Space and the Universe I like to keep up with the topics I am interested in as best I can. I don’t always succeed. These topics include, but are not limited to, UFOs, archaeology, space and more. It also includes science and it seems things have really been advancing in science lately. Many may not have noticed this because it doesn’t ordinarily make the news and there are other areas of science which just seem to be a drag for years and maybe decades. An example of this is nuclear power through fusion. This is a couple of decades long pursuit and it seems every once in a while, we hear or read we are getting close. I even remember a few years ago an announcement by an aerospace company claiming they had built one reactor small enough to fit into a fighter plane, but I don’t know if that was genuine. It does make me wonder however if we have succeeded and it is just another secret that is kept from us? As I write this article, I have to say it will take over a month to get posted, but I want you to know about the SpaceX Falcon rocket which malfunctioned. It was launching satellites. This has become a double problem because there was an idea the two astronauts stranded at the space station because of a malfunctioning Artemis rocket which had five leaks when it got to the space station has yet to be fixed, thus a short trip already as of the time of the writing of this article has turned into over a month and is still being extended without a date for departure*. It seems when problems were first detected with the Artemis, maybe a complete check of all the systems and their parts might have been necessary before launching, but that is just what I think and I am not a scientist. One thing I have come to believe is a computer is not always needed and sometimes makes things worse. First of all, I think we all know by now computers have made it possible for criminals to get all our information and commit crimes against us. When I was a kid, it was impossible for some of the crimes which seem to take place with ease today. That was because one would have to actually break into a bank or other place to steal a person’s money. Today they can be thousands of miles away in some other country and do it. Is that an improvement in our lives? I don’t think so. How about when we go to the doctor’s office and they hand you several sheets of questions every time you go there? If the computers are so helpful they need only to take your info once and a receptionist can just ask you if anything changed when you show up. The fact is they don’t trust you to be able to handle this so they make you refill your history on every visit. One doctor I went to took the ridiculousness even further and gave out the questionnaire in triplicate. I had to complain and was told the sheets were going to three different doctors. Apparently, they never heard of being online with access to others. I have to admit, at first, I thought computers would make our lives better and in some ways they are good to have, but the downside is undeniable. I have to wonder how many times a computer program is responsible either directly or indirectly for a rocket explosion? When I talk about space we just keep finding out about new mysteries and one just came about. Before I get into it, I have to reiterate the fact scientists say they think the universe is about 13.8 billion light years in size. This is why I found an article on Space.com so incredible. It claims we have been able to see a galaxy which is 33.8 billion years old. It seems to me that changes everything. I have to admit I am at a loss to understand how this is possible even after reading the article. I also don’t understand why I have never heard this before? One of the problems in finding new exoplanets is the fact their stars are much brighter than the planet. This tends to blot them out. A telescope was built to help astronomers see these planets and it was named the Gala space telescope. The scope is combined with other instruments to achieve this. It should be quite useful. I don’t know if the next invention I am going to mention will have any use in space, but somehow, I think it might. It is a new way to heat things and do away with radiators. It is a thin film which can be put on a wall or even furniture and can heat a room. It is said to reduce the energy need for heating and if it can be used in space would be a boon to saving on energy. It is predicted it will be on the market next year. It is called Halia. One of the things I wonder about is why are so many scientists willing to accept the concept of the multiverse? It seems to be a rough road to hoe when we are talking about something which cannot be seen and the proof for it is some calculation or formula. There have been a lot of mistakes in scientific beliefs over the centuries and will this prove to just be another one. It is tough to say it might be wrong when so many of our brilliant scientists believe it exists. If it does, what does it mean? I guess there would be no end to universes and the branches which are created. I always heard “keep it simple.” This belief is about as far away as you can get from simple as there is. A very useful microfluidic organic analyzer has been invented. It is said the purpose of the device is to monitor the health of astronauts, but it has another use and that is said to be the detection of life signatures beyond earth. It is said it could detect extraterrestrial life. I‘ll wait on this one until it proves that part of its function. It seems many countries are developing newer rockets for space travel. I would love to know what is going on in secret to replace rockets. We all know no matter how fast they get; it will not be fast enough to explore planets outside the solar system. *Update: The stay for the two astronauts stranded on the International Space Station has been extended to February 2025.
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