Horton Posts Library 1

by Jeff Hortonon Posted on

Blog Post #1083

September 18, 2019

Free Flow Thinking: Water Vapor Detected on Distant Planet

Every now and then we see or read something that captures our imagination, suddenly flinging open the doors of impossibility to reveal new and exciting possibilities.

I recently read about just an eye-opening article about a team of researchers who discovered something titillating about a planet in another star system located in in the constellation Leo, so far way from Earth that it takes light over a hundred years to get here from there; they detected the presence of water in the planet’s atmosphere. The planet orbited a red-dwarf star in what is known as the habitable zone, sometimes called the “Goldilocks” zone.

Read the excerpt below from NASA’s website:

NASA’s Hubble Finds Water Vapor on Habitable-Zone Exoplanet for 1st Time

exoplanet K2-18b illustration

Credits: ESA/Hubble, M. Kornmesser

This artist’s impression shows the planet K2-18b, its host star and an accompanying planet in this system. K2-18b is now the only super-Earth exoplanet known to host both water and temperatures that could support life. UCL researchers used archive data from 2016 and 2017 captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and developed open-source algorithms to analyze the starlight filtered through K2-18b’s atmosphere. The results revealed the molecular signature of water vapor, also indicating the presence of hydrogen and helium in the planet’s atmosphere.

“Its size and surface gravity are much larger than Earth’s, and its radiation environment may be hostile, but a distant planet called K2-18b has captured the interest of scientists all over the world. For the first time, researchers have detected water vapor signatures in the atmosphere of a planet beyond our solar system that resides in the “habitable zone,” the region around a star in which liquid water could potentially pool on the surface of a rocky planet.

“Astronomers at the Center for Space Exochemistry Data at the University College London in the United Kingdom used data from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope to find water vapor in the atmosphere of K2-18b, an exoplanet around a small red dwarf star about 110 light-years away in the constellation Leo. If confirmed by further studies, this will be the only exoplanet known to have both water in its atmosphere and temperatures that could sustain liquid water on a rocky surface. Liquid water would only be possible if the planet turns out to be terrestrial in nature, rather than resembling a small version of Neptune.

“Given the high level of activity of its red dwarf star, K2-18b may be more hostile to life as we know it than Earth, as it is likely to be exposed to more high-energy radiation. The planet, discovered by NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope in 2015, also has a mass eight times greater than Earth’s. That means the surface gravity on this planet would be significantly higher than on our planet.

“The team used archive data from 2016 and 2017 captured by Hubble and developed open-source algorithms to analyze the host star’s light filtered through K2-18b’s atmosphere. The results revealed the molecular signature of water vapor, and also suggest the presence of hydrogen and helium in the planet’s atmosphere…”

(For more about this click on the link below)

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2019/nasa-s-hubble-finds-water-vapor-on-habitable-zone-exoplanet-for-1st-time

With temperatures estimated to be roughly analogous to our Earth, it gets many people, myself included, rather excited to learn of such a discovery. As is pointed out on NASA’s website, however, the gravity on K2-18b would be much greater than here on Earth, making it would make it rather difficult for human beings to live on this world.

That shouldn’t dampen our enthusiasm, however, for other planets out there even closer to Earth in size and living conditions are bound to be out there waiting to be discovered and dare I say, explored?

Stop and consider the number of stars in our Milky Way, estimated to be around three-hundred billion. With the number of planets estimated to be around one-hundred billion.

Who knows, perhaps one day human beings will be living on some of them. They’re out there waiting, waiting for us to swing by and pay them a visit.

Jeff W Horton strives to write fun, exciting, revealing, and widely entertaining fiction with a slight Christian flavor.

You can find all of Jeff’s published novels here: Works by Jeff W. Horton | The Horton Library

Please follow Jeff:

You might also want to explore Jeff’s website: at www.hortonlibrary.com, or visit him on the

Amazon’s Author Website for Jeff: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jeff-W.-Horton/author/B004NK5MJC?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Barnes & Noble’s Website: https://tinyurl.com/1emwpg16

Blog Post #1081

September 11, 2019

Free Flow Thinking: Human Ingenuity

Human beings have a great capacity for intelligence, we always have.

Did you know that ancient Roman tools over 2,000 years-old have been discovered that were designed specifically for removing cataracts, tools that are not much different than those recently used by modern Ophthalmologists for the very same purpose?

Have you ever heard of Hero of Alexandria, the man from Ancient Greece who first invented the steam engine, also around 2,000 years ago? Had he carried the application of his discovery just a little further and used his invention to power ships, just imagine how it might have changed the world!

Consider the precision with which engineers and architects built the Ancient Egyptian pyramids and the Sphynx, the Roman coliseums, and other wonders of the ancient world, all without the benefit of modern tools; how shrewd they must have been!

There were many, many such geniuses of great intelligence scattered across the ages, of course, each expert in their respective fields. While both priests, Saint Augustine, who wrote Confessions, and Saint Thomas Aquinas, a great theologian and philosopher, were geniuses in their own right. There were plenty more to follow over the centuries, people like Sir Isaac Newton, Madam Curie, Albert Einstein, Robert Oppenheimer, Wernher von Braun, and more recently, Stephen Hawking.

There’s no evidence, at least not any I’m aware of, suggesting people are any “smarter” or more intelligent today than they were thousands of years ago. In fact, some might even argue the opposite, that in some ways, we’ve actually dumbed down the human race through our culture. But smarter? No; at the very least it appears human beings have always been about as bright and intelligent as they are today, only the level of our accumulated knowledge and the heights attained by the sophistication of our technology have changed significantly, gradually growing as the accumulated knowledge of mankind grew over the millennia.

Humanity as a whole lost much following the collapse of the western Roman Empire. While isolated pockets of civilization remained, where medical knowledge, for instance, continued to flourish in regions like ancient Persia for example, western civilization, and humanity as a whole, had suffered devastating consequences. Peoples who once lived in thriving metropolitan areas served by indoor plumbing, aqueducts, and regulated environments now lived in squalor, in little more than straw huts in the woods, once more living as a hunter gatherer, a herder of animals, or as a farmer. No more advanced healthcare, plentiful food, and ease.

Several events occurred around the time leading up to and following the rapid decline in most of Europe in the early days of the Middle Ages:

The ability to read the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics passed out of the realm of human experience for many, many years, nearly 1,800, following the conquest of Egypt by Rome around 50 BC. All knowledge from before 50 AD Egypt was lost to most of the world.

The Great Library of Alexandria, founded by Ptolemy Lagides, or his son, in 323 BC, is built in Alexandria, and a vast treasure store of knowledge is stored there from al over the ancient world. Over the next century or two it becomes arguably the best repository of literature and knowledge in the ancient world. Beginning sometime around 145 BC, there is a dynastic struggle for the throne in Egypt. Aristarchus, the head librarian, supports the losing son, who is murdered. Aristarchus flees Egypt and the new monarch responds by expelling all foreign scholars out of Alexandria. This action, followed by an accidental fire set by Julius Caesar around 50 AD, signaled the beginning of the end of a place that had promised to be a beacon of knowledge and learning for the world for centuries and millennia to come.

The fall of the Roman Empire, which had lasted a thousand years, left the world with a wide, gaping hole when it came to technological achievements. While they invented some technologies like underfloor heating, concrete, the calendar that our modern calendar is based on, aqueducts, arches, and more, it is the Roman’s knack for perfecting what has not been perfected, like roadbuilding, military techniques, indoor plumbing, architecture like the coliseums, etc.

Of course, the Byzantine or the Eastern Roman Empire continued, but the world was never the same, particularly the western world, which suddenly found itself regressing substantially over the next several hundred years. Living conditions would continue to be far below what they’d been in ancient Rome for many centuries to come for most people. Where they’d once had indoor plumbing, aqueducts, advanced surgical techniques and medical knowledge, order and governance, even underfloor heating!

But what if the Great Library at Alexandria had not been lost. What if Hero had started placing steam engines into ships and into mills? What if all of the knowledge of the Western Roman Empire had been carefully preserved and shared out time and time again over the subsequent centuries, what a difference it could have made!

What if humanity can hold it together? At the pace we’re going at now, what discoveries and perfections might we make over the course of the next two or three centuries?

Jeff W Horton strives to write fun, exciting, revealing, and widely entertaining fiction with a slight Christian flavor.

You can find all of Jeff’s published novels here: Works by Jeff W. Horton | The Horton Library

Please follow Jeff:

You might also want to explore Jeff’s website: at www.hortonlibrary.com, or visit him on the

Amazon’s Author Website for Jeff: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jeff-W.-Horton/author/B004NK5MJC?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Barnes & Noble’s Website: https://tinyurl.com/1emwpg16

Blog Post #1080

September 4, 2019

Technology Discussion: Genetic Engineering to Boost Intelligence!

Genetic engineering. Used by Michael Crichton’s character, John Hammond, in the novel and subsequent movie by the same name, Jurassic Park, to create and then populate a theme park with prehistoric animals that eat the park guests, genetic engineering is no longer the stuff of science fiction, it is science fact.

As you read the two articles below, I believe you may be surprised to find that it’s more a matter of when genetic manipulation of human intelligence becomes common and not if. There are moral and ethical issues, not to mention potential risks to forever altering the human genome, that probably to need to be worked out before beginning to see such manipulations becoming commonplace. But will they? Such changes to our DNA may very well be coming much sooner than most of us ever expected. After all, one country already has at least two documented cases of genetic manipulation of human intelligence, and that country is China.

CRISPR Might Have Made China’s “Designer Babies” Smarter

New Research into the gene CCR5 that was allegedly edited out of twin girls in China to protect them from HIV might have made them smarter, raising fears of future “designer babies”

John Loeffler

By John Loeffler

February 22nd, 2019

CRISPR Might Have Made China’s “Designer Babies” Smarter

NIH Image Gallery / Flickr

New research indicates that the controversial use of CRISPR gene-editing on twin girls in China last year might have inadvertently improved their cognitive capacities, including their ability to learn and form memories, leading to a renewed debate about whether designer babies are going to become a reality in the very near future.

Controversial CRISPR Procedure Might Have Unintended Consequences

Brain Damage

Source: Pixabay

The twin girls, Lulu and Nana, allegedly had their genes modified prior to birth, with the stated goal of making the girls immune to HIV infection.

The gene that was supposedly modified using CRISPR is CCR5, which the HIV virus needs to inject itself into human blood cells. However, it also has well-established links to cognitive abilities in mice and memory formation and also helped the human brain recover after a stroke.

Alcino J. Silva, a neurobiologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, has been studying the links between human cognition, memory formation, and CCR5 for years. In 2016, Silva and Miou Zhou, a professor at the Western University of Health Sciences in California, showed how removing the CCR5 gene from mice provided a significant boost to their memory.

Silva believes that this alteration also enhanced the cognitive capacity of the twins Lulu and Nana. “The answer is likely yes, it did affect their brains,” he said. “The simplest interpretation is that those mutations will probably have an impact on cognitive function in the twins.”

Beyond that, no one can say what the impact on the girls’ cognitive capacities will be in the long run—for good or bad—; “that is why it should not be done,” Silva added.

Inadvertent Human Enhancement?

The team of scientists who claim to have edited Lulu and Nana’s genes, led by Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen researcher, He Jiankui, say they used CRISPR to edit CCR5 out of the twins’ DNA when they were still only embryos, and that some of the 31 embryos they edited have gone on to becomes pregnancies.

The claim unleashed a global firestorm of condemnation. The Chinese government has opened an investigation into He though there has been no independent verification of He’s work as of yet. Considering that no one knows for sure whether He has actually done as he and his team claim, the swiftness of the condemnation of his work—unproven as it is—shows the sensitivity around this issue.

Whether He did in fact edit Lulu and Nana’s genes, it appears he didn’t intend to impact their cognitive capacities. According to MIT Technology Review, not a single researcher studying CCR5’s role in intelligence was contacted by He, even as other doctors and scientists were sought out for advice about his project.

This further adds to the alarm as there is every expectation that He should have known about the connection between CCR5 and cognition.

At a gathering of gene-editing researchers in Hong Kong two days after the birth of the potentially genetically-altered twins was announced, He was asked about the potential impact of erasing CCR5 from the twins DNA on their mental capacity.

He Chinese Designer Baby

Source: The He Lab / Wikimedia Commons

He responded that he knew about the potential cognitive link shown in Silva’s 2016 research. “I saw that paper, it needs more independent verification,” He said, before adding that “I am against using genome editing for enhancement.”

The problem, as Silva sees it, is that He may be blazing the trail for exactly that outcome, whether He intends to or not. Silva says that after his 2016 research was published, he received an uncomfortable amount of attention from some unnamed, elite Silicon Valley leaders who seem to be expressing serious interest in using CRISPR to give their children’s brains a boost through gene editing.

As such, Silva can be forgiven for not quite believing He’s claims that he wasn’t intending to alter the human genome for enhancement. When Lulu and Nana were announced to the world, Silva says “My reaction was visceral repulsion and sadness.”

“I suddenly realized—Oh, holy shit, they are really serious about this bullshit,” Silva added.

Are Designer Babies Inevitable?

The idea of designer babies isn’t new. As far back as Plato, the thought of using science to “engineer” a better human has been tossed about, but other than selective breeding, there really hasn’t been a path forward.

In the late 1800s, early 1900s, Eugenics made a real push to accomplish something along these lines, and the results were horrifying, even before Nazism. After eugenics mid-wifed the Holocaust in World War II, the concept of designer children has largely been left as fodder for science fiction since few reputable scientists would openly declare their intention to dabble in something once championed and pioneered by the greatest monsters of the 20th century.

Memories have faded though, and CRISPR significantly changes this decades-old calculus. CRISPR makes it easier than ever to target specific traits in order to add or subtract them from an embryos genetic code. Embryonic research is also a diverse enough field that some scientist could see pioneering designer babies as a way to establish their star power in academia while getting their names in the history books, all while working in relative isolation. They only need to reveal their results after the fact and there is little the scientific community can do to stop them, unfortunately.

Unethical, Almost Certainly…But It Might Not Matter

When He revealed his research and data two days after announcing the births of Lulu and Nana, the gene-scientists at the Hong Kong conference were not all that impressed with the quality of He’s work. He has not provided access for fellow researchers to either his data on Lulu, Nana, and their family’s genetic data so that others can verify that Lulu and Nana’s CCR5 genes were in fact eliminated.

This almost rudimentary verification and validation would normally accompany a major announcement such as this. Neither has He’s work undergone a peer-review process and it hasn’t been formally published in any scientific journal—possibly for good reason.

Science

China Confirms Second Woman Pregnant with Gene-Edited Baby

Researchers such as Eric Topol, a geneticist at the Scripps Research Institute, have been finding several troubling signs in what little data He has released. Topol says that the editing itself was not precise and show “all kinds of glitches.”

Gaetan Burgio, a geneticist at the Australian National University, is likewise unimpressed with the quality of He’s work. Speaking of the slides He showed at the conference to support his claim, Burgio calls it amateurish, “I can believe that he did it because it’s so bad.”

Worse of all, its entirely possible that He actually succeeded in editing Lulu and Nana’s genetic code in an ad hoc, unethical, and medically substandard way. Sadly, there is no shortage of families with means who would be willing to spend a lot of money to design their idea of a perfect child, so there is certainly demand for such a “service.”

“Could it be conceivable that at one point in the future we could increase the average IQ of the population?” Silva asks. “I would not be a scientist if I said no. The work in mice demonstrates the answer may be yes. But mice are not people. We simply don’t know what the consequences will be in mucking around. We are not ready for it yet.”

Genetic Engineering to Boost Intelligence

By: Hsin-Yi Cohen BSc, MA, MSt – Updated: 18 Mar 2019 | comments*Discuss

Genetic Engineering Improving

Like many aspects of genetic engineering, manipulating DNA to potentially boost intelligence is a controversial topic with many ethical dilemmas. However, efforts still continue in this direction and recent experiments by researchers in the US have produced genetically-modified mice that demonstrate better learning and remembering. Such research may pave the way for new gene therapy treatments for mental disorders and even one day, the ability to improve human intelligence.

Modifying The Brain at a Genetic Level

There are 3 main ways to modify the development of an organism through its genes:

Gene Therapy – this is done on a partially- or wholly-mature organism and uses specifically-modified viruses to target the DNA within the organism’s cell. It has been applied with limited success in treating some human congenital deficiencies

Genetic Breeding – frequently done on plants and livestock, this uses DNA testing to select certain organisms in a breeding programme or to decide which seeds or embryos to keep, without having to wait for the organism to mature and express the desired traits to know which ones to select, as is done in traditional selective breeding.

Genetic Engineering – usually done while the organism is still in the single-cell state, this involves customising the DBA so that it will express a specific trait or series of traits.

With regards to intelligence, the first method (gene therapy) is not very relevant or useful as overall intelligence is largely influenced by early brain development. The second method (genetic breeding) would be the simplest way to achieve intelligence improvement as the desired trait (high intelligence) occurs naturally and is easily passed on from parent to progeny. However, human breeding is too sensitive and controversial an area to be engaged in seriously, particularly with the fears of genocide, so this leaves just the last method, genetic engineering, as the only alternative for biologically improving intelligence.

Problems with Genetic Engineering

Unfortunately, the technology available for genetic engineering is still limited at present and it would be especially insufficient to tackle a complex phenomenon such as higher intelligence. It is also important to note that improved intelligence is obviously a trait that would be conferred significant evolutionary advantage and therefore any simple DNA modifications which would have increased intelligence would have been strongly selected for already. Anything which has not been selected for probably came with serious side effects that would have cancelled out any advantages the additional intelligence gave. Nevertheless, it is also worthwhile to note that these side-effects may be treatable by modern medicine and therefore those genes which were not selected for by natural evolution could be selected for by genetic engineering, provided that their side-effects could be mitigated by other techniques in modern medicine and science.

The other problems with genetic engineering arise in the practical aspects. First, the specific chain of events which occur, enabling DNA to translate into complicated traits like intelligence, is not well understood. In particular, researchers would have to locate the specific genes which code for intelligence. If it was possible to find a number of distinct, rare genes which each independently improve intelligence, then it may be possible to create a baby carrying all of these genes, who would presumably grow up to express a new plateau of intelligence. However, a complex trait like intelligence is unlikely to be coded by a few simple, distinct genes.

In addition, there are the problems of measurement. Even if it was ethically viable to modify some human embryos to carry certain genes, wait for them to mature into adults and then test their IQ, it may be difficult to derive any conclusive evidence from the results, as overall intelligence is not simply dependent on an IQ score.

The First Step…

Having said all that, researchers have already begun genetic engineering experiments on animals to improve intelligence and have enjoyed some success so far. A team from Princeton, Washington and MIT universities have found that adding a single gene to mice produced a boosted ability to solve maze tasks, learn from sounds and objects in their environment and retain that knowledge. This was achieved by enabling the mice to retain certain brain features of juvenile mice into adulthood, as young animals are believed to be better at grasping large amounts of new information, ie. better at learning. The researchers believe that these results show that it may be possible to boost human intelligence in the future.

However, the only way to prove any real effects on humans is to do human trials with real babies, children and adults and genetic engineering of humans remains highly questionable from an ethical point of view.

http://www.aboutintelligence.co.uk/genetic-engineering-boost-intelligence.html

CONTEST UPDATE: Please keep spreading the word about the $100 Amazon gift certificate giveaway! If we get enough to join over the next week, I plan to announce the day of the drawing on Labor Day! The winner will be chosen from the list of those who are currently subscribed to the blog.

Jeff W Horton strives to write fun, exciting, revealing, and widely entertaining fiction with a slight Christian flavor.

You can find all of Jeff’s published novels here: Works by Jeff W. Horton | The Horton Library

Please follow Jeff:

You might also want to explore Jeff’s website: at www.hortonlibrary.com, or visit him on the

Amazon’s Author Website for Jeff: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jeff-W.-Horton/author/B004NK5MJC?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Barnes & Noble’s Website: https://tinyurl.com/1emwpg16

Blog Post #1080

August 28, 2019

Technology Discussion: Limitless: Turbocharge YOUR Brain!

Eddie Morra. An average, everyday guy, a novelist who, struggling with writer’s block, has seen his writing career flounder while his personal life flounders. As if the unpaid bills, the unkempt apartment, and lack of attention to his personal hygiene wasn’t enough, he gets dumped by his beautiful girlfriend; worse yet, she’s rather kind and sympathetic in the way she does it, rubbing salt in the wound.

That’s when poor Eddie Morra catches the break of a lifetime. During a chance encounter with Vernon, the brother of his ex-wife Melissa, he’s given a sample of a mysterious, secret new drug, nootropic called NZT-48. After telling Eddie how amazing it is, Vernon, feeling sorry for him, leaves Eddie with a sample of NZT and leaves.

Hesitant at first, Eddie soon gives in and tries the strange, experimental drug, deciding he’s got little to lose. Through the eyes of Morra we can soon see it was the right decision. Everything soon comes into focus for Eddie like never before, and his senses are on fire. His cognitive abilities are enhanced many times over, giving Eddie near perfect memory recall, vastly improved mental processing abilities, and enabling him to do things no normal human being on the planet could do.

Eddie begins and finishes a book the same day, turning it in to his publisher the following morning. After acquiring more of the drug he goes on to invest in the stock market and work for a huge investment firm, helping companies make important decisions about the buying and selling of major corporations. He becomes a respected and sought-after mover and shaker on Wall Street after only a few weeks on NZT. From loser to millionaire in weeks.

NZT. Yes, it’s fictional. But does anything like NZT really exist?

Well, there is a class of supplements called nootropics, which offer some benefit. Nootropics is an umbrella term for a class of chemicals — some naturally-occurring, some manmade — that give cognitive benefits to the human brain.

  • L-Theanine
  • Bacopa Monnieri
  • Ginkgo Biloba
  • Nicotine
  • Noopept.
  • Piracetam
  • Phenotropil

While they are supplements, nootropics have been widely used by students on some of the world’s top-rated universities to help with improved memory recall, focus, and over all cognitive function. I personally know of at least one graduate student who used them regularly throughout his undergraduate and graduate years and continues to do so, with great success, so there must be something to this phenomenon.

There are also various prescription medications that have been proven to be effective at improving mental clarity, recall, and focus. Some of them are listed below, along with nootropics.

The Following information came from the healthline.com website. A link is provided at the end of this post.

The 14 Best Nootropics and Smart Drugs Reviewed

Nootropics and smart drugs are natural or synthetic substances that can be taken to improve mental performance in healthy people.

They have gained popularity in today’s highly competitive society and are most often used to boost memory, focus, creativity, intelligence and motivation.

Here’s a look at the 14 best nootropics and how they enhance performance.

#1. Caffeine

  • Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive substance in the world (1Trusted Source).
  • Caffeine works by blocking adenosine receptors in your brain, making you feel less tired.
  • A low to moderate caffeine intake of 40–300 mg increases your alertness and attention and decreases your reaction time. These doses are especially effective for people who are fatigued.

#2. L-Theanine

  • L-theanine is a naturally occurring amino acid found in tea, but it can also be taken as a supplement (7Trusted Source).
  • Taking even just 50 mg — the amount found in roughly two cups of brewed tea — has been found to increase alpha-waves in the brain, which are linked to creativity (9Trusted Source).
  • L-theanine is even more effective when taken with caffeine. For this reason, they’re often used together in performance-enhancing supplements. What’s more, they are both naturally found in tea (7Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source).

#3. Creatine

  • Creatine is an amino acid, which your body uses to make protein.
  • After it’s consumed, creatine enters your brain where it binds with phosphate, creating a molecule that your brain uses to quickly fuel its cells (11).
  • This increased availability of energy for your brain cells is linked to improved short-term memory and reasoning skills, especially in vegetarians and highly stressed people (12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source).
  • Studies show that it’s safe to take 5 grams of creatine per day without any negative effects. Larger doses are also effective, but research on their long-term safety is unavailable (15Trusted Source).

#4. Bacopa Monnieri

  • Bacopa monnieri is an ancient herb used in Ayurvedic medicine to enhance brain function.
  • Several studies have found that Bacopa monnieri supplements can speed up information processing in your brain, reduce reaction times and improve memory

(16Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source).

  • Bacopa monnieri contains active compounds called bacosides, which improve signaling in your hippocampus, an area of your brain in which memories are processed (19Trusted Source).
  • The effects of Bacopa monnieri are not felt immediately. Therefore, doses of 300‒600 mg should be taken for several months for maximum benefit (20Trusted Source, 21Trusted Source).

#5. Rhodiola Rosea

  • Rhodiola rosea is an adaptogenic herb that helps your body handle stress more effectively.
  • Several studies have found that Rhodiola rosea supplements can improve mood and decrease feelings of burnout in both anxious and highly stressed individuals (22Trusted Source, 23Trusted Source).
  • Taking small daily doses of Rhodiola rosea has been shown to reduce mental fatigue and increase feelings of well-being in college students during stressful exam periods (24Trusted Source).
  • More research is needed to determine optimal dosing and better understand how the herb causes these effects.

#6. Panax Ginseng

  • Panax ginseng root is an ancient medicinal plant used to boost brain function.
  • Taking a single dose of 200–400 mg of Panax ginseng has been shown to reduce brain fatigue and significantly improve performance on difficult tasks like mental math problems (25Trusted Source, 26Trusted Source, 27Trusted Source).
  • However, it’s unclear how Panax ginseng boosts brain function. It may be due to its strong anti-inflammatory effects, which help protect your brain from oxidative stress and enhance its function (28Trusted Source).
  • Some longer-term studies have found that your body may adapt to ginseng, making it less effective after several months of use. Therefore, more research is needed on its long-term nootropic effects (29Trusted Source).

#7. Ginkgo Biloba

  • Extracts from the leaves of the Ginkgo biloba tree may also have positive effects on your brain.
  • Ginkgo biloba supplements have been shown to improve memory and mental processing in healthy older adults when taken daily for six weeks (30Trusted Source, 31Trusted Source, 32Trusted Source).
  • Taking Ginkgo biloba before a highly stressful task also reduces stress-related high blood pressure and decreases levels of cortisol, a type of stress hormone (33Trusted Source).
  • It’s hypothesized that some of these benefits may be due to increased blood flow to the brain after supplementing with Ginkgo biloba (34Trusted Source).
  • While these results are promising, not all studies have shown beneficial effects. More research is needed to better understand the potential benefits of Ginkgo biloba on your brain (35Trusted Source).

#8. Nicotine

  • Nicotine is a naturally occurring chemical found in many plants, especially tobacco. It’s one of the compounds that make cigarettes so addictive.
  • It can also be consumed through nicotine gum or absorbed through your skin via a nicotine patch.
  • Studies show that nicotine can have nootropic effects, such as improved alertness and attention, especially in people with naturally poor attention spans (36Trusted Source, 37Trusted Source).
  • It has also been found to improve motor function. What’s more, chewing nicotine gum is linked to better handwriting speed and fluidity (38Trusted Source).
  • However, this substance can be addictive and is lethal in high doses, so caution is warranted (39Trusted Source).
  • Due to the risk of addiction, nicotine is not recommended. However, nicotine use is justified if you are trying to quit smoking.

#9. Noopept

  • Noopept is a synthetic smart drug that can be purchased as a supplement.
  • Unlike some of the natural nootropics, the effects of Noopept can be felt within minutes, rather than hours, days or weeks, and typically last for several hours (40Trusted Source, 41Trusted Source).
  • Animal studies have shown that Noopept speeds up how quickly the brain forms and retrieves memories by boosting levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a compound that promotes the growth of brain cells (42Trusted Source, 43Trusted Source, 44Trusted Source).
  • Human research has found that this smart drug helps people recover more quickly from brain injuries, but more studies are needed to understand how it might be used as a nootropic in healthy adults (45Trusted Source, 46Trusted Source).

#10. Piracetam

  • Piracetam is another synthetic nootropic molecule that’s very similar to Noopept in structure and function.
  • It has been shown to improve memory in people with age-related mental decline but does not seem to have much benefit in healthy adults (47Trusted Source, 48Trusted Source).
  • During the 1970s, a few small, poorly designed studies suggested that piracetam may improve memory in healthy adults, but these findings have not been replicated (49Trusted Source, 50Trusted Source, 51Trusted Source).
  • Though piracetam is widely available and promoted as a smart drug, research on its effects is lacking.

#11. Phenotropil

  • Phenotropil, also known as phenylpiracetam, is a synthetic smart drug that is widely available as an over-the-counter supplement.
  • It’s similar in structure to piracetam and Noopept and helps the brain recover from various injuries like stroke, epilepsy and trauma (52Trusted Source, 53Trusted Source, 54Trusted Source).
  • One study in rats found that phenotropil slightly enhanced memory, but research to support its use as a smart drug in healthy adults is unavailable (55Trusted Source).

#12. Modafinil (Provigil)

  • Commonly sold under the brand name Provigil, modafinil is a prescription drug that is often used to treat narcolepsy, a condition that causes uncontrollable drowsiness (56Trusted Source).
  • Its stimulating effects are similar to those of amphetamines or cocaine. Yet, animal studies suggest it has a lower risk of dependence (57Trusted Source, 58Trusted Source).
  • Several studies have shown that modafinil significantly reduces feelings of fatigue and improves memory in sleep-deprived adults (59Trusted Source, 60Trusted Source, 61Trusted Source).
  • It also enhances executive functioning, or the ability to properly manage your time and resources to accomplish your goals (60Trusted Source).
  • While modafinil appears to have strong nootropic effects, it’s only available via prescription in most countries.
  • Even when prescribed, it’s important to use this drug responsibly to avoid negative side effects.
  • Though modafinil is generally considered non-addictive, instances of dependence and withdrawal have been reported at high dosages (62Trusted Source, 63Trusted Source).

#13. Amphetamines (Adderall)

  • Adderall is a prescription medication that contains highly stimulating amphetamines.
  • It’s most commonly prescribed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy, but it’s increasingly taken by healthy adults to improve attention and focus (64Trusted Source).
  • Adderall works by increasing the availability of the brain chemicals dopamine and noradrenaline within your prefrontal cortex, an area of your brain that controls working memory, attention and behavior (65Trusted Source).
  • The amphetamines found in Adderall make people feel more awake, attentive and optimistic. They also reduce appetite (66Trusted Source).
  • A review of 48 studies found that Adderall significantly improved people’s ability to control their behavior and enhanced short-term memory (67Trusted Source).
  • Depending on the dose and type of pill prescribed, the effects last up to 12 hours (68Trusted Source).
  • It’s important to note that these drugs are not without side effects.
  • Adderall is widely abused on college campuses, with some surveys indicating that up to 43% of students use stimulant drugs without a prescription (69Trusted Source).
  • The side effects of Adderall abuse include anxiety, low sex drive and sweating (70Trusted Source).
  • Recreational Adderall abuse can also cause more severe side effects, such as heart attack, especially when mixed with alcohol (71Trusted Source, 72Trusted Source, 73Trusted Source).
  • Evidence that Adderall enhances mental performance is strong, but it should only be taken as prescribed.

#14. Methylphenidate (Ritalin)

  • Ritalin is another prescription drug used to manage symptoms of ADHD and narcolepsy.
  • Like Adderall, it’s a stimulant and increases dopamine and noradrenaline concentrations in your brain. However, it does not contain amphetamines (74Trusted Source).
  • In healthy adults, Ritalin improves short-term memory, information-processing speed and attention (75Trusted Source, 76Trusted Source).
  • It’s typically well tolerated, but may have the opposite effect and impair thinking if an excessive dose is taken (77Trusted Source).
  • Like Adderall, Ritalin is widely abused, especially by people aged 18–25 (78Trusted Source).
  • The most common side effects of Ritalin include insomnia, stomach ache, headache and loss of appetite (79Trusted Source).
  • It can also cause hallucinations, psychosis, seizures, heart arrhythmias and high blood pressure, particularly when taken in high doses (79Trusted Source, 80Trusted Source, 81Trusted Source, 82Trusted Source).
  • Ritalin is a powerful stimulant that should only be taken as prescribed and monitored closely for abuse.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/nootropics#section14

Though listed by healthline.com at #12, Modafinil is considered by many to be one of the most desired brain-enhancement pills on the market. While it requires a prescription and is intended for those having difficulty staying awake during the day, it’s been shown to be one of the more effective pills on the market.

The truth is, however, that there just isn’t anything available that comes close to being as powerful as NZT-48, although given the current exponential rise in the level of our technology, it may not be long before such a pill exists, enabling each and everyone of us to accomplish far more than human beings have ever been able to do before.

 

By now you must be wondering, what about genetic engineering? Can we use it to ensure our children are given as much opportunity as possible to be born with enhanced cognitive ability?

No, at least not yet. Although it was used to modify the DNA of twins so that they were born with AIDS immunity, intelligence is just too complex a trait influenced by too many genes. Using CRISPR/CAS9 to try and enhance intelligence would be a more challenging task than the technology was originally designed for.

But you can bet with everyone working towards it that it’s coming soon!

CONTEST UPDATE: Please keep spreading the word about the $100 Amazon gift certificate giveaway! If we get enough to join over the next week, I plan to announce the day of the drawing on Labor Day! The winner will be chosen from the list of those who are currently subscribed to the blog.

Jeff W Horton strives to write fun, exciting, revealing, and widely entertaining fiction with a slight Christian flavor.

You can find all of Jeff’s published novels here: Works by Jeff W. Horton | The Horton Library

Please follow Jeff:

You might also want to explore Jeff’s website: at www.hortonlibrary.com, or visit him on the

Amazon’s Author Website for Jeff: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jeff-W.-Horton/author/B004NK5MJC?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Barnes & Noble’s Website: https://tinyurl.com/1emwpg16

Blog Post #1079

August 14, 2019

Technology Discussion: We Must Fight for our Freedom or Lose It

Invented by the Greeks in 400 B.C., catapults were used in ancient and medieval times to hurl stones, spears, and other objects at fortifications.

The crossbow was invented in China but developed into a significant weapon in medieval Europe. With a mechanism for holding the drawn bow until it was ready to release, it propelled arrows with tremendous force as far as 350–400 yards. The crossbow allowed soldiers to fire from great distances and avoid close contact with the enemy. Swords, which had to be used at close range, were no match.

The discovery of gunpowder led to the development of cannons in the 1300s. Cannons could demolish castle walls and blast through wooden ships.

Machine guns allowed for rapid, continuous fire, thereby eliminating frequent reloading. The first was the Gatling gun, used in the American Civil War.

The tank, an armored combat vehicle equipped with a cannon and machine guns, replaced the use of rifles in war. It put an end to trench warfare, since tanks, with their caterpillar traction, could easily bulldoze over trenches. Tanks were first used at the end of World War I, and they emerged as a symbol of modern warfare.

Combat aircraft, both bombers and fighter planes, changed the nature of war during World War II. Air superiority became critical to victory. The British Spitfire, American Mustang, and German Messerschmitt were among the most famous fighter planes of the war.

Nuclear weapons, first developed in 1945, allow for massive destruction. Atom and hydrogen bombs are examples of nuclear weapons. Because these weapons are so perilous to human existence, treaties limit their development.

https://www.infoplease.com/us/american-wars/weapons-changed-warfare

Make no mistake about it, the freedom you and I enjoy, the freedom fought for and so painfully fought for and won by so many brave men (and women) who died, lost limbs, and suffered incalculable loss for, is something that can be snatched away from us at a moment’s notice. Hitler tried during WW II as did the emperor of Japan. Then after the war Stalin tried, followed by a host of other Soviet leaders during the Cold War.

Throughout history and the modern era, countries have had to fight for their freedom, or bow to the whims of their victors, surrendering not only their freedom, but their dignity and in many cases their lives as well.

We now face a new threat, from a very ancient enemy, China. Often misunderstood and almost always underestimated, the Chinese are very proud of their ancient civilization, prizing how it has outlasted so many other civilizations while continuing to thrive. They are masters of strategy and the long game, using their enemy’s weakness against them at every turn while doing their best to manipulate them.

Back in the late 1990s I went to work for holding company for a group of large furniture companies. I recall our CEO returning from a trip to China and informing us how the Chinese were building one empty manufacturing plant after another, in preparation for the business they were expecting to come. And boy did it ever come, along with so many American jobs. The Chinese soon owned the furniture manufacturing business while American furniture companies were closing-up shop and laying-off employees all over the nation. Manufacturing jobs were flocking from the United States over to China, along with trillions of dollars in spending on Chinese goods.

So, what do you suppose the Chinese did with this newfound prosperity and the abundant wealth? They used it to build missiles that they pointed back at America. They build new naval ships and even aircraft carriers they could use to flex their muscle all over the world for the first time. And they used it to build new fighter jets and submarines, even rail guns, one of America’s newest technologies, al of which they built to use primarily against us, Americans, the same Americans who were buying their products.

It’s a commonly known fact that many of us often forget that while it is the technology, most of which the Chinese stole from us by the way, that may win the war, it is a strong economy that powers the war machine and builds the technology that wins the war. A strong, vibrant economy is a must for a country to thrive and to maintain a powerful military.

From Task & Purpose’s Website…

President Donald Trump’s nominee to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff warned during his Senate confirmation hearing that China would be the US’s chief military rival for the next century.

“I think China is the main challenger to US national security over the next 50, 100 years,” Milley told lawmakers. “I think some historian in 2119 will look back at this century, write a book, central theme of the story will be the relationship between the United States and China.”

“I think China has expanded throughout all the regions of the globe, in clear competition,” he added. “Primarily in competition for resources in order to build and improve their military, to fund and fuel their economy.”

He said: “China is improving their military very, very rapidly — in space, air, cyber, maritime, land domains.

“They’re outspending us in research and development and procurement … We, the United States, need to make sure that we do not lose our advantages that we have relative to other countries, specifically relative to China.”

I’m pretty certain the average Roman citizen ever thought the Roman Empire would ever crumble and become just another footnote in history, but it did. We must be ever vigilant if we are to hold to the freedoms we hold so dear.

It’s been encouraging to see the United States’ economy prospering while the Chinese economy falters, giving America a chance to makeup for lost time and rebuild our military, while plugging the security leaks the Chinese have been exploiting to sap our technological strength.

If we don’t stand-up and fight for our freedom, we will lose it, that’s a fact. And if those who seem to want to tear down America aren’t so very careful, if those who hate and despise the very country that cared for and nurtured them, preserving their rights and freedom of speech don’t change course, they might one day find a weakened America, no longer able to defend itself, suddenly under new management, speaking Mandarin. And the next time they speak out to belittle, complain, and protest, it might be the last thing they ever do.

You can find all of Jeff’s published novels here: Works by Jeff W. Horton | The Horton Library

Please follow Jeff:

You might also want to explore Jeff’s website: at www.hortonlibrary.com, or visit him on the

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Blog Post #1077

July 30, 2019

Technology Discussion: Project Artemis: From the Earth to the Moon

Artemis. Now I don’t know about you, but in 2019, having raised four children, when I think of Artemis, I think of something more like this. Okay, yeah, well…wow…maybe not exactly like this, but you get the idea—the animated version of her from the Young Justice series.

So, who is the Artemis from Greek mythology? One of the twelve Olympians, she was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister of Apollo, and the goddess of the hunt, of animals, and of the wilderness, which brings me to what this week’s blog post is all about.

But what is Project Artemis? It is a new and rather exciting mission currently in the works at NASA. Some of it sounds as if it comes right out science-fiction, but it’s real, and coming soon.

According to NASA, “Artemis is the first step to begin the next era of exploration. NASA will establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon with the goal of sending humans to Mars.”

“ President Donald Trump has asked NASA to accelerate our plans to return to the Moon and to land humans on the surface again by 2024. We will go with innovative new technologies and systems to explore more locations across the surface than was ever thought possible. This time, when we go to the Moon, we will stay. And then we will use what we learn on the Moon to take the next giant leap – sending astronauts to Mars ”

—NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine

If you are anything like me, you may be wondering “why the moon, haven’t we already been there, done that,” and you’d be right of course. But please, continue reading and I think you’ll learn, if you don’t already know, the reasons why. According to NASA, they are fourfold:

“Inspiration – Just as Apollo inspired a generation 50 years ago, NASA continues to inspire with feats of science and exploration today. If we bring together the capabilities and resources of our international and commercial partners to take us forward to the Moon and on to Mars, we will demonstrate to people around the world the power of a unified purpose. It will serve as an unparalleled and inspiring example of what humanity can do when it comes together to achieve a common goal for the common good.

Science- The Moon is a treasure chest of science. The lunar samples returned during the Apollo Program dramatically changed our view of the solar system. Yet, we are just scratching the surface of knowledge about the Moon.

Exploration- Exploration is in the DNA of our species – the desire to discover and inhabit distant worlds, whether across Earthly oceans or vast regions of space. It also is critical to the continuation of our species. Humanity must build a path to an Earth-independent existence.

Exploration of the Moon and Mars is intertwined. Our sustainable Moon to Mars exploration approach is reusable and repeatable. Over the next decade, we will build an open exploration architecture with as many capabilities that can be replicated as possible for missions to Mars. The Moon is a testbed for Mars. It provides an opportunity to demonstrate new technologies that could help build self-sustaining outposts off Earth.

Economy- The next revolution will happen in space – a space economy built on mining, tourism, and scientific research that will power and empower future generations. Our investments in revolutionary, American-made technologies today fuel tomorrow’s innovation and space economy.” https://www.nasa.gov/specials/moon2mars/#top

According to Space.com, there is also an orbital space station planned.

“Under Artemis’ umbrella are several components. First is the Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway, a station around the moon that would extend humanity’s presence in space and provide a platform for scientific experiments and jaunts to the lunar surface.

The Gateway would be carried into lunar orbit by the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS), a gigantic new rocket NASA is developing. Four-person crews would access the station using the Orion deep-space capsule and remain for 30 to 90 day stints…”

https://www.space.com/artemis-program.html

The Timeline: (Taken and extrapolated from NASA’s website for your reading pleasure)

2019: To the Moon by 2024- On March 26, 2019, President Trump directed NASA to land the first American woman and next American man on the lunar South Pole in the next five years. NASA accepted this bold challenge, and is working to accelerate technology and hardware development to move forward to the Moon, with humans on the surface by 2024.

2019: Commercial Moon Deliveries: Through Commercial Lunar Payload Services, or CLPS, NASA is partnering with nine American companies to send new science instruments and technologies to the Moon ahead of a human return. NASA plans to issue its first task order for payload delivery services to the lunar surface in May, and the first delivery could happen by late 2019 if commercial landers are ready. NASA will order more deliveries to the Moon as needed over the next decade.

2020: Artemis1: NASA is targeting 2020 for the launch of its powerful Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft together for the first time from a modernized Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This uncrewed flight test, known as Artemis 1, will demonstrate our capability to send crew spaceship to lunar orbit ahead of a return to the surface of the Moon. After launch, SLS will also deploy a number of CubeSats to perform experiments and technology demonstrations.

2022: Artemis 2: NASA is targeting 2022 to test its powerful Space Launch System with astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft. Launching again from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Artemis 2 will fly a different path than the first test flight, and will take a crew around the Moon for the first time in fifty years. This first mission with astronauts will mark a significant step forward for regular missions with crew to lunar orbit, and ultimately on the surface of the Moon and beyond.

2022: First Gateway Element: The power and propulsion element for the Gateway will launch on a private rocket by December 2022, and provide a one-year demonstration in space. Using advanced solar electric propulsion, this first module of the Gateway will provide power, propulsion and communications for the entire spaceship as its assembled and operated.

2023: Science & Exploration Rover: NASA is working with commercial industry to develop mobility platforms, such as rovers, to carry science instruments and look for and sample water-ice (volatile) deposits. Landing a rover in 2023 on the Moon will be the beginning of better understanding the nature of lunar volatiles and could lead to new scientific discoveries. It will also provide us knowledge as to how we can use the water-ice for fuel, oxygen and drinking water for human exploration missions to lunar surface.

2023: Second Gateway Element: NASA will launch a small cabin on a private rocket to dock with the power and propulsion element. The first astronauts to visit the Gateway will transfer from Orion to this pressurized cabin, where they will prepare for their expedition to the lunar South Pole.

2024: Human Landing System: The human landing system will be launched in stages aboard private rockets. They will assemble together in lunar orbit and dock to the Gateway as a single unit, ready to take astronauts down to the lunar surface.

2024: Artemis 3: NASA’s Space Launch System will send Orion and its crew to lunar orbit, where it will dock at the Gateway. The crew will check out the Gateway cabin and Human Landing System before boarding the lander to ride down to the Moon.

2025: Artemis 4: NASA will build on the capabilities established for the 2024 landing, and work with U.S. industry and international partners to develop a sustainable human lunar presence. The Space Launch System rocket will send Orion spacecraft and its crew to lunar orbit, where astronauts will conduct expeditions aboard the Gateway and on the lunar surface.

2026: Artemis5: NASA’s Space Launch System will send Orion and its crew to lunar orbit, where astronauts will conduct expeditions aboard the Gateway and on the lunar surface.

2027: Artemis 6: NASA’s Space Launch System will send Orion and its crew to lunar orbit, where astronauts will conduct expeditions aboard the Gateway and on the lunar surface.

2028: Artemis 7: NASA’s Space Launch System will send Orion and its crew to lunar orbit, where astronauts will conduct expeditions aboard the Gateway and on the lunar surface.

2028: Sustainable Human Lunar Presence- NASA and its industry and international partners plan to have a steady cadence of astronaut expeditions to the Gateway and lunar surface, with increased Gateway capabilities and reusable landing systems.

2030s: Astronauts on Mars: NASA is keeping its eyes on human exploration of Mars. Our sustainable Moon to Mars exploration approach is reusable and repeatable – we will build an open exploration architecture in lunar orbit with as many capabilities that can be replicated as possible for missions to the Red Planet.

So that’s the plan. Place a space station around the moon, build a permanent base on the moon, then land astronauts on Mars. It’s a good plan, a solid plan, and a typical, safe, methodical NASA plan. Its not the kind that got us to the moon the first time, that kind of an would have us on Mars by this time next year, but it is what they must work with given their constraints.

As I’ve stated before on this blog, however, don’t be surprised if private enterprise beats NASA there. I imagine if Space-X makes it to the moon and to Mars first we’ll all be cheering them on, with NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine their biggest cheerleader.

SPECIAL REQUEST! I’m considering replacing this blog with a podcast. I’m told blogs are going the way of the dinosaur and in order to stay relevant I need to start doing a podcast. What are your thoughts? Let me know by emailing me at jeff@hortonlibrary.com with Blog vs. Podcast in the subject line!

Jeff W Horton strives to write fun, exciting, revealing, and widely entertaining fiction with a slight Christian flavor.

You can find all of Jeff’s published novels here: Works by Jeff W. Horton | The Horton Library

Please follow Jeff:

You might also want to explore Jeff’s website: at www.hortonlibrary.com, or visit him on the

Amazon’s Author Website for Jeff: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jeff-W.-Horton/author/B004NK5MJC?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Barnes & Noble’s Website: https://tinyurl.com/1emwpg16

Blog Post #1077

July 30, 2019

Technology Discussion: Part-2: Is it time for an International Body to Govern Humanity’s Expansion Beyond Earth and into the Cosmos?

So who’s in charge of humanity’s affairs in outer space, and who governs or decides who gets what when it comes to space?

As of this moment, some, but not all activities regarding space, the moon, and other celestial bodies, like Mars, are supposedly governed by a somewhat vague and likely unenforceable, 50-year-old document, called The Outer Space Treaty…

Below is an excerpt from that treaty:

From Wikipedia…”

“The United Nations and the Outer Space Treaty

The Outer Space Treaty, formally the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, is a treaty that forms the basis of international space law. The treaty was opened for signature in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union on 27 January 1967, and entered into force on 10 October 1967. As of June 2019, 109 countries are parties to the treaty, while another 23 have signed the treaty but have not completed ratification.

Below are the countries who have signed the treaty…

Algeria Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia
Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas
Bangladesh Accession Barbados Belarus
Belgium Benin   Accession
Bolivia Botswana Brazil Bulgaria
Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Canada
Central African Republic Chile China Colombia
Cuba Cyprus   Czech Republic
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Dominican Republic
Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Estonia
Ethiopia Fiji Finland  
  France Gambia Germany
Ghana Greece Guinea-Bissau Guyana
Haiti Holy See Honduras Hungary
Iceland India Moscow Indonesia
Iran (Islamic Republic of) Iraq Israel Italy
Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan
Kenya Kuwait Lao People’s Lebanon
Lesotho   Libya Lithuania
Luxembourg Madagascar Malaysia Mali
Malta Mauritius Mexico Mongolia
Montenegro Morocco Myanmar Nepal
Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger
Nigeria Norway Moscow Pakistan
Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru
Philippines     Poland
Portugal Qatar Republic of Korea Romania
Russian Federation Rwanda Saint Vincent and the Grenadines San Marino
Saudi Arabia Serbia Seychelles Slovakia
Slovenia Somalia South Africa Spain
Sri Lanka Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic Thailand
Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia
Turkey Uganda Ukraine  
United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland United States of America Uruguay
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Viet Nam Yemen Zambia

“Among the Outer Space Treaty’s main points are that it prohibits the placing of nuclear weapons in space, it limits the use of the Moon and all other celestial bodies to peaceful purposes only, and establishes that space shall be free for exploration and use by all nations, but that no nation may claim sovereignty of outer space or any celestial body. The Outer Space Treaty does not ban military activities within space, military space forces, or the weaponization of space, with the exception of the placement of weapons of mass destruction in space.”

The treaty was certainly a step in the right direction and was, I expect, meant to be a stop-gap measure, intended to be a placeholder until a more permanent, longer-term solution could be developed after much consideration and deliberation among the world’s greatest minds. After all, at the time, the world had gone from placing a crude satellite into orbit (Sputnik) in 1957 to landing several men safely on the moon in 1969, only twelve years after Sputnik and two years after the treaty was first signed.

Since the entire Space Race had taken place in essentially twelve ten years up until that point, it’s easy to imagine that the men and women involved with the formation of the Outer Space Treaty would have assumed that men would certainly have landed on Mars by sometime in the 1970s or 1980s, with a Martian colony in place by no later than the 1990s. No doubt a longer-term plan for humanity’s peaceful expansion into space would be formulated along the way. To be sure, all of this was a reasonable hypothesis.

How could the men and women of the American astronaut program and the Soviet Cosmonaut program have anticipated the decline in interest in the moon after repeated trips there by NASA. It would take several more decades and the emergence of private enterprise and the free market, along with another pro-space president in the vein of President Kennedy, a man named Donald Trump, to come along with the vision and the will to act to make outer space a priority for America once again.

Back to our scenario on Mars, where we have the American company, Space-X, the Chinese, the Russians, NASA, and the Indians all arguing over access to the limited water supply on Mars. This is only one very small example. What f the Chinese claimed that entire quadrant of Mars in the name of China and declared it off-limits to all “foreigners,” threatening to use force against anyone refusing to leave?

Clearly, a governing body of some sort is necessary, a body that is substantially different from the United Nations and, I believe, has a charter that greatly exceeds what the United Nations was designed to do.

I propose a new type of organization, a new form of government, one that is not answerable to any one government, but where the leadership is derived from nations from around the world. Then, just as member nations contribute to NATO and/or the United Nations, so too would member nations contribute to this Earth Space Alliance, which would govern the expansion of humanity into the cosmos.

There would need to a lot of details to be worked out to be sure, but the point is this; do we want to venture out beyond Earth as a fractured species, members of a collection of distinct, tiny little landmasses from our home world, or do we unite, and venture out into the vastness of the cosmos as one united people? Does it sound cheesy? Yeah, I suppose it does sound a little cheesy. But even if it does, I think it sounds a lot better than the alternative.

Who knows, perhaps space will unite us as a species in a way our home world never could. One can only hope.

Jeff W Horton strives to write fun, exciting, revealing, and widely entertaining fiction with a slight Christian flavor.

You can find all of Jeff’s published novels here: Works by Jeff W. Horton | The Horton Library

Please follow Jeff:

You might also want to explore Jeff’s website: at www.hortonlibrary.com, or visit him on the

Amazon’s Author Website for Jeff: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jeff-W.-Horton/author/B004NK5MJC?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Barnes & Noble’s Website: https://tinyurl.com/1emwpg16

Blog Post #1076

July 23, 2019

Technology Discussion: Part-1: Is it time for an International Body to Govern Humanity’s Expansion Beyond Earth and into the Cosmos?

Space, as it says in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, is big, really big. Still yet, it’s starting to get a little crowded out there.

Seeing as this past Saturday marked the 50th anniversary since Apollo 11 landed on the moon, space seems a fitting topic for this week’s post. It’s been on my mind an awful lot for a while now, I hope you’ll indulge me.

As the famed oceanographer Jacques Cousteau once said, “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”

It seems it is the same with space. We must be mindful however just how dangerous space is for us fragile human beings. Unlike our pioneer ancestors, should we make a mistake on the trail, it’s not just food and water we run out of, it’s air pressure, and oxygen.

Despite the risks however, an increasing number of countries can now include themselves in what is still a relatively small and select club of nations, the spacefaring nations. Many nations have launched satellites into space at this point, though only a few have landed on the moon up until now, among them the United States, the former Soviet Union, China, and perhaps India, if their spacecraft, the Chandrayaan-2, lands successfully in September. Surprisingly, a slightly higher number of countries has either attempted or has successfully made the difficult trek to Mars, among them The United States, Russia, the European Space Agency, China, India, and Japan.

The United States, under the leadership of President Donald Trump, has made a number of bold announcements about space, which are significant both in range and depth of impact. First, NASA, and the president, announced that NASA will be establishing a permanent base and human presence on the moon within ten years by the year 2028. Second, NASA will land human beings on Mars by the early 2030s. In addition to these major announcements, President Trump has announced the formation of a new Space Force, or Space Corp, which has been established under the United States Air Force. These are all major development in expanding our presence off-planet.

At various points in the past, at least two companies openly announced plans to mine the many asteroids that lie in the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Unfortunately, it seems both companies either went bankrupt or were bought-out and acquired by another organization. Whether or not what remains of these two companies will ever end-up succeeding in achieving their initial visions of mining asteroids remains to be seen. Despite their failure one thing remains clear, space-mining will happen and its likely to be sooner than later; space-mining will unquestionably soon be open-for-business. Given that the vast number of asteroids in the asteroid belt numbers in the millions, that the size of these beasts range from just under 1-mile to 60-miles in diameter, and the fact that many are comprised of precious metals like iridium, palladium, platinum, gold, osmium, ruthenium and rhodium, it’s no wonder that private industry is licking its chops to get into the space business.

Planetary Resources, one of the now-defunct companies with hopes of mining asteroids in space, stated at the time that those metals exist in such high concentrations on asteroids that a single 500-meter platinum-rich asteroid can contain more platinum group metals than have ever been mined on Earth throughout human history. Go figure.

Helium-3. It’s been hailed by some as the most efficient, cleanest-burning fuel for fusion reactors because there’s no leftover radioactivity. Now there just happens to be a new international fusion test center in France that is due to fire up a new fusion reactor in 2025. It’s not designed to use Helium-3, however, as it would have to be able to create even more heat than it already will, and it would have to be considerably larger than it already is; that’s the problem with using Helium-3, and it’s the reason, say some, that using Helium-3 in fusion reactors is just a pipe-dream. If they can find a way to prove Helium-3s efficacy and profitability as a resource, however, I’m sure you can see how good that would be for the world, since fusion is, some say, the future path to unlimited energy (at least until we learn how to harness anti-matter).

Supposing one-day soon scientists find a way to utilize Helium-3 as fuel in reactors, the cleanest-burning nuclear fuel known to man, where can we find it, on Earth? No, not as a matter of practicality. The amounts we have here are negligible. The most abundant supply of Helium-3 is guess-what, on the moon. With NASA’s plan for a permanent presence on the moon, and the stated goals of several private, start-up space companies, it would be child’s play to build mining colonies on the moon, should it become profitable to do so.

Beyond just mining, at least one company, Elon Musk’s Space-X has plans for space that exceed that of even NASA, to not only land a man on Mars, but to establish a human colony or city on Mars, by 2030. If he’s successful, by the time astronauts from NASA arrive, they may find accommodations, perhaps a Mars Hilton or Mars Marriott waiting for them, sporting a place to shower, a fitness center, and a swimming pool, with restaurants and a movie theater nearby!

So far, I’ve focused mostly on just what America is doing. Be certain however, that China, Russia, India, and the ESA all have designs on getting people to MARS as well, in all likelihood sooner than later. Perhaps they will not beat Space-X or NASA there, but they will make it there, eventually, barring anything catastrophic or momentous happening here on Earth.

Where am I going with all of this, you may ask? Please, allow me to walk you through what could be a very real scenario, one that could one day become a scary reality with very real, and deadly implications.

Imagine that water is found at a specific location on Mars soon after Space-X lands there and first begins setting up their colony there. As the first human beings on Mars, they must address certain essentials, the most important of which is water. They soon discover a huge cache of underground water, as pure as underground spring water back on Earth. Maybe they build a huge tank and water processing facility right there onsite.

Then, a few years later, NASA arrives and sets up shop on Mars, standing-up their own habitat not far from where Space-X found the large supply of water. Members of the NASA colony naturally need and want access to the watershed, so they ask and perhaps, maybe, Musk reluctantly grants it, but only after complaining at length to NASA administrators back home and storing up a few favors.

Now soon after all of this, say the following year, a ship from China lands a few miles on the opposite side of the Space-X colony. Naturally, after setting-up shop they too request access to the same water and a month later, when the Russians land some distance beyond NASA, the Russians do as well. Musk, and the Space-X colony leadership decides it’s finally had enough and says no more. They got there first, it’s their water. Arguments break out, words are exchanged, and as the situation grows increasing heated both on Mars and back home on Earth, intelligent people on both planets begin asking themselves the same question; who’s in charge, who gets the final say on access to such precious resources as water on Mars?

Check-out next week’s blog for my solution to this nagging dilemma!

Jeff W Horton strives to write fun, exciting, revealing, and widely entertaining fiction with a slight Christian flavor.

You can find all of Jeff’s published novels here: Works by Jeff W. Horton | The Horton Library

Please follow Jeff:

You might also want to explore Jeff’s website: at www.hortonlibrary.com, or visit him on the

Amazon’s Author Website for Jeff: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jeff-W.-Horton/author/B004NK5MJC?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Barnes & Noble’s Website: https://tinyurl.com/1emwpg16

Blog Post #1075

July 17, 2019

Technology Discussion: The Internet

The Great Library. It stood in Ancient Egypt in two locations, and included works by Homer, Aristotle, Plato, and many other ancient philosophers. There were volumes written in ancient Egyptian, Greek, Chaldean, Hebrew, and other languages as well. At one time there were as many as 700,000 volumes contained in the library until, according to most scholars, they met their end quite by accident as casualties of war at the hands of none other than Julius Caesar, when he was caught-up in the Egyptian civil war between Cleopatra and her brother, Ptolemy XIII.

The loss of the Great Library was a blow to the ancient world, the loss of a wealth of knowledge, brought together in one location, where scholars had come to gain access to the world’s collective knowledge, but now it was gone.

Today, we have great libraries all over the world with significantly greater collections of works than were ever contained in the Great Library. But there is something far greater still, something that in many ways is even more impactful today than the Great Library was in ancient times and believe me, that is saying something given the profound lack of knowledge in the ancient world.

When the Internet was first conceived, it was nothing more than connectivity between the universities of the United States and the United States military. Later it became something quite different, however, as businesses began connecting to the Internet, some to gain access to resources, others for various reasons. But some of us around in those early days of the Internet, back when computers were just starting to get dial-up modems and CD-ROM drives, could see the potential of what was coming even then; worldwide, instantaneous access to nearly all human knowledge right at your fingertips. And who could have foreseen Google, or the role it would play in helping us to navigate the enormous volumes of data out there in Cyberspace.

For those of you who are old enough answer me this question, what would you have done if you needed to identify what a specific snake looked like, and you had no family or friend you could turn to? Well, you would likely trot down to your local library, unless you happen to have purchased your own set of Encyclopedia Britannica encyclopedias, lol! But now, what would you do? Google it, of course!

I can’t even begin to recount the number of times that I, as a member of the information technology community, used Google to find technical answers to problems I was facing at the time. While researching material for a novel I was writing at the time I’d often surf the Internet, looking for source material, pulling information from U.S. Cybercommand, from Congress, from companies, universities, the list goes on and on. Do I think I’m the only one who does this? No! Of course, not! You can be certain that lawyers, doctors, scientists, engineers, scholars, researchers, and many others all over the planet are doing the exact type of thing, tapping into the wealth of knowledge that is quite literally at our fingertips.

Now just try to imagine the innovation that such access has helped drive in recent years, and may help drive tomorrow. Perhaps the cure for Cancer or Alzheimer’s will be found next week because of the easy access to information on the Internet that wasn’t available just thirty years ago! Maybe the development of the first spacecraft capable of carrying the first man to Alpha-Centauri and back while his loved ones are still alive is just around the corner.

You can find all of Jeff’s published novels here: Works by Jeff W. Horton | The Horton Library

Please follow Jeff:

You might also want to explore Jeff’s website: at www.hortonlibrary.com, or visit him on the

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Barnes & Noble’s Website: https://tinyurl.com/1emwpg16

Blog Post #1074

July 10, 2019

Technology Discussion: Unlimited Energy Beginning in 2025?

UNLIMITED ENERGY

Fusion, the nuclear reaction that powers the Sun and the stars, is a potential source of safe, non-carbon emitting and virtually limitless energy. Harnessing fusion’s power is the goal of ITER, which has been designed as the key experimental step between today’s fusion research machines and tomorrow’s fusion power plants. https://www.iter.org/

Here is an overview from the ITER website:

“What is ITER?

“ITER (“The Way” in Latin) is one of the most ambitious energy projects in the world today.

“In southern France, 35 nations are collaborating to build the world’s largest tokamak, a magnetic fusion device that has been designed to prove the feasibility of fusion as a large-scale and carbon-free source of energy based on the same principle that powers our Sun and stars.

“The experimental campaign that will be carried out at ITER is crucial to advancing fusion science and preparing the way for the fusion power plants of tomorrow.

“ITER will be the first fusion device to produce net energy. ITER will be the first fusion device to maintain fusion for long periods of time. And ITER will be the first fusion device to test the integrated technologies, materials, and physics regimes necessary for the commercial production of fusion-based electricity.

“Thousands of engineers and scientists have contributed to the design of ITER since the idea for an international joint experiment in fusion was first launched in 1985. The ITER Members—”China, the European Union, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the United States—are now engaged in a 35-year collaboration to build and operate the ITER experimental device, and together bring fusion to the point where a demonstration fusion reactor can be designed.”

ITER-It means “The Way” in Latin. It represents something so new, so fantastic it’s existed only in the realm of scientific theory and science-fiction, at least for most of us. Oh, like many of you, I suppose, I’d heard about nuclear fusion, the much cleaner, safer cousin to nuclear fission, which has been around since the Manhattan Project.

Nuclear fission is an unnatural occurrence, not normally found in nature. With nuclear fission, power is generated when a heavier nucleus like uranium or plutonium is bombarded by a stream of neutrons and broken into smaller nuclei. The energy released is captured, converted into steam, and used to turn turbines and create electricity. The nuclei formed during the process are unstable and radioactive, resulting in the toxic, radioactive waste byproducts of fission-based nuclear power plants.

Nuclear fusion on the other hand, is a natural occurrence and is found everywhere in nature, in the hearts of nearly every star in the sky, and beyond. Nuclear fusion is what powers the sun, and every other star in the universe. The collision of hydrogen atoms at high-heat causes them to fuse, creating a heavier nucleus, like helium.

It’s long-been the dream of many to replace nuclear fission in nuclear power plants with nuclear fusion, largely because nuclear fusion leaves little to no nuclear waste as a byproduct of energy creation. The same cannot be said of nuclear fission, which creates substantial quantities of leftover, and very dangerous radioactive waste, which must be carefully and securely disposed of in secure facilities, lest it fall into the hands of terrorist groups, determined to create weapons of mass destruction.

Below are some of the Key Differences Between Nuclear Fission and Nuclear Fusion:

The differences between nuclear fission and nuclear fusion can be drawn clearly on the following grounds:

  • The nuclear reaction in which a heavy nucleus is broken into smaller nuclei, by releasing neutrons and energy, is called nuclear fission. A process in which two or more lighter atoms combine to create a heavy nucleus is called nuclear fusion.
  • Nuclear fusion takes place naturally, such as in stars like the sun. On the other hand, nuclear fission reaction does not happen naturally.
  • Conditions supporting nuclear fission includes the critical mass of the substance and neutrons. Conversely, nuclear fusion is possible only in extreme conditions, i.e. high temperature, pressure and density.
  • In the nuclear fission reaction, the amount of energy required is less than the energy needed in a fusion reaction.
  • Nuclear fission liberates an enormous amount of energy during the reaction. However, this is 3-4 times less than the energy released during nuclear fusion.
  • Nuclear fission can be controlled through various scientific processes. As against this, nuclear fusion is impossible to control.

Clean, unlimited energy. No more fossil fuels which are quickly being depleted and are harmful to the environment. No more nuclear fission reactors with the vast amounts of nuclear waste and the more dangerous, volatile nuclear reactions that come with fission.

Nuclear fusion, the engine that powers the stars. It’s been a dream for so many for so very long and now, it seems, it may soon become a reality. Who knows, perhaps one day we’ll have nuclear fusion reactors to power cities, planes, trains, ships, perhaps even cars, or at least we’ll be able to store energy produced by nuclear fusion. It’s clean, and it’s in abundant supply. Of course, we’ll also be able to build spacecraft powered by fusion engines as well, if not more exotic technologies like antimatter engines.

What a great time to be alive!

Jeff W Horton strives to write fun, exciting, revealing, and widely entertaining fiction with a slight Christian flavor.

You can find all of Jeff’s published novels here: Works by Jeff W. Horton | The Horton Library

Please follow Jeff:

You might also want to explore Jeff’s website: at www.hortonlibrary.com, or visit him on the

Amazon’s Author Website for Jeff: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jeff-W.-Horton/author/B004NK5MJC?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Barnes & Noble’s Website: https://tinyurl.com/1emwpg16

Blog Post #1073

July 3, 2019

Technology Discussion: Want to Live Forever? Your Children or Grand-Children Could End-up living to be 1,000 Years old, or older?

25Methuselah lived one hundred and eighty-seven years, and became the father of Lamech. 26Then Methuselah lived seven hundred and eighty-two years after he became the father of Lamech, and he had other sons and daughters. 27So all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years, and he died.

Genesis 25-27

According to the Bible, human beings once lived to be nearly one-thousand years old. Imagine that, living for nearly ten centuries, a millennium. If someone were a thousand -years-old today, they would be old enough to have fought in the first crusades to wrest control of Jerusalem out of the hands of the Muslims. He or she could have met Robin Hood, Genghis Khan, Marco Polo, Copernicus, Galileo, Sir Isaac Newton, and the list goes on.

Of course, we know that except for the occasional centenarian, someone who lives to be over a hundred-years-old, most people don’t live to be more than seventy or eighty years old. The current world-record for longevity in modern times is Jeanne Louise Calment from France, who lived to an unprecedented 122 years 164 days, from 1875-1997

Those who read the Bible may know that after the Great Flood, God decided to limit the lifespan of humanity to one-hundred-and-twenty-years and gradually, Noah’s descendants lived less and less until indeed, their lifespan settled around one-hundred-and-twenty-years.

Whether you’re a Christian, a Jew, a Muslim, an agnostic, an atheist, or something else, one thing is certain, after searching for decades, scientists are getting closer to finding ways of enabling us to live longer, and healthier lives.

It’s all science-fiction, you say? Apparently not. In doing research for a recent novel I came across one scientific article after another about how science has been rolling back the curtain on how DNA, senescent cells, and certain catalysts interact to cause us to age, and about what progress has already been made in the laboratory to roll-back time for humanity. It’s true, it seems, that before long, scientists may well crack the code to “curing” aging, imagine that!

In just one article below, scientists were able to extend the lifespan of a mouse by 30%. That’s roughly thirty years for a human being, certainly an accomplishment, proving they may be on the right track.

Aging Is Reversible—at Least in Human Cells and Live Mice

“Changes to gene activity that occur with age can be turned back, a new study shows”

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/aging-is-reversible-at-least-in-human-cells-and-live-mice/

Below is an excerpt from yet another article about not only extending the lifespan of human beings, but extending the health span as well…

“Most people do not believe that the science of aging has made enormous progress in the last few years and human trials of anti-aging drugs have already started, with more to begin soon. Experts in the lifespan-extension field, called geroscientists are gaining the attention of mainstream medicine. They realize that we are living longer than ever before. However, we spend a significant portion of our lives sick and suffering. That is why geroscientists are shifting their focus from extending lifespans to extending healthspans, by making the latter part of our lives relatively free from chronic disease. To do this, anti-aging scientists are attacking the aging process itself, as it is the cause of almost all chronic conditions.

“The Kurzsegat video provides three examples of discoveries that might benefit people who are alive today, such as senolytic drugs that remove senescent cells, NAD supplementation and stem cell therapy.

  1. Senescent Cells

“One way of extending lifespan is to kill off senescent cells.

“As the Kurzsegat video explains, these non-functioning cells, also called zombie cells, clog up your body and disrupt normal functioning. The numbers of senescent cells in our bodies increases as we grow older, a hallmark of aging common to all of us. Senescent cells create chronic inflammation, called inflammaging that harms surrounding tissue. Scientists have implicated these zombie cells as a significant cause of the chronic diseases of old age such as kidney failure and type 2 diabetes.

“Lifespan extension advocates, such as Aubrey de Grey of the SENS research foundation have been long advocating for ways to remove these troublemakers.

“Up until recently, there’s been no way to get rid of them. However, a new experiment in mice used drugs that were able to kill up a majority of senescent cells without harming healthy ones. The treated mice were more youthful, more energetic and regrew lost hair. Another study used “mice genetically engineered to get rid of senescent cells. The treated mice enjoyed a 30% increase in lifespan, along with improved health and less cancer.

“Why do Senescent Cells Form?

“The cells in our bodies have an expiration date. Each time a cell divides, it copies its chromosomes, losing a tiny bit of DNA at the ends. This protective DNA at the end of our chromosomes are called telomeres.  Looking like the plastic tips of shoelaces, telomeres protect our DNA by keeping it from fraying. Telomeres shorten with each cell division. In some cells, after 50 to 70 cell divisions, our telomeres have been reduced to the limit, and the cell turns into what is called a senescent cell. When they become damaged, most of our cells are programmed to commit a form of suicide, called cell death; however senescent cells neglect to do so. This is because senescent cells underproduce a protein that tells them when it is time to commit hari-kari… For more on this, follow this link…

http://longevityfacts.com/video-revolutionary-technologies-beat-aging-lifetimes/

Yeah, I know, some of you might be bored by the science stuff. Still, though, you have to admit it’s pretty amazing, right? This isn’t science-fiction, this is reality, and it’s going to change everything we know about what it means to be human very, very, soon!

Jeff W Horton strives to write fun, exciting, revealing, and widely entertaining fiction with a slight Christian flavor.

You can find all of Jeff’s published novels here: Works by Jeff W. Horton | The Horton Library

Please follow Jeff:

You might also want to explore Jeff’s website: at www.hortonlibrary.com, or visit him on the

Amazon’s Author Website for Jeff: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jeff-W.-Horton/author/B004NK5MJC?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Barnes & Noble’s Website: https://tinyurl.com/1emwpg16

Blog Post #1072, Free Enterprise and Space Travel

Author Jeff W. Horton

Blog Post #1072

June 26, 2019

Technology Discussion: Free Enterprise and Space Travel

I had no idea when went into work that morning that it would be such a significant day; but was it ever. Perhaps had I been president, I would have had them all to the White House, made it one of the biggest media events of our time. I suppose one can hardly blame President Bush, however, who’d been our leader during 9/11, and then again during the Iraq War. With the invasion of Iraq taking place only six months earlier, I suppose he was a little preoccupied with the war when Paul Allen’s company, called Mojave Aerospace Ventures (MAV), successfully launched their privately-built spacecraft, SpaceShipOne, into space not just once, but twice in 2004, making SpaceShipOne the first privately-owned ship to enter Earth orbit, and win the coveted X-prize of 10-million dollars.

The Ansari X Prize was a $10 million purse for the first privately built vehicle that could safely haul a pilot and the equivalent weight of two passengers to the edge of space — then repeat the feat within two weeks.

Oh, and I must note the tremendous respect I’ve always held such great respect for the two pilots of that craft. The first flight was piloted on September 29, 2004 by Mike Melvill, while the second was piloted on October 4, 2004, by Brian Binnie. What tremendous courage these two men must have had to pilot an experimental craft, stripped bare to the bone in order to reduce weight to the edge of space!

Of course, it wasn’t the success of SpaceShipOne itself, as incredible as it was, that was what made October 4, 2004 so important. No, it’s what it signified, the beginning of a new era, the emergence of the private sector into space travel, that was big, really big, really, really big.  It freed up the power of the marketplace, the power of competition, which will change our world in ways we can only imagine.

The first time I can remember ever even thinking about private enterprise in space was during the first of the Alien films. Subsequent films, and books, occasionally featured a business operating, usually with ill-intentions, in space. The point is, just as in our past, when private enterprise drove trade ships to explore new trade routes to the Indies,  to China, to countries all over the world, so too will the need for resources and trade drive space travel, mining expeditions, even colonies on other worlds, moons, perhaps even asteroids.

In case you believe I’m exaggerating, allow me to share a link with you, and then explain what I watched on my television this evening.

Here’s the link: https://www.spacex.com/webcast

The link goes to a page on the SpaceX website, where there is a recorded webcast from June 25, 2019, when SpaceX carried out an incredible 24 individual missions for the Air Force, along with a collection of other agencies and organizations, in a single launch its Falcon Heavy during the SpaceX STP-2 Mission. It was a shining example of cooperation between government and private enterprise, which will bring financial and mission success to both, while spurring growth that otherwise would never would have happened. It was a very, very exciting event to watch, reminiscent of watching NASA launches in the past. Even when one of the thrusters was unable to successfully land on its platform and ended up breaking in pieces, the two side thrusters returned to Earth and landed perfectly, and all 24 satellites, including one with a very large solar-wind sail that will open nearly a week later, were successfully launched into space.

Of course, Elon Musk, who runs SpaceX, has plans far beyond the launching of satellites into space. He has big pans for space tourism, for the colonization of Mars, and beyond. Again, the power of capitalism and the free market, driving ingenuity, creativity, and investment, in unforeseen ways, paving humanity’s way into the cosmos.

Oh, wondering what happened with SpaceShipOne? Billionaire Sir Richard Branson’s company, Virgin Galactic bought the company, and has now built a new, SpaceShipTwo. With plans to passengers and cargo trips to space (apparently nearly 600 passengers are already signed-up to go), presumably to near-earth-orbit, perhaps the ISS, or since this IS Sir Richard Branson, perhaps an orbiting Virgin Galactic Space Hotel? What a great time to be alive!

Read this!  https://www.virgingalactic.com/articles/sir-richard-branson-announces-virgin-galactic-move-to-spaceport-america-this-summer-as-company-readies-for-commercial-service/

“Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA (10th May 2019):

At a press conference today at the New Mexico State Capitol Building in Santa Fe, hosted by New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, Virgin Founder Sir Richard Branson announced that Virgin Galactic’s development and testing program had advanced sufficiently to move the spaceline staff and space vehicles from Mojave, California to their commercial operations headquarters at Spaceport America, New Mexico. The move, which involves more than 100 staff, will commence immediately and continue through the summer, to minimise schooling disruption for families.

Virgin Galactic partnered with New Mexico in an agreement which saw the state complete construction of Spaceport America, the world’s first, purpose-built commercial spaceport, and Virgin Galactic committing to center its commercial spaceflight activities at the facilities once its vehicles and operations were ready for service.

This announcement signals the final countdown to a regular commercial spaceflight service for paying passengers and science research from Spaceport America. It follows the great progress in operational readiness at Spaceport, including the completion of the hanger, offices, fuel farm, warehouse and antenna for telemetry and communications, as well as interior fit-out. It also positions New Mexico on the frontline of technological innovation and, as one of the very few places on Earth that plays host to regular human spaceflight launches, a magnet for inward investment.

Virgin Galactic will reposition its space system consisting of carrier aircraft VMS Eve and spaceship VSS Unity from Mojave, California to Spaceport America over the summer months once cabin interior and other work has been completed by Virgin Galactic’s sister manufacturing organisation, The Spaceship Company (TSC). It will complete its final test flights from New Mexico for commencing a full commercial service for passengers and research payload. TSC will remain based in Mojave where it will continue building Virgin Galactic’s planned fleet of SpaceShipTwo and carrier aircraft WhiteKnightTwo vehicles.”

There are a few concerns I have about space travel, which I’ve mentioned in a previous blog. The first is that if we’re going to be spending a lot of time in space, we really need some type of true energy-shielding, yes, like Star Trek. Fire Phasers, Mr. Sulu. Seriously, space is dangerous folks, really dangerous. You’ve got all types of radiation, gamma bursts, etc. You’ve also got objects flying around at incredibly high speeds. Remember, space is a vacuum, which means there’s no friction to slow anything down. Imagine being struck by a small screw left behind by an astronaut or cosmonaut during a spacewalk some twenty years ago. Now remember that this screw could be going thousands of miles an hour right through your suit, affecting the pressure in your suit, sucking out your air, and oh yeah, with the screw going right through your chest and your heart. There is a growing amount of space debris, not to mention micrometeorites in space, which traditional metals may not be enough to protect us, and the ship, from.

The other concern is about distance. Without a really significant breakthrough, I’m talking Einstein or Newton here, that allows us to bend space or otherwise circumvent the laws of time and space, we’re going to be pretty much stuck here, in our own solar system. No matter how you slice it, the closer you get to the speed of light in your spaceship the more time is going to pass back home. It won’t be your wife and children you’ll be going home to when you get back, it will be your descendants; you’ll be an ancient ancestor to anyone you left behind. In fact, I suspect you may run across your descendants out wherever you’re going, because by then, THEY will have found a way around Einstein’s General theory of relativity.

I don’t know about you, but that would be no way to live for me. At the end of the day I want to go home to my family.

So who knows, maybe the next Albert Einstein, the next Isaac Newton, will discover a way to get around relativity, maybe by creating a wormhole, a stargate, or an interdimensional hyperdrive that we can slip into and arrive halfway across the galaxy while staying well away from the speed of light. Perhaps he, or she, will also develop some type of energy shielding for protecting us during our travels through space.

Lastly, before wrapping up here. I watched a documentary on television the other day about a man named Bob Lazar, perhaps you’ve heard of him. He claims to have worked at the S-4 base out at Papoose Lake, near Groom Lake, Nevada, and next door to the famous Area 51 base. Yes, he claims to have seen alien ships. In fact, he claims he was a contractor back in the 1980s, hired by the government to reverse engineer the propulsion-systems on these alien spacecraft (I believe he said there were nine in total?), which he did. He took them apart and put them back together again. He said they used gravity waves, created by element 115, to propel the ship in different directions. He went on to add that on one occasion at the base, he was shown a device that actually repelled his hand when he tried to press it against the device, much like one magnet repels another magnet with the same pole.

Now I don’t know whether to believe Bob Lazar or not, but I must confess I believe he’s telling the truth, or at least believes he is. Perhaps, if it IS true, one day some genius will succeed with reverse-engineering some of these technologies and we will be well on our way to exploring not just our solar system, but the galaxy, and then the universe.

 

Jeff W Horton strives to write fun, exciting, revealing, and widely entertaining fiction with a slight Christian flavor.

You can find all of Jeff’s published novels here: Works by Jeff W. Horton | The Horton Library

Please follow Jeff:

You might also want to explore Jeff’s website: at www.hortonlibrary.com, or visit him on the

Amazon’s Author Website for Jeff: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jeff-W.-Horton/author/B004NK5MJC?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Barnes & Noble’s Website: https://tinyurl.com/1emwpg16

Blog Post #1071

June 12, 2019

Free Flow Thinking: Let’s Remember to “Never Forget”

September 11, 2001.

7:59 a.m.: American Airlines Flight 11, a Boeing 767 carrying 81 passengers and 11 crew members, departs 14 minutes late from Logan International Airport in Boston, bound for Los Angeles International Airport. Five hijackers are aboard.

8:14: United Airlines Flight 175, a Boeing 767, carrying 56 passengers and 9 crew members, departs 14 minutes late from Logan International Airport in Boston, bound for Los Angeles International Airport. Five hijackers are aboard.

8:14: Flight 11 is hijacked over central Massachusetts, turning first northwest, then south.

8:20: American Airlines Flight 77, a Boeing 757 with 58 passengers and 6 crew members, departs 10 minutes late from Washington Dulles International Airport, for Los Angeles International Airport. Five hijackers are aboard.

8:42: United Airlines Flight 93, a Boeing 757 with 37 passengers and 7 crew members, departs 42 minutes late from Newark International Airport, bound for San Francisco International Airport. Four hijackers are aboard.

8:42–8:46 (approx.): Flight 175 is hijacked above northwest New Jersey, about 60 miles northwest of New York City, continuing southwest briefly before turning back to the northeast.

8:46:40: Flight 11 crashes into the north face of the North Tower (1 WTC) of the World Trade Center, between floors 93 and 99. The aircraft enters the tower intact.

8:50–8:54 (approx.): Flight 77 is hijacked above southern Ohio, turning to the southeast.

9:03:00: Flight 175 crashes into the south face of the South Tower (2 WTC) of the World Trade Center, between floors 77 and 85. Parts of the plane, including the starboard engine, leave the building from its east and north sides, falling to the ground six blocks away.

9:28: Flight 93 is hijacked above northern Ohio, turning to the southeast.

9:37:46: Flight 77 crashes into the western side of The Pentagon and starts a violent fire.

9:45: United States airspace is shut down.

9:59:00: The South Tower of the World Trade Center collapses, 56 minutes after the impact of Flight 175.

10:03:11: Flight 93 is crashed by its hijackers as a result of fighting in the cockpit 80 miles (129 km) southeast of Pittsburgh in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Later reports indicate that passengers had learned about the World Trade Center and Pentagon crashes and were resisting the hijackers. The 9/11 Commission believed that Flight 93’s target was either the United States Capitol building or the White House in Washington, D.C.

10:28:22: The North Tower of the World Trade Center collapses, 1 hour and 42 minutes after the impact of Flight 11. The Marriott Hotel, located at the base of the two towers, is also destroyed.

10:50:19: Five stories of part of the Pentagon collapse due to the fire.

5:20:33 p.m.: 7 World Trade Center, a 47-story building, collapses.

Like the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the landing of the first man on the moon, or the explosion of the Challenger space shuttle, those of us who are old enough remember where we were the morning of September 11, 2001.

I was at work, still sipping on my first cup of coffee, when I learned a plane had crashed into the world trade center; I assumed it was an accident. Then, some fifteen minutes later another plane crashed into the WTC; it was no coincidence and the crashes were no accidents. With co-workers initially keeping me and others informed on the latest news, while doing the best I could to stay abreast via the Internet, we eventually turned on a television in an executive conference room and played the news non-stop in reference storm on the big screen.

Horrific footage of more than a few men and women who chose to hurl themselves off of the towers rather than to succumb to flame and smoke, played and re-played on the television screen, often accompanied by the dropped jaws of the news anchors who stood or sat agape at what they were witnessing only blocks from where they were broadcasting. And, of course, more than a few tears were shed as flames consumed the burning buildings as if reaching up from the pit of Hell.

While everyone inside raced to escape the hellish inferno of death, misery, and horror inside the two towers, bystanders and cameras bore witness as some of the bravest human beings on the planet, members of the New York City Fire Department and Police Department raced inside, the first responders, racing inside the two towers in an effort to save as many lives as possible.

In less than two hours after the first passenger plane crashed into the World Trade Center, both towers had collapsed, leaving massive piles of debris, but not before sending unbelievable amounts of dust, concrete disintegrated into powder, small bits of steel, wood and plastic, fumes, gasses, toxins, powders, and carcinogens like asbestos into the air, all of which were inhaled by our first responders, and others who were on or near the scene on that horrific day or soon after during the clean-up, which lasted for weeks.

The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, often referred to as the 9/11 fund, was set aside by Congress to help offset the health costs for those first responders and others who later became secondary victims of the 9/11 attack. Many have developed cancer and other life-threatening ailments that have killed many and left others on death’s door. This fund, while in no way making up for their pain and suffering, has, I’m sure, been helpful to many, who otherwise might not have been able to afford securing the proper healthcare needed given the chronic and long-term nature of their ailments.

The 9/11 fund is in serious jeopardy now, however, and Congress is moving far too slowly in expanding the program to levels necessary to adequately care for those who rushed in to save lives that day, and helped to recover the bodies of our fallen in the weeks and months that followed. Funds are being slashed, heavily impacting those who need them the most.

We must not forget that we desperately need to remember what we all promised ourselves and each other almost eighteen years ago; We Will Never Forget.

Contact your Congressman or Congresswoman immediately and tell them to fix the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund NOW, when the victims who are suffering and dying need it the most!

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/watch-jon-stewart-calls-out-lawmakers-over-9-11-victims-compensation-fund-in-emotional-house-testimony\

You can find all of Jeff’s published novels here: Works by Jeff W. Horton | The Horton Library

Please follow Jeff:

You might also want to explore Jeff’s website: at www.hortonlibrary.com, or visit him on the

Amazon’s Author Website for Jeff: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jeff-W.-Horton/author/B004NK5MJC?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Barnes & Noble’s Website: https://tinyurl.com/1emwpg16

Blog Post #1070

June 6, 2019

Free Flow Thinking: We’re Not Alone in the Universe-First Contact

First Contact. Wow. I honestly assumed its definition could readily be found in just about any dictionary or encyclopedia of your choosing. Yet its definition felt conspicuously absent among most of the traditional characters in that space when I went searching online for it. Just an interesting tidbit. Perhaps the folks who decide what goes into encyclopedias and dictionaries will be among those who have the most difficulty adjusting when humanity makes first contact. Or, right, I forgot; I still need to provide definition of what first contact is, don’t I? No? Of course I don’t, because those of you reading this blog are far too informed and intelligent to require one. Still, some folks are just working so hard and staying so busy, they may need one, so here’s one I finally found after searching for one for over thirty-minutes.

 

https://www.yourdictionary.com/first-contact

(anthropology) the first meeting between people of two previously unknown cultures. (science fiction) the first meeting between humans and extraterrestrials. (astronomy) the moment, during an eclipse or transit, when the apparent positions of the two bodied first touch.

 

My last blog, which I must apologize for taking two weeks off from while I was on vacation, was on how I believe the government has been slowly and carefully preparing us for the introduction of extraterrestrials into our collective psyche. Yeah, so I sound a little like a conspiracy theorist, so what? Sometimes they’re right, you know. In this instance, I believe there’s just too much evidence. So let’s take a moment to examine what a first contact with an alien race might be like, our expectations versus the likely reality of such an encounter. I’ll do this through a handful of possible types and then scenarios I see possibly playing out here and list the reasons for each scenario.

Type 1: ET is hostile.

Think Independence Day, Falling Skies, War of the Worlds, well, you get the idea. It’s not really al that far-fetched really when you think about it. Technologically superior cultures have almost always conquered and assimilated technologically inferior cultures. Just consider the Roman Empire, the Spanish and the Aztecs, the Europeans and the Native Americans, the list goes on and on throughout our history. They may not be blood-thirsty, carnivorous, creatures, bent on wiping out all of humanity, but are they determined to use their superior technology to exert their control over us? You bet they are.

Type 2: ET is like…ET.

It’s always possible an alien intelligence could be so benign, so peaceful it would be incredibly shy like Elliot, withy nary a violent bone in its diminutive body. We certainly have human beings who fit that bill, people who are extraordinarily shy, bashful, creatures. Perhaps a Koala bear with an exceptionally high I.Q.

Type 3: ET is highly intelligent, benevolent, and eager to share his advanced, seemingly miraculous technology with the teeming masses of humanity. He brings with him the cure for all diseases, the cure for aging, a means for enhancing intelligence, strength, health, and a means of making the human body virtually indestructible without changing anything about it. Genetic enhancements ensure there will be no more loss of crops due to famine or disease. Finally, their gift of wormhole technology, the design for interstellar engines, and advanced energy shielding enables humanity to begin traveling amongst the stars. Their benevolence enables humanity to leap forward technologically a thousand years in the matter of only one.

Type 4: ET is too busy living his own life from day to day to worry much about anyone else’s. He’s not here to help neither is he here to harm, he’s merely here by accident, or out of necessity. Perhaps he’s far more technologically advanced than humanity, such that he barely even notices us when he visits the Earth to repair his transport or pick up some more fuel.

Now I’m not saying that ET will be all one of these. Chances are that he will be a compilation of two or more of the scenario-types presented above.

As far as First Contact goes, that could take place in one of several different ways.

Scenario 1: ET presents himself to the world publicly, at the same time. This is the “ET landing on the White House lawn” scenario.

Scenario 2: ET has already made himself known to one or more governments, perhaps decades earlier. Now is time for a public introduction and revealing the existence of extraterrestrial life to humanity.

Scenario 3: ET makes first contact with humanity but either ET, or world governments, decide it must be in secret, out of the public eye.

Okay, so now the time has come for predictions! What do you expect ET will be like? Will he be more like Elliot, Thanos, or perhaps he’s a little more like Oscar from Sesame Street?

Okay, okay, since you’re twisting my arm, I’ll give you my prediction.

Jeff W. Horton’s 2019 Prediction for First Contact with extraterrestrial life:

Type: Type 4 with a healthy dose of Type 3 thrown in as well.

Scenario: Scenario 2. ET has already made himself known to one or more governments, perhaps decades earlier. Now is time for a public introduction to ET.

One final point. Many UFOlogists (yes, that’s a term,) will tell you that more than one species of alien has already been to Earth, and I’d have to agree with this point of view. After all, if one alien can cross the vastness of interstellar space to get here, why wouldn’t another?

This also suggests that motives are likely to be different as well. Some visiting our world may well be benign, while others are far from it.

The bottom line is that it seems unreasonable to expect that an advanced, sentient, alien will bring with him, her, or it the answers to all our wants, needs, and desires; the world already has a Savior.

It also seems unreasonable to believe that in a universe as vast as ours, an incredibly advanced civilization would cross the galaxy just to wipe-out all life on Earth.

The truth likely falls somewhere in the middle. Our alien friends will have their own wants and desires, and we will have ours. We can help them, and they can help us. That’s what trade and friendship is all about. I’s a big, big universe out there; couldn’t we all use a friend?

Jeff W Horton strives to write fun, exciting, revealing, and widely entertaining fiction with a slight Christian flavor.

You can find all of Jeff’s published novels here: Works by Jeff W. Horton | The Horton Library

Please follow Jeff:

You might also want to explore Jeff’s website: at www.hortonlibrary.com, or visit him on the

Amazon’s Author Website for Jeff: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jeff-W.-Horton/author/B004NK5MJC?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Barnes & Noble’s Website: https://tinyurl.com/1emwpg16

Blog Post #1069

May 16, 2019

Free Flow Thinking: We’re Not Alone in the Universe, and the Government’s About to Tell you That

There has been a flurry of announcements about UFOs recently from the United States Government, announcements that come closer than ever before to admitting that UFOs are real, and that their origin is not of this Earth.

While the UFO phenomenon as we know it began immediately following the Roswell Incident in 1947, visitations by extraterrestrials or unidentified flying objects has been reported throughout recorded history. The odd Egyptian depiction that seems to closely resemble a spacecraft or extraterrestrial being, a medieval painting with an unusual object hovering in the afternoon sky.

Certainly, activity seems to have picked up following the testing and subsequent dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan during World War II, bringing an end to what otherwise would have been a very bloody and prolonged war.

Then, in 1947, a crashed flying disc was reported to have crashed in Roswell, New Mexico on a ranch, leaving strange, metallic debris scattered across open fields in all directions. The Air Force was called and Major. Jesse A. Marcel of the 509th Bomb Group Intelligence Office went out to the ranch and confirmed that indeed it was a flying disc. Subsequent reports from more senior officers debunked that claim, of course, but the picture of Marcel, later ordered to have his picture taken with remnants of a Project Mogul weather balloon, left many like myself believing the earlier announcement by the intelligence officer rather than the later, official statement. ON his deathbed Marcel broke his silence and swore that what he had seen had indeed been a crashed alien craft and most definitely not a weather balloon, Mogul or otherwise.

So why then has the United States government, and world governments the world over conspired together to keep the existence of UFOs secret? I suspect there were originally several, good, common-sense reasons for this, but I also believe they are growing less and less relevant by the day.

Reason Number One: We were in the grip of what was becoming a very tense, dangerous Cold War with Stalin’s Soviet Union following World War II. Given Stalin’s abject brutality and bloodlust, it was easy to see why any conceivable technological advantage against such a threat would be given a top-priority and the utmost secrecy. If the United States Government had in its possession an advanced alien spaceship capable of crossing the galaxy, who knew what scientific breakthroughs and military applications it might offer for crushing the soviets when the time came?

Reason Number Two: Humanity was woefully unprepared for news that aliens were real, and that they were already here. The War of the Worlds radio broadcast in 1938, just nine years earlier had scared a lot of people, convincing them the broadcast was real and that the world had been invaded by Martians. People behaved erratically, shooting at one another in a mass panic, believing that aliens were murdering people all over the planet.

Then there were religious considerations; no one had ever considered the impact of alien existence on the world’s major religions. What would it mean to Christianity, Islam, and Judaism?

Reason Number Three: How would the public react when their government told them that American airspace was being invaded all over the country at-will by intelligent beings from another world, that they didn’t know why they were here, what they wanted, or how long they’d be here, and there was absolutely nothing their government could do about it?

Okay, you might say, I see your point, that’s why the government might not want to share the truth about UFOs. If that’s true, then, what’s changed?

Good question, I’m glad you asked. The answer is, well, everything.

As for the first reason the cold war may have restarted, in a manner of speaking, but it’s different. It’s nothing like it was prior to 1991, when nuclear war seemed to hang over our heads like an executioner’s axe. Russia is a threat, but so is China and other countries. Russia, while extremely dangerous, is not the Soviet Union.

Regarding the second reason. Our culture is now so acclimated to the notion that aliens exist that even the Vatican has prepared a paper on its position toward the existence of extraterrestrial life. A few years ago, Pope Francis himself announced he would baptize aliens should they come calling.

As for the third issue, our ability to defend our airspace from unwanted visitations, that one’s a bit tougher. I do recall seeing a film clip of a UFO hightailing it out of our atmosphere after being fired upon from something on the ground. Some type of energy-based weapon, perhaps a railgun, fired at the UFO as it approached from space, forcing the craft the craft to abort and flee. Now perhaps that was fake, or maybe a fluke. But say we still have no way to stop unwanted intrusions; I can’t imagine any faster way to discover a new technology so we can develop something that is capable of stopping them than to engage all of humanity (or perhaps more neighborly aliens) in the effort.

In conclusion, I, too, believe humanity is ready for the government to make the announcement that humanity is not alone in the universe, that we’ve been visited by sentient beings from many different advanced civilizations, often with different agendas.

Certainly, some people will have a difficult time accepting we’re not alone, many will not believe it even after being presented with incontrovertible evidence. The vast majority of humanity will, I believe, take it in stride, I believe. Perhaps it will even give us the excuse we’ve always needed to re-assess the incessant need we seem to have to fight among ourselves and give us a reason to unite instead, joining together to explore and settle the cosmos.

Prepare yourself. One of these mornings, perhaps next week, or next month, or next year, you’re going to pick up your remote control and turn-on your television. While you’re having breakfast, you’re going to see a special news bulletin flash across your screen. The president will be hosting yet another world leader in the White House, only this time the world the leader is from will not be the Earth.

Related articles:

5/22/2019

Pentagon finally admits it investigates UFOs

https://www.foxnews.com/science/pentagon-finally-admits-it-investigates-ufos

4/23/2019

U.S. Navy drafting new guidelines for reporting UFOs

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/04/23/us-navy-guidelines-reporting-ufos-1375290

2/16/2018

How Would We React to Finding Aliens?

https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/02/how-would-people-react-alien-life-discovery-aaas-space-science/

12/16/2017

The Pentagon’s Secret Search for UFOs

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/12/16/pentagon-ufo-search-harry-reid-216111

5/13/2014

Pope Francis says he would baptize aliens: ‘Who are we to close doors?’

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/pope-francis-says-he-would-baptise-aliens-9360632.html

Jeff W Horton strives to write fun, exciting, revealing, and widely entertaining fiction with a slight Christian flavor.

You can find all of Jeff’s published novels here: Works by Jeff W. Horton | The Horton Library

Please follow Jeff:

You might also want to explore Jeff’s website: at www.hortonlibrary.com, or visit him on the

Amazon’s Author Website for Jeff: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jeff-W.-Horton/author/B004NK5MJC?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Barnes & Noble’s Website: https://tinyurl.com/1emwpg16

Blog Post #1068

May 15, 2019

Technology Discussion: NASA’s 3D-printed Mars habitat challenge

It’s been a busy week, so I’m including this interesting story I found on Fox News about 3D-Printed habitats for Mars. It did seem to me that given the power of the Martian dust storms, wouldn’t the winning team, AI SpaceFactory’s tall, vertical design prove to be a bit fallible?

Here’s the winner of NASA’s 3D-printed Mars habitat challenge

From the Fox news website…

https://www.foxnews.com/science/heres-the-winner-of-nasa`s-3d-printed-mars-habitat-challenge

New York-based design agency AI SpaceFactory took the top prize in a NASA competition to 3D print a habitat that could be used on the moon or Mars.

AI SpaceFactory won $500,000 for its efforts, while the second-place recipient, Penn State, got $200,000.

Team AI SpaceFactory won first place in the final phase of NASA’s 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge with Marsha, a tall, thin proposed habitat for the surface of Mars designed to be built autonomously. Scroll through visualizations of the winning design above.

“We developed these technologies for space, but they have the potential to transform the way we build on Earth,” David Malott, CEO and founder of AI SpaceFactory, said in the statement. “By using natural, biodegradable materials grown from crops, we could eliminate the building industry’s massive waste of unrecyclable concrete and restore our planet.”

The awards came after a grueling 30-hour challenge in which the participants created one-third-scale structures of their architectural designs, according to a statement from NASA. Each team used robotic construction techniques that are supposed to have little human interference, demonstrating that the process could work autonomously on other worlds.

The competition took place May 1-4 at Caterpillar’s Edwards Demonstration & Learning Center in Edwards, Illinois. Teams built their habitats in 10 hour stretches as a panel of judges examined their work. The completed structures had to pass tests for qualities such as material mix, durability, leakage and strength.

“The final milestone of this competition is a culmination of extremely hard work by bright, inventive minds who are helping us advance the technologies we need for a sustainable human presence on the moon, and then on Mars,” Monsi Roman, program manager for NASA’s Centennial Challenges, said in NASA’s statement. “We celebrate their vision, dedication and innovation in developing concepts that will not only further NASA’s deep-space goals, but also provide viable housing solutions right here on Earth.”

The competition, which opened in 2015 and took place over several stages, attracted 60 teams that collectively won more than $2 million in prizes from NASA. NASA’s major partner in the competition was Bradley University in Illinois.

Read more at:

https://www.foxnews.com/science/heres-the-winner-of-nasas-3d-printed-mars-habitat-challenge

Jeff W Horton strives to write fun, exciting, revealing, and widely entertaining fiction with a slight Christian flavor.

You can find all of Jeff’s published novels here: Works by Jeff W. Horton | The Horton Library

Please follow Jeff:

You might also want to explore Jeff’s website: at www.hortonlibrary.com, or visit him on the

Amazon’s Author Website for Jeff: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jeff-W.-Horton/author/B004NK5MJC?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Barnes & Noble’s Website: https://tinyurl.com/1emwpg16

Blog Post #1067

May 8, 2019

A Twofer-Just for you-My Loyal Readers!

Free Flow Thinking:  Christian persecution close to ‘genocide levels AND

Technology Discussion: Navy plans to document UFO sightings

For today’s blow I chose to write about two things that are of great interest to me, religion and science. Now it may seem odd to some that some people, of which I proudly include myself, wholeheartedly believe completely in a God just as he is depicted in the Holy Bible, while also believing in science. I find no difficulty whatsoever in reconciling the creation story in Genesis with Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity, the Big Bang Theory, Newtons laws of motion, and what little I know of quantum mechanics. Nor do I have any difficulty at all allowing for the possibility for the existence of extraterrestrial life “out there” in the universe. After all, God never said we were the only sentient beings he created throughout the cosmos. Besides, as Carl Sagan said in his book Contact, which also came out in the movie by the same name, if there isn’t life out there, it sure seems like an awful “waste of space”.

Enjoy today’s double-header!

Free Flow Thinking: Christian persecution close to ‘genocide levels

“Political correctness contributes to alarming anti-Christian hostility around the world and caters to the terrorists trying to eradicate Christianity, an expert on religious persecution told Fox News.

The interim findings of a report, which was released last month and commissioned by British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, shows that anti-Christian hostility is not only spreading geographically but also in severity, in some areas “coming close to meeting the international definition of genocide.”

SRI LANKA EASTER MASSACRE HIGHLIGHTS HOW CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION IS ON THE RISE ACROSS THE WORLD

Juliana Taimoorazy, the president of the Iraqi Christian Relief Council and senior fellow of the Philos Project, told “America’s News HQ” on Saturday that ISIS has been committing genocide. She said while Sam Brownback, the United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, has done a lot, there is a need for more.

“I believe the death of most people suffering today is truly because of political correctness, because the world turns a blind eye to this, and when we are politically correct, we are sympathizing with those terrorists that are destroying communities and erasing history,” Taimoorazy said.

The report comes on the heels of the Sri Lanka massacre by Islamic radical terrorists targeting churches and hotels celebrating Easter that killed 250 and wounded more than 500, which Hunt said has “woken everyone up with an enormous shock.”

Tucker: Left struggles to say the word ‘Christians’ following Easter Sunday attacks in Sri LankaVideo

“I think we’ve all been asleep on the watch when it comes to the persecution of Christians,” Hunt told reporters during a recent visit to Ethiopia. “There are various reasons for this but…combined together, they’ve crept up on us.”

TERRORIST ATTACKS ON CHRISTIANS ‘HAPPENING MORE AND MORE’: EX-FBI SPECIAL AGENT”

An alarming 80 percent of all religious persecution is being done to Christians worldwide, and according to Open Doors USA, a watchdog group on Christian persecution, one out of every nine Christians worldwide is being persecuted.”

Wow. Those numbers really floored me, “an alarming 80 percent of all religious persecution is being done to Christians worldwide,” and “one out of every nine Christians worldwide is being persecuted.” How is this possible? At a time when even tribesmen in Africa and nomads in the Middle East carry cell phones, how is it possible that such persecution persists. Worst of all, how is it that in America, the land of the free and the home of the brave, the religious persecution of Christians grows under our very noses?

Now I’ve known Muslims, Hindus, Christians, and atheists and I’ve been friendly with all. I’ve never seen a need to foster hate and violence because we believe differently. That isn’t to say I believe that all paths lead to God, but merely to say that I believe it is between each soul and their creator to decide which path they will follow, not me.

Christianity does indeed seem to be under attack from all sides these days and the persecution seems to be getting worse by the day. Since you don’t typically see modern Christians beheading troublemakers, as some of the more violent sects of Islam do, perhaps the culture sees them as a “softer target.” And perhaps that is precisely what Jesus called us to be, just as he was (though he could have done put a stop to it at any moment).

It’s my hope that good-natured people all over the world will stand-up for the suffering of men, women, and children all over the world, who want to do nothing more than worship their God according to their beliefs and be left alone, will be allowed to do so, free from fear of rape, torture, and murder. Remember, it may be Christians today, but tomorrow, it could be you.

Read more by following this link: https://www.foxnews.com/world/christian-persecution-close-to-genocide-levels-largely-ignored-due-to-political-correctness-report

Technology Discussion: Navy plans to document UFO sightings

“The U.S. Navy plans to set up an official reporting and investigative system that will monitor reports from its pilots about unidentified flying objects.

But while this “X-Files”-worthy operation sounds newsy, don’t expect to hear details about it anytime soon. The Navy doesn’t intend to make the data public, citing the privileged and classified information that these reports usually include, according to The Washington Post.

“Military aviation safety organizations always retain reporting of hazards to aviation as privileged information in order to preserve the free and honest prioritization and discussion of safety among aircrew,” Joe Gradisher, a spokesman for the Office of the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare, told The Washington Post. [7 Things Most Often Mistaken for UFOs]

In fact, beyond the announcement that the Navy is setting up this UFO-reporting procedure, “no release of information to the general public is expected,” Gradisher said.

The upcoming procedure comes in the wake of other government-related UFO news. In late 2017, word came out that the Pentagon had a secret “UFO” office that spent $22 million over five years to study strange and threatening aeronautical events. Although funding for the venture, called the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP), ended in 2012, the program didn’t entirely stop, according to those reports.””

Read more by following this link: https://www.foxnews.com/science/navy-plans-to-document-ufo-sightings-but-keep-them-confidential

Finally. The truth IS out there! Yes, I’m an old X-Files fan from way back. Believe it or not, though, I’ve been wondering about E.T. since I was a boy and no, I’m not referring to the short, friendly-looking character from the film, but the real-deal. I cut my teeth on sci-fi series like Star Trek, Space 1999, The Invaders, and numerous films.

So, I’ve always had an open mind when it came to the existence of aliens, if not mostly assuming they existed somewhere in the cosmos. As I grew older, I became increasingly certain that they did exist, that they’d been to Earth, and that out government, and governments all over the world, had been covering up secrets pertaining to the existing of extraterrestrials and extraterrestrial technology. After all, consider the qualifications of those reporting having seen such craft for themselves: doctors, law-enforcement, military fighter pilots, airline pilots, air traffic controllers, even astronauts and past presidents!

I’ve long-suspected that the government has been siting on some pretty significant secrets surrounding the existence of extraterrestrials, most likely due to fear over how the public at-large would react were a spacecraft from another world to lad on the Whitehouse lawn. I continue to believe, however, that once those in charge of these closely guarded secrets feel it is safe to release them to the public that they will release them to the press, given sufficient pressure to do so.

Perhaps the Navy’s announcement was a trial balloon, to see how the world would react. Given the ho-hum response I’ve seen in the press, I’d say it bodes well for the announcement of additional programs in the not-too-distant-future!

Jeff W Horton strives to write fun, exciting, revealing, and widely entertaining fiction with a slight Christian flavor.

You can find all of Jeff’s published novels here: Works by Jeff W. Horton | The Horton Library

Please follow Jeff:

You might also want to explore Jeff’s website: at www.hortonlibrary.com, or visit him on the

Amazon’s Author Website for Jeff: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jeff-W.-Horton/author/B004NK5MJC?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Barnes & Noble’s Website: https://tinyurl.com/1emwpg16

Blog Post #1066

May 1, 2019

Technology Discussion:  Overpopulation, the Sea, and Jules Verne

Captain Nemo, that illustrious, fictional denizen of the deep, who lived off the sea and marveled at her many wonders. He was very much the type of man who, if any would, could imagine what I’m about to suggest.

First, however, consider this, seventy-one percent of the earth’s surface is covered in water. That means the entirety of humanity lives on what amounts to what remains, just over one-quarter of the earth’s surface, much of which is currently uninhabitable, land such as the Sahara Desert or Antarctica.

But what about that nearly three-fourths of the earth’s surface covered in water? What if humanity is ever able to find a way to exploit that real estate, to begin living, working, and playing in the world’s oceans? Can you imagine a world where human beings adapt to live and work in the world’s oceans, building homes, cities, and futures?

But how? Will human beings grow gills? Doubtful, though with the advances in genetics, who knows? Perhaps great domed cities will cover the ocean floors, interconnected by underground transit systems. Great forests of kelp may be grown in shallower depths to end-up on the dinner plates of residents. Great turbine generators may one day dot the ocean floor, placed in areas with high tidal movements and designed to capture the kinetic motion of the ebbing and surging of ocean tides in order to produce electricity. For those residing at truly deep depths, perhaps research stations, underground thermal vents may provide both a source of heat and energy.

Recall I mentioned that three-quarters of the earth’s surface is covered with water. Perhaps one day man will build communities to live on the water or perhaps, even above it. Then, on days when the sea grows rough due to hurricanes or other nasty weather, perhaps the city would submerge underwater until the storm passed.

Would building such a city be difficult? Without question. But certainly, it would be possible given enough time, effort, and resources.

On a planet where the world’s population grows daily, which is a good thing by the way, we should probably begin to imagine how we might exploit areas of the world we never considered as habitable before, at least not by human beings, and begin looking at the earth in new ways. Technology has come a long way and necessity is, of course, the mother of invention.

The possibilities are endless. But surely just as man has exploited his ingenuity to explore the vast reaches of space, I expect he will also, one day, begin to exploit that same ingenuity to find ways of living not just on land, but under, on, and perhaps even above the ocean.

Perhaps good Captain Nemo was onto something.

Jeff W Horton strives to write fun, exciting, revealing, and widely entertaining fiction with a slight Christian flavor.

You can find all of Jeff’s published novels here: Works by Jeff W. Horton | The Horton Library

Please follow Jeff:

You might also want to explore Jeff’s website: at www.hortonlibrary.com, or visit him on the

Amazon’s Author Website for Jeff: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jeff-W.-Horton/author/B004NK5MJC?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Barnes & Noble’s Website: https://tinyurl.com/1emwpg16

Blog Post #1065

April 24, 2019

Free Flow Thinking: What I write about, the future, and Billie Holiday

As I thought about what to write about today, I finally settled on writing a little on one of the common little threads you’ll often find winding themselves throughout some, but usually not all, of a writer’s novels, technology in the future.

Take Michael Crichton, for example. In several of his novels, at least two that I know of, Jurassic Park and Next, he writes to his concerns around the awesome power of genetics, which humanity often wields carelessly, “like a child playing with matches.” In reference to scientists bringing dinosaurs back to life, he wrote in Jurassic Park, “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.”

In another of his novels, Next, Crichton again raises serious concerns about the awesome power of genetics and the careless way he expects to see that power wielded by humanity. Whether it be the alteration of life forms into living commercials and then sold to the company willing to pay the most, or a human/ape hybrid created through genetic manipulation, or some other form of genetic mishap gone awry, Crichton wanted us to remember one thing as humanity’s power over genetics continues to grow into he future; remember that genetic alterations are passed down from generation to generation, from parent to offspring,

I’m not sure how it happened in my case. I suppose it was more a byproduct of “writing what you know or what you’re interested in”, which is what someone told me I should do when I first started writing. Suddenly I find that I too am writing about the awesome power of technology, and humanity’s increasing control over it, and the threat that technology poses if mishandled.

I’ve written apocalyptic novels about our dependency on technology and its dependency on electricity, and the subsequent ending of civilization when electricity all over the world fails. The lesson; we’ve become so dependent on electricity that if we’re not careful, an enemy, an accident, or a natural disaster could mean a disaster of epic proportions.

I began another series of novels with a foreign power hacking into our national infrastructure, causing nuclear power plants to meltdown, and threatening to destabilize the world and causing a global nuclear war. The lesson: our infrastructure has already been hacked by foreign states. If we don’t do a better job securing that infrastructure, at least some of the events in the novel could come true!

I recent finished Eternity, the first in my next series of novels, the Eternity series, and I’m nearly done with the first draft of the second. Without giving away too much I will state that the plot revolves around yet another scientific advance that holds extraordinary potential for altering the course of humanity for a very, very long time. It too addresses the awesome power of this discovery, the danger of it falling into the wrong hands, and the difficult choices humanity will face with each major technological breakthrough

Perhaps writers are like the canaries in the coal mines, an early warning signal, here to warn the world of imminent danger to come should it continue down a specific path. Who knows? Only time will tell.

Jeff W Horton strives to write fun, exciting, revealing, and widely entertaining fiction with a slight Christian flavor.

You can find all of Jeff’s published novels here: Works by Jeff W. Horton | The Horton Library

Please follow Jeff:

You might also want to explore Jeff’s website: at www.hortonlibrary.com, or visit him on the

Amazon’s Author Website for Jeff: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jeff-W.-Horton/author/B004NK5MJC?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Barnes & Noble’s Website: https://tinyurl.com/1emwpg16

Blog Post #1064

April 17, 2019

Free Flow Thinking: Thunderstorms, Windshield Wipers, and Writers’ Conferences!

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Just something totally off-topic; wasn’t Nina Simone an incredible singer, what an artist! I’m listening to, I put a Spell on you, as I write this. Wow. She graduated from Julliard; she was a talented woman.

So, the writers’ conference. Wow, it was great. While it was only a one-day workshop (and I was late-I’ll explain momentarily) I was still able to pick up some valuable tips. But the real excitement began before arriving at the conference.

So here I was, yours truly driving like a bat out of hell trying to make it in time for my first pitch session. It was raining extremely hard at times, with plenty of cloud-to-ground lightning to keep us company. Puddles of standing water sat like small ponds on roads we were taking to avoid the crowded interstates. Eventually, however, back- on the interstate is exactly where I ended up.

As I mentioned, I was in quite a bit of danger as you might expect I was in the left lane of the interstate when it happened. The rain was coming down in sheets, and visibility low. I’d already cranked-up the windshield wipers to maximum some time ago, so they’d been beating hard for quite some time, when they suddenly stopped working. They stopped working, frozen, broken.

So here I am, in the leftmost lane, in heavy traffic, on the interstate, pouring rain, with absolutely zero windshield wipers. As you might imagine, I was in a bot of panic. I pressed the emergency flashers and began honking my horn, while forcibly making my way toward the side of the road, I had to. Incredibly, I made it to the shoulder without hitting anyone, thanks, Lord!

I sat there with my thirteen-year-old son, who’d wanted to come along with me, contemplating what to do next. I’d already given up on the conference, despite having already paid up-front for everything. I was ready to go home. My son encouraged me to go forward, however, which I finally decided to.

We limped along to the next exit the best we could, where I found a convenience store, who, miraculously, carried what we needed for our predicament, the next best thing to a mechanic fixing our windshield wiper, some Rain-X. After applying the Rain-X, we left for the conference. The Rain-X did its job as well as could be expected, getting us safely to the hotel in relative safety.

Try to appreciate how soaked I was, through and through, and how dirty my white shirt had become in an effort to get the wipers working again. This was how I initially showed up at conference, having already missed my first pitch session, with only twenty minutes left in the morning’s sessions before the break for lunch. <sigh>

I spoke to the conference organizer briefly before leaving for lunch. He offered to speak with the agent whose session we missed. Satisfied that was the most we could hope for, we left for lunch. After picking up some fast-food, we set-off in search of a clothing store where I could find some clean (and dry) clothes, After thirty-minutes, I left the store with a spiffy new, sharp long-sleeved blue shirt.

The first panel after that was a critique, by the literary agents in attendance, of some of the writers’ first pages from their latest works. The criticism was, I thought, a bit harsh at times, but the session was interesting, and I earned a lot by listening-in. I was also surprised to discover all three agents I was supposed to meet with that day sitting on the panel just a few feet away from me, including the one I’d missed meeting with just a few hours earlier, Amelia!

When the panel discussion was over, I hurried up to where Amelia still sat and apologized for missing our pitch. Once I’d explained what happened, she was very kind, and offered me an opportunity to pitch her on the spot! I was stunned, unprepared, and ridiculously nervous (I’d never done a pitch before, and this was very important to me), but I was also game. I itched her on-the-spot and I must say; I really enjoyed my time with her. She listened, she was very attentive, and most importantly, she asked for fifty pages when it was over!

So that was my adventure with the Writers Conference last week in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“But wait, Jeff, what about the rest of the conference?” you might ask. “How did it go?”

Well, I sat in two more pitch-sessions, and I felt at least one went well. One of them felt she was not a good match for the genres I write in, As for the third agent I met with well, the jury is still out with her, as it is with Amelia, I remain hopeful that one or both will respond back wanting to represent me. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers folks, because that could be the next big break I need!

Lastly, I am back working on my latest novel. Following that, who knows? Maybe it will be back to work on making Cybersp@ce, the movie!

Jeff W Horton strives to write fun, exciting, revealing, and widely entertaining fiction with a slight Christian flavor.

You can find all of Jeff’s published novels here: Works by Jeff W. Horton | The Horton Library

Please follow Jeff:

You might also want to explore Jeff’s website: at www.hortonlibrary.com, or visit him on the

Amazon’s Author Website for Jeff: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jeff-W.-Horton/author/B004NK5MJC?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Barnes & Noble’s Website: https://tinyurl.com/1emwpg16

Blog Post #1058, The Self-Driving Car

March 6, 2019

Free Flow Thinking: Self-Driving Cars!

I remember when the first Total Recall film came out, the one with Arnold Schwarzenegger, and in it an unconscious Quaid wakes up in a “Robbie” cab following his traumatic experience at Recall (if you want to know more, you’ll have to watch the movie!). The Robbie cab he’s in is an automated, self-driving car with what appears to be a caricature of a taxi driver built-into the taxi itself. The car’s computer can, in essence, speak to the passenger through the Robbie cab “driver.” All-in-all it was a fascinating, novel concept that offered yet another example of science fiction that would eventually become science fact.

Fast-forward to March 6, 2019 when I listened to a fascinating report by a reporter from the Motley Fool. The reporter began by talking about how Apple recently bought a large military base with a lot of land to test a new product they are developing; yes, you guessed it, a self-driving car. It seems they are re-thinking and re-imagining what a car should be like much like they did with the iPhone.

The Motley Fool reporter went on to add how Elon Musk, the head of Tesla and Space-X, and other corporate leaders, have also been talking about self-driving cars becoming the new normal within two decades.

It’s a brave new world out here folks. Those of us who write science-fiction are finding ourselves challenged to stay ahead of science-fact. What’s the world coming to?

Jeff W Horton strives to write fun, exciting, revealing, and widely entertaining fiction with a slight Christian flavor.

You can find all of Jeff’s published novels here: Works by Jeff W. Horton | The Horton Library

Please follow Jeff:

You might also want to explore Jeff’s website: at www.hortonlibrary.com, or visit him on the

Amazon’s Author Website for Jeff: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jeff-W.-Horton/author/B004NK5MJC?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Barnes & Noble’s Website: https://tinyurl.com/1emwpg16

Blog Post #1059

March 13, 2019

Free Flow Thinking: I like Old-Fashioned.

When I was young, we all frowned on everything deemed “old-fashioned.” I suppose it’s like how I never really cared much for history until I was into my twenties or thirties and had started building a little history of my own. So, call me an “old fogie,” an old “stick-in-the-mud,” an “old-geezer,” but I like old-fashioned “stuff,” I really do.

“But why do you like old-fashioned stuff?” you might ask.

Well, I believe it’s because we tend to lose something as we race along at such a breakneck pace, headlong from one moment into the next, with little to no time really for self-reflection or contemplation on the things that really matter in life. A beam of sunshine, the smile on a child’s face, a cloud on a bright-sunny day, the sound of rain in the springtime.

In the age of cell phones, Xbox, PlayStation, Netflix, online games, and virtual reality, why should we be surprised when so many of our children grow up to be, well, grown-up children? It seems like their entire childhood is spent moving from one electronic game to another. How many of you are old enough to remember when Pong first came out? Okay, I’ve really dated myself now, but consider how technology much grown since the 1970s. The Internet hasn’t been much longer than most new college graduates.

I like old-fashioned values, everyone knowing the difference between right and wrong, neighbors waving at and looking out for one another, and people generally caring for one another because everyone knew how tough life was, and no one ever knew when it might be them that needed a helping hand. Rose-colored lenses? Maybe. But it wasn’t too far off the mark.

I like to collect old or even ancient axioms like, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” or “a bird in a hand is worth two in a bush” because there is great wisdom and meaning behind them.

Consider this; is it not true that a woman should avoid walking alone at night through dark alleys if she is able to do otherwise, in order to avoid the terrible consequences that could arise should she encounter a rapist or mugger there? And wouldn’t it be better to keep the job one has rather than to quit to try to chase other job opportunities without securing a position first?

Now some of you younger folks may be laughing at this point and that’s okay, perhaps a younger version of myself would have joined you. All I can tell you is this; the older you get, the more experience you gain and, hopefully, the wiser you become.

I suppose the real reason I like old-fashioned “stuff” so much is because I’m becoming “old-fashioned stuff” myself. 😊

Jeff W Horton strives to write fun, exciting, revealing, and widely entertaining fiction with a slight Christian flavor.

You can find all of Jeff’s published novels here: Works by Jeff W. Horton | The Horton Library

Please follow Jeff:

You might also want to explore Jeff’s website: at www.hortonlibrary.com, or visit him on the

Amazon’s Author Website for Jeff: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jeff-W.-Horton/author/B004NK5MJC?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Barnes & Noble’s Website: https://tinyurl.com/1emwpg16

Blog Post #1060

March 20, 2019

Free Flow Thinking: Current Events and Teasers of Things to Come…

For those of you follow me, I like to try to keep you apprised of what I’m up to, new books I’m working on, recent events, etc. So here are a few of the more significant projects and events currently in the works. Please let me know what you think!

  • Cybersp@ce, the movie…

    • So those of you who have followed me for a while know that I adapted Cybersp@ce, the first novel in the Cybersp@ce Series, into a screenplay back in 2010.
    • I soon had interest in Cybersp@ce from a couple of small producers in the Los Angeles area.
    • Dan-One producer whom I’ll call Dan informed me that he and his team had carefully evaluated the script and while they liked Cybersp@ce, they’d decided it was going to cost more to make the movie than what they could commit to at the time.
    • Ian-The other producer, whom I’ll call Ian, was excited about the possibilities initially, remains interested to this day, and is still contemplating what he might be able to do with Cybersp@ce, and when.
    • Tom-Recently a third producer, whom I’ll call Tom, has entered the picture. Tom seems to have the funding but nay have expectations that are beyond my ability to deliver at this time due to my limited experience as a screenwriter/producer. If we are able to work out the details, perhaps with Dan or Ian’s help, however, you might just have the opportunity to find an excellent feature film entitled Cybersp@ce coming to a theater near you in 2020/21!

  • Eternity

My next novel, Eternity, is already finished. I’m currently shopping for a literary agent, so I’m holding back submitting it to publishers until I’ve done everything I can to secure an agent.

I truly believe in my work, and I believe I and my work would both be better-served with the help of an experienced agent. I’d really like to see Eternity in bookstores early next year because of important, relevant scientific experiments being conducted in the field. This book is truly written on a cutting-edge technology and while it is sci-fi, some of it is hard-core science.

Without giving too much away, Eternity is a novel about a brilliant scientist who discovers a way to stop the aging process, potentially forever. There are many plot twists, reversals, surprises, and even love along the way, along with a surprise ending that is out of this world!

  • The Dregg, the second novel in the series and the first of two planned sequels to Eternity, is already well on its way to completion and I expect a first draft to be completed by the end of April 2019.

What will make The Dregg and the third novel unique is that they will be competing, alternate endings to the Eternity storyline in which the fate of the entire human race will depend on which side of the fence a child’s ball lands one fateful afternoon.

  • Exodus Earth, the tentative title of the third novel in the Eternity series, or the alternate ending to The Dregg mentioned above, will likely be my next project.
  • New Novel-to-Script Adaptations-If Cybersp@ce is made into a film by the time Exodus Earth is complete, as I certainly hope, has been, I will likely begin work on adapting Frontier and New Beginnings, Books II and Book III of the Cybersp@ce Series, into screenplays, in anticipation of taking them to film as well. I can’t begin to describe the joy it would bring to see these works of art come to life!

Okay, that’s it! Wish me luck or better yet, how about praying for me and my success? Thanks, and God Bless you! Jeff W. Horton

You can find all of Jeff’s published novels here: Works by Jeff W. Horton | The Horton Library

Please follow Jeff:

You might also want to explore Jeff’s website: at www.hortonlibrary.com, or visit him on the

Amazon’s Author Website for Jeff: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jeff-W.-Horton/author/B004NK5MJC?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Barnes & Noble’s Website: https://tinyurl.com/1emwpg16

Blog Post #1061

April 3, 2019

Free Flow Thinking: Let’s Make a Movie

“Okay Jeff,” you might say, “so are you a novelist or a screenwriter?” to which I’d answer with a resounding, “yes!”

Please allow me a moment to list some of my literary accomplishments to date. I’ve had nine novels published, I have another completed, edited, and ready for publication, and I have another well on its way to completion. I’ve completed two screenplays and started on another, with plans on writing quite a few more.

My primary objective is storytelling, and ideally, I’d like to achieve that through both novels and films. It just so happens that my writing style does, I believe, naturally tend to lend itself to adaptation to the big screen, which affords me an opportunity to reach a significantly wider audience. I would, therefore, like to adapt all of my novels to film, should the opportunity arise to do so. Of course, that is highly unlikely to ever occur but even a few of them were to make t to movie theaters, I believe the exposure alone would bring much-needed attention to my otherwise unnoticed works.

To this end I have tried many various avenues looking for the path to success and in truth, I’m still looking. I’m making a lot of friends and acquaintances along the way so who knows, perhaps one day I will find some success.

Since there may be some authors among those of you who follow my blog, I thought I would list below some of the avenues I have tried for pitching the screenplay once you’re done with adapting your novel. I’ll share a few tips below that might save some time for you when you’re ready. Bonne chance!

1.Write your screenplay. To help you can attend writer conferences, read books, take courses, or do what I did, find sample screenplays (there are plenty online to choose from) and use them as guides for creating your own.

2.Use Final Draft once you’re serious about your screenplay, and determined to pitch it to prospective producers, etc. It will format it just the way you need it, place a lot of tools you need at your fingertips, and save you a lot of heartburn.

  1. I highly recommend you keep your script at or just under 120 pages. You should know that each page in a script translates into greater expenses for the prospective producer of your film. So, if your screenplay comes out to be 240 pages and you just can’t get it down anymore, make it two screenplays instead of one!
  2. Create a logline. You’ll find all sorts of explanations of what a logline is, probably all of them will be better than mine. I’ll just say it’s a 1-3 sentence summation of what your entire screenplay is about. It’s the hook that you use to reel them in to read your script.
  3. Develop a synopsis of your screenplay, like the synopsis of your novel if not identical, except the screenplay synopsis should be broken down into three acts, Act 1, Act 2, and Act 3.
  4. Create a pitch. The pitch will usually include information about yourself, the title, the genre, the logline, and the synopsis.
  5. So you have your logline, your synopsis, your pitch, and your script, now what? Now you need to pitch it, to get it out there for folks to find, unless you intend to make a film yourself, which is entirely feasible these days, depending on your screenplay, subject matter, number of locations, etc.

Below I’m listing a few sites I’ve used with varying degrees of success. In all likelihood you haven’t seen my name in the end credits of any major motion pictures yet, so they haven’t entirely worked for me yet, but you’re not me. Give them a try, see if they work for you.

Stage 32: https://www.stage32.com/home/

This is a great social media site, a gathering place for screenwriters, directors, producers, and others in the business to come together and talk, exchange ideas, offer and search for new opportunities, etc.

Stage 32 also offers up, for a $35.00 fee, an opportunity to pitch a representative from a company in the film industry who is supposedly looking for material. The pitch can be via Skype or via a written pitch. So far all I’ve gotten are a few critiques on my pitch. But I’ve made some great contacts here, and I’ve had some leads about possible movie-making opportunities!

Stage 32 also offers educational workshops, etc. to help you develop your skills.

Roadmap Writers: https://www.roadmapwriters.com/

A spinoff by someone who once worked at Stage 32, it offers much of the same services, as best as I can tell. I’ve used their pitch services with much the same results as Stage 32.

Inktip: https://www.inktip.com/

Inktip offers you a place to list your logline, synopsis, and script where it can be found by producers. In theory they can download and read the script if they like it and reach-out if they want further interaction. I have mine listed there.

Greenlight my Movie: https://www.greenlightmymovie.com/

Greenlight my Movie offers yet another opportunity to pitch your screenplay to supposed company executives via video feed, normally no more than 8-10 minutes in length. As with the other, I’ve had no luck, but yours may be different. It’s worth trying for something like $40.00 a shot.

Lastly, if you ever need to get into the nitty gritty of getting a script to the point of budgeting, there’s something called a script-breakdown, but that’s a topic for a later post.

Thanks everyone, I hope some of you found this post useful!

You can find all of Jeff’s published novels here: Works by Jeff W. Horton | The Horton Library

Please follow Jeff:

You might also want to explore Jeff’s website: at www.hortonlibrary.com, or visit him on the

Amazon’s Author Website for Jeff: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jeff-W.-Horton/author/B004NK5MJC?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Barnes & Noble’s Website: https://tinyurl.com/1emwpg16

Blog Post #1062

April 10, 2019

Free Flow Thinking: Another Film Disappointment and Writer’s Conventions

As for film making…

Another potential deal with a filmmaker who expressed interest in making my novel Cybersp@ce into a film has gone up in smoke after showing some initial promise. Okay, so not up-in-smoke, not literally, or even figuratively for that matter, but it might as well be. The producer was apparently looking for more of a ready-made production, where not only a script was ready, but also a script-breakdown, a budget, tax credits, director and actor attachments, and most everything else needed for production. Given that I didn’t even know what a script-breakdown was, I was clearly not prepared for the endeavor, though even now I continue slowly plodding along the path in that direction.

On to better news…

There’s a writer’s convention coming up in a few days. This gathering will give me a chance to meet with other writers, to learn a few things about the trade, and the opportunity to pitch my latest novel to three literary agents for ten minutes each. Since I am currently seeking representation, this is a good thing, and securing a good agent could make a bog difference in helping me gain exposure for my work, which hasn’t quite yet made it above the canopy to reach the sunlight. I’m confident, optimistic, and hopeful, that one day soon, with the help of the right agent and a few things going my way, that my work will begin garnering the positive attention and reception I feel these novels deserve!

In all seriousness, I think this next novel, Eternity, could be a huge success. Like The Great Collapse or Cybersp@ce, Eternity is written at just the right time in human history. All that needs to happen now is for people to buy it, read it, and ponder the implications.

So, say a prayer, wish me luck, or maybe even say a few Hail Mary’s for me, because I need them and I covet them! I could use an agent, and a homerun with Eternity!

By the way, be sure to follow-me on Twitter, and subscribe to this blog. Let me know that you’ve been reading my posts and maybe even, that you can identify with a few of them!

All the best….

Jeff W. Horton

jeff@hortonlibrary.com

Jeff W Horton strives to write fun, exciting, revealing, and widely entertaining fiction with a slight Christian flavor.

You can find all of Jeff’s published novels here: Works by Jeff W. Horton | The Horton Library

Please follow Jeff:

You might also want to explore Jeff’s website: at www.hortonlibrary.com, or visit him on the

Amazon’s Author Website for Jeff: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jeff-W.-Horton/author/B004NK5MJC?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Barnes & Noble’s Website: https://tinyurl.com/1emwpg16

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