Gravity Lens Weblog

Thursday, August 5

Here's an interesting piece by Stephen J. Pyne at Space Review about the idea of space travel as exploration. Meanwhile Charles Stross gives us his argument why space colonization is incompatable with Libertarianism, and Bill Nye at Space News chimes in on NASA's current and future plans.

Sunday, August 1

The Gods of the Month are the Vampire Gods and Goddesses.

The Molecule of the Month is Tetrahydrogestrinone.

Friday, July 30

Space.com tells us space farms could mine minerals from moon dirt.

Tales of Future Past gives us a feature on future work.

Dark Roasted Blend goes for a ride in adorable micro-cars.

Bob Mahoney of Space Review tells us how Robert McCall painted his future, but since the story contains no pictures here's some McCall eye candy.

Wednesday, July 21

Tor.com tells us how to throw an Evil Twin party.

Monday, July 19

Dark Roasted Blend continues its retro-sexy Trains and Railways Extravaganza.

Website @ the End of the Universe has a link-heavy examination of which era produced the greatest science fiction art.

Meanwhile in the news, the Klingon invasion of Scotland is coming, South Korea has a robot guard, and Westboro Baptist Church has chosen to protest Comic-con.

Tuesday, July 13

A moment of silence, please, for Mr. James P. Hogan.

Monday, July 12

I spent a good chunk of this past weekend at Readercon.

Read my observation of it over at SF Signal.

The headline reads: Dark Matter May Be Building Up Inside the Sun.

Tuesday, July 6

io9 asks: Who has the best knockoffs and parodies: Superman or the Fantastic Four?

Monday, July 5

Space.com gives us their list of the Top 10 Soviet and Russian Space Missions.

Thursday, July 1

It is July.

The Goddess of the Month is Lady Liberty.

The Molecule of the Month is insulin.

It's Bulwer-Lytton time again.

This picture of NASA's concept supersonic plane reminds me of...something.

Wednesday, June 30

George Dvorsky links to Sam Vaknin's column on the ten errors of Science Fiction, then explains why he's wrong.

Meanwhile io9 sends us to a blog about SF's greatest garment: Unitard Universe. It has both Sci-Fi and Superhero sections.

And last week I neglected to link to the spectacular Sci-Fi Airshow site.

Tuesday, June 29

There is no sex on the space station. There are no Chinese either.

Wednesday, June 23

io9 shows us the winners of NASA's design contest for tilt-rotored rescue craft, while Dark Roasted Blend gives us part 1 of its gallery of Magnificent Motorcycles.

And as a bonus, here's the army's new planned airship.

Ben Bova tells you why you should go to SF conventions.

Monday, June 14

A moment of silence for Mr. Al Williamson.

Dr. Amy Marsh of Carnal Nation tells us everything she need to know about sex she learned from Science Fiction.

Technology Review explains how we might be able to destroy a black hole.

Phil Bowermaster of The Speculist attended the film premiere of The Singularity is Near.

Saturday, June 12

io9 goes below the surface with a gallery of super SF submarines and 11 great underwater cities. As good a reason as any to revisit Tales of Futures Past feature on Underwater Worlds.

Dark Roasted Blend continues its gallery of unusual maps.

How about a science fiction name for your baby?

Monday, June 7

Space.com gives us the Top 10 Fantasy Spaceships Headed for Reality.

Thursday, June 3

Some songs in Klingon. Including the theme to Gilligan's Island.

Tuesday, June 1

It is June.

The God of the Month is Loki.

The Molecule of the Month is sexy Nylon.

I kicked off summer with a frantic two-day jaunt around Western Massachusetts. Toured the sculpted gardens at Naumkeag, rode the Mountain Coaster at Jiminy Peak, visited the Clark Art Museum and Mass MoCA, hiked around the spectacular Natural Bridge State Park, hit a powwow at Indian Plaza in Charlemont, and topped it off with a stop at Shelburne Falls to see the Bridge of Flowers and the Glacial Potholes.

Next Saturday is the Astronomy convention Starconn at Weslyan University. There's a nice line-up of speakers and they open the Van Vleck Observatory up for viewing.

David Schwartzman at Astrobiology discusses what we of planet Earth needs to do to join the Galactic Club. You may recall this was the subject of 2008's Bad Day Holiday Card.

At io9, Anassa Rhenisch tells us why talking to aliens will be tough.

Technovelgy gives us Japan's plans for a moonbase run by robots.