 |
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 ")
Fetal Lamb Rests In Artificial Womb
'... stewing warm on their cushion of peritoneum and gorged with blood-surrogate and hormones, the foetuses grew and grew...' - Aldous Huxley, 1932.
Bring Back Extinct Animals! Sort of.
'The worldwide network of genetic arks had a surfeit of pachyderms...' - David Brin, 1990
Mushroom Eats Plastic, Saves Planet
Fungus Amongus, SaveUs!
Is There Extraterrestrial Life Here In The Solar System
'How fast is it moving? ...one meter per minute.' - Arthur C. Clarke, 1982.
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
PRAM Solar Powered Satellite Hardware Tested In Orbit
'Our beams feed these worlds energy drawn from... the Sun'
3D Printed Glass Uses Stereolithography Techniques
'All that with glass...'
Science Fiction Helps Young Readers Build Resiliency
'Reading science fiction and fantasy can help readers make sense of the world.'
I Want My 1928 Telestereo Hologram Now
'Instantly there appeared standing upon the disk, the image of a man...'
Memes Now Come From Neural Nets
'Your order said for him to be able to be able to work out twists on the gags in the file...'
Robot Dog Learns To Be Doggy From Real Dogs
'So we took pictures of Guzub making a Three Planets, and I could construct this one to do it exactly right down to the thousandth of a second.'
Unwanted Cruise Ships Huddle Together Out At Sea
'On the screen they passed in an endless, boundaryless flood of green specks...'
Sono Sion Electric Car Charges As You Drive
'It drew its power from six square yards of sunpower screens on its low curved roof.'
News Mood Filter Web Extension
'He adjusted the n, the r and b knobs, and hopefully anticipated a turn for the better...'
Fetal Lamb Rests In Artificial Womb
'... stewing warm on their cushion of peritoneum and gorged with blood-surrogate and hormones, the foetuses grew and grew...'
MIT Wants To Catch Interstellar Visitors
'INVESTIGATE MYSTERIOUS OBJECT ENTERING NEW CALEDONIA SYSTEM FROM NORMAL SPACE'
AutoX Sets Up Asia's Largest Robotaxi Center
'The robot cab seemed to know where it was going and, no doubt, the master machine from which it received its signals knew.'
E - Ink's Automatic Self Styling Color-Changing Dress
'The racks of gowns itched and quivered, their colors running into blurred pools.'
Soft Robots Use Kirigami Piezoelectric Sensor Skin
'A worthy opponent was the golem.'
Bosch Smartglasses Laser Paints AR Image On Your Retina
'Soon we'll be testing a system that projects directly on the retina of the eye.'
Maybe We Could Hibernate Until The Covid-19 Pandemic's End
'Cold-rest was a common last resort therapy for functional psychoses.'
