davidbrin

davidbrin, 1 day ago to random

So far no big news of "EMP-level" damage from solar storm. See the massive flare that hurled the vast ion storm our way! (As described in SUNDIVER, BTW.) At minimum this will threaten low-orbit satellites eg Starlink & test lots of circuit breakers.
https://www.ndtv.com/science/nasa-shares-photos-of-massive-explosions-on-sun-that-unleashed-solar-flares-5643851

davidbrin, 15 days ago to random

Today only, the entire Uplift Storm Trilogy (e-book) is on sale for $4.99. The biggest - and MULTI-galactic - adventure and total way fun.

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-uplift-storm-trilogy

davidbrin, 15 days ago to random

A fundamental trait of any society is RESILIENCE: Never was it more relevant to discuss what we should have done by now... and can still do... to help our nations, civilization and families be more robust against the batterings of fate.

http://denninginstitute.com/pjd/PUBS/CACMcols/cacmJun19.pdf

davidbrin, 17 days ago to random

Fragmented crater near a CO2 icecap on Mars offers another “Gosh!” image from Red Planet. Spiders & Inca cities! Alas all of it explained by science. MY science -my doctoral dissertation re similar acts on comets. Way-kewl, even if not alien spiders!

https://www.livescience.com/space/mars/hundreds-of-black-spiders-spotted-in-mysterious-inca-city-on-mars-in-new-satellite-photos

davidbrin, 17 days ago to random

Today EARTH (e-book) is just $1.99! Hugo Award runner-up that's on every top10 predictive novels list and honors Earth Day! And Monday (4/29) the whole Uplift Storm Trilogy will be just $4.99. (e-book.) Vast, vast adventure.
https://www.davidbrin.com/earth.html

davidbrin, 18 days ago to random

Survival of the richest: "Wealthy U.S. families are applying for 2nd citizenships to hedge." Parasite preppers who yearn for feudalism after an 'Event' are not fellow citizens. Know that the nerds they despise will always know where they are. Always.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeZyLkSVoWE

davidbrin, 22 days ago to random

The tachyon cosmological model is unlikely to pass rigorous experimental tests, given the unlikely nature of tachyons - particles that (in a weird aspect of relativity) might (notionally) move ONLY faster than light.

https://www.livescience.com/physics-mathematics/dark-matter/the-universe-may-be-dominated-by-particles-that-break-causality-and-move-faster-than-light-new-paper-suggests

davidbrin, 24 days ago to random

Our planet faces many dangers (as shown in EARTH*). While much depends on restoring wisdom+sense to our present, there are also dangers farther ahead, like the sun's rising temperature across the next 100M years. Here's how our heirs might save our world!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ai8x-ZqjXPc

davidbrin, 28 days ago to random

Noam Chomsky is a litmus for fecal nonsense. I can't recall once across 30 yrs when he said anything right or wise. Much like that vile gnome Yoda -and DTrump- he growls/grumps nonsense while fans nod, citing him in book quotes and mind-poison virals.

https://news.berkeley.edu/2022/05/19/open-letter-to-noam-chomsky-and-other-like-minded-intellectuals-on-the-russia-ukraine-war

davidbrin, 1 month ago to random

I post about a new cult term for rich preppers who seek to accelerate the "Event" or final crisis. NOT rapture-dopes, some are tech zillionaires who think a collapse -followed by their wise rulership- is for the greater good. An ingrate masturba-fantasy.
https://davidbrin.blogspot.com/2024/04/accelerationism-and-recurring-flaw-in.html

davidbrin, 1 month ago to random

Bad terminology. Sure, love of feudal oligarchy makes them 'right-wing.' But devotion to Putin and his 10,000 "ex" commissars & "ex" KGB agents - now wearing different lapel pins with the same methods and goal - makes it blatant.
Confederates = commies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThkKR8yrTeM

davidbrin, 1 month ago to random

The world's smallest language contains just 120 words
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY3Qe_b9ufI

davidbrin, 1 month ago to random

Friday April 5 THE UPLIFT WAR e-book should be on sale everywhere, but it appears to only be on Amazon... Then on Saturday the e-book of HEAVEN'S REACH... or so I'm told.
Hoping for good weather Monday in Texas!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B091Y4Z8BM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=f0cd4-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B091Y4Z8BM&linkId=ad4e2ed1f979356da4bf9f6be87ff5c0

davidbrin, 1 month ago to random

There will be two memorials for Vernor Vinge. The first - a small gathering at the facility where he spent his last days - will commence tomorrow Wednesday at Casa de Mañana in La Jolla at 2pm Pacific. You can tune in here, I believe:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKwQ_3ejkLA

davidbrin, 1 month ago to random

This weekend's posting is 90% a draft I prepared in 2022 about economic inequality and what we can do about it. Then how the re-industrialization of America - going on right now(!!) has proved that Keynes was right and Laffer totally wrong.
https://davidbrin.blogspot.com/2024/03/do-rich-have-too-much-money-neglected.html

davidbrin, 1 month ago to random

Peter Diamandis talks up "Dreaming Big." XPrize (I'm on the outer advisory board) uses contests and rivalry to propel many cool concepts. Great outcomes, like NASA's Innovative & Advanced Concepts program - (NIAC)*

https://www.diamandis.com/blog/fund-your-purpose-launch

*(I spent 12 years on that advisory council, too.)

davidbrin, 1 month ago to random

Loathe to rec a link to Joe Rogan, but that might lure your MAGA to watch Penn Jillette dissect Trump. Penn - a libertarian with liberal social codes - says a man should not be a bully, a liar, a traitor or a thief... and ideally not a monster, either.
https://youtu.be/A-UK40_XkWw?si=w3QNhT3bF8d7Xjba

davidbrin, 1 month ago to random

With sadness and deep appreciation I must report the passing of Vernor Vinge, a titan in the literature that explores a limitless range of potential destinies, Vernor gave millions vivid tales of plausible tomorrows. My tribute to him can be found here:

https://davidbrin.blogspot.com/2024/03/vernor-vinge-man-with-lamps-on-his-brows.html

davidbrin, 1 month ago to random

Weekend post is about the plague of downer-trips that threaten our can-do, problem solving abilities. We all know the Earth and democracy and the future etc are in peril. Peril best fought with confidence that we have real tools to solve all that.

https://davidbrin.blogspot.com/2024/03/only-optimism-can-save-us-but-plenty-of.html

davidbrin, 2 months ago to random

Mining helium-3 on the Moon has been talked about forever—now a company will try.
https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/03/mining-helium-3-on-the-moon-has-been-talked-about-forever-now-a-company-will-try/

“Helium Three” is (I'm 90% sure) a scam to justify silly “Artemis,” rushing astronauts to another ritual footprint stunt on a useless plain of poison dust. Prove me wrong.

davidbrin, 2 months ago to random

Now that you've re-evaluated your dark worries about old man Biden, consider a few more revisions? Here are 66 good news stories from 2023 - reasons for optimism. Snap… out… of… the funk. It cripples much-needed action!

https://futurecrunch.com/goodnews2023/

davidbrin, 2 months ago to random

Today only(!) BRIGHTNESS REEF (e-book) is just $2.99 . For less than a pack of chewing gum, you can begin my biggest, most idea-packed uplift adventure. Then decide to go the rest of the way, to the dazzling, pan-galactic conclusion!

https://www.davidbrin.com/brightnessreef.html

davidbrin, 2 months ago to random

Here's a recording of the first public performance of my play “The Escape,” at Caltech. A 'reading' but fully dramatized and directed by Joanne Doyle. recording is of middling quality, but shows great audience reactions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fy3qPm74XoE

davidbrin, 2 months ago to random

Deeply worrisome... and... Almost exactly my "Probationers" in SUNDIVER! Not a joke or a satire.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-justice-minister-defends-house-arrest-power-for-people-feared-to/

Arrest people feared to commit a hate crime in future. But don't worry! The government won't misuse this power! Trust us!

I wrote Sundiver in 1978.

davidbrin, 2 months ago to random

Deem yourself a pretty good essayist? How about an Essay contest with a $25,000 prize? These folks are the real deal.

https://berggruen.org/essay-competition