Augmented Infinity

~[Cerebral Graffiti]~

Augmented Reality(AR~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmented_reality ) is closer and closer upon the horizon. Products like GoogleGlass ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Glass ), Recon Instruments ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recon_Instruments ) and others are beginning to show us what our future could look like (or at the very least how we will see it). I have joined a few groups about AR tech and applications in the past year and I am very hopeful about the proliferation of this technology in the next decade (no I am not a stock advisor) and the fantastic development rush for apps that will be unlike anything previous in hour history. These technologies and apps can be designed to specifically enhance or guide human performance in a way previously unimaginable.

The next generation of space suits also incorporates this technology ( http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-06/nasas-next-gen-spacesuit-could-have-helmet-display ) and I am hopeful of a time where these digital overlays are pretty common for nearly every vocation. What we are really talking about is the introduction of Heads Up Display technology of the purest and most integrated variety. A cybernetic hybridization of the head senses and technology coming together at last. For many years research has been done on the utilization of voice commands and eye reactions on computer interfaces ( http://empowerednews.net/blink-eye-tracking-technology-for-computer-control-from-cms-llc-inspired-by-paralyzed-father/1825143/ ). Through further natural use as time goes on, jargon and enhancements in performance based on user feedback will result in a totally intuitive and utilitarian computer interface.

Please also take a look at the series H+ on youtube ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZedLgAF9aEg ). It is a show about bio-genetically integrated (trans-human) AU and the first episode is only a few minutes long after a minute or two you will see the sort of tech possible.

There is also an ad on youtube for a fictitious aerosol based playstation9  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPFoh75sbSU you might still be able to find. That says nothing of movies like total recall or the matrix that take the argument to an existential level. But mostly I am interested to hear thoughts on this new wave of high-tech instruments and what you think, if anything, they will mean for the future of space exploration. Some examples of tech I would like to see is;

-The ability to overlay data on visible terrain so that,for example areas containing hazardous terrain can be avoided. -Recon Instruments HUD technology, for example, is generally engaged and encouraged by extreme sports such as mountain skiing, diving, etc

-The ability to overlay instructions for repairs or scientific procedures

-The ability to quickly capture video and audio of a persons experience - similar to everyone having cameras on their phones now, except you could record a hike you go on or kayaking in first person view, etc

So with all that in mind, what sort of AU tech do you hope to see ?

What sort of experience with HUD do you have already ? Video games, maps, etc ?

What sort of apps do you think would be especially useful in outer space ?

Do you see any other emerging technologies that merge well with the potential for AR ?

For Reasons of Security as well as Insecurity: A Word on Technological Standardization

By the year 2100 we hope....


People will see travellers going from Earth to the Moon (and/or beyond) as regularly as we might see planes flying people overhead now from America to Asia. It will become a common sight that could also suffer because uninformed people may easily come to take it for granted and disregard its true , present costs and benefits. It seems that times change and people forget the great advances that were required socially as much as technically to allow these sorts of things to happen. Tremendous progress comes forth only from excitement about bold ideas... not only from well maintained portfolios... though they also have their place.

We must remember the important lessons of history or we'll be starting over from scratch again... if we survive.

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For Reasons of Security as well as Insecurity: A Word on Technological Standardization


It is a strikingly under-appreciated and wholly modern development that humans may be about to embark on a visible, regular and sustained program of extra-terrestrial expansion to the heavens above. While this imminent development is popularly treated somewhat less poignantly than global warming, financial collapse or the latest Hollywood blockbuster, it is nevertheless a much more important development which stands to have the the most lasting positive impact. Far more noteworthy is this approaching inevitability of space-faring than the latest sports scores or the topsey-turvey tumblings of todays American politics. The entire species is about to crash into an etherial wall as seemingly insurmountable as the sound barrier was to our recent forebears [2].

The major achievements of the next few decades, however, will be less about technical advance than they will be about technical integration. Related challenges will confront our peoples on many levels; economic, spiritual and traditional notions of all sorts are coming due for an appraisal against more modern ideas and discoveries. Shades of a second renaissance flourish all around us. We technologists and engineers are resigned to accept that even the emergent technologies of today and slated for tomorrow were discovered in the early post-Apollo period for the most part. The X-15 [3] is a fine example of our early technological prowess. The designs employed to get Space Ship One & Two beyond the confines of the planet find their similarity to the 1959 rocketplane designs undeniable... to say nothing of the Dyna-Soar [4] research conducted my the Air Force before space travel was snatched from their professional and well-trained grasp by one of the wisest men to grace the American shores [5]. Reasonably we can assume the people involved in the creation and utilization of these initial technological leaps were a mean age of 25-35 even at that time. This, in turn, means they were taught by those even older and these designs originated very shortly after the popular ascension of avionics in general c.1900 [6]. Indeed, when one makes a thorough study of developments in aeronautics and rocketry one does not see a gradual rise in learning from aeroplanes to rocketry, they were both being pursued with vigour at nearly the same time and by two almost completely disparate camps.

Since that time little has really changed (except for the multi-mergering of aero and astro companies perhaps). The spacecraft designs of the near future still rely on these early general styles [4][7]. We are, however, finally seeing a return to smaller American spacecraft [8] which is a hopeful, though primarily austere, development. The idea that it should cost tens of millions of dollars to send one person just to the edge of outer space is surely something which much also face the winds of change in this time of global fiscal retraction. Strikingly, this period of economic restraint could come to be viewed as a helpful last gasp of tired old economic theories based on scarcity for, though things seem bleak looking forward, we are fortunate indeed to live in a period of unlimited credit [9] (though we tend to call it debt - your credit card has all your debts and your debit card has all your credits, go figure). If we will simply prioritize issues of exploration and humanitarianism there is no longer any limit to the amount of good that can be done because of the present modelling of our fiat global economy. Already today some would argue that the UN saves roughly a billion lives a year though it itself is economically retarded.

Companies like Virgin Galactic, Biggelow Aerospace and Planetary Resources are perhaps the greatest chance for our long term economic sustainabililty that has ever existed in known history. Virtually limitless resources await our extraction - even just in our own solar system. Our young species can barely fathom what riches of minerals and various fuels await us in the cosmos just outside of our established comfort zones. But in order to get there, as I said before, the developments that need to be made are in our minds and in the zeitgeist of our times much more than in our laboratories.

While we wrestle with our commitments to foreign banking interests and sacrifice the social fabric of our nations to satiate their unending desires for profit - somewhere in the background, far from the mainstream fantasies of self-made millionaires and the absurdity of urban living, we find a quiet and meek group of reformers with no particular political agenda other than the overall betterment and expansion of the human species. So why are they not the rockstars of today ? Why does Britney Spears have millions of followers whilst names like Paul Allen and Robert Biggelow fail to attract the same level of interest in spite of their myriad and very important achievements ? It seems that somewhere along the way, the flashy bright-lights of show-business stole the essence of our knack for real prosperity and sustainable survival. We gave up our long-term dreams for quick thrills. While I certainly appreciate the great beauty and talent of Ms. Spears, as one example, I am far more concerned with real issues in the world today. We all long for momentary reprieve from our stresses and dilemmas, but we seem to have forgotten that most of them spring forth from artificially elevating these sorts of people far beyond their usefulness to society. People used to be famous for what they did, now fame is something that people do in itself. If we are not careful we might sacrifice generations, our planet or our very species to these sorts of momentary gratifications erstwhile making very little progress on important issues. Personally I think we are far more valuable to the universe than we give ourselves credit for and we, as citizens, are treated in this ultimately degrading way simply because we do not desire anything more for ourselves. We have forgotten the value of hard work, of dedication, of propriety and decency as a whole. Sure, we all want to get wasted on Friday night, but most of us here in North America have done nothing to earn the opulence in which we live, and we take far too much of it for granted. If it were not for the tremendous sacrifices of previous generations we would not have any of this to enjoy and we very glibly discount old world wisdom that speaks exactly to this present plight [10].

With the recent passing of Neil Armstrong we must confront our failings. Based on his own very personal achievements there was no reason for him not to think that by the time he passed to the other side we would have a fledgling moon-base well established upon the soils he had once braved on our behalf. When we decided to retire that venerable workhorse, the Space Shuttle(s), he was one of the truly most prominent people to advocate on behalf of America not slowing down any more than she already had. This man remained out of the spotlight for so long that his proposals to congress should have been taken with more sincere regard. He wasn't just talking about preserving technology he was talking about preserving what little motivation remained from those many decades previous. More still, he wanted us to push farther and faster. In his own way, I believe was trying to warn us of how stagnant we'd already become. We did not have replacement vehicles prepared, we had no vision, no plans and nothing to hope for... nothing to aim for. If the Space Shuttle was to be retired so soon and there were no other plans in place then we dangled on the edge of forever losing the momentum that President Kennedy and Astronaut Armstrong had risked their very lives to inspire many moons ago. His words were scantly heeded. Now he is gone. In the years and decades since those initial triumphs, we have never sent another human being even 10% of the distance the Apollo astronauts had covered. The question that begs to assert itself is “why” ?

Now, “moon conspiracies” aside, we need to get a handle on why this happened. In looking at the capsule systems used for our early space program we have to wonder again – why ? When the US Airforce already had suitable space-planes on the drawing board and they had also already scratched the edge of outer space (Armstrong included) [3] how is it we went with an archaic 'cannonball' type of craft that cost multitudes more to build, launch and was less safe and had more huge costs and wild risks associated with 'landing' and recovery? As we have seen with the successful flights of Virgin Galactic, none of this was necessary. Early astronauts were selected from pilot corps, but they had to fight to have a window, much less any sort of manual controls (a fight which resulted in the saving of several lives, we might add) in their early spacecraft. When the Space Shuttle came to be, it was viewed as a tremendous step forward by the public because of this early misstep. A massive cargo ship that went up like a capsule but came down like a plane was not as revolutionary as it was presented to be. While this was indeed an advance from earlier capsule designs it was wholly behind the times, even in the 1980s. While some can argue indeed that the shuttle was needed to produce the space station (a dubious claim to be sure – see Chinese Space Station) I don't think anyone ever imagined that such would be its only task and once completed it would be retired without doing ANY deep space exploration to speak of. Whenever I advocate this position I often hear from people; “the shuttle was never designed for that” and blah blah, but if a tin capsule the size of a ford pinto could be outfitted for lunar travel, there is no way I will ever believe that the shuttle was simply incapable of anything more than taking stuff up to LEO. It had ample room for fuel, food and refitted quarters. Instead of even parking one at the ISS for future use, they were basically scrapped by short sighted and greedy politicians. Never was the shuttle involved with ANYTHING that happened beyond LEO except perhaps the deployment of some geo-synch satellite or something. A total waste looking back. We could have put everything up there on conventional rockets, sans-shuttle, if we wanted and developed well suited smaller and cheaper craft for personelle that needed to be a part of a mission (think Soyuz)

So again, the technology wasn't the problem. The shuttle very well COULD have been outfitted for at least one extra-planetary adventure, but it never was. Its not that the technology or funding didn't exist (the shuttle coming in WELL over its already ample budget), its simply that the desire to utilize it for such a purpose wasn't there. The leadership at NASA or in America as a whole wasn't there. In a recent survey something like 30%+ of respondents indicated they would be willing to go on a manned mission to Mars even if there as only a 50% chance of returning safely [1]. Obviously these people are perhaps zealots for the cause, but it speaks volumes to how diametrically opposed two camps are. One is not willing to ever suffer a human loss for the sake of exploration (tell that to John Cabot, Champlain, Amerigo, or Columbus and see the scoff you get) whereas the other is willing to be strapped on dynamite and blown to the moon, as long as it gets them there. We need balance. Innovation is never a foolproof 100% safe practice. Obviously we need to be cautious where we can be, but the launches of Virgins Space Ship One really rubbed it in our face how silly we'd become about this business. Every space shuttle launch was costing hundreds of millions of dollars, a seat on the Soyuz is still about 35 million, but Sir Richard and his team have set an INTRODUCTORY price of $250,000 !! That will also surely come down as the forces of supply and demand are applied. By my research, the cost per person to launch on Virgin (excluding regulatory fees and mandatory insurances) is likely about 5-10 thousand dollars over the life of one of their space-planes. That's for the average 170 pound person which means the cost per pound would be about $44. comapre that to about $27,000 per pound on the space shuttle [11] and just wonder if the problems we face are really about technology, money or something else. Why were we so idiotic about the whole thing. Surely some geek back in the 70s must have known all this... we must remember these policies were adopted by politicians, not scientists. Therein lay much of the problem. But now that we are entering an era of private space-flight the designers and builders and passengers all have input. If one place is charging $1000 per lb of cargo and another $50, there better be some damned good incentive to use the first guy in an open market.

And so we see quite plainly that the problem isn't technology or money, its will. Its planning, desire, direction and purpose. Its the fact that as much as we are interested in space, we don't really have a face or a presence anywhere advocating and leading 'the way' anymore. When Neil Armstrong walked in to the chambers to challenge the plans of the government of the day, he was only one man. There doesn't seem to be a strong national or international group devoted to study, implementation and amendments of space policy. As we see several independent private space companies emerge we must confront the fact that they too are somewhat disjointed, frivolous and without strong overarching plans. The UN has one such branch, but they never seem to do too well with concerns of the first world. Those of us who are keen already know that the “weapons in space” treaties are being eroded away to oblivion and that Nuclear ABM treaties have done international co-operation in space far more harm than they've done anyone any good.

We need a shift in paradigm. Aeroplanes were once an archaic and dangerous contraption too. The more we are encouraged to invent the more technology evolves. Real safety comes from lessons that can often only happen 'in situ', no one knew (or cared) about the advantages of seat-belts and airbags until there had been enough accidents to stimulate the actuarial accounts into action. In the 1990s Canada had one of the highest R&D budgets around, for all fields of enquiry. In that time we were routinely cited as the BEST place to live, work and expand horizons in the world. Since we have become more concerned with strict economy, than the value of humanity, even our economy has fallen to shambles. You want a good example of the sorts of things we need to change, of how far ahead we should be from where we are – especially in light of the gross expenditures we've invested in these old, inefficient ideas? Ask Jim Floyd about it. This guy was designing spacecraft before Armstrong was out of middle-school... it wasn't the money or the technology that held him back (he went on to design several components of the Apollo missions) its all about the politics. Much depends on what the masters of men thing 'the people' are ready for. Instead of sitting quietly in the background producing designs for our overlords, maybe its time that spacers like us all got together and made our own union, or party... what do WE want to see happening above the skies in the next 25, 50 or 100 years ?

We need to explore these issues as much as we need to explore other worlds. Much like science and religion, the realms of technology and politics seem hopelessly at odds. The way we are treating the internet today far exceeds any legitimate necessity. If we monitor everyone who uses the internet and strip away all their rights making them guilty before proving anything we only hurt its potential. People will become afraid to use it, they will no longer innovate or participate they will migrate away to something they find to be less intrusive on them. I fear outer space has already been legally pillaged in a similar way, and I find it quite curious that the Airforce Space Command is in charge of both cyber and outer space to the extent it has become. I honestly appreciate the need for some oversight, but The father of these such realms and considerations, Eisenhower, saw plainly what militarization in these frontiers would mean. Totalitarianism subtly rising against the very essence of everything that is bright, good, trustworthy and wonderful about all of us was the thing to watch for in the post-WW2 world. Civilian controlled was the way he wanted it and by turning 'security' of outer and cyber space over to such organizations we desecrate the legacy he intended for all free peoples... but then I guess we didn't pay much heed to the warnings about the military-industrial complex either. I recently made a post on Lockheed's sight about the F-35. It is touted as the plane that will keep us all save in the decades to come... I dont think it will be of any use beyond 2020. One does not bring an aeroplane to a satellite fight, after-all. [12] We would do just as well to maintain our moral and intellectual superiority over our superiority in armaments alone. If I'm ever out late one night working on a micro-satellite to give free wi-fi to my city and it launches by accident or something I dont want a barrage of scud missiles wreaking havoc on my pantry. Every day, the tighter and tighter we stitch this network of security around us, the more amazing opportunities and good people we lose. If we aren't careful we could inadvertently transform this whole world of possibilities into little more than a Prison Planet. It was ever thus. The real final frontier is within us, it is nothing without us. The more headway we make inside ourselves, the more naturally will our zeal for confronting boundaries spring up. Are we really willing to give it all up for security which can never truly be guaranteed ? Personally I'd rather we already had our moon-base. I'm sure most people with an eye to the sky would agree.



LINKS CITED:


[1] MARS MISSION SURVEYS, there are many more online, but here are a few examples;

http://marsonefans.com/archive/index.php/t-1.html

http://space.about.com/b/2010/10/29/would-you-go-to-mars-if-you-knew-you-could-never-come-home.htm


[2] SOUND BARRIER, it was viewed as a demonic force in the sky by early pilots in the periods 1935-45 ... how far we've come. http://esciencenews.com/sources/scientific.blogging/2009/04/29/chasing.the.demon.in.the.sky.on.autopilot


[3] X-15, one of the pilots would eventually become the first man to set foot on soils not of this Earth
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_X-15


[4] Dyna-Soar http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_X-20_Dyna-Soar late 1950s Airforce design


[5] Starting with General Eisenhower http://www.nasa.gov/50th/50th_magazine/10presidents.html


[6] One of the Fathers of Rocketry, born c.1882 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_H._Goddard


[7] Virgin Galactic / Scaled Composites SpaceShipOne http://www.thelivingmoon.com/45jack_files/04images/Navy_Space/SpaceShipOne.jpg


[8] USAF X-37B Unmanned Craft http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/app4/x-37b.jpg


[9] Global GDP growth, notable is the exponential increase since the dawn of the 20th century http://www.learner.org/courses/envsci/visual/img_lrg/global_gdp.jpg


[10] Kipling, Recessional http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recessional_(poem)


[11] Costs for LEO and GTO per pound. Space Shuttle pp. 3 http://www.futron.com/upload/wysiwyg/Resources/Whitepapers/Space_Transportation_Costs_Trends_0902.pdf

Yahoo Answers about cost per pound, not the most accurate numbers but useful to see the discussion and the rapid decrease in cost of late. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071023164123AA3xEv8


[12] Syriana 'End of Threat to our way of life' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG2vL-KAktA

Anti-Satellite Weapon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-satellite_weapon

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF WATER IN INTERPLANETARY AFFAIRS.

[[An Addendum Opening to this Blog]]

It might also be noted here at the start that any lunar or deep space mission generally must also operate on a finite amount of water, every drop and use carefully considered and measured and utilized for as much as possible. Were it not for the 'recycleable' naute of water itself we probably would have exhausted our supply already. ================================= [[A Crossover Blog from FragileOasis]]

[[[Please also take a look at fragileOasis yourself if you have anything you want to know or add. fragileoasis.org it is a great site that is also dedicated to utilizing technology for the furtherance of all mankind in space and their well-being on earth as well]]] ======================================

http://www.universetoday.com/96269/rethinking-the-source-of-earths-water/

above: [an article about the origins of earths water.]

below:[random thoughts on the importance of water and its relationship to our extra, as well as, mono planetary endeavours in the coming few decades.]

I think it is generally assumed that the earth always had water or that is was just a part of the mix of primary elements in a cloud-clot that eventually spun and attracted itself into the mass of hard rock and liquid oceans that we see today. But in all theories about the Earth the origins seem to describe a rather dry, Pangaean place (see: smaller) where rain was light and predictible if it existed at all and most moisture was confined to tropical humidities from plant respiration with some underwater veins available for survival away from rivers here and there ... if that. But at some point we know that archaeologically there have been massive extra-terrestrial impacts on the earth. We know that the oceanic plates tell a tale through time that we have yet to reconcile to popular science and we know there was a deluge of immense destruction at least in many parts of the ancient world. One large or perhaps several regularly arriving smaller (H20) ice-meteors may have indeed been the harbingers of the aqueous 75%, the molten core, maybe even the moon ? WE have not yet solved all the mysteries of matter or even planetary sciences and much awaits out consideration and discovery.

In the meantime, we do know that there is apparently only a finite amount of water on this earth (we seeing no obvious process by which is abundantly looses or gains water. However, since we cannot be certain of the origins or the presence of aqueous H20 on other worlds yet, we have no idea just how precious life may yet turn out to be. If the presence of water on earth is a symptom of a much earlier collision and not the product of the natural formation of the majority of planets in our position in a solar system relative to the sun ... if it was again a random chance that water made it this far into a solar system- it may be that even if extra-terrestrial life does exist it is far more rare than kepler scientists would lend current optimism towards (but they are right to do so, I might add).

We know that on this world life would not exist as it does without adequate water. In the last couple decades alone water went from being a free, human right or guarantee through social contract - to something we neglect, yet depend on, and something which has (in modern times) always sold commercially for even more than petroleum at the pump... July 15, 2012 D.M.J. M.

Our relationship to water also defines our abilities in space. If there is a finite amount of water and the population continues to escalate... we will need to find new extra planetary sources just to maintain our population at home. These things seem far off, indeed perhaps even more than a hundred years, but if we do not begin to develop that infrastructure now and reap every benefit along the way ... well the alternative future for our descendants is not a pleasant picture... its a prison planet.

We can't do too much about all these concerns today, but as scientists, builders, planners and designers we can act in the interests of a more knowledgeable, ever expanding and more liberal humanity in every way we are able. We can finally make reasonable plans to reach beyond our own world and create economies of scope and scale based on abundance and potential and success not failure and scarcity; on always looking forward, no longer upward or downward as the whims of scarcity and disaster dictate. We can help keep humanity free... we can free the water.... today.

VOTE NOW !

CTHULHU DEMANDS IT !!!

A Matter of Space, Time and Provincialism

Confronting the (even eventual) truth of extra terrestrial societies in this galaxy.
~~~~~
An essay on our own extra-terrestrial activities and new data pointing towards a day when we allow for such achievements to have originated on other worlds perhaps from other races as well.
~~~~~



Do extra-terrestrial civilizations exist ? Yep. Us for one.

Do they exist today ? Maybe, it depends on how you look at it, if you mean Aliens, maybe. It is soon to be determined with some scientific proof either way, not just speculation any longer.

Do we have any real, public proof of them ? A little. Our own artifacts on other worlds is a good start when we take into consideration the number of 'new' other worlds we've discovered in the past couple of years.

I'm sure right now there are a few readers out there tsk tsk-ing me and contemplating how serious their derision (or ignoring) of my basic premise (and maybe this entire post) will be, but please let me delve into this a little before you label me 'nut bar' (I'll let you know when – and yes, sorry about all the parenthesis here).

So, do they exist? I might have been better to phrase it 'will' they exist (since I do intend to touch a little on possibilities of alien civilization too), but I believe that time is somewhat transient in these larger considerations; if they will or have, then they generally can or do. Let me explain that one a little for you as well.
Once upon a time, man believed that the earth was flat – but was it round? Yes. Did that little fact matter at the time ? No. So was the earth flat ? For all practical purposes and as far as the pinnacle of our technology and philosophy were able to deduce; YES, the Earth WAS flat for all practical purposes. Was it really though ? Only so far as our limited perceptions at the time would allow it to be - to us (and who else matters when we are the only observers and recorders of thought and fact) yes, the Earth was flat. At that time you could ask; will the Earth one day be round ? Curiously we know that answer would be a yes; in actuality the earth is flat from our perspective, but it is/was also round from another unseen perspective - it depends on how you look(ed) at the question... and the Earth. There is a good scene in one of my favorite movies, based in about the 1400s that puts it aptly; "...men currently debate whether the Earth is flat or round... if it is proclaimed by the Pope to be flat and is revealed to be round, will the Pope's decree flatten it ?..." (paraphrasing ~ A Man For All Seasons 1966). Basically all I am trying to state here is that I am being liberal with the term 'do' in some respects - hinting that even if we don't (or can't) acknowledge it right now, it is still possibly true that extra-terrestrial civilizations, even ALIEN ones do or will exist for us. Just to dissuade the haters though, I would like them to consider our own accomplishments on the Moon and Mars. Apparently, various human and robotic exploration teams have ventured to extra-terrestrial bodies already, so that makes - at least - us an extra-terrestrial civilization. So I would appreciate it if all the people that wanted to jump down my throat a few minutes ago, at the mention of a possibility of “aliens” (which I am sure they would not appreciate to be called, especially how we mean it) would desist until I have made the points I would like to pose.

So, do extra-terrestrial civilizations exist - YES. There can be little doubt that at the very least WE qualify as such a civilization. I know that's a little hard to swallow; at best though, our provincial attitudes might allow us to accept us being E.T's without allowing for any considerations of species from other stars and other worlds, but at least we are now on some common ground, ET's can exist. Since WE are in fact an extra-terrestrial species, and we are today, I would like to examine the spiteful prejudice many in the space profession seem to have against any other species being capable of similar or greater feats - much less their being allowed to exist at all in our present paradigm. To my mind, saying that only humans can be space faring peoples makes as much sense as someone 200 years ago saying that only white men could be the president of the USA. We have truly made such great strides so quickly in the pat 50 years in these social concerns that we would shudder to confront the provincial and bigoted attitudes of some of our most revered historical figures. Go back in time and tell Thomas Jefferson that the decendants of his slaves would have equal rights in America and eventually their people would attain the highest office in the land and he would be likely to look at you like you just said his milk-cow could be elected to the house of representatives that he and his peers just fought and risked their lives to create. I am not trying to be fecescious or rude to Mr. Jefferson here, it was a symptom of the times. Nor do I desire to here appear biggoted myself, but we need to consider things in a larger historical context when we are looking into such large concepts.

Only 4 years ago this terrible blight of racism was finally overcome. A Black American won the preidential office. This is a great achievement that should never be deminished. We in this generation (thankfully) can not usually even fathom how far we have come in this regard. Mohammad Ali is someone who has made many statements about how far we have come in the black americans struggle against racism – even though it is not completely gone, to be sure. Even when he was an olympic gold medal winner, Ali could still not eat at some establishments. Since that time we have come around nearly 180 degrees. While racism still exists in some forms and in some people, as public policy and social norm it is heavily frowned upon and some of our strongest laws deal with the inducement of hatred towards people based on ethnicity or creed. We have come so far in a few score generations that our present way of life would be totally foreign to the founders and fathers of our nations. This blog entry is not about racism though, much more it is about making an examination of provincial attitudes and asking about how our tendancy to embrace such things is affecting our view of space exploration, life beyond the ozone and of ourselves today in a larger context. In exploring the phenomenon of the first black president and also the un-flattening of the earth I only mean to draw attention to how much things change. No one in the year 1200 would have taken the ideas of air planes or computers very seriously (even the 16 or 1700s for that matter) and indeed it would have had no relevance to their way of life. Similarly our mono-special mind frame is an extension of xenophobia that has lived with us since the destruction of the neandrathal clans at least. Humans are the best and only of Gods special creatures, right?. Just like the Earth is the center of the universe, right?. Ohhhh, riiiight, it turns out that the Earth might not actually be that center of the universe. We know now that it probably isn't the center of the solar system and certainly not of the galaxy... uh oh! Still we hold on dearly and sincerely to what little of these traditional, ignorant notions remain in the undiscovered country.

We accept these first few things (not the center of the solar system/galaxy) with little resistance now because they are so obvious and so scientifically substancial. I think also we embrace them because whether the Earth goes round the Sun or Sun round the Earth affects little in our lives. We forget quickly however that it was only the 1800s that we developed a system of standard time based on the notion of a round world spinning and circling the Sun. Even well into that age of technical super-advancement some doubted with all their hearts against the irreligious truths of the new 'science'. Sure educated people have known for centuries that the earth was very likely round (Columbus did make a go of it, after all). Some accounts go back all the way to ancient Greece and Rome (well, Egypt if you want to be technical) where people figured out the earth was round using sticks and foot steps to measure changing shadows over a few days worth of noon hour sun. Today, recently, we are about making similar claims and footprints on our way to entering a galactic community of scientific truth. Indeed, leading us in this direction, science fiction has existed and been robust for nearly 200 years now itself. Ever since mechanics and science have entered the sphere of the common man he has dreamed of achievements beyond his present means. Many of the most inspiring speeches of JFK also touch on this forward looking attitude. The 'choosing to do things not because they are easy' speech gave the nation - indeed the world - purpose and a hope in a greater tomorrow, in new horizons and in new dreams that they could not then truly fathom. New industry, new education, new technology and new sciences would all spring out of this spirit of the time, eventually leading us to where we are nearing today; A globally integrated information society already wading out into the depths of the cosmos beyond, but still not yet sure, not yet synchronous amongst itself. We are not yet ready for the task, but we are well on the way. With optimism I consider that it was ever thus in great endeavours.

Given the rapid advances in technology over the last 50 years (to say nothing of the last 10) I do not think it is far out for us to make some considerations about our closest interstellar neighbours. In the movie AVATAR we have reached a point in technology where we can travel to our nearest stellar counterpart in a few years travel time (it is about 2150 in the film – 200 years from the lives of those who saw Elvis live or heard the sound barrier be broken – for some perspective). Humans in the film can be safely hibernated for the journey and resources can be sent to and fro with obvious economic incentives to do so. That film is set several dozen decades in the future; besides the look of the people, (who it turns out have not evolved much physically) we really would be able to identify with very little in that time but nevertheless we are drawn to sympathy with the characters (yes, even the aliens) and can understand the story because it is written now, not then - but again, I digress.
I believe it will be within our technical ability to indeed visit other stars within even 100 years though the journey may be lengthy indeed. Light speed travel is a consideration on the edge of fringe-theory today, but even today we are creating methods of propulsion and have had others on the drawing board (see Project Orion, nearly 10% of light speed propusion using 1950s technology) that would allow us to travel at a significant percentage of that coveted speed. As much as people once thought the sound barrier could not be broken, today it is the light speed barrier that is absolute. I am however confident that one day we will best all such demons in the sky and associated fears from our past.

So, if we could travel to another star in a few years, only some 100 years from now; then we had better hope we are the only or most advanced species in the neighbourhood or else we might find we are only a small, provincial and imbecilic player in a much large game. My personal views and the information presently available make it impossible for me to reach any definite conclusion on the matter of ET aliens, but given the rapid advances in our awareness of exo-planetary bodies, I agree with Sagan; '...if its just us, it seems like an awful waste of space.' Kepler has uncovered dozens upon dozens of planets in the sliver of space it has had its eye on these past few years. Soon (I expect within 5-10 years) it will be revealed that we have discovered another world showing artificial light patterns on its dark side. Then we will have left the venue of province and become a global species... I hope. National borders will matter much less when we are confronted with the notion that we are not alone (not a threat from beyond is required, as Regan suggested, but just in general). It will be similar to how racial lines have faded in the last 50 years I project. Even if our own religious texts are to be believed, it is the case that aliens exist. Apparently it is fine to believe in creatures beyond the clouds as long as they are not corporeal, don't think or behave as we do and they are never seen anymore anywhere. Then it is fine to believe in 'aliens', just call them angels or demons (if they have underground bases) for what else could you possibly call a creature with superior intellect, technology and morals that floats around on a chair among the stars now-a-days ?? You see, even our lexicon is pushing us towards a greater acceptance of living beings beyond what we would have previously considered normal.
We find strange new creatures under the water that contain luciferns (yes a play on lucifer, the light bringer – I am not the only one who thinks that new and old are points along the same circle it would seem ;p ) meaning that they self illuminate, or are bio-luminescent if you prefer - even though they are largely blind and the environment is largely pitch black. We also find creatures that live in the thin regions between hot underwater thermal vents and the near freezing ocean depths; creatures that contain blood some say is even more complex than ours... if life can survive and thrive there, why not on another world which is similar to ours ? One which is much more hospitable than these strange locales and perhaps even older than our Earth... why not ?

While it is unclear whether life as we know it is a random chemical (re)action or it is intentionally seeded to produce humanoids with intellect and language ability and large cranial lobes; the jury is still out. But given that we are now discovering SCORES of new worlds in similar 'sweet spots' as ours it seems a little more than ridiculous to me to think that we are the only planet capable of, or indeed today supporting, life.

Now here is a consideration where it gets really tricky (and also where the confines of time as we appreciate them today break down). If we observe a planet 600 light years away (as with Kepler), we are really observing that planet 600 years ago, not as it appears today. Which means that if there are more advanced species than us out there they could be looking at the earth today as it appeared some 600 years ago. That means they would be looking at us as we appeared in the 1400s when we were still debating whether or not our own world was ever going to be capable of sustaining intelligent life (I jest, hopefully you can keep up). Really what this means is that other worlds may be the guardians of a constant record of one side of our planets development for over 600 years. Mostly they would just be able to monitor the changes that occoured in the day through surveys at night (assuming they could only see our dark side, as will be the case for us when we first observe these phenomena) but there could be others too and an interplanetary historical exchange could be the way we answer the questions of our history once we make it to a certain point in our destiny - again though, I digress.

So what on Earth does this have to do with the moon ? Well, its about paradigms and acceptance. Today all of us here on this site are hopeful of and appreciate the technology and the dangers involved in going to the moon. Most of us here would be willing to risk our meager lives in a heartbeat for the opportunity to be a pioneer on that new celestial body. Likewise with Mars too. I was totally inspired by the Mars500 and its tremendous success. We little appreciate how new this all is for us as a people. Personally I am on the fence about the veracity of the moon landings in the 60s and 70s (yes you can call me a nut now if you havn't yet ;p ) but either way it was about inspiration, about us choosing one of two options. Given the certainty that we will one day overpopulate the Earth we must embark on great wars and conquests between nations, ethnicities or religions at home (to slaughter and thus controll the population numbers) - or break free of that cycle and venture farther out. The UK was saved from intense famine and pestilence by the opening up of the New World in the 1690-1890 period, but many of the people were not the noble adventurers we'd like to imagine. Many were forced out, many were fleeing persecution and wanted little more than an expanse to run away to. As they worked away and developed the region, the old 'mother lands' became nearly entirely dependant on the spoils of this new frontier for their own opulent ways of living. Eventually the colonies grew tired of this exploitation and overthrew their former masters as they proclaimed their independance.

How we will develop space - even the moon - is of pivotal importance and begs us to reconsider these themes and times of grand exploration. Many thousands of people lost their lives in wars between the english, spanish, french and dutch colonies before the last great continental wars were fought between a homogonised 'american' people. Will the moon be the same ? Will USA, Russia and China all meet up there with the best of intentions and then compete bitterly as terrestrial rivalries heat up ? Will the moon become a battle front until the people there realize that they can be an example for peace and are far enough away from home to perhaps get away with a little rebellion? Are we willing to subdue our poor qualities here on earth to concentrate on a more 'human' project in the stars above ?

Much depends on what we have learned in the interim 2 or 300 year period and what kind of leaders we are setting up. What sort of attitudes and tolerances we have developed, what we hope to achieve for our children and their children with the limited opportunity of time that we have in this dimension. Personally I am thankful and in awe of the time in which I live. I have been fortunate for much of my life to be at the forefront of education and technology because of my raw intellect and the ability and inclinations of others to vest their dreams and hopes into what I may achieve because of it. Though I have failed abysmally so far to live up to any of them, I figure most great people make their greatest strides after 30+++, not before so I am only now approaching an age where I should bear some fruit on these matters. The past has been prologue,but just as I approach such an age of maturity I see the world around me changing, opening up to new possibilities which I feel born to be a part of. Though most people in my age group have little appreciation for the achievements of the kepler telecope I am somewhat also uplifted by the stride in which they take it. After a lifetime being raised around movies, stories and songs that touch on what may await us in the cosmos, they are very willing to casually disregard the significance of these achievements. It is both the best of times and the worst of times in that regard. If a scientist in the 1960s had produced the sort of data that we are seeing today from kepler there would have been people walking down the main streets of cities with burning crosses, or something. People would have felt like their whole universe was being torn apart. A very superstitious and provincial people will always react like that to bad omens; Facts that deminish their supreme role in the affairs of all they know are never welcomed thoughtfully by unreasonable people. Today I take particular note that we are entering a sort of SpaceRace2.0. Our efforts to return to the moon in the next two decades will be common place occourances for the generation just being born now. The fact that many famous people will have been tourists in space will be common for the 20 year olds of 2032. For generations past it was only the best most elite military heros that could even be considered for this, but now because of the METRO race to space, Virgin Galactic, SpaceX and Biggelow, among others - this will not be the case. Soon anyone will technically be able to go. Many will be able to work on the moon or a captured asteriod and get rich risking their lives to live inside the final frontier ! While this would all be an unbelieveable manifestations of sorcery to the pre-WW2 generation, it is almost completely EXPECTED to happen by those under 30 today. Much money is being thrown around to promote space in media, in music and on happy-meals; kids today are growing up with a notion that the moon is getting closer all the time as far as their ability to ascend to it. That my children or theirs will one day live or work on the moon or another body is an absolute certainty for me... not a far off dream of mine... if we do not destroy ourselves and the world beforehand then it is a surety that they will colonize and live on other worlds. Yes they will still have problems I would assume, high taxes, some pollution, religious dilemmas and ethical concerns that even I cannot forsee,etc, but life will spread, it will consume, it will expand... my seed will surely defecate on the face of another world - it is what it is. Unless they are deliberately held down (or we all live of vitamins), it is a natural evolution of life from Earth that they should do so.

If we have learned nothing from our own history, in which case we are doomed to repeat it, then the common, free and prosperous man will never go to the moon. The middle class will be left out of the plan and there will be elites and a sub-caste working the mines. A formula that always leads to ruin after the decadence of that upper tier on the Earth and beyond falls victim to its own useles redundance. Here's hoping we use our drive to explore other worlds as a means to promote and also save an endangered species of sorts; the well-to-do, proud, free, hard working, decent, middle class American that we nearly all once aspired to be before we sold much of that dream off for spandex pants, cheap drinks and questionable morals foisted from a secular government downward. May our ability to become and embrace extra-terrestrial civilization be our saving grace soon and then far into the future... even if it turns out that we are not the only ones at the table. If it does turn out that we are the only ones at that table, the answer to the question of the existance of extra-terrestrial civilizations still seems clear; Yes. We have already gone to the moon and mars. Just imagine if we'd been able to keep that same enthusiasim from the Kennedy years pushing through the 70s 80s and beyond... how far might we have flung our delicate species into the hositlity of eternity ? Thankfully there's still time to get it back.

Bred for a Purpose

An Examination of New Prospects and Perspectives on the Cloning of Animals


SECURITY AND SUSTAINABILITY



[[Early attempts at genetic manipulation have focused on less complex plant and bacterial lifeforms]]




In an time of rapidly advancing bio-technology we would be foolish to assume that our modification of genetic structures would be constrained to only the most basic forms of life. Algae, bacteria and plant matter may be the most simple to understand and thusly modify but already we have made great strides in the field of animal cloning as well. Dolly The Sheep was the first synthetically reproduced animal life form on the planet (in the public sphere at least – c. 1996) and though she was not a complete success she proved just how far we had already come some years ago. Since that time a number of animals have been produced in this way, dogs, more sheep and also monkeys; we have become quite adept at the artificial reproduction of species including the ability to grow a human in a surrogate womb. This will surely not be the end of these developments. What I believe awaits us, just beyond the horizon of tomorrow, is custom life forms bred for a purpose. The movie The Sixth Day is a prime example of where this technology can go – not to the ends of reproducing humans so exactly that even they themselves cannot tell the difference - there is a scene where the protagonist is in a pet store and the clerk points out that a dog can be ordered to any specification, i.e having softer teeth, no teeth, smaller stature, etc. Once we have sufficiently mapped and understood the genetic algorythms of life contained within the vast information network of nuclaeic acids it will be within our power to directly alter the attributes of such lifeforms. Once we have mastered the genetic codes of animal life on Earth, someone could easily order a dog 50% larger than normal, with more muscle, stronger bones, etc...



[[A simple example of potential size and style differences... a normal police dog and a proposed enhanced breed]]




Already we talk in high scientific circles about plans to develop bacterium and algenates that convert materials into useable bio-fuels for example. We talk about enhancing and further altering crops so that they are more resilliant and nutrient rich. How long will it be before we begin to see animal life forms which are also so enhanced to suit the needs of those who will readily consume them from the market? One entity I would like to propose and address here is one of mans oldest companions; the K-9. I believe that in the not too distant future we will begin to artificially breed these animals into a greatly enhanced state. Just think of it, police dogs that are much tougher, more sensitive to smell, more responsive to commands and also able to undertand more complex language. Also in military applications; we are not very far off from being able to engineer a synthetic retna which contains an integrated digital component and heads-up-display overlays. If we consider the emergence of Google's AU glassses (slated to be released in the next 12-18 months), how far off is a contact lens version of the same technology, and then how big a stretch to have them permanently integrated from conception or surgically affixed shortly thereafter? This would allow for a much greater degree of user control over such animals as well as enhanced training. One person sitting at a command center could be tracking a suspect on foot from above with satellite technology and at the same time be feeding the information to such a dog who would follow the trail regardless of scent that was left behind, visual contact, etc (though that data would also be fed back to control).


[[images of optic systems from FLIR shows night vision and heat vision]]




Such creatures could also be given other bio-enhancements, like greatly improved bone and muscle structure, which could include the thickening and alteration of skull plates to provide maximum protection against bludgeoning or other forms of assault by perpetrators. These animals would become not only mans best friend, but perhaps also the hartiest and most expendible member of an armed force. Beyond this, living animals like birds or insects could also be thus engineered to provide almost complete surveillence of an area. While people are certain to be worried about UAV drones, or camera cars driving around, they are much less likely to suspect a perched bird or a seemingly wild dog of being a direct intelligence asset. While I personally abhor the manipulation of life in this way, and also the cult of police power, I cannot help but forsee that these developments are beneficial, possible and likely for those who do not share my appreciation of nature or freedom. These types of creatures provide a two way feedback potential for security systems which are unheard of in present times and yet they have the potential to spare scores of human lives and prevent much otherwise unnecesary pain.

For example at a high level function, say a G7 summit near a fake lake, where armed guards would presently patrol a perimeter to ensure security, a number of enhanced dogs – always retaining visibility of the complete perimeter - could be posted and serve as possibly even better guards. Because of their enhanced hearing and smell they are much more likely to identify and confirm suspicious targets before a human would. If they are further augmented to include the ability to visually scan for heat or electric transmission, they would obviously VASTLY surpass the abilities of even the best trained humans at that point. Of course these animals would never 'loose their cool' either and if they did they could be readily located and terminated. Though that presents a certain moral outrage,it is far less of one than a rogue officer shooting up a village without the same measure of command and terminal control (which we should hope would never be applied to humans).


[[Veterinary Doctors experimenting on animals, also helped man to explore human medical anatomical functions, etc]]



Of course this will be a scary and ungodly development in our history when it occours, but at the same time it lends a certain creedance to the notion of creationism (as opposed to evolution). Perhaps Adam and Eve were also created in this manner by a higher intelligence far back in our evolution. Maybe some of us here today send UHF signals off to some central hub even without their knowledge... as we unlock these powers for ourselves as a race, we must not be negligent of the notion that if we are not the pinnacle of creation, it is highly likely that whoever is has done similar work with our species in our past or even our present. While this is truly a frightening notion, much depends on the intent and applications. These dogs, in this example, would also be of great benefit in rescue situations or for personal protection of family or property. As a science and engineering type of person, I must accept that for every great advance we make there are always both, moral pros and cons, to almost every development. Harnessing gunpowder allowed us to manipulate the landscape in previously unimaginable ways at FAR greater efficency than ever before, but also permitted the advent of the machine gun which was so brutally employed during the first great war. Later developments in rocketry allowed us to go to the moon but simultaneously to rain terror upon the innocent citizens of London. And ultimately, in this period of innovation, the discovery of our ability to 'split atoms' allowed us to develop massive electric infrastructure with virtually no polloution almost indefinitely, but also allowed for the horrors of hiroshima, nagasaki, cherynoble and fukushima... Even a hammer can be used to build a house, or to slaughter the inhabitants of one and then bring it to the ground.


[[Advanced genetic technology allows a body part (ear) to be introduced into the tissu and structure of a common lab mouse]]



That these bio-technical developments WILL one day occour is almost a certainty, wether they will be used to the great benefit of man or to further enslave him (or both) is a matter of morality and politics and it has been some time since we have had a firm a grasp upon, or seen any real innovation in those areas. I believe that when this technology is developed and employed it will cause moral outrage among many groups who could never afford them, but that those such K-9s would be readily purchased and used by the financial elite and the forces of authority against those same morally outraged individuals. Either that, or there will have been a massive shift in our general paradigms and these creations will be well accepted through appreciation or resignation. I do not think it will happen in such a commercial and common was as is portrayed through the movie (6th Day) that I `mentioned before, but I do believe that the ability to perform these manipulations and the positive benefits of their employment outweigh a simple moral outrage at the tampering of natural systems. After all the very presence of urbanization and corporatization fly in the face of a sustainable, natural way of living. We are already very close to being completely seperated from any sort of 'natural' way of living. The foods we eat and the clothes we wear are fashioned from synthetic materials and processes, the time for moral outrage at such tampering has long since passed and again, the benefits to our global food supply and the profits accrued through these methods surely outweigh any moral sympathies we might have had for a 'real' stalk of wheat.


***blog in draft, early preview, incomplete. endMAR12

Who Is Anonymous and Why ?

There has been a flurry of activity from online hackers in the past year or so. Beginning with WikiLeaks and ongoing to the latest attacks. Since the [somewhat questionable] destruction and removal of any legitimate or organized form of movement (ala Julian Assange) these new activities are undertaken by a seeming loose association of individuals who hack together on certain projects - they go by the name Anonymous. So who the devil are these people and what have they achieved ? Well, here in Canada one of their main achievements has been to attract the interest of our law and order types; their answer LEGISLATE. Bill C-30 squarely pegged those with a desire to control their online privacy, disgusting abusers of the most vulnerable in our society (ask vic who I mean) and militant cyber terrorists against anyone who has nothing to hide and loves the country.

Seldom in our brief history as a nation has any politician been so stupid as to utter something so intentionally polarizing. His zeal and the legitimacy of his argument as it pertains to the cyber breaches in recent history (there was nothing else but the title of the bill that dealt directly with predation) have been both created and reenforced by Anonymous. And what were they even trying to do ?

Most people don't really know much about computers. I do. Let me tell you that the only thing that protects our society from hacker attacks is the hackers themselves. See most hackers are geeks, relatively normal people who love star trek, staying up late and the 'sure thing' the internet keeps in its dirty back pocket (which is its #1 function around the world). Hackers, even with my level of skill (and there are a few who are much better than I) could commit coordinated DOS attacks at any site they desired.A DOS attack is a denial of service. These have been mainstays of the Anonymous tactics against the system. A denial of service attack simply means that any site, say companyX has a limit of how many customer requests it can handle through its servers in any given time. A DOS attack is just a user who hoggs the line, as it were. Through rapid and repeated use, they max out the servers ability to answer requests. So then average joe goes to check his account with companyX, can't get to it and feels insecure because he doesn't know what is happening or why. When answers do come out, they are attributed to a shady group of hackers bent on stealing your credit card numbers and this type of story. Honestly if hackers wanted your info, they'd have it, you would never know until it was too late and 9/10 times if this happens it is because of a personal offence against the hacker, they do not usually engage in militant groups. Sure they have morals and ideals, but they are often not willing to be immediately rendered a maximum threat to society. See, if any hacker ever really performed a righteous hack there is no way to escape persecution from the authorities. IP lines can always be hacked, computers have ID built in them... a hacker would need to open a brand new computer, use it on a secure line, perform the hack (which would quickly be terminated at the source) and move out while leaving no trace of who they were. If someone even did perform this sort of minimal attack they would be hunted severely, once caught they would be fined into total poverty, they would be imprisoned until they didn't know how the computers worked anymore, their families would be disgraced.... their lives would be totally ruined. This was and is the ongoing fate of Lulsec, a group which performed relatively minor attacks as a coordinated group. Their former leader is now working FOR the authorities in an effort to track the rest down. Hacker groups do not last without massive funding, top notch talent and equipment, and ongoing support from authoritiesin one form or another. There is no other way or incentive to do it. Shutting down companyX or the CIA or whatever for 2hrs hardly changes the world at all, it serves NO purpose what so ever from the hackers point of view. Is some foolish notion of pride worth your life?



So if I do not think that common hackers are responsible for this, who is it then ? Well for my money it is the very authorities and security companies that profit and have interests in these results. The breaches are not even important anymore. Hack attacks can be threatening but the real danger lay in the propogation of more and more laws designed to infringe our natural rights to privacy, our own anonymity is at stake. It doesn't mean that I demand privacy so that I can do illegal deeds, its not a request for privacy, its a RIGHT. So unless anyonomus destroys a valuable data system (like the one they've been building for dozens of years with billions of dollars to figure out the cure for cancer,lol) or my house catches on fire over it, I am not likely to willingly give up all my online rights. I have never understood why an email is not treated like regular mail. NO ONE, not even the police without very special permissions can infringe on a persons right to privacy by postal courier but email is the legal equivalent of writing your private correspondance on a bathroom stall. Anyone who happens upon it for any reason or in any way is allowed a peek at some of your most private thoughts and ramblings. Regardless though, by the very nature of using a non governmental 3rd party for communications some measure of privacy or anonymity is lost.The postal services of the world enshrined their rights to privacy often in conjunction with their right to freely communicate. Both rights are delicately and permannently intertwined. So by giving up privacy we are also degrading freedom of speech, assembly and thought. The loss of privacy in this regard would be unthinkable to the generation that fought against fascism so recetly ago.

But I digress, my main points here have already been ralised. Without coordinated support including vast funds, technical expertiese, support (be it official, unofficial, covert, etc) from authorities - any sort of hacker group would be short lived indeed. Secondly, the most elite ofo hackers are not the type to be in a group, certainly not a hacking group... do people out there really think hackers meet up at a timmies and discuss the upcomming DOS attacks, or do they chat online using these words and threads without expectation of capture? Either is preposterous when we think of the realityof the thing. Association revokes anonymity, the idea of a group called Anonymous itself is oxymoronical, contrary to reality and very unlikely to survive past one or two attacks without very delicate protection. At the end of the day we need to really consider the gains as well. While Anonymous has succeeded in getting themselves on teh air (think if a real threatening hack attack against the CIA would ever see the light of FOX) agitating legislatures who have speedily and hastily reacted to curb this growing threat, and somehow making us feel a little less safe in the world - as far as feats they have only succeeeded in bringing down a few websites of minor signifigance for limited times... no lasting change, no critical releases of documents that have led to charges or changes... nothing.So even if anonymous is real, whats the deal? I think even the genuine hackers in the group are working away for federal plants... they themselves are being monitored all the time and as soon as the agenda warrants the plug will be pulled and a massive group of all the innocent hackers working for some political ideal - will be strung up and destroyed to restore public confidence. Then all Anonymous people will be gone, once and for all. You'll know the season by the signs.

The Blue News

I have read several articles in the past focusing on the emergence of a police state. I think this is a simple function of laws intruding into other areas of living. The criminal code used to deal with strong societal issues as formulated by religious precedence. For example let us consider the preamble of the charter of rights even here in canada. Holy matters are brought to the forefront rather quickly. In fact according to the preamble, if people no longer honor the lord or the law, it doesn't even apply any longer. Of course the assumption is that when it was written the respect for this institution of faith was unshakable and that it would always figureinto our political thought. However, now when so many people are lax in religion or are even professed atheists, some for even understandable scientific reasons or views, whatever - the point is that if a majority adopt such views, byt the language of the text, the document invalidates itself. But I digress, my only point here is that now law is as concerned with completely secular 'safety and security' type issues instead of the clear duty to protect the innocent and be considerate of local norms and acceptance of behaviours, we are seeing a severely federalized system and one that demands more and more sacrifice from also federally enshrined protections. I am in no way an advocate of violence, harm to individuals, unrest, protest or anything else negative. But I do believe in facts, sociology, economy and the privelage of free,open and high quality arguement. The current situation in the canadian parliment all but makes argument a redundant attraction. The opposition is impotent, no members of the conservative cabinet dare offer up any interesting ideas, nothing indepentantly arrived at and certainly nothing in accordance with the views and desires of the rabble - or commons as they were once known.

In the last couple daysI have been writing a little more on the local paper. This is becauseof two things, one) the stories are getting more graphic and extreme and are also veryprominantly about issues of civility and abuse, etc.. and two) I think I am one of the only young people who reads it and Iam highly discouraged by the lack of participation by the young and free on their local forums. Through online public feedback, a pretty good view of things emerges. peoples political leanings and individual views are allowed to bubble up around topics provided. Now Idont know if its just coincidence, or if its meant to be a part of a media campaign about bill C-10, but these images floated across my screen today -- IMAGE 1) 2)







It just paints a scary picture. I dont think this type of direction is what canadians wanted. Remember, the medium is the message. Is this the message we want for ourselves, for the world to see and for our future generations to expect ?

Please be sure to go and check out your online local and have your say :) Our system only stops working when we think it doesn't work anymore. We all have a voice we can use, even to take the time to write up a letter and submit it oldschoool to a newspaper... you'd be amazed how much they probably really want to hear your views, because then it makes more people interested and informed and that is good for sales. Mostly I am just a huge fan of local forum and freedom of expression and whatnot. My ideal newspaper for the day would likely be the EXACT opposite of those images, I would be worried about the sort of person that thinks todays news represents steps in the overall right direction...I hope that doesn't make me too radical to continue to enjoy the privelage of the right to freedom to express my views.



ALL images are only zoomed, lightly edited and cropped for clarity and display inclusion from my screen for use in this review and satirical work of things on my screen. I claim no ownership and use here is no endorsement by any owner, etc. Original images here from the peterborough examiner 2012. Please comment for any questions, etc. :) Support Local y'all.

The Emerging UEPS ( Unified Environmental Protection System )

Unencumbered Amid an Infinite Expanse
D.M.J. March
Feb-2012


Impenetrable Depths

Spacesuits are the pinnacle of various streams of development in the area of human environmental protection apparel and apparatus. What sort of developments may ultimately await this technology cannot be readily predicted, but in the present we have a device - in the modern space suit - which is the cumulative hybridization of many previous journeys into the unknown. For several hundred years, people have been making serious and sustained forays into previously never examined areas, both upon and around the globe. In some latter instances, where we have had some prior reckoning of what awaited us, we made preparations and devices fit for the endeavour as best we could. The field of 'suits' is one of great practical scientific advance; its necessity exists only only due to an ever persistent drive in our species to reach out into the unexplored. Few modern devices so clearly testify to this desire more or are more interdependent upon it. Without this intrinsic desire to explore restricted areas we would not have this technology and without the technology we would have no ability to do it. Much like people who once relied on sailing to get across the oceans to uncover the new world we take for granted today, explorers who rely on this technology are willing to risk their very lives for that same spirit of discovery. As long as there have been people, there have been some who have intentionally broken away from the pack to take the road less travelled. Very seldom has that tendency failed to yield positive, lasting transformations of macro-scale concepts for the less adventurous members.

For example, in our quest to explore the seas, as early as the 1830s we had already developed the Standard Diving Dress suits that would remain employed up until the rather modern development of SCUBA equipment beginning about 1960. For some 130 years this type of metal and canvas assembly was used for nearly every underwater application that required a human touch. Before the very late 1700s, water was still a completely impenetrable barrier of mystic proportions for the common consciousness. After the development of these 19th century suits however, under water work, surveying and exploratory ventures could all be carried on by military, academic or commercial interests. The Siebe company was one of the early innovators in the field of diving suits, started in about 1840, this company still functions in this adventurous industry nearly 200 years later. Until the wide application of independent aqua-lung systems after World War II these sorts of bulky and more cumbersome suits set the standard for the first century of personal environmental shielding.

As SCUBA developed to maturity, another type of environmental suit became a practical necessity; suits for aerial flight (flight suits). Similar in some ways to underwater suits, their utility came in dealing with, mostly, the opposite environmental phenomena – low pressure. As man ascended higher into the sky less breathable air met him along the journey. In addition, flight performance improvements also required pressure suits to help the human body cope with changes caused by excessive g-forces. Both of these technologies owe their linage to initial work done on under-water suits.
Breathing apparatus for aerial and under-water applications grew almost hand in hand from the immediate post-WW2 period up to about the 1980s. From 1917 to 1950, however, the initial development of environmental suits for the unique situations facing pilots were already begun in earnest. An insulated leather suit incorporating many pockets complimented with a helmet and goggles was standard issue on most military pilots until about 1950. As new synthetic materials became available and as engine performance increased dramatically with the onset of the jet-age, these suits evolved. By the end of the 20th century, high altitude flight suits and those employed for some outer space applications (launch and return) showed little difference. Both provided pressurization for high-g, breathing support through BA technology, fire-retardation, thermal insulation and basic protections against space radiation.

Reaching the Peak

By about the 1985 most modern environmental suits had reached their zenith. Some improvements with the integration of advanced communications systems has continued, but for the most part all environmental and space suits have existed in their present form since this time. Much of this development happened as a part of a larger zeal for rapid technical gains that seemed to grip our species over the period of 1960-1990.
Today, our needs seem to be more oriented around esthetics and streamlining as opposed to the raw development of ways to conquer new environments. In truth much room still exists for improvement on both fronts - which is the focus of the end part of this paper. Though the suits we have developed previously 'suit' their purposes, the environments we are now preparing to penetrate come with their own unique requirements. The evolution of underwater suits is very relevant to these considerations. Initially, and for the better parts of a century, bulky and cumbersome suits offering a relative minimum of protection were the standard. These might be likened to the current EVA spacesuits employed by astronauts today. Since these have existed in their essence since the 1970s and we are approaching 2020, it appears that the progression of spacesuits will go about double the pace and a pinnacle in space suits could be approaching by 2025.

Just as the advances in water suits mainly included a more reliable and less cumbersome environmental system, sleeker designs, reduced weight and improved materials use; space suits should -we might infer- proceed along a very similar path. MIT has begun impressive work on a BioSuit that is designed to interact with the human body in new ways. The BioSuit works similar to some modern shallow-diving suit technology in that it provides close contact with the skin and is primarily concerned with insulation from exterior variables. These tight fitting suits draw on the automatic systems of the body for some of their performance attributes.
One main difference is that the BioSuit is tailored to move only in areas where human movement is required. The rest of the suit is therefore extremely dense and rigid providing a very tight and innovative fit and function for this new series of suits. Systems for respiration, heating and electronics are integrated throughout the 'skin' of the BioSuit in a similar way to the circulatory system of a human or animal. At the closing of this paper is contained a proposal for a way in which one such suit should be attainable that can deal with all future operations in hazardous environments.
In theory, if we can refine this technology to its maximum potential, the suit used by a SCUBA diver and an astronaut should be nearly the same. The name of the game has now become the creation of aesthetically pleasing protection from many environmental variables. We should no longer be concerned with one suit per situation, as is the case now. A suit that effectively insulates against extreme heat or cold, provides oscillating pressurization of environment and bodily fluids based on need, and has a cutting edge communications and data system integrated into it represents the pinnacle of what a suit can be made to do. Ideally, even this is missing only one additional factor to make it completely developed by modern applicable standards; it must be able to provide assisted locomotion whether in space, in the air, or under the water. The inclusion of mechanical enhancements which can increase strength, stamina and speed could also lead to even more wide-spread use of these sorts of systems. This may come to include regular industrial, mining or other work.

Eyes on the Horizon

I appreciate that this is an ambitious goal indeed, but we must consider the next entire phase of this sort of technology if we want to appreciate the potential inherent in the evolution of 'space suits'. In my opinion a space suit should be adaptable and suitable for many different kinds of space. Moreover it should be completely digitally integrated with a tablet-esque integrated panel on the forearm, and an integrated display of the type produced by Recon-Instruments in the helmet. Indeed, Recon Instruments has just been evaluated for systems integration in the next generation of space suits. Still I think we miss something important when we so divide the concept of environmental suits into such narrow and segregated channels.


Let us consider four types of suit presently employed :


1) The Deep Water Suit : Let us consider the NewtSuit, EXO Suit and other types of the newest ADS currently used by the US Navy to achieve depths of 2000 ft and beyond. While highly specialized submarines have penetrated as far as 35000 feet, a single person in relative comfort, operating and working at a depth of 2000 ft is an incredible milestone dependent on steady advances in materials sciences, design evolution and the spirit of discovery.
These suits combine a rigid outer shell with movable joints and an on-board breathing system. Modern suits also usually include on-board locomotive devices as well. The SCBA on these units is similar to those employed both in SCUBA and other extant environmental suits. The development of this breathing technology was essential for the development of autonomous suits of all sorts. Aqua-lung and Re-breather technology and the eventual emergence of 'hard suits' is one of the major modern advances after WW2. It has been developed from ever better attempts at atmospheric protection and control stretching back to initial reliable attempts about 150 years ago.The leading pioneers in this field have helped to push our superstitious and mostly habit bound peoples ever farther into the unknown depths of the planet and, by extension, the whole of the cosmos. Jaques Cousteau was as much responsible for the modern SCBA system as Phil Nuytten has been for its further utility in deeper, stronger and more probing deep-sea devices. We owe visionaries of this type our most sincere thanks and admiration.
As water was the first true 'other world' explored by our species, much of the technology that is used for air, space and other hazard operations is dependent on developments and realizations which began with our early quest to explore the previously forbidden regions of our own lakes and seas.




[[In these images (left to right) : Classical diving dress as it existed for nearly 100 years c.1960, the NewtSuit from Canadian inventor Dr. Phil Nuytten c.1980s, The Exo-Suit c.2010. Major advances include the hard exo-shell, joints, autonomous radio and self contained underwater breathing apparatus.]]




2) G and Wet/Dry Suits : I am putting these two together because they are very similar in consideration and form. Both protect exposure of the body to harmful forces and are also very form-fitting. While they are not completely sufficient for extremes that may be faced, they are a good initial example of the sorts of efficiency that can be introduced through innovation.
Initially suits for pilots and even shallow divers were generally bulky. Improvements in insulation, breathing apparatus and materials composition have allowed much of the bulk to be stripped away and only the most essential components are now employed. It can be hypothesized that, in the future, even deep-water suits can be down-sized with further advances in composite materials. Each diver may require a custom suit for these sort of advances in future hard-suits, but this is also the case with form fitting dry-suits for the most part in the present too. The advent of the BioSuit and its new methods of accommodating lines of non-extension could potentially allow for hardened surface materials to be integrated in to form-fitting suits in the future.
These suits would be well adapted to extreme pressurization in both negative and positive quantities. Hard plated suits with sophisticated skin-tight insular layers and adequate helmet systems could theoretically take a person from ocean depths to the moon – or at least act as a safety device at all stops along the way.





[[In these images (left to right) : Standard 'wet suit' assembly c.1980, Dry Suit c.2000, Standard G-Suit c. 2000. Both the wet and dry suits represent great advances over the Standard Diving Dress – they are less bulky, autonomous and in the case of the dry suit; provide thermal protection. The G-Suit is similar, but is designed to deal with completely different environmental variables.]]



3) Chemical Operations and Hazard Suits : Though there are varying styles and levels of protection, a quick review of the most protective (Level 1/A) reveals that this technology is very close to SCUBA (SCBA). Level 1 Hazard suits must contain a segregated (in suit) SCBA device. These suits are completely sealed from the environment and usually run at a positive pressure to the surrounding area so that in the event of any breach in the surface the pressure will blow matter away instead of committing the intake of any type of hazardous chemical or biological matter. These suits may also be metallicized or otherwise treated to enhance protection against radiation as well.
Though no such suits can presently protect against extreme sources of direct radiation they are most effective at preventing the uptake of isotopes or other harmful chemicals that are usually radiated in such instances and can have severe consequences if ingested.




[[In these images (left to right) : WW1 Gas Masks c.1915, WW2 Gas Gear c1945, Modern HAZMAT Suits c.2010. The early versions of this technology were little more than rags to filter particles from causing severe, immediate, direct damage to the lungs and respiratory system. By the second world war small advances had been made, but with the onset of the Aqua-Lung this type of suit quickly became much more resilient. The new suits have also evolved to include much larger optical portals, these are much better suited to the further advance of HUD integration.]]




4) Power Integrated Cybernetic Suits :
A new breed of suits is emerging from the field of robotics. Though these are not internally-cybernetic (as we might initially think), they are exo-skeletal, powered, and augment the attributes of the user the same as if they were. These have been developed by Lockheed Martin among others for use in military applications already. One system, HULC, is being tendered by the US Army forces. It boasts the ability to reduce user fatigue, enhance basic strength and increase speed. These introductory technologies are a good indication of the potential in this field of a unified suit design integrating all the latest of various types of technology. Further to the HULC, Japanese scientists have invented a rehabilitative suit which incorporates this type of technology around an entire human body. Though, this is again very early phase, there is no reason not to think that within 25-50 years these technologies will likely be the standard in field operations technology. We will look into further integration of all these types of technology in the final section.






Hopefully this composition has thus far provided a good general history of environmental suits up to the present time. Some effort was also made to examine or project that technology slightly into the future, for example the notion that HULC systems may become much more commonplace among the armed forces in the short-term (5-10 years). As exciting and interesting as this history and these developments may be, it was all to bring us to this place. The place at the end here where we consider the median-term (10-20 years) potential for these devices as they relate to cross-envrionmental integration, outer space applications and more. The reduction in bulk is one of the most visible of changes to occur with suits of most types with the present exception of space suits, though hopefully that will be changing soon. Water and air based suits for normal operations have shrunk as they have increased in utility considerably in the last few decades. We tend to see this in all facets of our manufactured advanced technologies now.
TV's are slimmer, cars are being designed for greater economy, computers are now only tablets. In like manner the Standard Diving Dress has been replaced by SCUBA wet and dry suits. Heavy leather suits that were the standard for pilots are now much reduced in size and overall bulk while still retaining insulation properties and having superior protection from fire and many other additional features not included on earlier suits.
In these systems we should also take some note of the integration of radio technology. In all types of suits herein examined, radio technology is now an integral part. Beyond this, most suits also incorporate some sort of note taking or data gathering technology based on writing. Technology now exists which could cause another great leap in this technology; a unified environmental protection system (UEPS) for the 21st century...

The UEPS, like other game-changing technology, would incorporate elements from previous versions and types of environmental suits and also add pivotal and practical new technologies. Let us consider that previous versions of diving suits have relied solely on man-power. New heavy-suits incorporate some turbine technology to enable autonomous controlled locomotion. Martin Jet-packs is a company from around down under that has developed a wearable turbine kit that can propel a man through the air.
At present this jet-pack technology is bulky, but it is also early in its development, just as the Standard Diving Dress of old it has tremendous potential. If it can propel a man through the air it could reasonably do so in water also - even if some slight modification is required. So we see that we are at a time where the locomotion technology exists for one device to propel a man through the water or the air or from one to the other and vice-versa. Once these last few technologies are in place (or even prototyping at present with existing configurations) humanity will truly have mastered this area of investigation. No longer would atmospheric restrictions pose any threat to human explorers of the planets. Well, Earth, at least.
Because of the practicality of mass producing one such suit for a variety of applications, it can be assumed the laws of supply and demand might even make this sort of unit affordable for those who might travel to exotic destinations but who are not million-dollar organizations. The vision for a UPES as presented in this article can be summarized thusly; a suit drawing on the various disciplines of current environmental suit technologies, including a means for multi-atmosphere locomotion and also a complete array of advanced digital and exo-skeletal enhancements.
These digital components would include various optical and auditory sensors, a data drive for storage and processing of recordings. An operating system integrated to the components. A heads-up-display of the type from Recon Instruments. Digital integration of all valves, canisters, environmental data, etc, and the inclusion of a tablet type device hard wired to the suits internal digital systems that can be used for graphic-user-interface applications relevant to the operation and data collection requirements of the suit.

To summarize, personal environmental protection has been developed rather lately in the course of human affairs, but it has advanced rapidly over the last hundred years. In the coming century we can reasonably predict a sort of pinnacle for this stream of technology. A suit which at once allows a person comfortable access to the sea, skies and stars is truly within our scope of vision. Integrated circuitry and digital technology have come to a place where they are making new levels of versatility possible. Combined with other technology that can augment human performance and strength, the possibilities are nearly limitless. A suit as proposed herein (as modelled from the general ideal of the BioSuit, for example) and its further development, to a point where such a form-fitting suit can have the strength of an ADS, means it could become the standard issue -for safety at least- on all marine vessels or submarine units as well for as aeroplanes, spacecraft and for other exploratory or dangerous missions.



Now if only someone would hire me to make a comprehensive technical design of the bugger.


SOURCES:

IMAGES:

(L to R)

GROUP 1 : Stages of Deep-water exploration suits.

Standard Diving Dress c. 1860-1960, IP of US Navy, USA. Retrieved online from Bigjoe on g503.com for sale item (2005). Retrieved Feb/12 from : http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y300/onebigjoe/b54084ad.jpg

NewtSuit c. 1985–2000, IP of Dr. Phil Nuytten & Nuytco Research, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Retrieved online from theinquisition.eu an online blog about diving (2009). Retrieved Feb/12 from : http://theinquisition.eu/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/newtsuit.jpg

Exo-Suit c. 2010–Present, IP of Dr. Phil Nuytten & Nuytco Research, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Retrieved online from nuytco.com the official site of Nuytco Research (2012). Retrieved Feb/12 from : http://www.nuytco.com/products/exosuit.shtml


GROUP 2 : G and Wet/Dry Suits

Standard SCUBA Wetsuit system c. 1950-Present, Aqua-Lung system IP Emile Gagnan & Jaques Costeau, of suits various. Retrieved online from scubasource.org a SCUBA site (2012). Retrieved Feb/12 from : http://www.scubasource.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/scuba_wetsuit-225x300.jpg

Dark Dry-Suit system c.2000–Present, IP of various. Retrieved online from GoDaddy parking address in google image cache for thehappiercompany.com (2012). Retrieved Feb/12 from : http://i.ehow.co.uk/images/a04/gn/qk/dry-suits-800X800.jpg

Fighter Pilot Standard G-Suit c. 1970-Present, IP of US Airforce, USA. Retrieved online from nexus404.com a high-tech new portal (2006). Retrieved Feb/12 from http://nexus404.com/Blog/wp-content/uploads/2006/09/gsuit.jpg


GROUP 3 : Chemical Operations and Hazard Suits

WWI French Gas Mask on Troops c. 1915-1930, IP of various. Retrieved online “Dogs of War” from oldphotos.blogspot.com (2009) a blog about old photos. Retrieved Feb/12 from https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_kK9wExzeblutcNFIpANxkJTYAGJmoEKHF0GtjKOgeUevMt_YHlHWtHn8S2S0IJ7_o3Z4Q5JURxqDHVOVSF0PFCZ8Sw9mUSO91ppNyMUyQnSRMlcOjJs95qXfx1ccerZanPIerQJlBWo/s1600/dogs-of-war.jpg

WW2 Era Hazard Suit for Police c.1945, IP of Manchester Police, UK. Retrieved online from Greater Manchester Police flickr site (2010). Retrieved Feb/12 [directlink] from http://www.flickr.com/photos/gmpolice1/4457687322/sizes/m/in/photostream/


Modern Chem/Radiation/Hazard SCBA System c. 1990 – Present, IP of National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center, TX, USA. Photo from kavigupta.com an online exhibition of images from the site c/o Paul Shambroom “Level A HAZMAT suit, yellow”. Retrieved Feb/12. Retrieved from http://kavigupta.com/artist/paulshambroom


GROUP 4 : Power Integrated Cybernetic Suits

HULC System c. 2010–Present IP of Lockheed Martin / US Army, USA. Photo from google image search “HULC”. Manual upload OSL. Feb/12.

Recon Instruments Googles [micro LCD graphics also] c. 2012, IP of Recon Instruments, BC, Canada. Retrieved Feb/12. Retrieved online from : http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/01/small-recon-next-gen-feature3.jpg

Cyberdyne HAL Suit c. 2012, IP of Cyberdyne, Japan. Photo from cyberdyne.jp the official Cyberdyne site [direct link]. Retrieved Feb/12. Retrieved on : http://www.cyberdyne.jp/english/robotsuithal/img/img_robotsuithal.jpg



LINKS:

Nuytco Research - http://www.nuytco.com/ - The official site and site of Dr. Phil Nuytten; inventor of the NewtSuit, Exo-Suit, consultant to the motion picture Abyss. Order of BC, Dr, L.L.D. Leader in hard-suit technology. Advocate for marine safety.

Lockheed Martin - http://www.lockheedmartin.com – American technology company with major contributions to aerospace, astrospace, defence, marine and other high technology products.

Cyberdyne - http://cyberdyne.jp/ - Japanese robotics company specializing in augmented functionality for people with medical conditions that require mechanical assistance with locomotion and mobility.

The Costeau Society - http://www.cousteau.org/ - legacy site for Jaques Costeau. Ocean issues and information. Films, petitions, media information, etc. Donations welcome.

US Navy - http://www.navy.mil/swf/index.asp – Official site of the US Navy. Information, news and links. The USN is the largest and most advanced navy in the history of the Earth.

US Air Force - http://www.airforce.com/ - Official site of the US Air Force. Information, news and links. The USAF is the largest and most advanced air force in the history of the Earth.


NASA – http://nasa.gov – The official site of the US Space Agency. NASA has led the world in space technology and spending for many years since the competetion with Russia during the first space race

Recon Instruments - http://www.reconinstruments.com/ - Recon Instruments of BC, Canada. North American leaders in integrated HUD technology for sport visors. In 2011 their technology was reviewed for inclusion in NASAs studies of possible future space suit technology.

Siebe Gorman History - http://www.divingheritage.com/siebe.htm – A site about the history of diving technology and one of the major personalities behind it, Augustus Siebe.

The MIT BioSuit - http://mvl.mit.edu/EVA/biosuit/index.html - Home site for the MIT BioSuit development team. Includes info and links.

AIAC - http://www.aiac.ca - The Aerospace Industries Association of Canada official site.

Exo-Skeleton Directory - http://www.upgradeyourbody.com/biotech-directory/bionics/exoskeletons/ - a great resource of the various exo-tech that presently exists.

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