“Rhenium?”, you might ask, “what’s that?”. It’s among the more obscure elements in the periodic table, but not for lack of utility; indeed, rhenium is highly desired as a high-performance material in jet engines as well as rocket engines. Why? Because high temperatures are involved, … Continue readingThe Rhenium Age?
“Ghost atmospheres?” you might ask. Well…conventionally when we worldbuild planets, in the context of harder science fiction, we assume that atmospheres of terrestrial planets will be primarily carbon dioxide/nitrogen mixtures, or else will have been CO2/N2 mixtures but modified by life; to wit, Earth is … Continue readingWorldbuilding Ghost Atmospheres
I know it deserves an entry in some atlas obscura, it’s so poorly known outside very niche circles, but so help me I’ve always loved “Alien Planet” ever since the 2005 speculative documentary was first shown on the Discovery Channel (yes, I’m that old). It’s … Continue reading“Alien Planet”: A Fan Theory
I’ve already covered how Earth at the last glacial maximum was in fact not a frozen hell but something closer to a paradise, one we still enjoy remnants of today…but there are some aspects of ice-age Earth that even the best refugia cannot preserve. Few … Continue readingThe Glacial American South: A Lost World
“Humans are tropical animals”, it’s said. Or are we? True, our ancestors did come from Africa (well…our homo sapiens ancestors, anyway), but seldom is it asked: what was Africa like for them? Consider that while the tropics are oppressively hot and humid now, we are … Continue readingParadise Lost
I know it’s a direct follow-up from my last post, but why not? After all, Sirius B’s companion world is a fascinating place in my science-fiction-cum-space-opera setting. I now have hard numbers, which dictate tidal locking, the question of it being a moon, the orbital … Continue readingMore Thoughts on my Planet “Cerberus”
“Will, if we’re not on Mars, you tell us where we are?” “I’m not sure yet, we might even be on Cerberus.” Cerberus? So asked Penny Robinson to her older and brainier brother Will Robinson in “Lost in Space”. For a long time I wondered … Continue readingCerberus: A World Like No Other
Having experienced the climate of coastal California, I’m liking it well enough, but there’s room for improvement: it’s a bit too warm, too foggy and cloudy, and way too humid. I’m also missing the spectacular desert landscapes of the interior and the wide daily ranges … Continue readingWorldbuilding the Ultimate Desert Coast
Well, as of last Saturday, October 14, 2023, I’ve seen my first annular eclipse! Turned out there was some cloud cover in New Mexico, so rather than heading there I made my way to West Texas, Odessa to be precise, deep within the wide-open flat … Continue readingThe Ring of Fire Came to West Texas!
I was reading up on the Flying Dutchman last night, which I can’t help but feel is the coolest thing ever (to the point that if I got an alt I’d style myself “Willem van der Decken”, i.e. its legendary captain), and I came across … Continue readingA World where if You look far enough You’ll see Yourself…