The Daily Galaxy: Great Discoveries Channel

The Dark-Energy-Fueled Warp Ship: Possible or a 21st-Century Da Vinci "Helicopter"?

The internet was amazed by images of the world's first warpship recently, and if you're wondering how science got past the fiction so quickly, remember how Leonardo is credited with inventing the helicopter?  Despite not knowing any of the relevant aerodynamics, physics, engineering, or having any of the required skills other than "able to draw a pretty picture"?  It's the same deal.

Space Zen: Will Humans' Brains Change During Travel in Outer Space? -A Galaxy Insight

In February, 1971, Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell experienced the little understood phenomenon sometimes called the “Overview Effect”. He describes being completely engulfed by a profound sense of universal connectedness. Without warning, he says, a feeing of bliss, timelessness, and connectedness began to overwhelm him. He describes becoming instantly and profoundly aware that each of his constituent atoms were connected to the fragile planet he saw in the window and to every other atom in the Universe. He described experiencing an intense awareness that Earth, with its humans, other animal species, and systems were all one synergistic whole. He says the feeling that rushed over him was a sense of interconnected euphoria. He was not the first—nor the last—to experience this strange “cosmic connection”.

Star Trek's Warp Speed -Expert Says It May Become a Reality

Some scientists are saying that warp drive might be possible after all.  Yes, it's obvious pandering to the Star Trek release, but be fair: these guys are career physicists.  Star Trek was theirs to begin with, and now it's cool we should at least give them press.  Especially when they want to talk about awesome things like faster than light travel.

Is Space Travel the Next Step in Human Evolution? -A Galaxy Insight

Increasingly, advocates of space exploration believe leaving the planet is the natural next step of human evolution. They hope this will lead to a shift in human consciousness from an earth-centered frame of reference to one centered on the solar system and, eventually, the entire galaxy.

How Will a Manned Mars Mission Impact the Human Psyche?

Not surprisingly, coverage of the Mars lander that successfully touched down on Mars’ surface this summer, and its apparent discovery of ice underneath its landing site, sent the media in to a Mars craze. Not to be left out, we’ve decided to take a look at another aspect of humanities journey to Mars, its impact on the human psyche.

SpaceX Shoots for the Stars and Trips Over the Mesosphere

In a classic example of unintended consequences, the Space X guys pioneers  scattered Scotty's ashes -as in, "beam me up, Scotty" actor James Doohan of the Star Trek the Original Series - over the Pacific Ocean.  Doohan was one of the 208 people whose ashes were placed on board the Falcon 1 rocket by Celestis, Inc., a company that arranges for loved ones' ashes to be shot into space. Astronaut Gordon Cooper was also aboard the doomed launch, which Celestis had named the "Explorer's Flight"  -irony not intended, which as the New York Times observed this morning, the Celestis web page reported that "the Explorer's Flight mission appears not to have reached orbit tonight."

The 11th Dimension -Could a Warp Drive Engine Travel Faster Than Light?

It is possible to travel faster than light; the catch is that you just wouldn't travel faster than light and the total mass/energy contained in the planet Jupiter would be needed to propel a starship the size of the Enterprise to beyond the speed of light. That's a lot of dilithium crystals!

Two Baylor University physicists believe that if the 11th dimension could be shrunk behind a spaceship it would create a bubble of dark energy, the same dark energy that is causing the universe to speed up as time goes on. Expanding the 11th dimension in front of the ship would eventually cause it to decrease, although two separate steps are required. One slight problem though is exactly how the 11th dimension would be expanded and shrunk is still unknown.

Will the Future of Space Travel Be Driven by Entepreneurs or Nations?

Costa Rican-American physicist/rocket scientist Franklin Chang-Diaz is typical of the new breed of entrepreneurs driving the future of space travel. The future astronaut has some interesting insights on the kind of power and propulsion will need in order to truly colonize space. By his calculations, a trip to Mars could take as little as 39 days, and, with the development of nuclear powered travel, people could visit anywhere in the solar system within a few weeks. Chang-Diaz believes that these kinds of developments aren’t too far away.

Who Will Go to and Will They Return?

There is a lot of discussion at the moment about the future of human space travel; where will we go, and what will we do. Some don’t want us to go to Mars, others want us going to asteroids, and others want us going back to the Moon.

Plan X: Deadly Mission to the Red Planet

It’s bold and it’s bad, but some brave souls say we can overcome the biggest challenge of a mission by making it a one-way trip. A planet of extremes, is home to the largest mountain in the solar system, the largest canyon in the solar system and intensely severe dust storms. It is also home to the only other likely option for humans to live within our Solar System.

The Dark-Energy-Fueled Warp Ship: Possible or a 21st-Century Da Vinci "Helicopter"?

The internet was amazed by images of the world's first warpship recently, and if you're wondering how science got past the fiction so quickly, remember how Leonardo is credited with inventing the helicopter?  Despite not knowing any of the relevant aerodynamics, physics, engineering, or having any of the required skills other than "able to draw a pretty picture"?  It's the same deal.

Space Zen: Will Humans' Brains Change During Travel in Outer Space? -A Galaxy Insight

In February, 1971, Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell experienced the little understood phenomenon sometimes called the “Overview Effect”. He describes being completely engulfed by a profound sense of universal connectedness. Without warning, he says, a feeing of bliss, timelessness, and connectedness began to overwhelm him. He describes becoming instantly and profoundly aware that each of his constituent atoms were connected to the fragile planet he saw in the window and to every other atom in the Universe. He described experiencing an intense awareness that Earth, with its humans, other animal species, and systems were all one synergistic whole. He says the feeling that rushed over him was a sense of interconnected euphoria. He was not the first—nor the last—to experience this strange “cosmic connection”.

Star Trek's Warp Speed -Expert Says It May Become a Reality

Some scientists are saying that warp drive might be possible after all.  Yes, it's obvious pandering to the Star Trek release, but be fair: these guys are career physicists.  Star Trek was theirs to begin with, and now it's cool we should at least give them press.  Especially when they want to talk about awesome things like faster than light travel.

Is Space Travel the Next Step in Human Evolution? -A Galaxy Insight

Increasingly, advocates of space exploration believe leaving the planet is the natural next step of human evolution. They hope this will lead to a shift in human consciousness from an earth-centered frame of reference to one centered on the solar system and, eventually, the entire galaxy.

How Will a Manned Mars Mission Impact the Human Psyche?

Not surprisingly, coverage of the Mars lander that successfully touched down on Mars’ surface this summer, and its apparent discovery of ice underneath its landing site, sent the media in to a Mars craze. Not to be left out, we’ve decided to take a look at another aspect of humanities journey to Mars, its impact on the human psyche.

SpaceX Shoots for the Stars and Trips Over the Mesosphere

In a classic example of unintended consequences, the Space X guys pioneers  scattered Scotty's ashes -as in, "beam me up, Scotty" actor James Doohan of the Star Trek the Original Series - over the Pacific Ocean.  Doohan was one of the 208 people whose ashes were placed on board the Falcon 1 rocket by Celestis, Inc., a company that arranges for loved ones' ashes to be shot into space. Astronaut Gordon Cooper was also aboard the doomed launch, which Celestis had named the "Explorer's Flight"  -irony not intended, which as the New York Times observed this morning, the Celestis web page reported that "the Explorer's Flight mission appears not to have reached orbit tonight."

The 11th Dimension -Could a Warp Drive Engine Travel Faster Than Light?

It is possible to travel faster than light; the catch is that you just wouldn't travel faster than light and the total mass/energy contained in the planet Jupiter would be needed to propel a starship the size of the Enterprise to beyond the speed of light. That's a lot of dilithium crystals!

Two Baylor University physicists believe that if the 11th dimension could be shrunk behind a spaceship it would create a bubble of dark energy, the same dark energy that is causing the universe to speed up as time goes on. Expanding the 11th dimension in front of the ship would eventually cause it to decrease, although two separate steps are required. One slight problem though is exactly how the 11th dimension would be expanded and shrunk is still unknown.

Will the Future of Space Travel Be Driven by Entepreneurs or Nations?

Costa Rican-American physicist/rocket scientist Franklin Chang-Diaz is typical of the new breed of entrepreneurs driving the future of space travel. The future astronaut has some interesting insights on the kind of power and propulsion will need in order to truly colonize space. By his calculations, a trip to Mars could take as little as 39 days, and, with the development of nuclear powered travel, people could visit anywhere in the solar system within a few weeks. Chang-Diaz believes that these kinds of developments aren’t too far away.

Who Will Go to and Will They Return?

There is a lot of discussion at the moment about the future of human space travel; where will we go, and what will we do. Some don’t want us to go to Mars, others want us going to asteroids, and others want us going back to the Moon.

Plan X: Deadly Mission to the Red Planet

It’s bold and it’s bad, but some brave souls say we can overcome the biggest challenge of a mission by making it a one-way trip. A planet of extremes, is home to the largest mountain in the solar system, the largest canyon in the solar system and intensely severe dust storms. It is also home to the only other likely option for humans to live within our Solar System.