The Next 500 Years

We’ll be talking about this on the finale of Our Undoing Radio Season 8 in abou,t ooooooh, 10 weeks.

Synthetic Genetic Shakespeares

Book Review

Christopher E. Mason. The Next 500 Years: Engineering Life to Reach New Worlds. The MIT Press, 2021.

Christopher Mason is an accomplished scientist whose unique and interdisciplinary research background makes him well qualified to write on the topics that underpin a book like this. His scope is nothing less than the entire Universe and its fate, his mission a call for humans to become the Guardians of life impelled by the central rationale that this is our duty. 

The general idea that long duration spaceflight will pose biomedical challenges is probably a familiar one, but Dr. Mason’s descriptions of the afflictions suffered by astronaut Scott Kelly following a year-long stint on the International Space Station may shock some readers. The take-away message is sobering; humans are not built for zero-g space travel and a journey even to our neighboring planet Mars would tax, probably exceed, the physical…

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The Mars Sample Return Mission – A Road Map for Future High-Risk Research?

Because this deserves more attention….

Synthetic Genetic Shakespeares

Should full environmental assessments be required before some laboratory research projects involving biological agents are approved? Proactive measures are mandated keep microbial pathogens contained and ensure the safety of laboratory personnel as well as the public. Although effective, is the customary focus on the immediate laboratory environment sufficient for all situations today?

Development projects that involve federal lands, federal funding or will be subject to federal oversight may be required to produce Environmental Impact Statements or Environmental Assessments during the planning process to describe their anticipated effects on the physical, cultural and human environments (1). These planning tools are intended to disclose to the public and policy makers the full range of issues involved with projects that could impact environmental quality, but do not necessarily prohibit environmental harm.

NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) are planning a mission to transport samples collected by the Perseverance rover on the Martian…

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Geostorm Tomorrow – A Request

Helloha, Everyone:

According to the stuff I’m reading there is a solar flare geostorm thingy hitting Earth tomorrow (Thursday, in case you’re reading this later.)

It is a G2, which may (or may not) screw with the internet, electronics, satellites, and animals’ sense of navigation. It’s not considered a big deal, happens often, I’m not writing this to scare you. I am writing to ask that if you notice a change in your behavior, tell me. If you notice a change in your pets, let me know. If birds fly into your windows more than normal, please tell me. Hit me up in the comments section. I’m just curious if Sun’s information coming to Earth affects or steers the behavior of organisms and/or causes mood swings in people.

Thanks!

jer