New Landscapes

About this time last year I cast off from America to visit my girlfriend in England. She was in the middle of her PhD studies and I was hammering out a book about space colonization (since published), doing the final edits to my book "The Fact of Evolution" (since published), working on my Introduction to Archaeology text, "Ancestors" (since published), thinking through my balloon project issues and at the same time trying to patch up my relationship with ______.

The stresses were enormous and in hindsight, it's no wonder the relationship fell apart. The stress was such that my hair was falling out and I gained 20 pounds and generally I was a nervous wreck, as they say, socially crippled and emotionally absent.

Today my hair has come back, I am back down to my 1990's 'climbing weight' of 165lb and my stress level--felt directly in my very heart--has dropped massively, particularly after spending time with my extended family this past summer (the best part being a month and a half just living with Mom and Dad every day, making breakfast or sharing dinner).

I wish that I could still have a relationship with ______, because she was, for a time, my best friend. But that is not in the cards, and I will take the punishment of obsession.

I have certainly spent plenty of time in this territory! It is a lonely land, but one of rare and beautiful scapes; sea-, and star-scapes...Visions purchased, at a steep price, with the coin of human engagement.

Forthcoming Radio Interview

On 22 Jan I have a joint radio interview with Dr. Michio Kaku (co-founder of String Theory) and Dr. Robert Zubrin (the peppery head of the Mars Society) regarding human evolution beyond Earth for Michio Kaku's syndicated radio show 'Science Fantastic' (this will be my second radio show with Dr. Kaku).

I need to get my ducks in a row as Dr. Zubrin spits out statistics & quantifiables like a machine gun, while my focus is on processes rather than outcomes, which sound rather 'soft'. So, for the next couple of weeks I will be working on bringing my stats and concretes up to Zubrin-level!

The radio show will be broadcast to over 100 US radio stations the weekend after the 22nd Jan.

Gas Panel Development

After some edits to my textbook at the coffee shop very early this AM (not teaching this quarter, but I am still working :p) I did a few modifications to the Gas Control Panel, which is now, I think, very close to the flyable state. The hoses will be replaced by stainless steel piping later; for the moment they prove the concept and allow some flexibility as I dial in the exact dimensions and layout of the cockpit.

In the photo: top-- breathing gas demand regulator (an old CRU unit, entirely functional but to be refurbished and inspected [and perhaps replaced] before flight), top left -- breathing gas pressure indicator; below this gauge, a chinzy (to be replaced) valve controlling breathing gas pressure; largest gauge -- pressure suit pressure indicator; needle valve below largest gauge -- suit pressurization gas control valve; below this, lever valves to control breathing gas delivery options (1 in center= default=CRU demand regulator, 2=backup #1=foot pedal breathing gas delivery, 3=backup #2=hand lever breathing gas delivery). Close to ready for a full test, now just detecting and knocking out leaks. All valves etc. in the final build will be certified compatible for delivering Aviator's Breathing Oxygen, a special, dry 100% oxygen such that no moisture is introduced into pipes, which could freeze at low temperatures and clog pipes and/or gauges.

Regarding these breathing gas optipons, a friend recently emailed me with the question:

"Do you have to practice breathing in four ways?"

...to which I replied:

"Tola, in fact I do. The default breathing gas (BG) is delivered from a regulator much like a SCUBA regulator: breathe in and you get BG. This is like normal breathing, though at low pressure might require a special technique called 'pressure breathing' that involves use of some stomach muscles to help oxygenate the lungs. The other options deliver BG with an actuator that I work with hand or foot; to get a breath, I press the foot pedal or pull the hand lever; this requires coordinating breaths (shallow, deep etc) with motions of those appendages. Imagine making a hand gesture or foot gesture each time you want a breath; combined with the possible need for pressure breathing, yes, these all indicate needing to practice breathing in several new ways. I've tried them and will do many simulations, and it is very interesting stuff!"

Breathing Gas Manifold Work

Further work on the breathing gas manifold from dawn till dusk! This gives me three options for delivering breathing gas (a fourth is a separate system), allowing me to control gas pressure upstream as well as downstream of any fitting. This allows me to switch from one system to another if any regulator fails, particularly allowing me to cut off gas if a regulator fails in the open ('free flow') position.

Breathing Gas Manifold

Up early, unable to sleep with memories of Winter climbing, and thoughts of this project's pressure controllers, so I started on the gas manifold -- which will give me four ways to breathe [a main and three backups] -- tested it a couple of hours ago, and it works 100%. Hot tamales! Three backups might sound excessive, but to keep my goose from being cooked, I'm building backups to backups! There will actually be a fourth way as well, a last-ditch and pretty foolproof way. Also, just for fun, a great photo from a great expedition in 1995, my photo of my climbing partner Chiu Liang Kuo dragging his supply sled on the Baird Glacier, Alaska.

Winter!

Winter is here! It's clear and cold, for a week, and a few years back this is exactly the time that I would prepare my climbing gear for an ascent; only winter was of interest because it is in this season that everything is harder to do -- it's colder, the daylight hours are shorter, the ice remains unstable, you're burning more calories just to stay alive (much less, actually climb a mountain!)... I think the best expression of Winter that I've known -- other than my own avalanche escapes and many desperate nights in snow caves -- is in this wonderful piece by Vivaldi.

Human Biological and Cultural Evolution in Space Colonies

Yipee! My feature article in Scientific American is now on news-stands! Starship Humanity A shorter recap is on an interview at Space.com. There will be plenty of naysayers, but I think they're particularly short-sighted.