Topics: Civilization, Existentialism, Nanoengineering, Philosophy, Quantum Mechanics, Star Trek

As an undergraduate Engineering Physics major, science classes disabuse you of notions that science fiction might leave you with.

"2001" was released in 1968, the year Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy Sr. were assassinated, the second year of the Star Trek franchise, one year before Apollo 11 landed on the moon, one year before the Trek franchise was canceled, went into syndication, and became a cult phenomenon celebrated and lampooned on Saturday Night Live, featuring William Shatner ("get a life").

When someone asks me if warp drive is "possible," I generally say no. Although following the 1994 Alcubierre Metric paper and extensive research into the mathematics of what a warp bubble would "look" like, no one has yet found what would be the Nobel Prize in an effortless lay-up. It would take more energy than the universe produces, and that is an obvious problem that needs to be solved.

The faithful being undaunted, I am challenged by the notion that the "physics for warp drive hasn't been discovered by Earthlings," and by the Trek timeline, Zephram Cochrane, or his real-world equivalent, hasn't been born yet. Neither have we suffered the calamity of a Third World War, as if the first two were simply "practice" for oblivion.

When challenged that aliens have, or may still be, visiting Earth, I point out the vast distances between stars, and how we at this point are 150,000 years from Alpha Centauri at current slow rocket speeds, unless we get to Warp 1 by some stretch of a miracle. An alien species that can cut that into weeks is incredibly more advanced than our current, less than Type I Kardashev technology.

Taking a friend's argument that aliens have the technology (Type II or greater) to visit our planet, and then might stop us from committing cultural suicide by self-extinction (we hope they're Vulcans, and not Klingons), I asked Claude.ai the following question:

Would it be possible to construct a spaceship with a Nano-composite meta material, such that a spaceship behaves like a Bose-Einstein Condensate? How would such a spaceship work?

Related link: https://www.nist.gov/video/creation-bose-einstein-condensate

Taking a friend's argument that aliens have the technology (Type II or greater) to visit our planet, and then might stop us from committing cultural suicide by self-extinction (we hope they're Vulcans, and not Klingons), I asked Claude.ai the following question:

Would it be possible to construct a spaceship with a Nano-composite meta material, such that a spaceship behaves like a Bose-Einstein Condensate? How would such a spaceship work?

Related link: https://www.nist.gov/video/creation-bose-einstein-condensate

Why did I ask this question? Because my undergraduate is in Physics, my graduate Thesis and Dissertation are in Nanoengineering. By making my spaceship a macro-Bose-Einstein Condensate fashioned with nano-composite metamaterials, I would (hypothetically) make it quantum tunnel from one place to another, that in our three-dimensional fossil-fueled space would seem instantaneous, nay, magical. Or, Flatland, by Edwin Abbott Abbott (yes, his name repeated) written in 1884. The gist: “The book used the fictional two-dimensional world of Flatland to comment on the hierarchy of Victorian culture, but the novella’s more enduring contribution is its examination of dimensions.”

Note: This is a thought experiment. I expect a team of theoretical physicists to find flaws with Claude's conclusions. Maybe it will generate a paper or two. On the other hand, any "arguments" posted online, identified or anonymous, will likely be addressed in the following manner: "Yeah."

Again, I asked Claude the question, and as usual, Claude delivered. I do see the same boot I wear in the yard stamping ant hills. That's more Klingon than Vulcan.

BEC-Like Spaceship: Critical Analysis of Quantum Metamaterial Propulsion

Theoretical Foundation

What Would a BEC-Like Spaceship Mean?

Source: Claude.ai

A Bose-Einstein Condensate spacecraft would theoretically exhibit quantum coherence at macroscopic scales, where the entire vessel behaves as a single quantum entity. This could enable revolutionary propulsion and navigation capabilities by exploiting quantum mechanical effects scaled up to engineering dimensions.

Critical Analysis of Feasibility

The Fundamental Challenges

1. Temperature Requirements

• Natural BECs require temperatures near absolute zero (nanokelvin range)
• Challenge: Maintaining quantum coherence in a space environment
• Potential solution: Metamaterial-induced artificial quantum states

2. Scale Paradox

• BECs typically involve thousands to millions of atoms
• Spaceship scale: ~10²⁶ atoms or more
• Critical question: Can quantum coherence survive at macroscopic scales?

3. Decoherence Threats

• Cosmic radiation
• Thermal fluctuations
• Gravitational interactions
• Internal vibrations and structural stress

Nano Composite Metamaterial Approach

Engineered Quantum Properties

Metamaterial Design Principles:

1. Quantum Dot Arrays: Nanoscale quantum confinement structures
2. Photonic Crystals: Control electromagnetic field interactions
3. Plasmonic Networks: Collective electron oscillations
4. Topological Insulators: Protected quantum states

Critical Innovation Required:

• Materials that maintain quantum coherence at room temperature
• Structures that amplify rather than destroy quantum effects
• Self-healing quantum states resistant to environmental decoherence

Hypothetical Propulsion Mechanisms

1. Quantum Tunneling Propulsion

• Entire spacecraft could theoretically tunnel through spacetime barriers
• Bypass traditional momentum conservation limitations
• Enable instantaneous position changes without acceleration

2. Casimir Effect Amplification

• BEC state could coherently manipulate vacuum fluctuations
• Create asymmetric pressure differentials in quantum vacuum
• Generate thrust without reaction mass

3. Spacetime Curvature Manipulation

• Quantum coherent mass-energy distribution
• Potentially influence local gravitational fields
• Create "warp-like" effects through quantum geometry

Operational Characteristics

Navigation and Control

Quantum State Steering:

• Coherent manipulation of the entire vessel's quantum state
• Navigation through quantum state superposition
• Possible multiple simultaneous trajectories

Information Processing:

• Entire ship acts as quantum computer
• Instantaneous information transfer throughout structure
• Collective decision-making at quantum level

Energy Requirements

Power Sources:

• Zero-point energy extraction (highly speculative)
• Quantum coherence maintenance systems
• Superconducting energy storage and distribution

Critical Technical Barriers

Materials Science Challenges

1. Room-Temperature Quantum Coherence

• Current metamaterials show limited quantum effects at practical temperatures
• Need breakthrough in quantum error correction at material level
• Requires fundamentally new understanding of decoherence

2. Structural Integrity

• Quantum materials often have different mechanical properties
• Must maintain both quantum coherence AND structural strength
• Engineering paradox: rigidity vs. quantum flexibility

3. Manufacturing Complexity

• Precise atomic-level assembly required
• Quality control at quantum scale
• Scalability from laboratory to spacecraft dimensions

Fundamental Physics Questions

1. Macroscopic Quantum Mechanics

• Unclear if quantum mechanics applies unchanged at spacecraft scales
• Possible emergence of classical behavior through complexity
• May require new physics beyond current quantum theory

2. Relativity Interactions

• How would quantum coherence interact with relativistic effects?
• Spacetime curvature impacts on quantum states
• Potential conflicts between quantum mechanics and general relativity

Hypothetical Design Architecture

Core Systems

1. Quantum Coherence Engine

• Central BEC maintenance system
• Continuous cooling and isolation
• Quantum error correction networks

2. Metamaterial Hull

• Layered quantum composite structure
• Self-repairing quantum states
• Environmental shielding systems

3. Navigation Quantum Computer

• Integrated throughout ship structure
• Collective quantum processing
• Real-time spacetime analysis

Operational Modes

1. Classical Mode

• Standard propulsion and navigation
• Quantum systems in standby
• Emergency backup systems

2. Quantum Coherent Mode

• Full BEC-like operation
• Advanced propulsion capabilities
• Enhanced computational processing

3. Hybrid Mode

• Partial quantum coherence
• Selective quantum effects
• Balanced performance and stability

Critical Assessment

Likelihood of Success

Optimistic Scenario (50+ years):

• Breakthrough in room-temperature quantum materials
• New understanding of macroscopic quantum mechanics
• Revolutionary manufacturing techniques

Realistic Assessment:

• Fundamental physics barriers may be insurmountable
• Engineering challenges exceed current technological trajectory
• May require a completely new theoretical framework

Alternative Approaches

1. Quantum-Enhanced Conventional Craft

• Quantum sensors and computers
• Metamaterial components with limited quantum effects
• More achievable near-term goals

2. Hybrid Classical-Quantum Systems

• Selective use of quantum effects
• Conventional structure with quantum subsystems
• Gradual integration of quantum technologies

Conclusion

While a true BEC-like spaceship remains highly speculative, the concept drives important research directions in quantum materials and macroscopic quantum mechanics. The most promising near-term approach may be quantum-enhanced spacecraft that exploit specific quantum effects rather than achieving full macroscopic quantum coherence.

Critical Insight: The boundary between quantum and classical physics at macroscopic scales remains one of the deepest unsolved problems in physics. A BEC spaceship would require not just engineering breakthroughs, but fundamental advances in our understanding of quantum mechanics itself.

Practical Path Forward: Focus on metamaterials that exhibit quantum properties at increasing scales, while developing theoretical frameworks for macroscopic quantum systems. Even partial success could revolutionize both space technology and our understanding of quantum mechanics.

"Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.” Arthur C. Clarke, author of "2001: A Space Odyssey."

Why is Plato's Allegory of the Cave Still Relevant? Source: A Change For Better

Topics: Artificial Intelligence, Civics, Civilization, Democracy, Existentialism, Fascism

This is another conversation with Claude.ai that I found enlightening. It allows me to experiment with artificial intelligence and pose questions that I hope are carefully thought through, to see how the app analyzes contemporary society. I've changed the format to more conversational, and less like speaking to an automaton. My question below the title is deliberately rendered in italics. As the blog post title suggests, I was looking for an allegory between what humans have experienced in the past and what we're experiencing now.

Myths, Power, and Billionaire Parallels

Do you see a correlation between the Greek and Roman gods and modern-day billionaires? Were the myths and legends allegorical references to the ancient elites?

The parallels between ancient mythological figures and modern wealthy elites are striking, though the relationship is more complex than direct allegory.

Ancient myths often reflect the social and political realities of their time. The Greek and Roman gods displayed many characteristics we associate with powerful elites: they were capricious, competitive, prone to excess, and operated by different rules than ordinary mortals. Zeus’s serial infidelities, the gods’ petty rivalries, and their casual destruction of human lives when it suited their purposes mirror criticisms often leveled at today’s ultra-wealthy.

However, these weren’t typically direct allegories for specific historical figures. Instead, they represented archetypal patterns of power and human nature that transcend any particular era. The gods embodied both the allure and the dangers of unchecked power - they could be beneficent patrons or destructive forces, often within the same story.

The correlation you’re noticing likely stems from consistent patterns in how concentrated power operates across cultures and centuries. Today’s tech billionaires, reshaping society according to their visions; oil magnates, influencing global politics; or media moguls, controlling the information flow, echo the mythological theme of powerful beings whose personal decisions have vast consequences for ordinary people.

Ancient audiences would have recognized these power dynamics in their societies - wealthy patricians, merchant princes, and political dynasties who seemed to live by different rules. The myths served both as entertainment and as a way to process the reality of extreme inequality and arbitrary power.

So while not literal allegories, these stories do capture enduring truths about how concentrated wealth and power function in human societies, which is why the parallels feel so resonant today.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Democracy, Economics, Education, Existentialism

Carrie Buck and her mother (left panel) were both labelled as “feebleminded,” shorthand for unintelligent and undesirable. In the 1927 the Supreme Court case, Buck v. Bell, judges endorsed the surgical sterilization of Carrie Buck, who was pregnant due to rape at age 16. Officials at the institution where she was sent to keep the pregnancy secret wanted to sterilize her to prevent her from passing her perceived feeblemindedness to future generations. The landmark decision set a legal precedent for the roughly 60,000 other forced sterilizations that followed. (Right panel) Chief Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. who presided over the case.

Unfit to Breed: America’s Dark Tale of Eugenics: Former NIDDK Director Allen Spiegel Gives History of Medicine Lecture, Megan Kalomiris, NIAIDS

Eugenics is the scientifically erroneous and immoral theory of “racial improvement” and “planned breeding,” which gained popularity during the early 20th century. Eugenicists worldwide believed that they could perfect human beings and eliminate so-called social ills through genetics and heredity. They believed the use of methods such as involuntary sterilization, segregation, and social exclusion would rid society of individuals deemed by them to be unfit.

Scientific racism is an ideology that appropriates the methods and legitimacy of science to argue for the superiority of white Europeans and the inferiority of non-white people whose social and economic status have been historically marginalized. Like eugenics, scientific racism grew out of:

• The misappropriation of revolutionary advances in medicine, anatomy, and statistics during the 18th and 19th centuries.
• Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution through the mechanism of natural selection. Gregor Mendel’s laws of inheritance.
• Eugenic theories and scientific racism drew support from contemporary xenophobia, antisemitism, sexism, colonialism, and imperialism, as well as justifications of slavery, particularly in the United States.

National Human Genome Research Institute: Eugenics and Scientific Racism

Figure 1: Francis Galton.

© 2008 Eugenics Archive at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. All rights reserved. 

British scientist Francis Galton (Figure 1) is perhaps best known for his studies that compared the behavioral differences between dizygotic and monozygotic twins, or perhaps for his statistical innovations, including the concepts of chi square, regression, and correlation. What many people don't realize, however, is that Galton was also the creator of the field of eugenics. In an 1869 work, Galton assembled biographical information from obituaries and other sources and constructed pedigrees of leading English families, concluding that superior intelligence and abilities were inherited with an efficiency of 20%. From this work, he coined the term "eugenics," meaning "well-born," and theorized that humanity could be improved by encouraging the fittest members of society to have more children.

Galton's ideas soon gained popularity both at home and abroad. In the United States, the eugenics movement hit its stride in the early 1900s, when increased interest in the genetics of animal breeding coincided with the rediscovery of Mendel's 1865 work demonstrating the inheritance patterns of certain characteristics in pea plants. Charles Davenport, a chicken breeder and agriculturalist, was one of the first American scientists to embrace Mendelian genetics. Through his studies of large families, Davenport uncovered valuable information regarding the inheritance of conditions such as albinism and neurofibromatosis. However, Davenport's involvement in the eugenics movement would soon overshadow these accomplishments.

Human Testing, the Eugenics Movement, and IRBs, Karen Norrgard, Ph.D. (Write Science Right) © 2008 Nature Education
Citation: Norrgard, K. (2008). Human testing, the eugenics movement, and IRBs. Nature Education 1(1):170

Yeas: 218. Nays: 214

On the "Big, Ugly Bill" (Bub).

Eugenics (noun): the study of how to arrange reproduction within a human population to increase the occurrence of heritable characteristics regarded as desirable. Developed largely by Sir Francis Galton as a method of improving the human race, eugenics was increasingly discredited as unscientific and racially biased during the 20th century, especially after the adoption of its doctrines by the Nazis to justify their treatment of Jews, disabled people, and other minority groups.

The illusion of perfection.

I posit in this posting that eugenics is the only way to understand policies leading to an "Alligator Alcatraz." It is not only calling back to a halcyon past that never existed, but it is actively trying to accomplish a pure ethno-state using brute force, tactics made infamous by Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and projecting the pejoratives “communist” and "socialist,” oblivious to the definitions and distinctions. And like any political or economic philosophy, including capitalism, some insiders will "game the system" so that it only benefits their group, and leaves the rest looking to the state for guidance, bewildered and unmoored.

However, as is my habit of late, and Claude.ai hasn’t given me any indication that it’s gone full-Skynet (yet), I posed the following question:

“What is the likely outcome of a society that organizes itself to follow the pseudoscience of eugenics?”

The AI titled its answer as:

“Consequences of Eugenic Social Organization.”

A society organized around eugenic principles would likely face severe and destructive outcomes across multiple dimensions:

Human rights violations and persecution:

Eugenics inevitably leads to systematic discrimination and violence against groups deemed “unfit.” Historical examples show this progresses from forced sterilizations to genocide, as seen in Nazi Germany where eugenic ideology provided justification for the Holocaust.

Social fragmentation and conflict:

Creating hierarchies of human worth generates deep social divisions, resentment, and instability. Groups targeted for persecution may resist, while others may compete to avoid being classified as “inferior,” leading to widespread social tensions.

Loss of genetic diversity:

Contrary to eugenic goals, reducing human genetic diversity actually weakens populations by eliminating potentially beneficial traits and increasing vulnerability to diseases. Many traits considered “undesirable” may carry hidden advantages or become valuable under changing conditions.

Scientific and cultural stagnation:

Suppressing entire groups eliminates their potential contributions to knowledge, arts, and innovation. Many individuals who might have made significant discoveries or cultural contributions would be prevented from doing so.

Institutional corruption:

The apparatus needed to implement eugenic policies corrupts legal, medical, and educational institutions. Professionals become complicit in persecution rather than serving their intended purposes.

Economic inefficiency:

Excluding capable individuals from participation based on arbitrary biological criteria wastes human resources and reduces overall productivity and innovation.

Moral degradation:

A society that treats some humans as inherently less valuable experiences a breakdown in ethical foundations that typically extends beyond the targeted groups.

The fundamental flaw in eugenics is that it’s based on scientifically incorrect assumptions about heredity, human worth, and social progress, making any society built on these principles inherently unstable and destructive.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Claude could have written today’s headlines.

Source: https://youtu.be/m9DmPRO4MPQ?si=PEyFXaHMGP2Wb9-j

Topics: Artificial Intelligence, Civilization, Existentialism, Philosophy

To Claude.ai: "What is the likely outcome of the United States and Israel attacking the nation of Iran on suspicion of having nuclear weapons?"

An attack on Iran by the US and Israel would likely have severe and far-reaching consequences across multiple dimensions:

**Regional Military Response**

Iran would likely retaliate through its extensive network of proxy forces across the Middle East, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, various militias in Iraq and Syria, and the Houthis in Yemen. This could trigger a broader regional conflict involving multiple countries and non-state actors.

**Economic Disruption**

Iran could attempt to close or disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of global oil passes. This would cause significant spikes in oil prices and global economic disruption. Iran might also target critical infrastructure in neighboring Gulf states.

**International Relations**

Such an attack would likely strain relationships with key allies, particularly European nations, and could push Russia and China closer to Iran. It might also complicate relationships with regional partners who prefer diplomatic solutions.

**Nuclear Escalation Risk**

Paradoxically, an attack might accelerate rather than prevent Iranian nuclear weapons development, as Iran could withdraw from international agreements and monitoring entirely. Historical precedent suggests that countries under existential threat often prioritize weapons programs.

**Humanitarian Impact**

Military action would likely result in significant civilian casualties and could destabilize an already fragile region, potentially creating refugee crises and further humanitarian challenges.

**Domestic Consequences**

In Iran, an attack could strengthen hardline elements and undermine moderate voices, while potentially rallying the population around the government despite current internal tensions.

The complexity and interconnectedness of Middle Eastern geopolitics make it difficult to contain the effects of such military action, which is why diplomatic solutions are generally preferred by the international community.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Oh, well...

Opening AYELE NUBIAN WARRIOR ACTIVITY TABLET #1

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Topics: African Americans, Civics, Civil Rights, Democracy, Existentialism, Human Rights

It's been a while since I've posted.

I've been busy at my federal work, a large part of it after rescinding all previous telework agreements. I am now commuting an hour and ten minutes to and from my work site five days a week, in good traffic. Some of my coworkers drive two and two-and-a-half hours one way, five days a week, four to five hours daily. It could be worse than it is.

Regardless, I'm exhausted, and that, per the OMB director, seems to be the point. However, recalling the sage wisdom of our ancestor, General Colin Powell:

"You need to understand, if you take out a government, take out a regime, guess who becomes the government and regime and is responsible for the country? You are. So if you break it, you own it."

Meaning (to me at least), the consequences of "traumatizing federal workers" will be felt in myriad ways. We are experiencing some of that ownership in how flights are no longer routine, safe, and guaranteed to land without spectacular crashes. Foreign countries and private entities are soliciting fired federal workers with Master's and PhDs with the assurance that their work will continue. There are legions of federal workers between your FEMA relief, your Social Security checks, and your VA benefits. Once this delicate balance of competency and bureaucracy is broken, it will take a generation to convince the best and brightest to consider federal work. For those who complain that federal workers are lazy or stupid, it may become a self-fulfilling prophecy as only the stupid will dare apply.

"I don't want to abolish government. I simply want to reduce it to a size where I can drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub." Grover Norquist, Interview on NPR's Morning Edition, May 25, 2001. "Mission accomplished."

1865 to 1945 is 80 years, as is 1945 to 2025. At the end of the Second World War, my father was still a second-class citizen. Soldiers and sailors of color were offered "trade school," while their Anglo-Saxon counterparts were given the full GI Bill for education through their doctorates, VA loans to purchase homes, and build wealth. The inequality was built into the system my father had to endure, but he, and African American veterans like him, from Crispus Attucks to Colin Powell, have endured time and again, save this republic for the promissory note written in the Declaration of Independence: if "all men are [not] created equal," they should have stated so clearly from the nation's beginning. In 80 years of Civil Rights, led initially by African American veterans like Medgar Evers, we still struggle with this false hierarchy created in this country when Europeans became "white."

I have decided to limit posts to weekends, off the clock, as I am on this federal holiday.

I am still proud to be the son of Robert Harrison Goodwin. I am still proud of his service.

Happy Memorial Day, Pop.

• "Sinners" is a cinematic masterpiece that effortlessly blends humor, emotion, and music into an unforgettable experience. From start to finish, the film captivates with its superb acting and engaging performances. The plot is a rollercoaster of unexpected twists and turns, keeping the audience on their toes and eagerly anticipating what comes next. The soundtrack is nothing short of amazing, perfectly complementing the film's emotional highs and lows. Both the director and actors have done a phenomenal job in bringing this story to life. It's not often that a film makes you want to laugh, cry, rejoice and dance in one sitting. I wholeheartedly recommend watching "Sinners" for yourself to witness its brilliance firsthand.

I am extremely honored that our blog Black Science Fiction Society Blog - https://blacksciencefictionsociety.com/profiles/blogshas been selected as one of the Top 20 African American Book Blogs on the web. Currently we are number eight!

https://bloggers.feedspot.com/african_american_book_blogs/ This is the most comprehensive list of Top 20 African American Book Blogs on the internet and I'm honored to be a part of this! 1000 thanks for your gracious support! It is sincerely appreciated.

Masaki Kashiwara—Abel Prize Laureate 2025. Peter Badge/Typos1/The Abel Prize

Topics: Abel Prize, Mathematics, Modern Physics, Research

Masaki Kashiwara, this year’s Abel Prize winner, co-founded a new field of mathematics called algebraic analysis.

One of the landmarks of Kyoto, the home of mathematician Masaki Kashiwara, is the Kamo River. At certain points, there are stepping stones that allow residents to cross the river away from the bridges. If you take a closer look at these stones, you can see how the water forms swirls and small eddies around them. Describing this flow of a liquid is not easy. You have to solve complicated equations that have been known for centuries but still pose many mysteries today: Do the equations always have a solution? How can they be calculated? And what properties do they have? It seems that mathematicians have reached a limit with the tools of their trade. To make progress, a new toolbox is needed. The Japanese mathematician Masaki Kashiwara developed such a toolbox for similarly difficult questions in the 1970s.

Kashiwara introduced proven methods from algebra into analysis—the theory underlying calculus that explores functions, limits, and other concepts—and, together with his colleagues, founded an entirely new branch of mathematics: algebraic analysis. This led to significant advances in various fields. For example, Kashiwara succeeded in solving one of the problems posed by mathematician David Hilbert in the early 20th century and developed new techniques that are now used in modern physics.

Kashiwara “has proved astonishing theorems with methods no one had imagined. He has been a true mathematical visionary,” read a recent press release from the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters, which honored him with this year’s Abel Prize—one of the highest honors in mathematics.

Kashiwara was born near Tokyo in 1947. He discovered his passion for mathematics at an early age through traditional Japanese puzzles known as tsurukamezan. These puzzles involve correctly calculating the number of cranes and turtles: Suppose x heads and y legs are visible. How many cranes and turtles are there? Kashiwara’s parents didn’t have much exposure to the abstract subject, but the young Masaki enjoyed solving this problem using algebraic methods.

Abel Prize Goes to Pioneer Whose ‘Math Toolbox’ Can Be Used to Describe the Natural World, Manon Bischoff, Gary Stix (Editor), Scientific American

The Digital AYELE NUBIAN WARRIOR Coloring & Activity Tablet #1 - Batoda

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(POSTER ABOVE ILLUSTRATED BY CJ JUZANG, COLORED BY DAMALI BEATTY)

MARCH MADNESS BRINGS

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Continuing the Fantasy Sword and Soul DIGITAL Comic book. Woman Warrior NJERI CHASIKU and twin
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A branching blood vessel network fabricated using the ESCAPE process to form complex tissues. This image shows the cell nuclei color-coded based on height.

Credit: Subramanian Sundaram, Boston University and Wyss Institute, Harvard University

Topics: 3D Printing, Additive Manufacturing, Biology, Tissue Engineering

The manufacturing technique known as 3D printing, now being used everywhere, from aircraft manufacturers to public libraries, has never been more affordable or accessible. Biomedical engineering has particularly benefited from 3D printing as prosthetic devices can be produced and tested more rapidly than ever before. However, 3D printing still faces challenges when printing living tissues, partly due to their complexity and fragility.

Now, with support from the U.S. National Science Foundation, a research team at Boston University (BU) and the Wyss Institute at Harvard University has pioneered the use of gallium, a metal that can be molded at room temperature, to create tissue structures in various shapes and sizes.

This innovative approach to fabrication, engineered sacrificial capillary pumps for evacuation (ESCAPE), was highlighted in a recent study published in Nature, where the team used gallium casts to mold biomaterials. The scaffolds left behind by these casts are then filled with cells cultured to form tissue structures. Vascular structures were some of the first produced using ESCAPE, particularly because of the challenges faced due to blood vessel complexity. Few techniques exist to build large (millimeter-scale) and small (micrometer-scale) structures in scaffolds made of natural materials, making this multiscale fabrication capability a novel approach.

"ESCAPE can be used on several tissue architectures, but we started with vascular forms because blood vessel networks feature many different length scales," said Christopher Chen, director of BU's Biological Design Center and senior author on the study. Chen is also the deputy director of CELL-MET, an NSF Engineering Research Center at BU funded by a $34 million award from NSF, and co-principal investigator on the award for the NSF Science and Technology Center for Engineering MechanoBiology at the University of Pennsylvania. "Our blood vessel demonstrations include trees with many branches, including dead ends and portions that experience fluid flow. This allows us to model a range of healthy structures as well as diseased abnormalities."

Biofabricating human tissues enhanced through use of gallium, National Science Foundation

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Continuing the Fantasy Sword and Soul Comic book. GIZA MGANGA has ruled for 4,000 seasons... nothing escapes his reach. Not even BABU KARUME, or AYELE NUBIAN WARRIOR. In MAHOMA, interruptions of a religious ceremony by TAJI WARLORDS begin to cause major problems within the MAHOMAN community.

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In 2012 the 1895 pastel-on-cardboard version fetched almost $120 million (£75 million) at Sotheby’s in New York (Credit: The Scream 1895/Edvard Munch)

Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Democracy, Existentialism, Fascism

An entry in Munch’s diary, dated 22 January 1892, recorded the inspiration for The Scream: “I was walking along the road with two friends – the sun went down – I felt a gust of melancholy – suddenly the sky turned a bloody red. I stopped, leaned against the railing, tired to death – as the flaming skies hung like blood and sword over the blue-black fjord and the city – my friends went on – I stood there trembling with anxiety – and I felt a vast infinite scream through nature.” -- What is the meaning of The Scream? Alastair Sooke, BBC, 3 March 2016

If you feel exhaustion from the weeks of nonsense, let me give you some perspective.

In my family, I've experienced two members of my family who had mental health issues. Both were older than me, so by age and station I wanted to afford them respect. One in particular had substance abuse issues. The other was my direct caretaker, as I was too young to have a key to our home. This person did the most bizarre things, like eating chips all day on a couch that attracted mice, the ones I could see scurrying under the couch. Asking why they would do that would engender a defensive argument where no cogent points of logic were used, just emotion, irrationality, and hutzpah. My substance abuse relative was my father's nephew, who couldn't live on his own, so when he got back from Vietnam, he retired to his old bedroom and abused alcohol. When he needed money to get more liquor, he would attack my aunt, and my father often had to intervene.

When you deal with individuals who have mental health issues, they exhaust you because you're constantly trying to get to a modicum of normalcy. You exhaust a considerable amount of brain power trying to come up with the argument, the "zinger" that will put the matter to rest, that will "win" an argument with a sociopath. You'd have better luck playing chess with Hannibal Lecter, hoping not to be in his next pâté.

It always comes to a head.

My cousin decided it was a great idea to break a beer bottle over my father's head. My cousin had the sudden, painful reminder (the hard way) that Pop was ranked Middle Weight Golden Gloves in the United States Navy in World War Two. It wasn't pretty.

My caretaker, in an argument with my mom and me, found a wooden mallet in an old toy tool chest I had and tried to hit my mother! I was big enough to put her in a "full Nelson" like I saw on the National Wrestling Federation. My caretaker was fired, and put on a bus to relatives in Washington. My mother gave me a key with the pronouncement "You're GROWN!" The next day, I opened the house to peaceful, and studious solitude.

Everything in this insanity will come to a head. Reality, whether beer bottle, mallet, new pandemic, war, recession, or depression, will have to be confronted. Gaslighting is the tool of an abuser, but it has zero effects on financial markets, or physics.

"Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." -- James Baldwin

It will be exhausting, like the storm that hit North Carolina Wednesday: a small tornado touched down in Winston-Salem, there was a watch in Greensboro, and torrential rain where I was sitting in Durham. My three friends and I decided to stay inside and have lunch in the cafeteria. It was a wise choice. After the storms: sunlight and clear skies. As the BBC article eludes in bold and quotes, "We all scream." In confronting insanity, this is normal.

There will be a price for confrontation, and always a prize for confrontation.

Push to sunlight, clear skies past the storm, and off-year elections and midterms.

That is the meaning of "The Scream." We all scream, before sunlight, and clearer skies.

Topics: Materials Science, Nanomaterials, Phonons, Quantum Computers, Quantum Mechanics, Superconductors

Argonne researchers have developed a cutting-edge technique to study atomic vibrations near material interfaces, opening doors to new quantum applications in computing and sensing.

Scientists are racing to develop new materials for quantum technologies in computing and sensing for ultraprecise measurements. For these future technologies to transition from the laboratory to real-world applications, a much deeper understanding is needed of the behavior near surfaces, especially those at interfaces between materials. 

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have unveiled a new technique that could help advance the development of quantum technology. Their innovation, surface-sensitive spintronic terahertz spectroscopy (SSTS), provides an unprecedented look at how quantum materials behave at interfaces.

“This technique allows us to study surface phonons — the collective vibrations of atoms at a material’s surface or interface between materials,” said Zhaodong Chu, a postdoctoral researcher at Argonne and first author of the study. ​“Our findings reveal striking differences between surface phonons and those in the bulk material, opening new avenues for research and applications.”

In materials such as crystals, atoms form repeating patterns called lattices, which can vibrate in waves known as phonons. While much is understood about phonons in the bulk material, little is known about surface phonons — those occurring within nanometers of an interface. The team’s research reveals that surface phonons behave differently, enabling unique quantum behaviors such as interfacial superconductivity.

New nanoscale technique unlocks quantum material secrets, Joseph E. Harmon, Argonne National Laboratories

The "woolly mouse" was developed by Colossal Biosciences by editing genes to give the mouse a bushier, thicker coat, akin to that of the extinct woolly mammoth. Colossal

Topics: Biology, Biotechnology, Research

Note: I had a pet hamster named "Woolly," that looked remarkably like this one. I'm sure cloning wasn't at this point decades ago. He sadly only lasted a little over a year.

The biotech company Colossal Biosciences has long aspired to bring back the extinct woolly mammoth, which roamed the Northern Hemisphere thousands of years ago, during the last ice age. But for now, as a step along the way, the company has come up with something decidedly less mammoth: meet the woolly mouse.

On Tuesday Colossal announced this lab-born animal, which features shaggy, mammothlike fur and has cold-adapted traits such as the way in which it stores and burns fat. Researchers retrieved and sequenced ancient mammoth DNA from preserved skin, bone and hair to learn which genes controlled traits such as coat color and cold tolerance. They altered the corresponding genes in lab mice and made other alterations in the rodents’ genome.

What was the purpose of this feat of genetic engineering? Colossal’s pitch is that, with biodiversity going the way of the dodo (which the company also hopes to resurrect), saving existing species will require tweaking their DNA to make them more resilient. The researchers at the company also claim that bringing back extinct species can help the environment. For example, they say mammoths can help fight climate change by tamping down Arctic permafrost, reducing how much of it is thawing and releasing methane into the atmosphere. Company co-founder and CEO Ben Lamm puts the approach in startling terms: “Why leave nature to chance?” In pursuit of such “de-extinction” goals, Colossal has raised hundreds of millions of dollars from celebrities to the CIA.

Company Seeking to Resurrect the Woolly Mammoth Creates a 'Woolly Mouse', Adam Popescu, Andrea Thompson, Scientific American