Science/Technology

Name Your Own ExoPlanet with IAU’s NameExoWorlds Project – Will Vulcan Make It This Time?

Ever want to name your own planet? Soon, the general public will get the chance to vote on names submitted by public astronomical organizations for 305 hand-picked exoplanets, officially giving the first popular names to worlds outside of the Solar System. No, this isn’t one of those pay-money-to-name-a-star scams. The NameExoWorlds project has been put together by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the official and only body that can give names to celestial objects, in partnership with Zooniverse, home of some of the most successful citizen science campaigns.


Trek Meets Science: Concept Warp Ship, Tricorders for Sale, Real Life Replicators + Astronauts Get Geeky on ISS

Great science fiction takes real science concepts and stretches them past their limits. Time and time again, we’ve seen that scenario reversed, where real life scientific pursuits are first conjured up in the minds of sci-fi writers (cell phones, anyone?). Trek tech inspiring real products is nothing new. This month, designs for a faster-than-light ship, a handheld tricorder-like device (yes, another one), and even talk of creating real food replicators has all popped up in the news. Plus, Trek is making its presence known in low Earth orbit thanks to a Trekkie astronaut. Hit the jump for more.


Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE Launches ‘Tricorder Federation’ Website

XPRIZE, in partnership with CBS, has launched Tricorder Federation, a new promotional website for the Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE competition, which will award $10M to the team that successfully creates a real life Tricorder that can make reliable health diagnoses anywhere, anytime. The new site’s app invites fans to upload a picture of themselves decked out in Trek uniform and will then create a poster comparing real life ailments to fictional Trek universe ones. The platform seeks not only to raise awareness for the XPRIZE competition itself but also for illnesses around the world that could one day be conquered by improvements in medical technology, like those advances envisioned in Star Trek.


Brent Spiner, Robert Picardo, Rod Roddenberry Back ARKYD: A Space Telescope for Everyone

Trek celebs are lining up to support a Kickstarter-funded project called ARKYD, a space telescope designed to be funded and used by the public, whose fully funded campaign ends in less than 60 hours. The first ever publicly available space telescope is luring donations with the enticing reward of a “space selfie”. That’s right, if you send them a picture of yourself (or your boyfriend, or your dog, or your favorite breakfast cereal…) they will display it on an onboard LED screen and snap a pic of your photo floating above the glorious blue orb we call Earth. What’s more, you can donate more and use the space ‘scope to point in any direction of your choosing or donate your observation time to science and follow along with the scientists’ findings. Brent Spiner, Robert Picardo, and Rod Roddenberry are among the many, many backers of the project, which at the time of writing has already raised over $1.2 Million. Check out the videos of Trek celebs supporting ARKYD after the jump.


The Science of Star Trek Into Darkness

So, by now, we’ve all seen Star Trek Into Darkness. Some of us loved it, some of us hated it, some of us said, “meh.” But, forget about what you thought of the movie for a second. What did you think of the science? Let’s take a more in depth look at some of the most sciencey moments from STID. It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyways, that this review contains SPOILERS!!!



World’s Smallest Enterprise is Only One Nanometer: IBM Makes Trek Art Out of Single Atoms

IBM has been busy exploring a new kind of final frontier. A very, very tiny one. In the pursuit of using atoms to miniaturize data storage, researchers at IBM use a machine that can move single atoms on a surface. Now, they’ve shared this amazing technique with the world through atom art, and they’ve got a handful of Star Trek atom images to show off. Hit the jump for more.


Ads Supporting NASA To Run With Screenings Of Star Trek Into Darkness

The worlds of Star Trek and real space exploration have been intertwined since the show began in the 1960s during the space race. And the tradition will continue with the release of Star Trek Into Darkness thanks to a privately crowdfunded campaign to air PSAs at screenings of the new Trek movie which will promote more NASA funding.  



Science Diagnostic: Analyzing Star Trek Into Darkness IMAX Preview

On December 14th a 9-minute preview of Star Trek Into Darkness premiered with IMAX 3D screenings of The Hobbit. TrekMovie was quick to publish early impressions along with a later (more spoilery) detailed review on release day. But, was any of it scientifically realistic? Today Science Saturday is dedicated to an in-depth look beyond what we saw on the screen. Get your tricorder ready, and reverse the polarity of the warp nacelles; it’s time for a science diagnostic of the Into Darkness IMAX preview.


Watch: Wil Wheaton & Neil deGrasse Tyson Talk Science of Star Trek

Neil deGrasse Tyson has taken his hit podcast show, Star Talk Live, on the road. His first stop was at the Neptune Theater in Seattle where Tyson had special guest Wil Wheaton on to talk the science in Star Trek, plus comedic commentary from Kristen Schaal, Paul F. Tompkins, and co-host Eugene Mirman. The crew talked a gambit of subjects from self-opening doors to alien sexual relations. Hit the jump for the video.


Science Saturday: $150 Medical Tricorder + EMP Weapons + Mercury & Mars Chemistry + Printable Molecules + More

Welcome back to Science Saturday! This week: a new medical tricorder hits the market, and is going for a mere $150! Witness a new form of weapons technology that can power-down a city block, but leave humans and buildings undamaged. Read about the latest discoveries in planetary science — water ice on Mercury and complex organic compounds on Mars! Plus, see how scientists can ‘print’ new drugs, molecule by molecule. All this and more, plus our gadget of the week: The CommBadge bluetooth communicator.


Science Saturday: Real Life Universal Translator + Perfect Cloaking Device + Farthest Galaxy in the Universe + Discoveries in Earth’s Oceans + More

Welcome back to Science Saturday! This week, get a good look at some very promising real Trek tech including a language translator that translates your own voice into Mandarin and a cloaking device that works perfectly in the microwave. Also peer into the universe’s past by viewing the farthest ever discovered object — a galaxy 13.3 billion light years away. And learn how fast we’re learning about life in earth’s oceans. All this and more, plus our gadget of the week: The Decelerator Helmet.


“Treknology:” What technologies need to be invented to bring us up to speed with Star Trek?

Since The Original Series first aired in 1966, we’ve certainly seen technology that seemed like magic then become a reality today. Smart phones, tablet PCs, voice controlled computing, 3D printing… But, what technologies are we still lacking (or currently working toward) in order to make our lives like what we see in Star Trek? Joe Dickerson takes a look at up and coming technologies in the works that could Trekify your life in the not too distant future (and some that you might be waiting a while for).


Science Saturday: Measure a Black Hole + Biological Wi-Fi + Daytime Comet + Mars Sample Return + More

Welcome back to an exciting edition of Science Saturday! This week, measure the radius (and more!) of a supermassive black hole; have wi-fi (or, rather, bi-fi) installed in your body; ready for a dazzling comet show in 2013; and bring rocks back from Mars. All this and more, plus our gadget of the week: Wall-Ye, the French wine robot!


Science Saturday: Space Sugar + Growing Organs + Antarctic Methane + Glove Tricorder + More

Welcome back to a brain-tingling edition of Science Saturday. This week: why sugar in space bodes well for finding ET life, how to grow your own replacement organs, where 4bn tonnes of methane may be hiding underneath ice, and what new tools can combine the art and science of the medical practice. All this and more, plus our gadget of the week — 3D Ms. Pac Man!


Will.i.am to Broadcast New Song on Mars via Curiosity Rover [UPDATED]

Tomorrow, for the first time in history, a song will be broadcast from Mars by none other than will.i.am. The Curiosity rover will be pumping out his new song, “Reach for the Stars,” a new composition about the artist’s passion for science, technology, and space exploration. At the same time will.i.am’s charity, i.am.angel, in partnership with Discovery Education, will announce a new program that brings NASA into K-12 classrooms. [UPDATED with a video from the event]


Science Saturday: Lava Flows in the Quad + Curiosity Updates + Neuron Video + New Space Planes + More

The post Vegas Con blues had got us down for a while, but now we’re back in action with a brand spanking new edition of Science Saturday! This week: see real live lava flows moving through New York, get the latest updates on our newest Martian friend Curiosity, watch proteins swimming through neurons, hop on the next Dream Chaser flight into orbit, and more! All this, plus our gadget of the week, in which a real hovercraft takes a test-drive!


Science Supplemental: Mars Curiosity Lands Tonight at 10:31PM PST

Tonight at 10:31pm Pacific time, NASA will attempt to land the largest, most powerful, and most complicated instrument ever to set wheels on the surface of Mars. Curiosity (aka Mars Science Laboratory), which weighs about as much as a Mini Cooper and has the wheel base of a Hummer H2, will be on Mars tonight. Whether it lands safely or leaves a Hummer-sized crater remains to be seen.


Watch: Wil Wheaton & William Shatner’s Dueling Narrations For NASA’s New Mars Rover

Once again NASA looks to Star Trek to help tell their story. Today the space agency released two versions of a video about the Curiosity Rover (aka Mars Science Laboratory) which is scheduled to touch down on the surface of Mars next week. And to satisfy fans of different generations one version of the video is narrated by original Star Trek star William Shatner and the other has Next Generation’s Wil Wheaton. Watch both below.        


Science Saturday: 5th Pluto Moon + Higgs Boson Party + Solar Storm + New Tricorder + More

Welcome back to Science Saturday! This week, discover Pluto’s 5th (yes, 5th) moon with a little help from Hubble; Celebrate the Higgs Boson discovery, and learn why you should care; prepare for intense, low-latitude aurorae thanks to a solar storm currently bombarding Earth; and detect brain injuries with a modern Tricorder. All this and more, plus our gadget of the week: animated augmented reality app for Android devices.


Science Saturday: V’Ger’s Journey + Near-Miss Asteroid + Colored Poo + Planetrise + More

This week on Science Saturday, get the latest update on Voyager and her journey into interstellar space; witness video captured of a near-miss asteroid; diagnose your ailments by checking the color of your poo; and see ‘planetrise’ from exoplanet Kepler-36c. All this, and more, plus our gadget of the week: The USS Enterprise turn table!



Science Sunday: Move to Mars + Extreme Microbes + Chinese Taikonaut Launch + Nanodiamonds + More

Welcome to this week’s late edition of Science Sunday! This week, join Mars One and fly to (and live out the rest of your days on) Mars; discover some extreme microbes in the Mars-like south american desert; witness China’s next manned (and perhaps womanned?) space launch; and create diamonds by burning a candle. All this and more, plus our gadget of the week: the self-making bed!




Picard, Kirk, and Friends Journey into Space on Gigantic Balloon

Captains Kirk and Picard have officially made it into space! Aboard a high altitude balloon, that is. A few weeks ago we reported one man’s quest to kickstart a campaign to send action figures of Captains Kirk and Picard (and their friends) 100,000 feet into the upper atmosphere. Well, he’s done it with the help of a large team of friends and cameramen. Hit the jump for photos!


Science Saturday: Treknology for a Modern Starship Enterprise

What might a modern day Enterpsie look like? This week we take a look at some up and coming technologies that draw some intriguing parallels to 23rd century Star Trek. The line up: Google’s Knowledge Graph as the Enterprise computer; New military translation tech as the ship’s UT; Antimatter engines to fuel the Enterprise; Pulsar navigational charts for use in Stellar Cartography; Asteroid mining and hazard mitigation; and quantum teleportation for use in the ship’s communications array.


Science Saturday: New Old Mayan Calendar + Vesta Views + Build The Enterprise + Transparent Aluminum + More

Welcome to another exciting Saturday filled with Science! This week: how the earliest known Mayan calendar does NOT predict our doom this December, the fascinating miniplanet of Vesta, a guy on the internet says we can build the Enterprise in 20 years, and a quick look into the world of transparent aluminum (hello, computer!). All this and more, plus our gadget of the week: the 3D Cylindrical Display.


Send Captains Kirk and Picard to Space

Meet Logan Kugler, a space enthusiast/trekkie with one simple goal: to send Captains Picard and Kirk into near-space — well, their action figures at least! Kugler has started a now fully funded (but still taking pledges for the next 24-hours) Kickstarter project to finance a high-altitude balloon that will send action figures of Captains Kirk and Picard along with their respective starship models (and a few of their friends) to a height of 120,000 feet along with cameras to capture the entire event. They are even selling the Kirk action figure and the model of the USS Enterprise that he flies to space on for the next 24-hours on their Kickstarter page!