Links for 02-02-2007
Swan song for Kardashev, rotoscoping your photos, how hallucinogens work, Hello Kitty Tarot…
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1 – Space commercialization contract signed
“The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said the agreements signed Wednesday are designed to facilitate the commercialization of low-Earth orbit as capabilities are developed to transport goods and people to orbital destinations.”
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2 – Molecular Manufacturing: Too Dangerous to Allow?
“According to this argument, any research into molecular manufacturing (MM) should be blocked because this technology might be used to build systems that could cause extraordinary damage.”
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3 – The End of Super-Civilizations
Centauri Dreams sings a swan-song for Kardashev’s classification of civilisations. Interesting stuff for space opera thinkers.
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4 – Imitating A Scanner Darkly
Rotoscope your family snaps! Advice from one of the dudes who worked on the movie – though you’d better have a good four hours to spare per shot you want to do. Results look pretty good, too.
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5 – How to protect yourself at wireless hot spots
This could come in handy for avoiding 133t h4Xx0rz at Eastercon and elsewhere…
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6 – Top 5 Coil Guns
“Here is a list of 5 cool coil guns, either one would be fun to try out.” Erm, yes … though it *is* quite cool to see sf-nal weapons can be made in one’s garage. The Mundane SF folks should take note, perhaps?
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7 – How Hallucinogens Play Their Mind-Bending Games
“…a team of researchers [...] may finally have found the cause of the swirling textures, blurry visions and signal-crossing synesthesia brought on by hallucinogenic drugs like LSD…” My interest is purely academic, you understand.
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8 – Medicine-dispensing Tooth Gives Me the Heebie-Jeebies
“…it’s as simple as ripping a couple of your teeth out and replacing them with small devices that steadily inject your cheeks with medicine. Never worry about forgetting to take your prescription again!” Cunning, yes, but very unpleasant.
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“Imagine “by the way” following every “which.” [...]The “which” phrase adds a useful, but not necessary, piece of information.” I commend this blog to you a second time.
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10 – HELLO, TAROT
“Based on Hello Kitty cartoon characters and Rider-Waite imagery, this deck is as cute as the cover card claims!” From occult to occute!
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11 – Saturn’s Hyperion: A Moon With Odd Craters
It looks like a fungus, or perhaps a giant pumice stone. Via Warren Ellis.
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12 – Locus Magazine’s Recommended Reading: 2006
“This recommended reading list, published in Locus Magazine’s February 2007 issue, is a consensus by Locus editors and reviewers…” At last, an end-of-year list that I’ve actually read a decent portion of!
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13 – John Jarrold: How Mainstream Publishing Works in the UK
“This does vary from company to company, but here is the general route for a new writer…” Sheesh. Thank heavens for the small press scene, wot? Via Ariel’s The Genre Files
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“Long nights, sitting at the microscope, slide after slide…….don’t you just wish you had a beer? Slurp slurp. Ahhhh, thats better. Wait, I wonder what *beer* would look like under the microscope! Let’s try it!” Psychedelia Smith!
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