Dr. Tyson, You are going to get a kick out of this...
https://coolscifi.com/threads/describe-something-scifi.48378/
>Highlights<
An exercise in creative writing. In a paragraph or three, describe something that fits into the Science Fiction genre. Something you made up yourself.
Some Subject ideas:
A futuristic weapon or weapon system
A planetary defense system
A spaceship or starship (Interior or Exterior)
Futuristic clothes
Scifi handhelds
Futuristic computing systems
Futuristic furniture or appliances
Areas of deep space - voids, nebulae or clusters
1st appearance of new planets or moons
Effects of stars with different attributes than the Sun
1st Sight of alien life
Describe an intelligent alien
A unique civilization
A unique society concept
The Effects of emerging from cryo-sleep
The Effects of Faster than Light travel
The Effects of high gravity on evolution
The Effects of low gravity on evolution
A habit of an alien culture (smoking, drinking, doing drugs, etc...)
Futuristic human habits
Futuristic human diseases/afflictions
A new use for an old item
Finally... Everything you write is yours. You may do as you please with any content you write yourself.
Short Story Ideas?
Aliens addicted to a device like people are addicted to phones...
A radical group that un-invents technology and the repercussions of such an event
Discovery of very high technology microbial life forms
Discovery of evidence of ancient advanced technology on Pluto or in the Oort Cloud
A response to the Voyager message as soon as it passes beyond the Heliopause. Realization that the Sun's shock boundary insulates us from heavy alien communication systems.
AI Singularity occurs by accident in a slacker's computer in his/her Mom's basement. Said AI saturates the entire planet.
The discovery and isolation of a solar wavelength that renders all power sources obsolete and its collector is a simple solar panel the size of your thumb.
The discovery of a vibration frequency that causes steerable dimensional vortexes that can be traveled.
The discovery of a gravity particle that can be manipulated.
Discovery of an enzyme in the deep ocean that instantly repairs body cells and cascades the effect.
What if Life as we know it is not Life as it really is?
For a moment, consider this:
Life may be a planetary force that is a single lifeform and all the plants, animals and germs are part of that as a whole instead of individual life forms.
What we think of as separate individuals are really nothing more than manifestations of a single living thing.
Considering that we are within the Universe and we think, feel and dream, Isn't it likely that the Universe thinks, feels and dreams? Is it aware of our sentience even tho we are not aware of its? I'm 53 Solar Cycles but the Universe is 14 billion years old or more. Given that much time and the uncertainty of Chaos, the Universe could be the supreme intelligent life form. All other life within it is just a manifestation of itself.
The Alien ship appeared in the center of the armada, pulsed once and disappeared again. I watched the horror unfold as the pulse radiated thru the fleet, jamming my control stick into a vertical dive to purchase safety from it.
The pulse passed thru the immediate ships effortlessly and continued out in a blossom of death. I watched in sadness as each ship slowly dissolved into atomic dust. The few ships that were able to maneuver from the horizontal radius of it streamed off in all directions like a swarm of bees.
There were some remaining ships that only partially escaped and they were dissolved in all manner of ways. Half-dissolved panels and structures littered space along with partially dissolved people.
The weapon they used was indefensible. It was some type of pulsing wave that destabilizes the atomic bonds that hold atoms together. Its edge cuts like a knife and the pulse wave scatters the elements that made the matter like a blast wave.
The only saving grace is that it radiates outward on a plane similar to a ripple in a pond and is only about a kilometer wide and dissipates in less than a minute. The biggest fear is we have no idea how to track the alien ships and the pulse recharge time is unknown.
Too small of an effect to endanger Earth but it would certainly split the moon.
Was this a small weapon or their largest?
Who are they and where are they from?
Are they heading for our Sol System?
Is there a defensive strategy?
How do we track their ships?
Too many questions, Too much death and destruction and this is but our first contact. (Higgs-Boson Manipulation?)
History will write that it was Mankind's first megastructure.
Poets and singers will tell the tale of the world's first cultural union.
People will forget the significance and accept it as a normal condition.
It's really quite remarkable...
The Filament is what its called.
Covering the entire planet is a tiny web of conductive nano structure mesh.
It absorbs energy in all forms. From sunlight to movement. Storing the energy within itself.
Energy that can be tapped with a simple RF-type signal.
No more fossil fuel, no more wind turbines, solar panels, batteries or power plants. No more wires, fuel tanks or collectors. No condensers or amplifiers and most important, no maintenance required.
At the sea floor, in the deepest trench to the highest peak of a mountain. A continual covering, absorbing, gathering and releasing. Stretching and growing along our changing planet surface.
Cortez One Probe
Mission:
Send back molecular signatures from the interstellar void.
Application:
Use the molecular signatures to construct molecules and elements found beyond the Solar Bow Shock Boundary.
Practical Applications:
Diarite - Elemental construct harder than natural diamonds but silicon based
Pheophren - Blood additive that carries more oxygen
Triazatine - Additive that makes carbon nano-tubes mutable
Aminoblyte - Genetic absorptive that renders all genetic switches turned on
Many, many more...
Duration:
Fission powered mechanically indefinite lifespan. Funded by marketing of new materials and patents.
Controlling Institution:
UWSA - United World Space Authority
Ketchup - Who Knew?
Back in the early years of the 21st Century mankind was helpless against the effects of cosmic rays.
All until a simple space accident by hungry astronaut.
Randy Boudir haphazardly sprayed a packet of Ketchup onto a cosmic ray detector in the old ISS.
He hurriedly commenced to clean up that awful red mess from the sensor and noticed it had stopped registering any cosmic rays. As he wiped the mess away, the detector once again started spurting forth data.
On a hunch, Randy spread more ketchup onto the detector and it went eerily silent again. A simple swipe confirmed his discovery.
Next time you take your trip to one of the outer planets just remember that its only a thin film of ketchup that protects you from a relentless shower of deadly cosmic rays.
Thanx Randy!
PPBs
Personal Plastic Bottles
Nobody remembers how this got started but it is a mega world-wide business now.
It seems humans have adopted a need to carry around their own personal plastic bottle. Some are filled with liquid, some with material and some are empty but everyone carries one.
About the size of a standard 16oz drink bottle they range in color and contents to match each person's personal preference. It's kinda like those old cell phones everyone had to have. I guess when the ocular implants became the communication mainstay they opted for something else to carry around.
I have my own PPB (who doesn't) but it's just not that important for me to always have it in my possession. I've seen people really freak out if they misplace theirs.
Silly Humans...
Deep within the Earth's crust there are a series of fabricated shells of super density. Our hardest drill bits have no bite on that mysterious substance.
It wasn't until the late 21st Century that we discovered the true nature of these constructs.
During the early days of life on this planet all life was anaerobic. These life forms exhaled oxygen and polluted the atmosphere making it deadly to them. They moved underground to escape the hostile oxygen levels.
Over the eons these life forms became sentient and grew. Their scientists mastered the elements and created these huge shells as an airless habitat so they could flourish.
Three Billion Years of evolution resulted in a lifeform that is superior to the surface dwellers in every way.
Now, They want their planet back...
The Sculptor Void
Wormhole Leo1263b opened mankind to new galaxies late in the 31st century. After establishing commercial trade routes and habitat worlds were found we expanded like locusts. Leo1263b had been stable for the last 2000 years according to our historical records. All that changed 73 solar days ago when the wormhole lost stability. Over 1,000 vessels were lost and billions of souls were stranded in the Leo Supercluster. No hope of ever returning or even contacting our empire.
Our end of the wormhole remains stationary but the other end materialized in the Great Sculptor Void.
Probes sent to find the lost ships actually found them, frozen and dead. From the data we received from the probes, before they too went dead, indicated an intelligent force within the Void. A hostile intelligent force.
Their ships emerged into our space shortly after our last probe went silent. Huge black balls with no indications, lights or propulsion method visible. Their attack was strange. According to recordings salvaged later, the huge spheres released a flotilla of pitch black orbs that absorbed all the energy of the ships and crews. We found the ships and everything aboard them completely frozen.
No sign of the strange ship or the mysterious black orbs can be found. It is believed they returned to the Void and the wormhole remains stable. Our scientists are working on a defense for the energy depletion weapon but so far every attempt involves using energy which will just give them more of what they steal.
Back in the 19th Century mankind used projectile weapons. Our weapons currently vaporize their targets using high energy discharges. They are completely futile against this enemy. Projectiles carry kinetic energy which may or may not make them vulnerable to the enemy's absorption spheres. Tests are being made to try freezing the projectiles to near absolute zero in hopes of a stealth impact.
Zycroptionium (once called Dark Matter) may be a defense or a shield since it has properties similar to their orbs. Zy blocks the transference of energy like an inert mass. It neither absorbs or radiates energy. In fact, the enemy's ships appear to be made of it or something similar. Work is currently being done to find a way to coat our ships and the new projectile weapons with Zycroptionium. Zy is expensive and difficult to extract but it can be synthesized. The problem is that the synthesizing process creates a massive energy signature that is sure to be a bright glowing target for the enemy.
We just got notified that Leo1263b is now active. Probe telemetry shows two ships emerging...wait 16..no, 60! My GOD! Its a steady flow and not slowing! 1000, 2600, 4000...
Cell Theory
We thought we knew about plants. We were so wrong.
When Professor March devised a way to increase the sensitivity and speed of his galvanic sensors it was a minor scientific accomplishment. When he hooked them up to a Ficus he expected nothing more than just a bit more response signal. His discovery changed our very way of life.
During his test of the new configuration he externally stimulated different parts of the plant and recorded the results. What he didn't expect was results before the stimulus. The plant was anticipating.
The anticipation was not the only change his detector revealed. The plant was communicating. Communication so subtle and so fast that no detector had ever captured it.
On a whim, Professor March hooked the sensors up to a severed cell and found that not only was the communication happening, it was happening at the cellular level.
The Ficus was subjected to a series of stimuli that defined a yes or no answer. It was tested for prime number logic and not only did it learn quickly it was very good at it.
A Turing test was devised to determine if it had consciousness. The Ficus passed.
Professor March put together a team and started testing random plants the same way. They determined that all plants are conscious and intelligent. Work continues as the team attempts to teach the plants our language. Their response signals are so fast they are able to flash off alphabetical representations of letters with incredible speed. The team have dubbed this ability as "Cellular Response Typing".
The 'Side Effect'
Its been 3 generations since the medical nanites were made mandatory. People stopped dying. Even if someone were to be decapitated simply placing their head near their body initiated auto repair. Children still grew into adults but stopped aging at their physical prime. Below is some of the unexpected side effects of this wonderful technology.
Bathrooms became obsolete.
The nanites break down body waste into its atomic components and reuses the atoms to maintain the body. Houses and buildings started being built without toilet facilities and many older homes had theirs removed.
Medical facilities became obsolete.
Nobody ever got sick anymore. Injuries were healed or prevented by the nanites immediately. Schools and universities closed worldwide. Pharmaceutical companies closed down and there was no need for doctors, nurses or and support personnel.
Funeral homes & cemeteries became obsolete.
Since nobody was dying anymore, there was no need for burial facilities.
Riskier lifestyles became the norm.
Since nanites controlled the pain threshold and make instantaneous body repairs, people were able to perform death defying acts on a regular basis. Personal protection devices and methods became obsolete. Not only could someone walk into a burning building they could jump from an airplane without a chute and work in space without a suit. Volcanologists would drink a solution and the nanites formed a heat barrier around their bodies allowing them to stand in volcano magma.
Reproduction became an lucrative business.
For two people to reproduce, both had to have the nanites reprogrammed to allow their bodies to manufacture the sperm & eggs. Worldwide population growth slowed to a trickle. Children were born with their own nanites and pregnancy only lasted for 5 months. Regional reprogramming facilities sprang up and prospered from the costs.
Explosion of arts.
With longer life came an increase in artistic talent. From drawing to dancing, expressionism became the new drive in people's lives. Great display halls were built and the music recording business failed. Each region had an army of performers that toured to represent them. World domination switched from a power base to a talent base. It was a great honor to be chosen to represent your region and it became the most coveted job in the world.
Explosion of technology.
With the increased creativity there was also a technology explosion. Space and ocean based facilities sprang up at an incredible rate. The Moon and Mars were populated and a new base is being built on Titan supported by the Jupiter/Saturn Mining Corporation. A great space port was constructed at the equator in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Cities sprang up in Antarctica and on the North Pole. High speed magnetic transportation systems were built that allowed worldwide travel in hours.
Personal farming became the standard.
Since the nanites only needed raw materials and very little of those, there was no need for a large food supply. People started eating once per month. Kitchens were removed from homes. Restaurants and grocery stores became obsolete. The nanites in saliva allowed you to consume anything your body needed by just placing your mouth against it. Don't worry, human nanites have protection protocols so you can still kiss your honey.
Wars became obsolete.
Since bodies heal instantaneously war and assaults no longer had any affect. Nanites could morph your body to form a hard protective shell or separate your parts to avoid excessive damage. The world's military forces were disbanded. Weapons were recycled.
Prisons became obsolete.
Using the reprogramming industry, deviant behavior was reprogrammed. Brain damage was repaired and personality disorders were diagnosed and therapy became the new society measure. Huge institutions grew worldwide and each community had their own team of therapists.
Religions became obsolete.
Aside from the few that chose to keep their religions there was no longer a reason to believe in an afterlife. Churches closed and all the drama, fighting and racism related to the opposing views died shortly after. People became content with life and pursued active productive lifestyles in harmony.
The world population is 9,864,799,331. There are 161,800 on the Moon and 78,064 on Mars. Another 50,270 in the outer reaches. We average 700 new souls per year and ZERO deaths.
They're Not Here For Us
Our scientists never detected it until it was as close as Jupiter and slowing down. Strangely, It was coming in above the Solar Plane directly over the Sun. I guess we just weren't looking in the right direction. I mean, It was huge! Estimated to be one quarter the mass of the Sun. So huge that before long you could see it plainly in the daylight sky. It stopped advancing around the distance between Mercury and Venus but directly over the Sun.
The world gazed up at this intruder with frightful eyes. The shining bright rectangle to the east of our familiar star. For 3 weeks mankind questioned its purpose? Its origin? Some people hid in caves and underground shelters. Others went mad with fear. The scientific community agreed that a probe of some type must be launched to gather information on our new huge celestial partner. Eight months later, due to a worldwide pooling of resources the people of planet Earth readied the launch of our mechanical emissary.
The mission would take 4 years to get to the vicinity of the object. We gathered all the information we could with our ground and orbit based instruments. The only thing left was an up close and personal encounter. Eighteen months into the trip the craft went silent. It was still on its way but it was no longer sending back any data at all. Shortly after that the object started to change. You didn't need instruments to see what was happening, all it took was a look in the daylight sky.
You could see that the object was a sorta rectangle box and it was spinning slowly on its axis with the Sun. When the change started it looked like huge flower petals were opening on both ends. It resembled a huge glowing barbell in the sky. The petals opened for 23 days, extending out like a satellite dish on each end. Once both ends were open it stopped moving. What we had was the Sun with a huge glowing dumbbell beside it. Our visitor remained fixed for the next 144 days. Then all hell broke loose.
Suddenly, with no indication of an energy buildup or change in appearance, a huge beam of energy erupted from the end farthest from the Sun. It shot out into the Universe with incredible ferocity. The beam stayed on for 6 full months and it could be seen not only during the day but at night as well. Lighting up our atmosphere in a bright glow. Night turned almost day-like. Then as quickly as it started, it stopped. For the next 31 months it just remained with its barbells extended. Suddenly one day it closed back up.
Sixteen days after it closed our spacecraft started transmitting again. The pictures that were returned showed a giant rectangular box like thing with no indications of structures on the surface. It was smooth. The scientific communities worldwide analyzed the incoming data. It had signatures from the deepest detectable infrared to the fasted gamma. From the data, this thing was hotter than the Sun!
Five months later it changed yet again. This time, like last time, our spacecraft went silent but this time it opened in its midsection. Great spires erupted in all directions. They grew to different sizes at a multitude of angles. The sight in the sky resembled a spike ball with two boxes on either end. The spires grew for 46 days and stopped. Twenty three days later it pulsed something and a cloud could be seen dissipating around it.
The object hit the Earth at the equator in the Pacific Ocean. There was no sound, no shock-wave. Hell, you didn't even see it. It was Doppler that picked it up. Choppers were sent to investigate the area and the found a 2 meter hole in the ocean. The hole didn't refill with water? What the...? A probe was released into the hole and right before it crushed from the pressure it sent back data that there was a solid object located some 300 miles into the Earth. Shortly after that an intense bright beam emitted from the hole and the water closed back in.
The object beside the Sun then closed back up. It left our system shortly after that. Did they try to contact us? What is that object buried so deep in our planet? What does this all mean? During the next year there was great speculation on the strange visitor and the thing they put in the planet. We learned something very important exactly one year to the second from the day that object came to Earth.
One year, to the second, the object emitted a high end gamma pulse directed to the same spot where the Sun's strange companion was at. Its been 30 years since that first pulse but every year, on the second, it pulses again. We have now detected other pulses from celestial bodies in our Solar System as well. The Moon has its own pulse interval as does Venus and all the other planets, moons, asteroids and comets. We have tracked back on the pulses and have discovered millions of new bodies in our system. Asteroids with moons that have moons, comets that have never been detected because they are so distant and infrequent, even Pluto sized planetoids far out in the Oort Cloud. Everything and I do mean everything natural in our Solar System has a gamma signature being directed to that spot.
Our spacecraft, the one we sent so long ago to find out what our visitor was, well it sent back data that there is an object at the very spot where the huge object was. Right above the Sun. The Gamma beams reflect off that object and out into deep space.
The people of Earth are sure they are not alone. The best guess is that our Solar System has been mapped by some outside force. They didn't come to meet us. Its just a mapping program for some Universe Encyclopedia or something. I wonder if we will get tourists?
"We Are The Universe Trying To Figure Itself Out"
Thank You for reading
Tom