 |
This Alien Earth
Where on Earth would you go for the most alien environment? I've been waiting too long for a tour of the most bizarre places in the universe, like the one narrated by the Overlord Rashaverak in Clarke's Childhood's End:
It might have been Earth. A white sun hung in a blue sky flecked with clouds, which were racing before a storm... And far, far away on the horizon was something that was not of Earth - a line of misty columns, tapering slightly as they soared out of the sea and lost themselves among the cloudsl. They were spaced with perfect precision along the rim of the planet - too huge to be artificial, yet too regular to be natural.
So, how about a trip to Socotra Island? Geographically isolated from mainland Africa for at least 6 million years, it has hundreds of rare species seen no where else on Earth, not to mention having extreme geological features.
Consider the strange dracena cinnibaris or Dragon's Blood Tree, used as a source of rare resin.
Space - no planet, no surrounding landscape, no world underfoot. Only the stars in the velvet night, and hanging against them a great sun that was beating like a heart... It would climb the spectrum and hover at the edge of yellow and then the cycle would reverse itself...
("Typical pulsating variable," said Rashaverak eagerly. "Seen, too, under tremendous time-acceleration...")
("Sidenus 4 and the Pillars of the Dawn," said Rashaverak, and there was awe in his voice...)
(Dracena cinnibaris or Dragon's Blood Tree,)
Consider the Desert Rose (adenium obesium), as strange a plant as you'll see.
(Desert Rose (adenium obesium))
What's your idea of an alien location? And thanks to Dark Roasted Blend for a great article idea.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 9/7/2008)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 2 )
Related News Stories - (" Biology ")
Oil from Algae - Can It Be Done?
'We dump everything that's waste into the tanks, pump the oil off the top.' - Hal Clement, 1950.
Amazing 'Hybrid' Solar-Powered Sea Slug Does Photosynthesis
Thank goodness for Star Trek.
Should You Submit Your DNA To A Database?
Consumer DNA services are often inaccurate.
Humans Evolve Deep Diving Abilities
Sounds like '60s sci-fi to me.
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Current News
Wound Healing With Wearable Nanogenerators
'... forcing the energy transfer which allowed him to ... erase the other internal-external damage.'
Flying Dragon Robot Transforms In Mid-Air
Terrific prototype video.
Negative Matter Fluid Theorized In New Paper
'Of course, being negative matter, when you push it, it comes toward you..'
Grow Structures Upon Planetfall - Myco-Architecture
'They'll also start pulling in gases and liquids from the local atmosphere...'
MXene Hydrogel Skin For Robots Flexes And Senses
'The plastex swam and whirled like boiling toothpaste...'
EXPLORER, The First Total-Body Scanner
'The object is built up of an infinite series of plane layers, at the focus of the ray...'
UK Police AI To Stop Criminals Before They Strike
'... the computing mechanisms that studied and restructured the incoming material.'
Sonitus Audio Interface Positioned Beyond The Noise
'... an instrument having relatively small bit pieces adapted to be gripped between the teeth.'
Volvo's Self-Driving Mining Trucks
'A procession of automatic ore carts was racing over the bleak slag'
Audi Pop.Up Autonomous Electric Flying Car
'The cab was an egg-shaped bubble of light metals and plastics...'
Music Not Impossible (MNI) Vibrotactile Wearable Experience
Don't you want to experience the 'feely' effects?
Chinese Face Recognition Mistakes Bus Ad For Jaywalker
'... the imprint of her image on the telephoto cell.'
A Look Back At Apollo's Emergency Escape Vehicle
'A simple mechanism... it drove the iron ball through space like a ship.'
InMotion Glide 3 Electric Unicycle For The Last Mile
'...gyro-stabilized on a single wheel.'
China's Social Credit System - A Facebook-1984 Mashup
'Prestige, face, mana, repute, glory: the Sirenese word is strakh.'
Musk Declares Tesla Supercharger Capacity Will Double By Next Year
'Recharge the batteries... in almost every town and village...'
