Tag Archives: space

Where Is Space?

(Don’t worry, I’m not asking that in the quasi-philosophical manner that sends anyone familiar with relativistic physics screaming for cover.)

On the surface of the planet Earth, there is Something. Lots of somethings, actually; rock and water and dirt and metal and air and loads more besides. By contrast if you were to go out into interplanetary space you would find Nothing. Or at least, almost Nothing; even the hard vacuum of intergalactic space has trace elements of Something in it – a few particles of hydrogen/helium per cubic metre, electromagnetic radiation, possibly even dark matter/dark energy if no better culprit can be found for their effects on the universe – but in general you’d have to work very hard to find somewhere with less Something than outer space. If you get into a rocket and blast off into the heavens, you will at some point transition from the Something-rich environment of Earth to the large quantity of Nothing that makes up outer space.

Continue reading

Tagged , , , ,

Don’t Forget The “Ni”.

Darren asks:

This pops up in video games relatively frequently, and I’ve often wondered:  would it actually be possible for an organism to evolve in (or evolve the capability to survive in) the vacuum of space?  If it’s possible at all, what qualities would they need to have (or what qualities would be especially beneficial) and how complex could such organisms realistically become?

Continue reading

Tagged , , , , , , ,

In The Grim Darkness Of The Far Future There Is Only War.

Innokenti asks

Weapons in space. I imagine Sci-Fi shows lie to us lots about the sort of stuff that might be effective in a space-battle. For example as I understand nukes would only be of minimal use out there in space.

What are the most efficient weapons for space-battles though? (Assuming largely human technology of near-future imagination rather than magic alien energy shields and stuff.)

Continue reading

Tagged , , , , , , , ,