon Award winners announced.
The second week of the Science Fiction Writers Workshop begins today, and tonight the inimitable Andy Duncan joins us as this year's guest author.
Last night, our dinner out was Mexican, where we drank margaritas and ate deliciousness on the outdoor patio in 100-degree heat. Why? Well, icy beverages help, as does shade - the building blocked the sun - and a lovely breeze. But mostly it was so we could watch the Tour of Lawrence bicycle race's final round, which passed the patio just feet away. The riders even decided to participate in a major crash right across from us - no one seemed hurt, though a couple of bikes were out of the race... and it was almost the last lap of 50 (yes, FIFTY, on a day of 100 degrees).
Afterward, the neighbors across the street from this year's Workshop building (a gorgeous scholarship hall that we have all to ourselves - that's it across the street from the grandstand in this photo) invited us to their block party. This included a zip-line terminating in an inflatable pool, a claw-foot tub hooked up to a garden hose, dozens of chairs, food, beer, and live music on a stage built in a parking spot in front of the house. The band we saw is Rob Gillespie's new group, Pale Hearts, and it was their first show. They rocked the block! So hard, in fact, that The Law showed up and had a conversation with the home-owner. You probably already noticed the interesting array of attire adorning some of the concert attendees. One of the Workshoppers speculated that the party was holding a "worst costume contest." Ah, the charms of youth.
Sometimes people ask me, "Why Lawrence, Kansas?" Well, right there's one reason.
Oh, and in case you missed it:
Campbell Award and Sturgeon Award winners announced.
This coming weekend is the Campbell Conference! If you haven't yet registered, now's the time - especially if you want to register for the Awards Banquet on Friday night, as today's the deadline for guaranteeing we can get you dinner. (You can always attend the Awards after dinner, but you still need to register so we can have enough seating.)
Now I'm back to it.
Best,
Chris
Last night, our dinner out was Mexican, where we drank margaritas and ate deliciousness on the outdoor patio in 100-degree heat. Why? Well, icy beverages help, as does shade - the building blocked the sun - and a lovely breeze. But mostly it was so we could watch the Tour of Lawrence bicycle race's final round, which passed the patio just feet away. The riders even decided to participate in a major crash right across from us - no one seemed hurt, though a couple of bikes were out of the race... and it was almost the last lap of 50 (yes, FIFTY, on a day of 100 degrees).
Afterward, the neighbors across the street from this year's Workshop building (a gorgeous scholarship hall that we have all to ourselves - that's it across the street from the grandstand in this photo) invited us to their block party. This included a zip-line terminating in an inflatable pool, a claw-foot tub hooked up to a garden hose, dozens of chairs, food, beer, and live music on a stage built in a parking spot in front of the house. The band we saw is Rob Gillespie's new group, Pale Hearts, and it was their first show. They rocked the block! So hard, in fact, that The Law showed up and had a conversation with the home-owner. You probably already noticed the interesting array of attire adorning some of the concert attendees. One of the Workshoppers speculated that the party was holding a "worst costume contest." Ah, the charms of youth.Sometimes people ask me, "Why Lawrence, Kansas?" Well, right there's one reason.
Oh, and in case you missed it:
Campbell Award and Sturgeon Award winners announced.
This coming weekend is the Campbell Conference! If you haven't yet registered, now's the time - especially if you want to register for the Awards Banquet on Friday night, as today's the deadline for guaranteeing we can get you dinner. (You can always attend the Awards after dinner, but you still need to register so we can have enough seating.)
Now I'm back to it.
Best,
Chris
June 30, 2012
Campbell and Sturgeon Award Winners Announced
For immediate release (doc version here)
The winners of this year's John W. Campbell Memorial Award for the best science fiction novel and Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for the best short science fiction have been revealed, Christopher McKitterick, Director of the University of Kansas Center for the Study of Science Fiction, announced today.
The Campbell Award is shared by Christopher Priest's The Islanders (Gollancz) and Joan Slonczewski's The Highest Frontier (Tor). Third place goes to China Miéville's Embassytown (Ballantine/Del Rey), and Lavie Tidhar's Osama (PS Publishing) takes Honorable Mention.
Paul McAuley's "The Choice" (Asimov's) won the Sturgeon Award. Second place goes to Charlie Jane Anders' "Six Months Three Days" (Tor.com), and third place goes to Ken Liu's "The Paper Menagerie" (F&SF). Finalists for both awards were also announced on the Center's website.
Winners are invited to accept their awards at the University of Kansas Awards Banquet on Friday, July 6, and will be featured at the Campbell Conference on Saturday and Sunday. Slonczewski will be present to accept her award, and Asimov's editor Sheila Williams will accept for McAuley.
Using the theme "Communication and Information," this year's Campbell Conference explores how changing technologies and the ways we gather and share information is changing science fiction and how we buy, share, and tell the stories that define the genre. Saturday afternoon, Kij Johnson hosts a curated readings session, which includes several attending authors and scholars, and serves to launch the new James Gunn's Ad Astra journal. Other authors and editors attending include Robin Wayne Bailey, M.C. Chambers, Tina Connolly, Andy Duncan, Sheila Finch, James Gunn, Kij Johnson, Vylar Kaftan, Larry Martin, McKitterick, and Eric T. Reynolds.
This is the fourth time in Campbell Award history that juror balloting has resulted in a tie: in 1974 between Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama and Robert Merle's Malevil; in 2002 between Jack Williamson's Terraforming Earth and Robert Charles Wilson's The Chronoliths; and in 2009 between Cory Doctorow's Little Brother and Ian MacLeod's Song of Time.
Priest and McAuley are Britons. A full-time author, Priest won the BSFA award in 1974 for Inverted World, in 1998 for The Extremes, in 2002 for The Separation, and in 2011 for The Islanders. He also won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the World Fantasy Award for The Prestige (1995). McAuley is a biologist who has taught at universities around the world, and is now a full-time author. His first novel, Four Hundred Billion Stars, won the 1988 Philip K. Dick Award; Fairyland won the 1997 Campbell Award and the Arthur C. Clarke Award; and has been nominated for many more. Slonczewski is a Professor of Biology at Kenyon College, a novelist, and a textbook author. She also won the 1997 Campbell Award for A Door into Ocean, the only author besides Frederik Pohl to have been so honored twice.
The winners of this year's John W. Campbell Memorial Award for the best science fiction novel and Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for the best short science fiction have been revealed, Christopher McKitterick, Director of the University of Kansas Center for the Study of Science Fiction, announced today.
The Campbell Award is shared by Christopher Priest's The Islanders (Gollancz) and Joan Slonczewski's The Highest Frontier (Tor). Third place goes to China Miéville's Embassytown (Ballantine/Del Rey), and Lavie Tidhar's Osama (PS Publishing) takes Honorable Mention.
Paul McAuley's "The Choice" (Asimov's) won the Sturgeon Award. Second place goes to Charlie Jane Anders' "Six Months Three Days" (Tor.com), and third place goes to Ken Liu's "The Paper Menagerie" (F&SF). Finalists for both awards were also announced on the Center's website.
Winners are invited to accept their awards at the University of Kansas Awards Banquet on Friday, July 6, and will be featured at the Campbell Conference on Saturday and Sunday. Slonczewski will be present to accept her award, and Asimov's editor Sheila Williams will accept for McAuley.
Using the theme "Communication and Information," this year's Campbell Conference explores how changing technologies and the ways we gather and share information is changing science fiction and how we buy, share, and tell the stories that define the genre. Saturday afternoon, Kij Johnson hosts a curated readings session, which includes several attending authors and scholars, and serves to launch the new James Gunn's Ad Astra journal. Other authors and editors attending include Robin Wayne Bailey, M.C. Chambers, Tina Connolly, Andy Duncan, Sheila Finch, James Gunn, Kij Johnson, Vylar Kaftan, Larry Martin, McKitterick, and Eric T. Reynolds.
This is the fourth time in Campbell Award history that juror balloting has resulted in a tie: in 1974 between Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama and Robert Merle's Malevil; in 2002 between Jack Williamson's Terraforming Earth and Robert Charles Wilson's The Chronoliths; and in 2009 between Cory Doctorow's Little Brother and Ian MacLeod's Song of Time.
Priest and McAuley are Britons. A full-time author, Priest won the BSFA award in 1974 for Inverted World, in 1998 for The Extremes, in 2002 for The Separation, and in 2011 for The Islanders. He also won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the World Fantasy Award for The Prestige (1995). McAuley is a biologist who has taught at universities around the world, and is now a full-time author. His first novel, Four Hundred Billion Stars, won the 1988 Philip K. Dick Award; Fairyland won the 1997 Campbell Award and the Arthur C. Clarke Award; and has been nominated for many more. Slonczewski is a Professor of Biology at Kenyon College, a novelist, and a textbook author. She also won the 1997 Campbell Award for A Door into Ocean, the only author besides Frederik Pohl to have been so honored twice.
June 28, 2012
Campbell Conference next week - spread the word!
Hi folks!
The Campbell Conference begins in just over a week, so if you haven't yet registered, now is the time! If you haven't attended before, it's a wonderful opportunity to spend a weekend with a number of SF authors, editors, and other enthusiasts in an intimate and fun-yet-scholarly setting. You can read all about it here.
A few author and editor attractions for this year include:
Robin Wayne Bailey, who is not just an author and editor but also a past president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) and a key player in the creation of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Hall of Fame.
Andy Duncan, whose story "The Pottawatomie Giant" won the World Fantasy Award in 2001, as did his collection Beluthahatchie and Other Stories in the same year. His novella "The Chief Designer" won the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award in 2002. He's also this year's guest author for the SF Writing Workshop.
Sheila Finch, whose work has won several awards, including the Nebula Award for Best Novella, the San Diego Book Award for Juvenile Fiction, and the Compton-Crook Award.
James Gunn, who is CSSF founder, SF author and historian, SFWA Grand Master, and past president of SFWA.
Kij Johnson, whose fantasy and SF novels and short stories have won the Sturgeon Award, World Fantasy Award, Nebula Award three times, and IAFA Award.
Eric T. Reynolds, who is an author as well as publisher/editor of Hadley Rille Books.
Joan Slonczewski, whose YASF/adult SF novel The Highest Frontier is a finalist (and possibly more...) for this year's Campbell Award. Dr. Slonczewski is a biologist, and her novel, A Door into Ocean, won the Campbell Award in 1986.
Sheila Williams, who is editor of Asimov's Science Fiction magazine.
...and more! If you're a writer, consider arriving early so you can attend the 1:00pm - 4:00pm talk about "The Secrets of Successful Writing." And if you enjoy intelligent conversation in a museum-like setting, be sure to stay through Sunday afternoon, when local paleontologist Larry Martin hosts "Science Fiction Sunday" at his home.
We have decided to keep the early-bird (pre-June-14) pricing in place, so it's still just $45, even at the wonderful new Oread location just down the road from the usual Union setting.
Hope to see you there, and help spread the word!
Best,
Chris
The Campbell Conference begins in just over a week, so if you haven't yet registered, now is the time! If you haven't attended before, it's a wonderful opportunity to spend a weekend with a number of SF authors, editors, and other enthusiasts in an intimate and fun-yet-scholarly setting. You can read all about it here.
A few author and editor attractions for this year include:Robin Wayne Bailey, who is not just an author and editor but also a past president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) and a key player in the creation of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Hall of Fame.
Andy Duncan, whose story "The Pottawatomie Giant" won the World Fantasy Award in 2001, as did his collection Beluthahatchie and Other Stories in the same year. His novella "The Chief Designer" won the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award in 2002. He's also this year's guest author for the SF Writing Workshop.
Sheila Finch, whose work has won several awards, including the Nebula Award for Best Novella, the San Diego Book Award for Juvenile Fiction, and the Compton-Crook Award.
James Gunn, who is CSSF founder, SF author and historian, SFWA Grand Master, and past president of SFWA.
Kij Johnson, whose fantasy and SF novels and short stories have won the Sturgeon Award, World Fantasy Award, Nebula Award three times, and IAFA Award.
Eric T. Reynolds, who is an author as well as publisher/editor of Hadley Rille Books.
Joan Slonczewski, whose YASF/adult SF novel The Highest Frontier is a finalist (and possibly more...) for this year's Campbell Award. Dr. Slonczewski is a biologist, and her novel, A Door into Ocean, won the Campbell Award in 1986.
Sheila Williams, who is editor of Asimov's Science Fiction magazine.
...and more! If you're a writer, consider arriving early so you can attend the 1:00pm - 4:00pm talk about "The Secrets of Successful Writing." And if you enjoy intelligent conversation in a museum-like setting, be sure to stay through Sunday afternoon, when local paleontologist Larry Martin hosts "Science Fiction Sunday" at his home.
We have decided to keep the early-bird (pre-June-14) pricing in place, so it's still just $45, even at the wonderful new Oread location just down the road from the usual Union setting.
Hope to see you there, and help spread the word!
Best,
Chris
June 23, 2012
Coming to this year's Campbell Conference? Hope to see you there!
This year's Campbell Conference and Awards lineup is pretty much complete - check it out!
Register ASAP if you want to attend the Awards Banquet on Friday night, when we present the Sturgeon Award for best short SF and the Campbell Award for best SF novel.
(Also check out the gorgeous posters, courtesy of Marie DeMars.)
Best,
Chris
June 21, 2012
Survey: Why haven't we discovered aliens yet? Is humanity doomed?
If you're reading my blog, you're probably someone familiar with the Fermi Paradox: If our galaxy is billions of years old, and stars like ours are common, and especially now that we believe all stars have planets and Earth-like planets are common, why the heck haven't we been visited by other aliens yet? Stars much older than ours abound, and we evolved intelligence and developed a technological society really quickly in galactic terms, so why isn't the galaxy teeming with megastructures like ringworlds and Dyson Spheres? Why don't we get regular alien visitors? Why isn't SETI picking up a constant interstellar dialog?
In light of these new discoveries, the Drake Equation suggests the galaxy ought to be TEEMING with aliens. So why haven't we met them?
Well, here's one dark-tinted answer: Does a galaxy filled with habitable planets mean humanity is doomed?
Other popular answers include:
Advanced civilizations don't use messy radio. Even our sphere of radio "pollution" is fading as we move away from that mode toward tight-beamed information and fiber.
Technological civilizations don't last long before they self-destruct. We might be proud of our nation, but the oldest continuous civilizations on this planet have durations in the thousands of years - that's just an eyeblink in the timescale of the galaxy... and we have only recently (in living human memory) invented ways to self-annihilate. Millions of equally advanced civilizations could have appeared and vanished before the Earth was even capable of supporting life.
On a related note: If a civilization is capable of creating the Matrix, they will. Animals seek comfort, and intelligent organic life is still a comfort-seeking animal. How many of you feel you could resist the siren song of everlasting immersion in a simulated (but absolutely realistic) world that satisfies your every need and desire? Heck, we could be living in the Matrix right now and not even be aware of it. If advanced civilizations go this deeply inward, they won't travel or communicate outward.
Advanced technological societies will always create AI, which will supersede them. This is the notion of the Technological Singularity. Relates to the prior notion if AI is benevolent, or to The Terminator or Berserker series if not. Good luck fighting something a million times smarter and faster than you, should it decide to eliminate you. Or save you to extinction, a la The Humanoids.
Planet-sweepers abound. Asteroids polish advanced life off the surface of the Earth every so often, supervolcanoes erupt even more frequently (and volcanic activity is important to creating life), even timid stars like ours go through periods of massive activity, supernovae eradicate life in their stellar neighborhoods, viruses and bacteria evolve much faster than complex life....
A Galactic Prime Directive that makes advanced civilizations invisible to the rest of us. This requires a massive bureaucracy and police force, and a population easily controlled, but it's possible. (Hint: This is the reasoning I use in The Adventures of Jack and Stella .)
They're talking, but we just can't decipher it. SETI mostly looks in the radio bandwidths, but why would super-advanced civilizations use such backwards tech?
No one has figured out faster-than-light travel. If they can't move around and colonize, we wouldn't have met them yet, and they'd be less likely to survive a planetary catastrophe if they're confined to one or a few worlds.
Or maybe everyone is just afraid of everyone else, so they're out there, everywhere, but quiet, afraid to announce themselves. If they are like us, first-contact situations don't end well, and there's no rational reason to believe everyone you'll encounter is less-advanced than you.
Do you have a favorite reason that explains why 1) the galaxy isn't teeming with life, and 2) if it is, why we haven't yet detected it?
Chris
In light of these new discoveries, the Drake Equation suggests the galaxy ought to be TEEMING with aliens. So why haven't we met them?
Well, here's one dark-tinted answer: Does a galaxy filled with habitable planets mean humanity is doomed?
Other popular answers include:Advanced civilizations don't use messy radio. Even our sphere of radio "pollution" is fading as we move away from that mode toward tight-beamed information and fiber.
Technological civilizations don't last long before they self-destruct. We might be proud of our nation, but the oldest continuous civilizations on this planet have durations in the thousands of years - that's just an eyeblink in the timescale of the galaxy... and we have only recently (in living human memory) invented ways to self-annihilate. Millions of equally advanced civilizations could have appeared and vanished before the Earth was even capable of supporting life.
On a related note: If a civilization is capable of creating the Matrix, they will. Animals seek comfort, and intelligent organic life is still a comfort-seeking animal. How many of you feel you could resist the siren song of everlasting immersion in a simulated (but absolutely realistic) world that satisfies your every need and desire? Heck, we could be living in the Matrix right now and not even be aware of it. If advanced civilizations go this deeply inward, they won't travel or communicate outward.
Advanced technological societies will always create AI, which will supersede them. This is the notion of the Technological Singularity. Relates to the prior notion if AI is benevolent, or to The Terminator or Berserker series if not. Good luck fighting something a million times smarter and faster than you, should it decide to eliminate you. Or save you to extinction, a la The Humanoids.
Planet-sweepers abound. Asteroids polish advanced life off the surface of the Earth every so often, supervolcanoes erupt even more frequently (and volcanic activity is important to creating life), even timid stars like ours go through periods of massive activity, supernovae eradicate life in their stellar neighborhoods, viruses and bacteria evolve much faster than complex life....
A Galactic Prime Directive that makes advanced civilizations invisible to the rest of us. This requires a massive bureaucracy and police force, and a population easily controlled, but it's possible. (Hint: This is the reasoning I use in The Adventures of Jack and Stella .)
They're talking, but we just can't decipher it. SETI mostly looks in the radio bandwidths, but why would super-advanced civilizations use such backwards tech?
No one has figured out faster-than-light travel. If they can't move around and colonize, we wouldn't have met them yet, and they'd be less likely to survive a planetary catastrophe if they're confined to one or a few worlds.
Or maybe everyone is just afraid of everyone else, so they're out there, everywhere, but quiet, afraid to announce themselves. If they are like us, first-contact situations don't end well, and there's no rational reason to believe everyone you'll encounter is less-advanced than you.
Do you have a favorite reason that explains why 1) the galaxy isn't teeming with life, and 2) if it is, why we haven't yet detected it?
Chris
June 20, 2012
Astro-Porn of the Day: All Stars Have Planets; "Jack & Stella" Prologue.
We live in an age of wonders, you know? When I was a kid - not that long ago in my estimation, an eyeblink ago to our forebears - we learned that planets were rare beyond our Solar System, and that Earthlike planets belonged primarily in science fiction. Then we learned that maybe a bunch of giant planets - failed stars, really - populated the galaxy. Once we started doing real searches with quality space-based equipment and modern ground-based uber-tech, we learned that maybe giant planets are common... and maybe Earth-sized planets are out there, too, but just difficult to find. Well, we soon learned that was true; and not just that Earth-sized planets are common, but that Earthlike planets are common.
Today, we believe that ALL STARS HAVE PLANETS . Whoah. Speaking of which:
I LOVE THIS CHART SO MUCH:
Click the image to see the full-size version. Tip: The hover-text really extends the image's sensawunda factor.
For your viewing pleasure and to help visualize the scope of our galaxy, I offer the Andromeda Galaxy, M31. It's the closest spiral galaxy to our own Milky Way, in terms of both size and distance:
Click the image to see the NASA photo.
Just imagine all those stars orbited by their own solar systems, perhaps cradles to other civilizations. How many are out there?
On a related note, want to read a snippet from the Prologue of Adventures of Jack and Stella ? Here you go:
The Milky Way Galaxy, as the humans call it, is a barred-spiral whose glowing arms span the endless emptiness of space for about 30,000 parsecs, or 100,000 light-years (or 600 trillion human miles). It is shaped like a disk: Viewed edge-on, it is only a hundredth as thick as it is wide, just 300 parsecs or 1000 light-years (or 6 trillion miles) thin. Within those arms shine more than 300 billion stars, each a sun warming rocky debris beyond measure, thousands of comets, and a handful of planets – some of which are ringed by great disks of ice and rock, and many orbited by moons like miniature solar systems of their own. The Milky Way is slightly larger than the average galaxy, of which more than 100 billion populate the universe.
I hope that helps give a sense of the scope of these things, and just how many planets are whirling around their parent stars, out there in the dark.
Adventures of Jack and Stella progress:
(Yes, word-count went down from revisions and then back up. So it goes.)
Chris
Today, we believe that ALL STARS HAVE PLANETS . Whoah. Speaking of which:
I LOVE THIS CHART SO MUCH:
Click the image to see the full-size version. Tip: The hover-text really extends the image's sensawunda factor.
For your viewing pleasure and to help visualize the scope of our galaxy, I offer the Andromeda Galaxy, M31. It's the closest spiral galaxy to our own Milky Way, in terms of both size and distance:
Click the image to see the NASA photo.
Just imagine all those stars orbited by their own solar systems, perhaps cradles to other civilizations. How many are out there?
On a related note, want to read a snippet from the Prologue of Adventures of Jack and Stella ? Here you go:
The Milky Way Galaxy, as the humans call it, is a barred-spiral whose glowing arms span the endless emptiness of space for about 30,000 parsecs, or 100,000 light-years (or 600 trillion human miles). It is shaped like a disk: Viewed edge-on, it is only a hundredth as thick as it is wide, just 300 parsecs or 1000 light-years (or 6 trillion miles) thin. Within those arms shine more than 300 billion stars, each a sun warming rocky debris beyond measure, thousands of comets, and a handful of planets – some of which are ringed by great disks of ice and rock, and many orbited by moons like miniature solar systems of their own. The Milky Way is slightly larger than the average galaxy, of which more than 100 billion populate the universe.
I hope that helps give a sense of the scope of these things, and just how many planets are whirling around their parent stars, out there in the dark.
Adventures of Jack and Stella progress:
(Yes, word-count went down from revisions and then back up. So it goes.)
Chris
Christopher McKitterick's Blog
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