Monday, March 10, 2014

2014 National Wormhole Week and Beyond

Let the Wormfest Celebrations begin!


Albert's birthday is the 14th


Welcome to the Second Annual 2014 National Wormhole Week Blogfest also called the 2014 Wormfesthosted by: L. Diane Wolfe, Alex J. Cavanaugh, and Stephen Tremp.


Assignment 1 - Name one thing where science advances mankind
Learning to navigate the wormholes and the ability to jump parsecs.

Wormhole transport tubes benefit trade and travel, and faster transit times aid in colonization and reaching outposts. On the negative side, generations of men and women piloting the TradeRunnerTransports are reporting negative effects on family life. Following is one example.


WormHole Stories: Virtual Man


John and I waited for the Go-Ahead from Central Control. We were next in the WH-4 takeoff zone. All the specs and equipment were checked. Something was bothering him. I could tell by the way he held his jaw.

"Any plans for the holidays, John?"

"Not yet. I don't know what the family wants to do. I don't see them for so long, in between our trade runs. . .  it's hard missing their growing up."

"You know this job pays very well. It helps your family."

"Knowing what has to be done doesn't make it easier. I'm just a ghost in their lives. I don't know how much longer I can do this work."

"There's the Go Ahead light. Activating all stability thrusters. What makes now any different than any other time?"

"It's my wife's birthday."

He pressed the key to start our descent into the energy field. The ship slid for a short distance until the energy tube caught and secured our vehicle on the access ramp. Time halted for what seemed like only seconds as the undulations of the Wormhole folded twice before delivering us to Grand Central Skystation, the supply nexus for the outer quadrants.

There was nothing I could say. Working these long Traderunner routes was starting to tell on my partner.





Free Use Image


***

Assignment 2 - Name a technology with unforeseen consequences that will go too far and set mankind back.' Two examples of books on this topic:

Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake.
When Technology and science are given unbridled rein, a collision with nature can be expected. One era ends. A new one begins. . .

David Brin's Uplift Wars highlighted problems due to diversity: more languages to learn, more politics, more insider secrets, and intrigues. Uplifting means elevating creatures (such as dolphins) into sentiency if they pass certain tests and can communicate with other species.

***

Q and A

Are wormholes intelligent? Or are they merely 'transit tubes' with optional endings? 
No intelligence is evident in the wormholes at present, they function as a pathway to another point in time and space.

Einstein oriented us to where we should go, and it's up to our scientists to get us there. We need intergalactic starships and a combined earthly effort, or we'll never get past Mars.

What could they possibly trade to aliens or even humans of the future? 100%Chocolate Bars, MPax's* universal exchange commodity, and two Iron Chefs.

Should we try music as in Close Encounters?
Yes. How about wildlife sounds from the jungles, whales singing in the deep and winds blowing through the mountain passes? Earthy sounds.

***
Before you go. . .

Answer any of the above questions Or leave a comment to say you were here. Thanks for dropping by!

To get back to the other participants -  Linkylist at Stephen Tremp's blog.



****
References: