#Advanced Space Transportation Program

[lonestarflight]

X-34 Technology Testbed Demonstrator.

Date: April 16, 1999

NASA ID: EC99-44976-34

[solarpunkfool]

I am trying to choose to hope. 

I am choosing to imagine public transportation. 

Grocery stores with attached soup kitchens to decrease food waste. 

Neighborhood meal- and garden-sharing programs.

Green spaces connecting to other green spaces.

The rainforest ADVANCING, churning up dry soil and turning it dark and healthy. 

The sky filled with birds and the sea with fish, their populations increasing. 

The air and water clean. 

Emissions-free vehicles on roadways, with speeds governed, and safe streets for tricycles, bicycles, dogs, deer, and stray soccer balls.

Solar panels on every public building, over every parking lot. 

Beehives and wildflowers on the open berms between roadways. 

The total lack of gunshots around the world, and instead the sound of shovels, digging holes to plant fruit trees by public sidewalks. 

[fatehbaz]

can't stop thinking like this when i see posts

"three types of animals defined by utility and simplified transactional relationship to humans. including categories of productivity, domestic companionship, or passive/threat/disgust/pest":

British and colonial American institutional and folk taxonomy of "the natural world" in the eighteenth century. The unofficial-but-still-influential way of imagining animals in "utilitarian" ways that support material accumulation and colonial "productive land" and "land improvement." Like a secularization of previously explicitly-religious "great chain of being" schema but adapted for Englightenment-era scientific cosmology that reifies racialized imaginaries of environmental space and reinforces class/racial/species hierarchies with technical expertise.

"we have to do something about the distances":

Britain and the United States in the nineteenth century trying to control the globe and conquer "frontiers" and obsessively trying to more quickly and efficiently move trade, industrial products, information, communications, administrators, indentured laborers, and imperial military across seas and vast distances to cement hegemony by utilizing technical expertise with railroad networks, sailing ships, steamships, investments in cartographic surveying, latitude/longitude establishment, canals, and elaborate systems of telegraph lines.

"they should make a big heavy machine beast that can pull tons of black iron across grasslands and such":

British Empire technicians, Canadian administrators, and their US advisers from 1900-1930-ish when the Canadian "federal government also established breeding programs designed to cross cattle with bison or yak to create a new [ultimate] range animal" with "a reserve stock of pure blood bison of the highest potency" and an "enthusiasm for stocking northern [boreal and northern Great Plains] environments with exploitable game populations" when "nothing, in fact, captured the imagination of bureaucrats and private promoters in the early twentieth century more than the idea of importing domesticated reindeer from northern Europe as a the vanguard of a settled and prosperous agricultural civilization in northern Canada." And they partially pursued the project as "a response to the success of Americans" in "assimilating" the Inuit by importing 82,000 European reindeer to Alaska by 1916: "[A]n Alaskan Bureau of Education Report proudly proclaimed [...]: 'within less than a generation, the [slur] throughout northern and western Alaska have been advanced through one entire stage of civilization.'"

And in the same decade with British administrators in Southeast Asia, when they pursued the "purchase of elephants whose labour made possible the logging and transport of this harder-to-reach teak [in Burma]. By the period between 1919 and 1924, elephants represented the largest assets owned by the biggest timber firm operating in the colony […]. This animal capital, of around three thousand creatures, represented [...] the equivalent of roughly a third of the corporation's liabilities [...]. And these elephants must have been busy. This five-year period saw half a million tons of teak exported out of the colony, the overwhelming majority of which was exported by a handful of large British-owned firms. Their ownership of these beasts of burden gave imperial trading firms a considerable advantage."

"america will be a manufacturing nation once more , We're going to build great and terrible machines, so great and terrible they carve the land they walk on, the sun will set and it will rise and the forge will still burn and the hammer will still ring true folks"

Without comment:

[Quote.] [O]n the morning of February 20, 1915, [...] Franklin K. Lane, the secretary of the Interior […] intoned to the crowd, “The seas are now but a highway before the doors of the nations […]. The greatest adventure is before us, the gigantic adventure of an advancing democracy, strong, virile, kindly, and in that advance we shall be true to the indestructible spirit of the American Pioneer.” The fair did not officially commence, however, until President Wilson […] pressed a golden key linked to an aerial tower […], whose radio waves sparked the top of the Tower of Jewels, tripped a galvanometer, and closed a relay, swinging open the doors of the Palace of Machinery, where a massive diesel engine started to rotate. […] [T]he PPIE was organized to commemorate the completion of the Panama Canal […]. As one of the many promotional pamphlets declared, "California marks the limit of the geographical progress of civilization. For unnumbered centuries the course of empire has been steadily to the west." […] One subject that received an enormous amount of time and space was […] the areas of race betterment and tropical medicine. Indeed, the fair's official poster, the "Thirteenth Labor of Hercules," [the construction of the Panama Canal] symbolized the intertwined significance of these two concerns […] that crowned San Francisco as the Jewel of the Pacific. […] The construction of the Panama Canal unfolded against the backdrop of […] the installation of American colonial rule in Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Guam, and Hawai’i. […] In San Francisco, […] this meant the presence of artifacts such as Fountain of Energy, a strong male mounted on horseback […] crowned by figurines of ���Fame” and “Valor.” Referred to by its creator as the Victor of the Canal, this sculpture symbolized “the vigor and daring of our mighty nation […].” In his address titled "The Physician as Pioneer," the president-elect of the American Academy of Medicine, Dr. [W.H.], credited the colonization of the Mississippi Valley to the discovery of quinine […]. [A]t the Pan-American Medical Congress, where its president, Dr. [C.R.] delivered a lengthy address praising the hemispheric security ensured by the 1823 Monroe Doctrine and "the combined genius of American medical scientists […]" in the Canal Zone. […] [A]s [CR]'s lecture ultimately disclosed, his understanding of Pan-American medical progress was based […] on the enlightened effects of "Aryan blood" in American lands. […] [End quote.]

Source: Alexandra Minna Stern. "Race Betterment and Tropical Medicine in Imperial San Francisco." Eugenic Nation: Faults and Frontiers of Better Breeding in Modern America. Second Edition. 2016.

[bucktommypositivityproject]

335 Donation Drive- February Fundraiser

Disclaimer: I do my best to properly research each organization, but I'm human. If an organization is ever listed that has a negative history, please do not hesitate to let me know.

The listed nonprofits, at a glance:

Black LGBTQ+ Liberation Inc. (BLINC)- BLINC is a South Florida-based nonprofit. They focus on helping BIPOC LGBTQ+ people lead happier lives through arts, health and wellness programs, and strategic community partnerships.

The Okra Project- The Okra Project focuses on supporting Black trans people across the United States. They provide food, security, safe transportation, and mental health services. Funding has supported 10 annual programs and 279 Black trans individuals.

The Audre Lorde Project- Based in Brooklyn, The Audre Lorde Project is and LGBTQ+ organization for people of color. They focus on community organizing and nonviolent activism, including: AIDS and HIV activism, pro-immigrant activism, and prison reform.

Brave Space Alliance (BSA)- BSA is the first Black trans-led LGBTQ+ center in Chicago. Their Four Pillars of Dignity are: Health, Housing, Food, Identity. They provide essential services, develop programs for individuals and families, and advocate on issues that directly impact Trans, LGBQ+, and Black communities.

Black AIDS Institute (BAI)- BAI is dedicated to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Black community. Their vision is to see a world where Black people are free of HIV and AIDS, free of stigma and shame, and where health and well-being are paramount. They have multiple national programs which focus on educating African American communities about the science of HIV, medical advancements, and prevention methods.

[whirligig-girl]

Eaurp Guz's roughly 1:30 scale live-steam model of Slaibsgloth Coal Railroad No.32, a ~1.6 meter gauge 2-8-8-2 garratt steam locomotive built on planet Mellanus in (earth-)year 2346 and retired in 2379 (two years ago) for service bringing coal carriages from the coal pits up to the interchange at the Glooiw & North Eastern. It is unusual for a coal burning steam engine to remain in revenue service--the majority that remained in use after the development of Diesel-Hydraulics were decommissioned with nuclear-powered railway electrification in the 2360s, and the ones that remained were mostly converted to oil burning. The Slaibsgloth steam engines meanwhile persisted right up until the closure of the coal mine. Glooiw & North Eastern has acquired the 40 locomotives. Their fates are uncertain but railway preservation groups remain optimistic.

When Guz first came aboard the Cerritos she was overworking herself constantly, which lead to her being so tired that she was leaving residues on the consoles and generally doing sloppier work. It turned out that Guz had been working double shifts, and when Billups found out he put a stop to that. That's when Guz turned to a hobby she'd done a lot of before joining starfleet--model rocketry. Armed with far more advanced tools than she'd had on Mellanus, she made accurate working model replicas of real historical prewarp spacecraft from a variety of planets and would fly them in real space whenever possible.

Eventually, she also found a new appreciation for her childhood love of trains, and her model-making skills and tools translated well to model railroading as well. She has a little shelf layout in storage that she occasionally tinkers with, and she runs large scale model trains on the holodeck. She could run full-scale holographic trains on the holodeck too of course, but it wouldn't be nearly as satisfying. And then there's the 1:5600 scale BM-gauge railroad she's building on a microscope slide! (Bµ gauge is "Byte micrometer" gauge or a track spacing of 256 µm)

Guz eventually wants to build a roughly 1:80 scale modular layout of the Slaibsgloth Coal Mine, with smaller scale electric-powered models of the Slaibsgloth coal-burning steam engines and enough track to wrap around a room and give them a good run, but unless she can rally support for a Cerritos chapter of the Starfleet Rail Transport Modelling Club or she can get her own crew quarters, it's a pipe dream--or maybe something for her retirement.

Replicators and advanced computer aided design tools reduce the amount of time it takes to get modelling projects done by whatever factor is desired. Technically Guz could probably replicate fully assembled working models as long as they fit in the replicator bed, but where's the fun in that? But she's still only got so much time in an off-shift, and doing it 'properly,' scratch-built using machine tools like 'real' modellers on Mellanus, or manually defining all of the geometry in a CAD program like modellers on Earth, would take too much time.

see also: alt versions of the locomotive.

[lavenlady]

Hey, I saw your work, cardbots, and the reader is a cybertronian. How about the idea of ​​a cybertronian reader and the Brave police team?

Hmm, so here it is....

The reader is a scientist/researcher who, at the end of the war, decides to leave the planet and do some research.

Along the way, he experiments with a prototype of a pocket space bridge.

But during his journey, he gets caught in a small meteor shower, and because of this, the prototype of the bridge fails and is activated, transferring him not just to another galaxy, but to another universe.

Finding himself on earth, the reader decides not to lose heart, but to explore this world in which he is. (After all, it's not every day that you are thrown into a parallel universe)

And everything seems to be going well, the reader lives, explores and even experiments with something, and then learns about the Braves.... and then I give your imagination free rein

Note.

The reader is male and looks like Brainstorm from idw

Platonic relationship

Here you go! Enjoy!

✫ Research ✫ | Platonic Brave Police J-Decker x Brainstorm!Cybertronian!Reader

The war was exhausting and fruitless, it only brought destruction. You on the other hand saw no break through with your inventions, which made you think of leaving Cybertron. You would miss it, but science needs sacrifices. With that in your processor, you had bought a sip and set off for the journey.

At first nothing was wrong, everything worked well. He of course couldn't entirely rest and still worked on his inventions. Unfortunately you forgot to secure one of your projects correctly. It really wouldn't matter if there wasn't a meteor shower that hit his ship and with how strong it was, the invention fell out. As a result it turned on - your prototype of a pocket space bridge.

When you realised what happened, it was already too late. It activated and created a wrap so strong it transported you not only to another galaxy, but a whole another universe. You didn't know that of course at first, slowly waking up from emergency stasis and wanting to contact a close by Autobot. You discovered there were no signals, no Autobots, no Decepticons, no Cybertronians, simply said nothing.

This in turn made you excited, you were probably the first to travel to an entirely different world. You took this chance and started exploring. You have heard about Earth from your other comrades and if you were correct - the Milky Way, the name of this galaxy, was a perfect replica of yours.

You decided to land on the planet, it is not an everyday situation to bridge into an parallel universe and you would make the best of it. Your thirst for knowledge pushed you past any restraints. You came to realise this version of Earth had more advanced technologies, but still not nearing your cybertronian ones.

It gave you an opportunity to learn about this planet. You quietly explored to the best of your abilities, but the thought of your home still lingered in the back of your processor. You choose to not lose your spark, everything new is waiting to be discovered by you. That is untill you went to Japan as there was a program announced - robot policemen fighting for justice. You were interested and ultimately decided to pay Nanamagari City a visit.

It was the best decision ever! At first you watched them take care of crimes from sidelines. How did humans manage to built them? A shock for you was that a young boy was their boss, Yuuta Tomonaga. He must be special if the commissioner made adjustment just for the kid to join the police force.

Of course you presence was not hidden for long. You were so invested in the Brave Police's fight you forgot to look out for humans. This lead you to become a star on the internet. Following this, the police immediately started to look for you and you had no intention of hiding anymore. You patiently waited inside your ship that landed near a forest for them to show up.

Deckerd was confused when the first thing he was greeted by wasn't a physical attack, but rather verbal one. You started asking him about himself and observed his frame from up close, complimenting humans' job on it being sturdy and practical. It made him embarrassed to a degree. You looked like those science doctors he saw Yuuta once read about.

Yuuta was excited to meet you, an alien from another world? So cool! He listens to you even if he doesn't understand many words related to science. He is clearly brave and thanks to him Deckerd exists, you want to study this phenomenon so badly.

Dumpson was sceptical - you from another world? He was suspicious of you, but after seeing one of your inventions he changed his mind. How the heck did you managed to build an energy tunnel that could teleport you to the other side of Earth. How?! And he thought he saw everything already.

Power Joe was stunned, an alien that looked similar to them? Was it a coincidence? He hopes he got on your good side, he doesn't want to be used as a test subject for your inventions. What do you mean it's harmless?! There is no way you will make him stand next to this weird suitcase. He doesn't even want to know what is inside.

Mccrane thought of you as a good ally. You could practically build something from nothing. He is one of those who let you upgrade his weapon, to a limited extent. Don't get him started about when he saw your blueprints and ideas - what would he need a laser for? And a grenade luncher?! He is a policemen! What do you mean it was normal on your home planet?!

Shadowmaru was confused when he saw you observing him like he was a trophy. You on the other servo couldn't believe humans built a multiple-changer. He could transform into a dog, or as he corrected you a wolf, a jet and a tank. He even once got turned into a fragging gigantic cannon. How cool was that?

Drill Boy, the football enthusiast he is, often asked you to play with him. You at first as politely as you could rejected his offer, but you decided to give in after he promised to halp you test one of your inventions. Who would have guessed he could teach you how to play in one hour?

Gunmax was interesting. He seemed distant at first, but gradually cracked a joke or two. You had to admit - his engrish was extraordinary. He reminded you of a bad cop, while Deckerd acted like a good cop. Their friendship was weird, but it worked. You needed to research more about them, everything was just so exciting.

Duke was cold at first, trying to follow every rule set by Regina or as he called her - Lady. His sword skills were worth looking at, there was a reason he was called the Knight Detective afterall. Though he had an interesting way to interpret things, so depressing yet so realistic. It made you want to know more about him.

You cannot wait to know more! The thought alone made you jump from the excitement. Who would have guessed leaving Cybertron was the best choice ever?

□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□

( Hope you liked it! )

(Master list)

( Request away! )

[herrenxenoberg]

Introducing my fanschool project...

I have two TWST fanschools in progress but I want to show the one I have been developing for a long while...

Luxglow Prep (Fanschool based on Pixar)

Location of the school (Pinpointed on the game's map):

The school is situated in the Land of Dawning, a distance away from Sage's Island but still relatively close.

Description of the School:

"A magical academy that has the same long-standing reputation as Night Raven College, its door are open to students of all backgrounds who wishes to learn and familiarize with the concept of balanced morality."

This school is founded much later than Night Raven College, but has gained an equal amount of recognition by scholars who are given options after their elementary graduation for its highly advanced facilities and utilities, as well as a very well-organized study environment. Thanks to the advancements of magitech, Luxglow Prep is the first ever arcane academy that adapted the use of the technology into their navigation, organization and power source management. At the core of this academy, lies a highly advanced artificial intelligence going by the name "Lampi", who is tasked with managing the student body, the school network and the dorm sorting process. Unlike Night Raven College, their historical inspirations come from spoken tales about each dorm's motto and theme.

How the school system works:

Because it is more advanced technologically, the school system is vastly different than the other arcane academies in Twisted Wonderland. The admission process revolves a transportation vehicle (similar to MVR-A from WALL-E) arriving at the student's residence, before being asked to rest inside a special pod designed with soft cushions like the NRC coffins. They'll be put into a slumber within the pod by a specially-programmed sleep mist administrator.

Once they arrived at the academy, they'll be placed in a stasis chamber, which is where the sorting ceremony will be held, and will be awakened when the time calls for it. Once awoken, they'll be dressed in the ceremonial robes by automated androids situated in the chamber and brought to the sorting area. The sorting area is where Luxglow Prep's sacred magitech artefact resides, a massive enchanted lamp that is said to sort mages by illuminating them with the light that befits their aptitude and their dorm.

The dorms in Luxglow Prep are labeled as "houses" instead (like sorority houses in colleges), and instead of travelling by mirrors, they travel by doors (similar to ones from Monsters Inc), enchanted doorways that can lead a person to a desired location or contains a dimensional pocket space upon entering.

Luxglow Prep Uniforms:

For the uniform look, I wanted to capture the feel of more rich type of school uniforms with the sweater vest and long sleeve shirts. The PE outfit is mostly a full-body tights and a jersey set they can wear. For the alchemy/lab fit, I took some reference inspirations from the CDA hazmat suits from Monsters Inc as a base. And for the ceremonial robe, I picked the one fit Merida is dressed in from Brave, and made it androgynous enough to work as a ceremonial fit. As for the standard wand they'll use, I went for the staff Ian Lightfoot wields from Onward. (Yeap, a lot of pixar references are packed in one go here).

Staff Members and Dorms will be revealed soon.

[accord-vn]

RSEC 3rd Gen "Janissary" AIU

The Janissary is the primary combat unit of the Republic of Stauros ExoCorps, the military force associated with Stauros's Department of the Exterior.

Pilots are selected through the prestigious Janissary program, wherein adolescents who fit the necessary criteria are chosen to become career soldiers. The crux of the program relies on teaching pilots to effectively utilize ext-SYN/TRA, a crude yet minimally invasive application of Stauros's synaptic transfer protocol. While more advanced applications of SYN/TRA are afforded to elites within the program, because of the inherent risks involved in its use and the fact that only an estimated 3% of humans have sufficient bio-compatibility, it does not see widespread use.

As the military arm of the Department of the Exterior, the ExoCorps's primary aim is to secure national interests regarding extraplanetary resources, transport, and exploration, which extends to maintaining Stauros's monopoly on space travel. Because of this, Janissaries are designed to be capable of combat both in and out of atmosphere.

Their propulsion is fueled by a single Tokamak reactor, which heats air for a jet engine within atmosphere and vents plasma outside of atmosphere. Because of this, leaving atmosphere unaided significantly reduces the life of the combat units, reinforcing their role as being primarily planetary forces.

Art is a WIP sketch by @himecommunism

[st-peculiar]

TELL US ABOUT THE NEW OCS!!! PLEASE!!!

OKAYYY if you say so (<- guy who has been waiting for the opportunity to go crazy)

Once again, to no one’s surprise, it’s very inspired by sci-fi medias, as per the origins posts says. Sometime in the very distant future, Earth is a near-dead planet with only the smallest fraction of its population still living there. The rest, however, made MAJOR technological advancements over multiple centuries and humans claimed the sky above them. With colony space vessels traveling around the surrounding cosmos and research and exploration vessels finding the improbable in the crevasses of the universe, humankind has truly gone way beyond intended boundaries.

With the discovery of natural wormholes, along with stabilization technology, interstellar travel from system to system is made incredibly easy. They colonized livable planets and established expansive trade systems throughout space, so humans truly seem to be at the peak of existence.

The main plot follows a small research and exploration (REX) vessel, no more than seven crew members, who, all of a sudden and without warning, are dragged into the immense gravitational pull of a dimensional rift, a previously undiscovered (but theorized) phenomenon. This rift transports the crew into a pocket dimension billions upon billions of years in the past, soon after the beginning of the universe. The commotion on board the ship activates a contingency AI program (aka a CON Series application). A contingency AI’s job is to reorganize the vessel they’re assigned to to put them back onto their mission goals as calmly and efficiently as possible; however, this AI (the working name is Conrad for now) is thrown completely out of his depth with the scenario this little crew has gotten themselves in. There are no protocols for “when your crew is sucked into a previously unknown pocket dimension that transported them to the beginning stages of the universe” so he’s at a complete loss.

And, through the panic of well. That. A high-class prisoner that was being transported aboard the ship (without anyone’s knowledge other than the unofficial captain’s) escapes their holdings and causes much more commotion.

That’s the gist of it at least! I came up with a LOT of lore on AI programs for this universe which I’m really invested in. There’s multiple classes of AI, but it boils down to these for the most part:

Sentient AI

Passive AI

And

Specialized AI

They all have separate functions depending on what they need to be used for, with some overlap occasionally. There stuff with AI-spacecraft bonding, how they’re tested for separate jobs, the subclasses of AI that fall under the main three, lots and lots of stuff. I’m very invested in it.

Specifically, there’s the MAC scale for AI and operation vessel compatibility, used for mid-large size population vessels requiring a sentient AI unit. MAC stands for “Minimized Accountability Control” and basically tests how well an AI is personally suited for mid-heavy population spacecraft, normally being colony vessels. The gist of it is seeing how well an AI can operate the vessel without external guidance in the form of professionally trained and educated personnel. There’s a lot of factors that go into the scoring, all of which can vary in weight depending on what kind of AI a vessel needs. For example, a colony vessel would have a heavier scoring weight in interpersonal connections, meaning how well their personality melds with whatever inhabitants are on that ship.

REX vessels, however, very rarely need sentient AI. They have a passive AI program running in the background, monitoring statistics and adjusting as needed, but there’s no interacting with it because it has no vocal controls, personality database, or personal memory (PM) core. It’s basically a glorified calculator with a mind built for numbers and data processing. Instead of sentient AI, some smaller vessels that go outside of reach of larger spacecraft or planetary bodies have contingency AI instead. It’s technically a subclass under sentient AI, but vary in function. CON (Containment of Organization and Nominization) Series AI have one sole purpose; getting a crew back on track if they lose sight of the overarching goal. They’re coded with thousands of various protocols for nearly any scenario, along with some other required functions

Yeah I went a little wild with this but I’ve been itching to talk about this so thank you HC for once again indulging me

[lonestarflight]

"The X-34 demonstrator is shown being taken out of its hangar and placed on the tarmac. The X-34 was classified as part of the Pathfinder class demonstrators which include small experimental vehicles or less expensive flight experiments. These demonstrators were driven by technology and were executed every one to two years. They were done quickly, for low cost, and for a wide range of technologies and applications. The X-34 program was cancelled in 2001."

Recorded: April 15, 2004

NASA ID: 9906384

[drelldreams]

Mass Effect Lore: Common technologies in the 2180‘s (Part 2)

This post is both a collection of canon technologies in the Mass Effect universe, and personal headcanon which may be borrowing common concepts from sci fi.

Infrastructure:

Autonomous public transportation vessels of all sorts. As seen with the tram on Noveria. Trains, buses and cabs are also autonomous. Rude bus drivers, trains and buses being cancelled or too late are problems of the past.

Some of those buses and cabs drive on land; others are flying vessels that travel through the sky.

Trains travel at immense speed, with most trains being able to travel at least 1000km/h. Low pressure tunnels allow for this level of speed.

Suspension railways are a common means of public transportation and are widely featured all across the galaxy on various space station, colonies and in most Earth countries. This also includes maglevs (magnetic levitation trains).

Cities commonly not only feature terminals providing rentable e-bikes, e-scooters or even e-rollerblade, but also rent flying hoverboards.

Medicine & Health:

Needles have become obsolete. Technologies akin to Star Trek's hypospray have replaced them. (This contradicts with Mordin's line in ME3: „Fear of needles. Common phobia." I know.)

Genetic therapy has advanced so far as to being able to cure almost any genetic disease. (Book canon).

Cybernetics can fix deafness and blindness.
(Canon implied, I believe?)

Advancement in technology and medicine have slowed down human aging significantly. Women can have healthy children in their sixties. (Book canon). Anti aging therapies and cybernetics can allow humans to reach ages of up to 250 years.

Education:

Paper and pens being used in schools is a thing of the past. Students use tablets (which are made of ultra-light also foldable) with either keyboards or tablet pens for handwritten notes.
(Book canon implied - Gillian uses a computer to work on her assignments in Mass Effect:
Ascension).

Some teachers and students would prefer to have their textbooks in form of super light datapads (like e books) rather than have them all digitally stored on their computer.

Learning programs are highly advanced and VI‘s provide students with custom tailored, individualized exercises and study plans and games.

Food:

Liquid food drinks, nutrient pastes and bars that replace entire meals are available just about everywhere. With biotics burning huge amount of calories, the asari have perfected such products. Being cheaper than freshly cooked take out meals and coming in all sorts of flavors and textures, such nutrient pastes proved to be a saving grace for poorer individuals. Some poor people nearly only eat 3D printed nutrient paste, which does not have the same feeling as eating real meals, but nutrient paste in Mass Effect is of such high quality that it provides the body with all nutrients it needs while being free of unhealthy ingredients.

People-prepared foods (by humans/aliens) are still appreciated, but many foods available in grocery stores are 3D printed. Cafés tend to feature feature people-prepared foods. A café selling 3D printed cakes for instance would be looked down upon.

Synthetic flavors have been perfected. While technology has been advanced to the point where you could grow strawberries on Omega without issues (using environmental control systems in a hydroponic bay), the ultimate cheapest way to replicate the flavor is using synthetic ingredients. This way, you can find foods of any flavor, no matter what exotic fruit from Palaven or Khar'Shan it might be, anywhere.

Sugar free snacks and candy are as common as the sugar variants. Ice cream cates feature sugar free ice cream options. Sugar free chocolate or cookies are available at any grocery store.
Various synthetic ingredients are used to replace sugar.

Lab grown meat is incredibly common (canon) and meat from Earth animals found on space stations is grown from animal stem cells.

Home:

Significantly less time is spent on chores due to robots doing most of the work. With floor wiping and vacuum robots being affordable for middle class people in the 21st century, in the 22nd, the majority of cleaning is done by robots in a middle class household. Advanced kitchen aid machines are found in most households and make cooking less time consuming and complicated for most people.

Blinds, curtains, light, air filtration systems, thermal regulation systems (air conditioning or heating systems) and television are typically navigated via a voice command (for example, „Light on“ or „Television off).

Holographic home ambiences like in Cyberpunk 2077 are common. Windows can be made to look like they‘re displaying a galaxy full of stars via holographic projections. Some people use those home ambience holographs to create the appearance of a luxurious club lounge, or to project beautiful landscapes into a corner of their room.

Personal Care:

Like in Star Trek, sonic showers can be used to clean the body effectively. Ultrasonic vibrations remove dirt, bacteria, excess oil and dead skin cells without requiring soap or water. While more expensive than typical showers, the use of sonic showers saves water. This sort of technology is found within quarian environmental suits. Drell with Kepral's Syndrome generally use sonic showers rather than water showers.

In addition to having an inbuild shower function, quarian environmental suits are equipped with a dental hygiene program that cleans the teeth and mouth of the wearer effectively using ultrasonic vibrations.

Certain suit upgrades can even use nanobots to moisturize the body.

Toothbrushes are also generally sonic toothbrushes that use the same technology as showers do; ultrasonic vibrations.

Clothes are typically self-cleaning with nanoparticles that kill bacteria and prevent the build up of odor.

[rjzimmerman]

How many of you get excited when you see a monarch butterfly? If you do, did you get excited as a kid, or is the excitement a function of their possibly pending extinction? If you do not, can you imagine a world without monarch butterflies?

Excerpt from this story from E&E News/Politico:

Judgment day approaches for the monarch butterfly.

Bound by a court settlement, the Fish and Wildlife Service is supposed to decide by early December whether the monarch warrants listing as threatened or endangered. Although the agency misses many Endangered Species Act deadlines, it appears determined to meet this one after several years of study.

“We wanted to make sure that we have all the best science available … and we wanted to make sure that we were able to gather all that information and make a quality decision,” said Nicole Alt, director of FWS’ Center for Pollinator Conservation.

With the migratory butterfly passing through dozens of states, a decision to list the species could be accompanied by the designation of an expansive critical habitat. Combined with other regulatory implications, this could make the long-delayed monarch listing call one of the most consequential actions in the history of the ESA. It also appears likely, some monarch experts say, given the bleak population trends that led FWS to conclude in 2020 that “monarch viability is declining and is projected to continue declining over the next 60 years.”

Despite the dire circumstances, a campaign to help the monarch butterfly has been advancing on multiple fronts but without a unified commander in chief. Rather, the monarch’s allies march under different flags that reflect a dispersed approach toward species conservation. Some study the insect, some set aside habitat and some tinker with new tools, all without reference to a species recovery plan that an ESA listing would mandate.

Consider:

From an urban office building, a program administered by the University of Illinois, Chicago’s Energy Resources Center has recruited energy companies, state departments of transportation and counties into conserving hundreds of thousands of acres as butterfly habitat on rights of way, such as the medians between roads.

On sprawling Fort Cavazos — formerly Fort Hood — in Texas, biologists prowl the grounds in search of adult monarchs as well as eggs and larva. Since 2017, they estimate they have collected information from more than 10,000 tagged adult monarchs and forwarded this data to another team of collaborators with the Monarch Watch program based at the University of Kansas.

From her Denver office, Alt oversees four geographically scattered FWS staffers and collaborates with others in and out of government. With yet another allied group called Monarch Joint Venture, for instance, the Center for Pollinator Conservation is supporting studies of drones and artificial intelligence in measuring milkweed distribution on wildlife refuges.

And, scattered as they are, the various monarch teams, researchers and advocates periodically gather for a meeting of the minds, as they did in the summer of 2022 for a first-of-its-kind Capitol Hill butterfly summit where Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced establishment of Alt’s pollinator center.

“It’s really been exciting to see the level of interest from lots of different sectors,” Alt said, adding that “different people want to work in different ways and in different spaces … and in the vast majority of situations they are all advocating for the same thing.”

Some conservation groups, however, want to see a more urgent focus on the problem, saying Congress needs to dramatically increase funding to help the monarchs truly recover. In letters sent last week to House and Senate appropriators, the Center for Biological Diversity and other environmental groups called on lawmakers to provide $100 million annually to restore 1 million acres of pollinator habitat in this country each year and another $30 million to preserve forests in Mexico where some of the butterflies spend their winters.

The groups noted how people over generations have heralded the black-and-orange butterfly’s “spectacular beauty and epic, life-affirming migrations.”

“Dedicating $100 million a year to monarch conservation gives these beloved butterflies a fighting chance at survival,” one letter said.

[softrobotcritics]

Photoresponsive Shape Morphing

Movement with light: Photoresponsive shape morphing of printed liquid crystal elastomers

Michael J. Ford1 ∙ Dominique H. Porcincula1 ∙ Rodrigo Telles3 ∙ … ∙ Shu Yang2 ∙ Elaine Lee1 lee1040@llnl.gov ∙ Caitlyn C. Cook1,5 krikorian3@llnl.gov … 

Progress and potential

Soft matter that can adapt in response to a stimulus like light holds immense promise for various applications, such as biomedical devices and soft robotics. One example of adaptive soft matter is liquid crystal elastomer composites, which incorporate a functional additive and change shape through a phase transition. The combination of the material composition, the printed geometry of the material, and the localization of the stimulus can enable novel movement and reaction to light, as we demonstrate in this paper. Our results mark a significant advancement toward creating complex, 3D-printed, intelligent materials that pave the way for developing next-generation adaptive machines and devices that can transform in response to specific stimuli.

Highlights

•

Optimized inks for additive manufacturing of a liquid crystal elastomer composite

•

Developed spatiotemporal control during printing for complex three-dimensional structures

•

Demonstrated unique combinations of complex three-dimensional photoresponsive actuation

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Controlled novel modes of actuation with computer vision techniques

Summary

Soft machines will require soft materials that exhibit a rich diversity of functionality, including shape morphing and photoresponsivity. The combination of these functionalities enables useful behaviors in soft machines that can be further developed by synthesizing materials that exhibit localized responsivity.

Localized responsivity of liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs), which are soft materials that exhibit shape morphing, can be enabled by formulating composite inks for direct ink writing (DIW). Gold nanorods (AuNRs) can be added to LCEs to enable photothermal shape change upon absorption of light through a localized surface plasmon resonance.

We compared LCE formulations, focusing on their amenability for printing by DIW and the photoresponsivity of AuNRs. The local responsivity of different three-dimensional architectures enabled soft machines that could oscillate, crawl, roll, transport mass, and display other unique modes of actuation and motion in response to light, making these promising functional materials for advanced applications....

Soft machines could enable new breakthroughs in technologies related to human-machine interactions, remote exploration in difficult-to-reach spaces, and individually tailored health care. These machines will require soft materials that exhibit a diverse range of functionalities, including actuation for movement, conductivity for sensing and signal processing, stimuli-responsivity, self-healing, and reprocessability.1,2,3The demonstration of such a diverse range of functionalities results in a profound outcome where “the material is the machine.”4,5 That is, by taking advantage of behaviors like self-assembly and phase transitions, these materials as machines can replace traditional sensors, transducers, gears, levers, and electromagnetic motors to enable perception, responsivity, and motion without engineered complexity.2,4

Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) that are pre-programmed to change shape in response to external stimuli are considered useful for soft machines.6,7 The shape morphing is induced by heat, electricity, and light.8,9Light may be useful to stimulate localized actuation and does not require physical contact with the shape-changing material, as wires that transmit electrical power might require.10,11 Localized actuation using light could also allow for unique modes of actuation.12 For example, asymmetric illumination of photoresponsive LCEs led to twisting and rolling motions.13 Peristaltic motion that resembles the movement of biological organisms has been demonstrated by using localized impingement of different patterns of light upon an LCE.14 To extend this work, the programmed order of the liquid crystal (LC) domains could be controlled and modified....

[sweetiguessso]

Humanity in 100 years

In the year 2124, the world has transformed into a space-faring society, and the military academies have evolved to train the next generation of space cadets. Here's a detailed look at what such an academy might be like:

Academy Overview: The Stellar Command Academy (SCA)

Location: The Stellar Command Academy is located on a space station orbiting Earth, known as the "Orbital Citadel." This station is equipped with advanced gravity simulation technology, allowing cadets to train in environments mimicking various planetary conditions.

Mission: The SCA's primary mission is to prepare cadets for roles in space exploration, defense, and diplomacy. The academy emphasizes not only military tactics but also scientific research, interstellar relations, and advanced technological skills.

Curriculum and Training

Core Courses:

Astro-Navigation: Cadets learn to navigate the vastness of space using advanced star charts and quantum navigation systems.

Exo-Biology: Understanding alien ecosystems and life forms is crucial for missions to distant planets.

Quantum Mechanics and Engineering: Cadets are trained in the latest technologies, including quantum computing and propulsion systems.

Interstellar Diplomacy: Training in negotiation and cultural understanding to manage relations with potential alien civilizations.

Physical Training:

Zero-G Combat: Cadets practice combat techniques in zero-gravity environments, using specialized suits and weapons.

Planetary Survival: Training in survival skills on various planetary terrains, from desert worlds to icy moons.

Spacecraft Piloting: Cadets learn to operate a variety of spacecraft, from small fighters to large exploratory vessels.

Simulations and Missions:

Virtual Reality Scenarios: Cadets undergo intense virtual reality training, simulating everything from space battles to diplomatic encounters with alien species.

Real-World Missions: Advanced cadets participate in real missions, such as asteroid mining operations, rescue missions, and exploratory expeditions to the outer planets.

Technology and Equipment

Suits and Gear:

Adaptive Combat Suits: These suits adjust to different planetary environments and can enhance the wearer's strength and endurance.

Neural Interfaces: Cadets use neural interfaces to control spacecraft and drones, allowing for faster reaction times and more precise control.

Weapons and Defense:

Energy Weapons: Advanced plasma and laser weapons are standard issue, designed for use in various atmospheric conditions.

Shielding Technology: Personal and spacecraft shielding systems protect against hostile environments and enemy attacks.

Transportation:

Fighter Jets and Shuttles: Cadets train with a fleet of high-speed spacecraft capable of atmospheric and space flight.

Warp-capable Vessels: For longer missions, cadets learn to operate ships equipped with experimental warp drives.

Life at the Academy

Dormitories and Living Quarters:

Cadets live in modular dormitories that can be reconfigured to simulate different living conditions, preparing them for life on various space stations and planetary bases.

Advanced life support systems ensure a comfortable living environment, recycling air and water efficiently.

Social and Recreational Activities:

Holodecks: Recreational facilities include holodecks where cadets can participate in virtual sports, cultural events, and relaxation activities.

Interstellar Sports: Cadets compete in sports adapted for zero-gravity environments, such as zero-g soccer and space rugby.

Cultural Integration:

The academy fosters a diverse and inclusive environment, with cadets from various planets and backgrounds. Cultural exchange programs are common, promoting understanding and cooperation among future space leaders.

Graduation and Career Paths

Graduation Ceremony:

The graduation ceremony is held in a grand hall on the Orbital Citadel, with dignitaries from Earth and other planets in attendance.

Cadets receive their commissions and are assigned to various branches of the space military, such as the Space Fleet, the Planetary Defense Force, or the Interstellar Diplomatic Corps.

Career Opportunities:

Space Fleet: Cadets can serve on exploratory missions, defend against potential threats, and conduct scientific research.

Planetary Defense Force: Graduates may be stationed on planets and moons, protecting settlements and conducting security operations.

Interstellar Diplomatic Corps: Cadets with a focus on diplomacy can represent Earth in negotiations with other civilizations, fostering peace and cooperation.

Challenges and Future Prospects

Technological Advancements:

The academy must constantly adapt to new technologies, requiring continuous updates to its curriculum and facilities.

Research and development are ongoing, with cadets often involved in testing and refining new systems.

Interstellar Relations:

As humanity encounters more alien species, the academy plays a crucial role in preparing cadets for the complexities of interstellar politics and potential conflicts.

Environmental and Ethical Considerations:

Cadets are trained to respect and preserve the environments of other planets, adhering to strict ethical guidelines.

Ethical dilemmas, such as the use of advanced AI in warfare and the rights of sentient beings, are part of the curriculum.

In this future, the Stellar Command Academy stands as a beacon of human progress, training the next generation to explore, defend, and connect with the vast universe beyond Earth.

[edwhiteandblue]

January 13, 1921 — Space engineer Philip Bono is born in Brooklyn, New York

While employed by Douglas Huntington Beach in the 1960s, Bono designed advanced heavy-lift, reusable, and single-stage-to-orbit space launch vehicles. For example, the Reusable Orbital Module-Booster & Utility Shuttle (ROMBUS) wan SSTO vertical takeoff and landing heavy-lift recoverable launch vehicle pitched as a low-cost follow-on to the Apollo program. Ithacus, an adaptation of ROMBUS, would've been used as an intercontinental military troop transport.

Read more about some of Bono's vehicle concepts here!

image credit: painted by Don Charles via Flickr

[zylem2020]

3 Ways Software Can Revolutionize Your Distribution Strategy.

In today's fiercely competitive business environment, efficient distribution can make or break a company. Customers demand fast, reliable, and cost-effective delivery, and businesses are under constant pressure to optimize their operations to meet these expectations.  Distribution management software has emerged as a powerful tool to help companies streamline their distribution processes, reduce costs, and enhance customer satisfaction.

The Power of Integrated Software

While distribution management software alone can provide significant benefits, integrating it with other business systems, such as sales management software and scheme management software, can create a truly synergistic effect. This integrated approach allows for seamless information flow, improved visibility, and enhanced decision-making across the organization.

1. Inventory Management: From Reactive to Proactive

Effective inventory management is the cornerstone of a successful distribution strategy.  Distribution management software provides real-time visibility into inventory levels across all locations, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual stock checks and reducing the risk of costly stockouts and overstocking.

With accurate, up-to-the-minute data on inventory levels, businesses can proactively manage their stock, ensuring they have the right products in the right place at the right time. This not only improves order fulfilment efficiency but also optimizes warehouse space utilization and reduces carrying costs.

Furthermore, advanced distribution management software often includes demand forecasting capabilities. By analyzing historical data and market trends, these systems can predict future demand with greater accuracy, enabling businesses to proactively adjust their procurement and production schedules. This helps prevent stockouts during peak seasons and avoids overstocking during periods of low demand.

2. Order Fulfillment: Speed, Accuracy, and Visibility

Customers in today's fast-paced environment want orders to be fulfilled quickly and reliably. Distribution management software empowers businesses to meet these expectations by automating and optimizing various aspects of the fulfilment process.

By automating order processing, businesses can minimize manual data entry, reduce errors, and accelerate order fulfilment times.  This not only improves efficiency but also frees up valuable time for staff to focus on more strategic tasks.

Distribution management software also optimizes delivery routes, taking into account factors such as traffic, delivery windows, and vehicle capacity. This ensures that goods are delivered in the most efficient way possible, minimizing transportation costs and reducing delivery times.

Moreover, distribution management software provides real-time tracking information, allowing customers to monitor the progress of their orders and receive accurate delivery updates. This transparency boosts consumer satisfaction and confidence.

3. Sales and Scheme Management: Driving Revenue and Customer Loyalty

Integrating distribution management software with sales management software and scheme management software creates a powerful platform for driving revenue and building customer loyalty.

Scheme management software enables businesses to create and manage targeted promotions and incentive programs. This allows them to incentivize sales, move inventory, and reward loyal customers. By integrating this with distribution management software, businesses can ensure that promotional items are readily available and that orders are fulfilled efficiently.

Sales management software provides sales teams with the tools they need to manage leads, track opportunities, and close deals more effectively. By integrating this with distribution management software, sales teams can gain visibility into inventory levels and delivery schedules, allowing them to provide accurate information to customers and avoid promising delivery dates that cannot be met.

Furthermore, by combining data from distribution, sales, and scheme management software, businesses can gain valuable insights into customer behaviour, sales trends, and product performance. This data can be used to make informed decisions about pricing, promotions, and product development, ultimately driving revenue growth and improving profitability.

Conclusion

Investing in a comprehensive software solution that encompasses distribution, sales, and scheme management can be a game-changer for businesses of all sizes. By embracing the power of automation, optimization, and data-driven insights, companies can streamline their operations, boost sales, and create a loyal customer base.