New Vertebrate

Caecilians are in fact are a well-known, if uncommon, amphibious denizen of warmer climates.  What makes this one special is it's new.  Non-vertebrate species pop up all the time, but it seems mankind has located most the critters with backbones - and grilled them, I think.  They often resemble and are mistaken for earthworms, easy to understand considering this example:

    

The newest member of the Caecilians, Chikilidae, is pictured below.  They spend their whole life cycle underground, which is how they managed to stay unnoticed in India until now, where they are wrongly regarded as rare, highly poisonous snakes. They're young are hatched fully developed.  Interesting stuff, thought I'd share 8)

Click on the picture below for the Fox story.



Under Construction

So, I've been thinking (cue laughter).  I wrote a handful of stories back in October, but they've just been sitting there.  Well, not entirely; I've gotten rejection letters for a couple of them so far.  I'm thinking now that I should polish them up and publish them as an anthology on Amazon.

With that in mind I began to investigate just how that Amazon self-publish thing works.  As it turns out, it ain't easy.  Publishing for Kindle isn't just about writing a story; that's the first step followed by formatting the story into a special sort of web page.  It takes a hybrid of HTML and MOBI - two computer languages used to make web pages.

Oy.

I'll figure it out, eventually.
8)

Awright, Already - I Get It

I don't particularly enjoy getting submission rejections, but it is part of the journey to being published.  To me the worst part is the impersonality - usually they are form letters, especially from the biggest publications.  But I understand that many hundreds of submissions come every month, no time for the niceties to those who aren't already famous or whose story didn't pass the first read.

Here, let me show you an example (names removed):

Thank you very much for letting me see "Mutual Problem." We regret that we cannot make use of it at this time.
All submissions will be examined as promptly as possible, and if suitable, will be paid for on acceptance.
Many manuscripts are rejected because of fundamental faults.  Check these things:
—Since XXX is a science fiction magazine, we consider only science fiction stories—that is, stories in which some aspect of realistic science or technology plays an integral part.  We do not publish fantasy or stories in which the science is only peripheral.
—Science fiction readers are problem solvers!  Stories with downbeat endings, in which the characters have no hope of solving their problems, are strongly disliked by XXX readers.  In a good SF story, the characters strive to solve their problems—and even if they fail in the end, they go down fighting, not whimpering.
—Good fiction demands strong, believable characters who face powerful, intriguing problems.  Without these, there is no story, no matter how fascinating the ideas or scientific background may be.
—Some plot ideas have been so overworked that it’s virtually impossible to wring a fresh story from them.  These include “scientific” retellings of biblical tales, time travelers who unwittingly change their world when traveling into the past, UFO stories, and stories in which the “alien” world turns out to be Earth.
—Write about what you know.  XXX writers should be able to do sufficient research to get their facts straight, and they should be keen enough observers of people to write realistically about them.
—Please don’t ask for individual criticism.  With hundreds of submissions per month, it is physically impossible to answer them all personally.  Many writing errors are quite subtle, and extremely difficult to define clearly in a sentence or two.

See?  If you're going to write, be prepared to see a lot of these.  I would tell you, gentle reader, what I don't like about this one, but I'd rather not risk the publisher's wrath.

8D

Why The Hate?

I watch Bill Mahr.  If you don't because you don't have the opportunity, I'm sorry you can't afford HBO.  If you don't watch because you don't like the show or the man, I'm sorry for you.  But sometimes, Bill pisses me off.

I'm fat.  Obese, really.  It's a problem I've lived with my entire life; one of my earliest memories of extended family was a remark by an uncle: "He's a fat thing, ain't he?"  He was one of those fellows who believed that being overweight indicated a mental flaw or weakness, and that somehow pointing it out over and over would help.  How many of you do that?  "Oh, dear, just eat less," or "Look at me, just a few minutes at the gym every day," or one of my favorites, "it's all a matter of willpower."

So Bill announced a bit of news I'd already been following.  Certain cells in the stomach, it has been discovered, help control hunger by directly controlling certain brain 'switches.'  Chronically obese folks are often plagued by hunger even though they've had enough to eat, regarded by non-obese people as weakness of character.  Turns out this hunger is sometimes caused by false signals from the stomach cells to the brain - and that hunger is very real.

So Bill announced that scientists were testing a pill to help the obese lose weight and then jokingly criticised the need, asking why lazy Americans needed a pill to cure everything, particularly a condition for which all anyone has to do is eat less or exercise more.  Which kinda pissed me off, more so when the crowd applauded and laughed.

Obesity - real, chronic obesity - is far more complex than most people think.  Half-a-dozen systems control hunger and satiety, like the  stomach cells I mentioned above (if I get a few +1s on this post, I'll put together more of what I've learned in a future post).  If just one of these systems is out of whack, weight becomes a problem; more, and you're in for a lifetime of denigration and ridicule.

I've put up with my obesity and people's opinions about it my whole life.  I'm not the only one; almost everyone either shares this problem, or shares their hating.  Imagine a pill that could help an obese person take back control, lose weight, and live a better life.  Why in the heck would that be lazy?  Why would that be ridiculed?  Why the hate?

We Robot?

Companies constantly seek ways to 'dumb down' the workplace.  Why?  They want a job simple to train employees for, thus making it easy to replace said employee.  There are reasons for this - companies don't want to be at the mercy of highly-trained, key employees and their unions; lower skill requirement means lower pay; once the job is simple enough it can taken overseas, or even automated.

But there's always a tradeoff.  Manufacturing companies can lose and sales, service companies lose customers, and everyone wants to buy American.  What is a greedy, soulless corporation to do?  Turn workers into robots.  Literally.

Science and medicine are making stunning progress in 'curing' paralyzation.  Soon, perhaps within 5 or 10 years, paraplegics with implants will walk, muscles moving normally at the command of their brain via a computer interface.  Not long after that computers, sensors, and muscle activators will be able to control any part of the human body with a thought. 

And not too long after that, we might see healthy people allowing themselves to be fitted with this technology just to have a job.  Imagine; no skill or training required, just plug in, get put to sleep so as not to interfere with the program, and let the company computer take control. 

The employee would get a steady paycheck and a multi-year contract, no education needed.  The company gets a cheap worker that can't waste time, can't cause trouble, can't talk back, and can't walk out until the shift is over.  The employee doesn't have to bear the drudgery of boring, repetative tasks and the company gets 8 hours of consistent, error-free work.

It will be the age of paycheck zombies.

Milestone Passed! Well, Quarter Mile, Maybe?

Today my blog has surpassed 1,500 pageviews since I started in May of 2011.  In comparison, that's about how many views Stumbleupon gets in 10 seconds.  Heh!

I appreciate all who stop by to read my ramblings; thanks.  Please remember that comments are welcomed, especially on the fiction entries - knowing what a reader likes and dislikes is another step to writing success.

Matthew Champine
Ada, Oklahoma

Not Politics - No Rights For Mutants, and Global Cooling On Way

Had to rein myself back from ranting on politics the last few days.  It's not that I couldn't think of something else to write about, but everything I started to write stalled because I was distracted by the crazyness.

Not that I'm a political expert, party member, or even a fan of politics.  It's probably a symptom of genteel-yet-poor retirement; too much time and not enough money for distracting, expensive hobbies.  But, honestly; this is some of the most insane political stuff I've been aware of in my life.
But I'm not here to talk about politics, or my daily activities, or the status of my bunions.  I'm just not going to do that.  So. . .


No Rights For Mutants

Though this is the first time I've heard about it, almost 10 years ago the USA decided that mutants, specifically superheroes, are not humans.  It was actually a fight over import taxes - apparently toys classed as 'dolls' cost twice as much to import than toys like action figures.  In 1983, US Customs declared action figures to be dolls, and Marvel had to pay.  The legal battle went on for 19 years, but big business beat the tax man by forcing the the United States of America to agree that, by definition, "dolls represent ONLY a human being," and ". . .the court finds that these action figures do not represent human beings."

With this legal decision on the books, I'd be wary of revealing my superpowers if I were you.


Global Cooling On Way

According to experts, global warming was 'flat' for the last ten years; that is, global warming isn't warming lately.  They are quick to claim that long term measurements still predict more warming ahead and the last ten years of no warming is within statistical possibility, and the next ten years should continue the global warming trend.

Unless it doesn't.  2012 is the peak of our Sun's 11 year output cycle, and solar experts predict the next 11 years will see the weakest, coolest cycle since the 1600s - the middle of what scientists dub the Little Ice Age.  This means less sunlight and less warming from our Sun, for the next 11 years.  Throw in a volcanic eruption or two, and Earth could be back in the ice box again.

Don't throw out all your old sweaters; you might be needing them soon.

Back Again (again)

I promised to keep this blog from being a diary, feeling that 'I had a flat tire today' wasn't the point, at least for me.  Yet, here I am, reporting why I haven't posted for a month.  Suffice to say it has been an uncomfortable 30 days since my last post - uncomfortable enough to render typing, much less creativity, impossible.  Please accept my apology for breaking the explicit promise of daily posts.  Again. 8)

Imagine Creation In 3D

Who hasn't heard about 3D printers?  Put down your hand, it's a rhetorical question.  Until quite recently, creating things at home meant a shop full of tools and all the time you could spare.  Thanks to relatively cheap home 3D printing machines, it is now possible to 'print' an object of practically any shape at home without a tool in sight. 

How does it work?  The video below makes it clear, but a basic description goes like this:  An inkjet printer does it's thing by passing line by line over the paper, spraying ink where the computer commands.  In 3D printing the exact same method is used, with a print head moving over a platform and depositing material where commanded.  When each layer is done, the platform moves down a click and another layer is built upon the last.  Like this device called Makerbot:

This device can use 2 different plastic materials and several colors are available in each.  The process is slow, taking several hours to make a finely detailed object.  However, slow is relative - it would take hours or even days to complete a similar model by hand.  Materials are limited at present, but we may expect that to change as the technology advances.

Even at this stage, the benefits are clear.  Obsolete parts, 3D art, and rapid prototyping are just a few of the possible uses.  And with a growing library of downloadable object files, you don't need to be an engineer to create useful objects or unique gifts.  Talk about your DIY; this is the bomb!

Wait, that was rhetorical; don't build a bomb, please.
8)

Can It Be Said Enough? Thorium! Thorium! THORIUM!

Thorium?  Thorium.  This metal will supply cheap, clean, safe, plentiful nuclear power to the world for the next 1,000 years.

If we use it.

Thorium, a silvery-white metal named for the Norse god Thor, is a mildly radioactive element (with an atomic weight of 90) that is as abundant as lead.  Monazite, a rare earth and thorium phosphate mineral, is the primary source of the world's thorium. 

The naturally occurring isotopes of thorium are readily refined from mineral to metal.  Industry uses thorium to make high-grade glass, high-temperature ceramics, and high-performance alloys of magnesium.

Thorium is inherently safe.  Radiation from even pure thorium is too weak to penetrate human skin.  Only long term negligent exposure or massive over-exposure is medically dangerous.  Short of a career of mining without basic safety procedures or chewing it daily, thorium presents no medical dangers.

Thorium reactors are inherently safe.  Thorium  cannot sustain a chain reaction on its own; there must be an initiator.  Basically, disaster or attack would simply shut down the reaction.

Thorium reactors are inherently clean.  Unlike other reactors, thorium reactors produce waste that decays to the same level of radioactivity as coal ashes after 500 years.  In fact, thorium reactors can be used to safely 'burn out' waste materials from uranium reactors.

Thorium is three to four times more plentiful than uranium.  By weight, thorium produces 200 times more energy than uranium.  The USA, India, Turkey, and Australia all possess large reserves of thorium, accounting for over 50% of the Earth's known reserves.

Experts estimate that at present energy use and reactor technology, thorium could power America for the next 1,000 years with just known reserves.

Sound too good to be true?  There are some small challenges, but honestly, we went from no space program to landing on the Moon in less than a decade.  We need thorium reactors supplying American electricity much more than we needed astronauts on the Moon.

Thanks to American and Russian choices during the Cold War, too little research has gone into thorium reactor design.  A few thorium reactors are coming online now, but there is a good deal of argument about what will be most efficient, cheapest, and safest.  New reactor designs need testing and approval.

Thorium startup is expensive; and the thorium fuel itself needs to be 'activated' by irradiation.  Once the first reactor is up and running, though, it can be used to activate the next batch of fuel.  As more reactors come online, fuel activation is cheap and easy.

American coal, uranium, and oil interests don't want to face competition from thorium; the first time in history they have all agreed on anything.  They don't care what's good for America, just what's good for the Company.

Thorium reactors are hugely safer and simpler than present uranium/plutonium reactors.  They could entirely replace the burning of fossil fuels on Earth for the next ten centuries.  They would change everything.

Drought?  With enough cheap electricity, desalinated sea water could be pumped to suffering areas; droughts would be history.  Poverty?  Plentiful electricity could bring jobs and industry to the poorest places on Earth.  Global warming?  Gone.  Pollution from coal and oil?  Gone. 

Call it optimism, call it hope, but make sure you remember the mighty THORIUM!
 
For more information -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorium

Merry Christmas!

So ya know, I'm not particularly Christian, but there's nothing more heartening than an unsolicited seasonal greeting, however you spell it.

I was a mail carrier for a good part of the last 20 years, and the above observation is not something I read about, but something I experienced.  People enjoy a cheerful greeting, a smile in the daily course of business, even a random hug for just being human, but folks really appreciate a heartfelt holiday hail.

There are probably several reasons why.  There's usually a 'happy' or 'merry' in there, unlike the plain 'good' of daily greetings.  Holiday's are annual 'landmarks,' and thus a stronger connection.  And, honestly, who doesn't like being cheerful for cheerful's sake a few times a year?

Whatever the reasons,
We all like to hear
herald of seasons
with voice of good cheer.

So don't hesitate
It's always okay
To happily state
Happy Holiday!

I Like Robots

That's because I really, truly feel robots will define our future.  While not absolutely a bad thing, there will be negative along with positive effects.  Soon robots will become front-line soldiers, for instance - thanks to  political infighting among US military branches, the bad news is it may be our soldiers defending themselves from enemy robots instead of the other way around.

Anyway, my interest leads me to a weekly perusal of what's new in robotics on Youtube.  Why there?  Because long before a robot is seen as interesting to the media, geeks and nerds are already swapping videos of their accomplishments.

I come across all kind of robot exploits this way.  Here are a few that caught my interest.

What to get that hard-to-buy for kid this year?

Yes, this video is long and boring - and fascinating if you consider the implications.  True robot sports are just a few years away and games will never the same.

Sports and toys; no big deal, right?  What can robots do that isn't just for fun?  Build stuff.

Of course the US military have their share of robots, like this 'clothing and equipment' testing robot. . .

'load-carrying robot'. . .

and fence jumping robot.

Sadly, some robots are doomed to less survivable duty.  A company in Australia has recently delivered target robots to the USMC. 

But it won't just be the robots replacing humans and doing things alone.  We can build robots easily enough, but the brains to run them are the really hard part.  Adding humans to robots, or robots to humans, will be the most amazing part of the future - 

I like robots, and I hope they like me, because the alternative might suck.  

8)

This Is Only A Test

Saw this on G+ and wanted to share.  Though I don't know if this is truly significant of your neurological state, I found it a fun and interesting mental exercise.

A Short Neurological Test

1- Find the C below..

Please do not use any cursor help.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

2- If you already found the C, now find the 6 below.

99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
69999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

3 - Now find the N below. It's a little more difficult.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

This is NOT a joke. If you were able to pass these 3 tests, you can cancel
your annual visit to your neurologist. Your brain is great and you're far
from having a close relationship with Alzheimer.

Congratulations!

eonvrye that can raed this rsaie your hnad.


If you can read the following paragraph, you are just awesome.
Only great minds can read this
This is weird, but interesting!

If you can raed this, you have a sgtrane mnid too

Can you raed this? Olny 45 plepoe out of 100 can.

I cdnuolt blveiee that I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd what I was rdanieg. The
phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde
Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in what oerdr the ltteres in a word are, the
olny iproamtnt tihng is that the frsit and last ltteer be in the rghit
pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can still raed it whotuit a
pboerlm. This is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by
istlef, but the word as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot
slpeling was ipmorantt!

And yes, spelling is very ipmorantt.  Heh.

Crazy Talk

Just a moment as I don my foil skull cap and check for men in black. . . okay, paranoid crazy talk begins.

Our cultural battles have ignored the extremely wealthy for a very long time.  In fact, America has had no true class war that I remember.  Instead we've encouraged and supported a kind of intra-class 'cold war' since the Depression; those with nothing, those with some, and those with enough, all bickering and struggling with each other.

And the whole time the rich were helping drive the conflict.  They, the greedy and immoral, structured a false reward system around brand names and false appearances.  No matter how poor someone might be, anyone could feel better about themself if they owned a Fridgidaire.  The rich got richer by backing both sides of conflict.

At the same time They, the burgeoning 1%, bought the American government and commanded it to install laws that gave Them huge advantages in taxation, liability, land ownership, legal recourse, and more - just about every possible way our judicial, executive, legislative, and financial system could be twisted.  They said it was good for the economy and good for America, but over the decades it turns out to be good for Them and the hell with the rest of America.

By keeping everyone else at each other's throats, a very few have stolen America.  Worse, it's beginning to look like they will get away with it - unless something changes.  That change would be us.  Don't think it'll be easy, because it won't.  They'll fight us every step, legal and illegal.  They have the power of media, police, and our own military, and they will use it against us.

All we need is someone to stand up and say, "I aim to misbehave."

Whoops.  Went a little off the crazy end right there.  Think I'll get rid of this foil hat.

8)

Dear Mr. Incumbent Politician,

Usually I try to stay at least moderately informed about you and your opponent, then carefully weigh which one is best for the job every election. I'm changing my voting criteria this year.

If you bring criminal charges or cause the judicial system to bring criminal charges against against a major CEO, any one of the Bailout Group companies, or policemen who harm Americans participating in peaceful protests, I WILL AUTOMATICALLY vote for you.

If you pass a law that strips corporations of personhood or otherwise blocks a corporation from the same rights as a citizen of the United States, I WILL AUTOMATICALLY vote for you.

If you make the selling of debt a form of usury, fraud, or otherwise illegal I WILL AUTOMATICALLY vote for you.

If you force a shut down of Wall Street, for even one day, I WILL AUTOMATICALLY vote for you.

If you pass a law that taxes the 1% at a 200% unless they really make jobs, I WILL AUTOMATICALLY vote for you.

If you manage to strike any positive blow against corporate criminals or the ultra-rich, ultra-greedy 1% - say, force them to bank only in American banks or lose everything - I WILL AUTOMATICALLY vote for you.

On the other hand, should you fail to meet my new criteria, I WILL AUTOMATICALLY vote against you, no matter what schmuck I'm forced to vote for.

No promises accepted.

Inflexibly,
Citizen America.

Early Warning

Back in November virologist Ron Fouchier of the Erasmus Medical Centre in the Netherlands publicly announced at a virus conference in Malta that his team had modified the H1N1, or bird flu virus, to be far more deadly. The bird flu presently doesn't spread like a 'normal' flu, via airborn droplets from sneezes and coughs. Instead, the bird flu requires very close contanct, so is less contagious.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2063326/Scientists-mutate-bird-flu-make-MORE-contagious--critics-claim-bioweapon-kept-secret.html

Most people missed this, though there was a blip in the media. Now, Dr. Fouchier wants to publish the research and techniques, making this super-flu available to anyone who would like to recreate it.

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/12/20/scientists-spark-fears-by-creating-highly-contagious-airborne-strain-bird-flu/

What will eventually happen? Well, the secret is out, the horses are gone, the bag is empty, and everyone knows the bird flu can be modified into a world-smashing bioweapon. Knowing what's possible is half the problem solved - sooner or later, and I'd bet on real sooner, we'll be facing a terror inspired pandemic.

Not to worry. First, it's the flu; people die from flu every day, a sad fact but reassuring in that the world doesn't collapse. Second, it's the bird flu; until now those infected were often already sick or vulnerable or elderly, which is sad but also gives us hope that being normal and healthy will protect us. Third, it's just the flu; we already know what to do to avoid the flu.

The very best news is that, unlike other flu epidemics, we have plenty of warning. If any braincells are still firing Washington, DC, we have already acquired samples and are developing a vaccine.

Please let there be braincells left in Washington. . .

From The Past

Though often quoted, such wisdom as our ancestors were blessed with bears re-quoting, often and loudly.

For President Obama and all others in our government who believe they can take our freedoms to make us safe:
 "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Benjamin Franklin 

Those patriots in the Occupy movement should take heed and heart with these words:
 "In the beginning of a change the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot." - Mark Twain

 Here is a message to all those police forces and city governments who act outside the USofA Constitution:
"A Bill of Rights is what the people are entitled to against every government, and what no just government should refuse. . ." - Thomas Jefferson

 And finally, for all of us in Citizen America, our original leader has a reminder:
 "Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." - George Washington

Dear Mr. President,

You don't know me, and apparently I don't know you. I voted for you to become President of the United States, mostly because I felt your upbringing might help you better understand what many previous Presidents have forgotten about America. We value freedom.

You may not know that you are handing the tools of dictatorship into the hands of corporations and zealots of the future. In signing SOPA and the defense funding bill, your children or their children may face an America where speaking out means disappearing, where information is rigidly controlled and censored, where civil rights have become civil wrongs. You may be signing away our freedom.

Maybe nobody in the White House is telling you the truth. Maybe you have no idea what kind of trouble you're making into law. Maybe you'll listen to me and all the others who are asking. . .

Please don't do it.

Respectfully;
Citizen America

The Case For Warp Drive

     Science is missing something; interstellar space travel can't be as impossible as they say.  That is, assuming aliens are here on Earth.
     That latter statement isn't an entirely silly assumption.  A heap, a hill, maybe even an entire mountain range of evidence exists for that assumption.  Sure, most of that evidence comes from freaky, flakey, very personal sources, but can it honestly be 100% wrong?  Airport radar contacts, exhaust burns in the desert, simultaneous sightings by groups of strangers, etc. - there's more to alien evidence than abduction stories.
     So, assume aliens are here, flying around probing, beaming, time-warping victims.  While we can also guess these activities are only a piece of the puzzle of alien activities, that subject can be saved for another time.  The question at the heart of this discussion changes; instead of 'if' or 'why,' we must ask 'how?' 
     This particular question is a big part of the skeptical argument against aliens.  How is it that aliens can cross the impossibly wide gulf of space and fail at something so simple as hiding from us hairless apes?   As fast as our own stealth technology is advancing, shouldn't those advanced aliens be completely undetectable?
     Let's apply a little Sherlock logic.  Given aliens are here, as hard as they might try they can't seem to stay hidden.  They may even have crashed a ship or two here on Earth.  This evidence tells us that their technology isn't infallable, or even a great deal beyond ours. 
     Conclusion?  Interstellar space travel must be far simpler than Earthly scientists believe.  If Earth's bumbling E.T.s can do it, surely it lies within our power, too. 
(Unless E.T. is holding us back...)
     Dear Scientists: please look a little harder for Warp Drive - it's only logical.

Magic In Common

Quantum.  It's the magic word in TV science fiction.  Scientists are just discovering it's Mother Nature's magic, as well.

With a moment of consideration it should not be surprising that the amazing development tool of evolution would come to use the weirdest, but most efficient energy handling scheme in the Universe.

I won't try to explain quantum behavior because I can't; small libraries could be made entirely of books to introduce quantum concepts, books written by people who know more about it than I do, books that fail to make quantum physics easy to understand.  Not to worry, I only intend to talk about one quantum feature - Quantum Entanglement (QE).

Entanglement.  One tenet of quantum physics is that you can't know both the location AND vector of any particle at the same time.  There exists a fundamental blur of uncertainty when we look that closely at reality.    Odd, but it gets odder.  Two particles, photons for instance, who encounter each other closely enough will temporarily blur together.  The photons become confused which is which, even after they become separated, and this is entanglement.  For a time, vibrate one and they both react; measure one, and the other, no matter how far away, will instantly display identical measurements.

Science is struggling to find ways to use this potentially powerful state of entanglement, but Mother Nature is way ahead of us.

Nerve cells and neurons are different from the other cells in the body.  Their special shape allowing connection to other nerves requires special internal structures.  The chemo-electric signals passing from nerve cell to nerve cell jumps along an internal support structure called they cytoskeleton.  Recently it has been shown that the cytoskeleton traps individual entangled photons in an internal tube.  Even more recently scientists have become involved in an extensive argument whether or not these quantum structures are useless and accidental, or an important part of what makes humans intelligent.

Similar structures have just now been discovered in photosynthetic cells.  Searching for how energy is so perfectly transferred within plants, researchers stumbled on what may be another application of QE by Mother Nature.  It seems that QE on a huge scale might allow a kind of 'wireless' energy transmission during photosynthesis.

Yes, it's weird, but it's in your head, so get used to it.  Computers using QE will be thousands of times faster than present technology.  QE may allow for instant communication over any distance with total security, for everything from cellphones to interplanetary probes to robot avatars.  QE could even allow power transmission from your power plant directly to your electric car, laptop computer, flashlight, or pocket outlet.

We know so little about the QE phenomena we don't have a handle on what might be bad about it.  If QE helps manage a person's memories, could such memories be seen by a QE reader?  Or even recorded?  Or even more terrifying possibilities - hacked, altered, or erased?

The bad always comes with the good, another lesson from Mother Nature.  She has possibly shown us the way to a new, brighter era for man, but don't forget Her dark side.