tech

Arcalasers On The Way?

“Bendy laser beams fired through the air”: https://www.nature.com/news/2009/090409/full/news.2009.360.html

Yet another example of technology in one highly specific area progressing FAR faster than I had anticipated. We're barely starting to get laser weapons, and already we're bending them!

Though 'arcalaser' is a much cooler name than 'Airy beam,' IMHO....

Granted, the article closes with the following: "Bendy laser beams that can pass through obstacles might, at first sight, also seem ideal for military applications, but that's unlikely, says Kasparian. That's because only beams with small diameters — carrying relatively little energy — can be manipulated to curve significantly. "You are not going to be able to shoot people behind walls with this," says Kasparian."

Well, not YET.😎

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Originally posted on Facebook.

Command Deck

For the last year, this image, titled "Command Deck" by artist Krystian Biskup (https://salierri.artstation.com/projects/a6ReX) has far and away been my most popular pin on Pinterest (the background of the Requiem cover being the second-most popular).

Given that, I thought you all should get the chance to enjoy it, too. I imagine this is how Valkyrie sees a planet on the Siyane's approach.

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Originally posted on Facebook.

It's All Getting Better

A positive reminder that, though on any given day or even year it might not seem like it (and it's in the media's interest not to report it), humanity, the world, society - it's all getting better. We've made amazing progress over the last 200 years; the improvements began accelerating in the last 80 years, and a simple extrapolation from historical data suggests those curves are going to keep accelerating upward.

THIS is why we'll go to the stars. Better yet, this is why we'll deserve to. 🤗

Via Bill Gates: https://twitter.com/BillGates/status/1086662632587907072

More information on the data behind the graphs: https://ourworldindata.org/a-history-of-global-living-condi…

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Originally posted on Facebook and Twitter.