Air Touch Interfaces (holographic)
These interfaces are fairly straightforward. They’re linked to a users CyberComm device (see below) which is adapted to the individual user’s access rights and levels. The user sees the interface via the visual implant which is part of the CyberComm design.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is extremely popular in the early twenty-first century and has become an important marketing tool for selling a plethora of products. The field of AI covers numerous approaches and technologies but there are two main branches that are of interest to us.
The first type of AI consists in the training of software to perform tasks which require vast amounts of examples and to perform these tasks very rapidly using advanced algorithms. Forms of this type include: search engines, social media and digital assistants. They're often wrapped in an interface which make them seem uncannily close to humans. But while these solutions can be very sophisticated and powerful, they aren't really 'intelligent' in the normal sense.
The second type of AI seeks to truly create an intelligent being based on technology and follows two paths to make this happen.
One path brings us into the world of neuropsychology and neural networks. Scientists working in this area are looking at how we can come to understand the workings of the brain to the point that we can duplicate its functioning in software and hardware; this is often referred to as 'strong AI'. It is extremely challenging and there's no doubt that we'll eventually figure it out. However, our success with targeted AI or 'weak AI' like financial algorithms or search engines makes the quest for 'strong AI' less immediately necessary.
The other path to perfecting a 'strong AI' consists of using whole brain emulation whereby the human brain is scanned and downloaded into technology which then drives the mind. The premise of SPECIATION is based on this option.
Astronomy
The story doesn’t venture outside the Solar system. There are no imaginary planets or characteristics. All the facts like gravity, weather and geology about the Earth, the Moon, Mars and the Asteroid belt for example, are accurate.
Centrifugal Gravity
The centrifugal gravity used on the International Space Station is based upon existing technology. It is created using centrifugal force like when you turn a car or an aircraft at high speed.
CyberComm
Cybernetics and Robotics
Dark Energy
Genetic Engineering
Harvest Ambient Electromagnetic Energy
The wireless transfer of electricity already exists in wireless chargers for the home and your car. Google has this patent for harvesting ambient electromagnetic energy for small electric devices. Read this IEEE article for more details.
Nanotech
Like genetic engineering, nanotechnology in the story is the same field as today. In the timeline of the story nanotech is assumed to have made considerable advances both in its technical aspects and its areas of application.
Quantum Computing
Quantum computers today are in the early stages of development. In the story, a major breakthrough occurs which provides Dr. Francine Graham with a quantum computer that makes it possible for her to encapsulate the human mind using whole brain emulation.
Quantum Entangled Communications
Satellites
Satellites in SPECIATION are satellites. The difference is that by the time we get to the timeline of the story, technology has progressed to the point that the satellites have more advance capabilities, no surprise there.
Spacetime Drive
The concept of the spacetime drive was inspired by the work of Dr. Miguel Alcubierre (The warp drive: hyper-fast travel within general relativity. Classical and Quantum Gravity. 11 (5): L73– L77). A propulsion system that is powered by dark energy. It expands spacetime behind the ship and contracts it in front. It can be used without inertial dampers since the ship doesn’t move in space, it’s displaced in spacetime, inside a bubble. Also, the ship can’t hit anything because, technically, it isn’t moving. An external observer will see the ship only if they’re moving at the same rate along a parallel path. The ship can cover distances at relative velocities much faster than the speed of light.
Stasis (cryogenic not by stopping time)
Stasis pods in the story are cryogenic, not time based as no plausible solution seems likely at this time. Even cryogenic stasis is iffy as it could only be used for short periods; none of this 100 year long colonisation. The most likely use of the pods is for therapeutic purposes such as keeping someone alive until help is available or to extend the range of available supplies while in space or in a remote location.
Room Temperature Superconductivity
This is something which is very close to becoming a practical, if expensive, reality. Superconductivity is already used in various applications like quantum computing. The room temperature variety is very close as explained in Superconductivity; A very short introduction.
Vactrains
A vactrain is an electric train which travels inside a vacuum tunnel or tube. Since there's no resistance within the tube, the train can travel very quickly. Kai also improved the design by adding room temperature superconductivity.
Science That's Out
Spacewalks at a Moments Notice
Spacewalks present challenges similar to diving in water. The ambient pressure variation between our body and the environment we immerse our body into acts upon the gases in our blood. If you want to see how this works, take a lab beaker with a stopper connected to a pump. Pump out the air from the beaker and the water will start to boil at room temperature because of the reduction in pressure exerted upon the water.
This is what happens when a diver comes to the surface too quickly or an astronaut goes into the vacuum of space without the appropriate preparation.
Obviously, like gravity aboard spaceships, forcing astronauts to wait 24 hours to prepare for a spacewalk cramps the writers style when it comes to action-oriented scenes aboard spaceships.
Artificial Gravity
Even Kai, the ASI in the story, can't figure out how to create artificial gravity. As she puts it: “Gravity can’t be artificially created, I’ve tried. Although we know that graviton particles create gravity, we just can’t figure out how to concentrate their effect onto something as small as a spaceship.” The facilities on the moon have no gravity over and above the normal moon's gravity which is 1/6 the gravity of Earth.
If SPECIATION was a movie or a TV show, the writers would almost certainly add artificial gravity. But, since readers can create anything in their own minds, the challenges associated with producing scenes without gravity aren't a problem.
Time Travel
There just isn't any science which can explain the Star Trek type of shenanigans that we've seen over the years. Groundhog Day is a great Buddhist movie but it's not possible.
Science That's In but Ambivalent
Branes
The concept of the brane drive was inspired by the work of Dr Paul J. Steinhardt and Dr Neil Turok (Endless Universe: Beyond the Big Bang, ISBN 978-0-385-50964-0). It’s foundation is string theory.
It allows a ship to travel between branes or membranes. The science behind the brane drive is solid. What isn't so solid is the application of the science to create a multiverse method of displacement, but it would be cool.
Cold Fusion
Cold fusion doesn't seem to be coming soon. In fact, most scientists don't
really think that physics makes it even possible. But, fusion exists, like room temperature superconductivity, it's
the temperature that's the problem. I'm betting that an artificial superintelligence will figure it out.
Evolution (not the science, its interpretation in the novel)
The principle's of evolution are, for the most part, followed within the novel. There is one salient exception; it is when I call the mindossier beings a subspecies of humans. Technically, it makes no sense to say that software or hardware has any place at all within the biological classification categories. You could make an argument for the inclusion of such beings as a new Kingdom or, more appropriately, as a new Domain. You would have to rename the classification scheme to the Lifeform Classification Categories.
I call them a subspecies because I feel that the path taken in the novel is from biological brain to hardware brain. This new brain, based on hardware, then develops exceedingly quickly because of the advantages of the hardware. It's the same mind that initially moves into the new, improved, version of the brain and that presents us with two versions of humans, like Homo sapiens and Homo erectus or Homo neanderthalensis.
Shields
Force fields or shields
in the story are based on magnesium diboride magnets and a
superconducting design to create an extremely powerful but small-sized
shield generator.
Transmutation Engine (Kai's Symphonizer)
Nuclear transmutation exists in the Universe and is at the origin of all the elements that now exist. The Universe started with only hydrogen and helium. The stars have given us so much more since then.
The symphonizer invented by Kai in SPECIATION is definitely a big stretch. It reeks of alchemy but, in my defense, I make no claims that it can turn lead into gold.
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