the science & Concepts behind point of origin
Terraforming mars
At one point in its distant past, Mars was thought to have had a more moderate climate with a thicker atmosphere and planetary temperatures capable of sustaining flowing surface water. While rising greenhouse gas emissions may be problematic for the sustainability of Earth’s climate, those same gasses may be a key tool in making a future Mars habitable for humans. The notion of terraforming Mars has been a staple of science fiction for years and has recently drawn more serious scientific consideration. In general, the theoretical approach involves jump-starting Martian global warming by creating a positive feedback loop in which introduced greenhouse gasses trap more solar heat which liberates more carbon dioxide from the Martian soil, making the atmosphere still thicker, and so forth. Several clever enthusiasts of the approach have declared it’s time to “Make Mars Great Again!”
https://www.planetary.org/articles/can-we-make-mars-earth-like-through-terraforming
The domestication syndrome
Since the eighteenth-century, humans have used a simple form of genetic engineering, selective breeding, to promote animal bloodlines with desirable characteristics such as disease resistance, improved production of wool and milk, etc. Usually, tameness or, at least, docility, has also been bred as a desired trait. It has been observed that the characteristics of domesticated animals vis-à-vis their wild counterparts (dogs vs. wolves, etc.) tend to be consistent across species. These characteristics typically include shorter snouts, smaller teeth, floppy ears, lighter colors, and docility towards humans. All good and well until perhaps some aliens come along and decide to domesticate us humans!
Advanced prehistoric civilizations
AKA, The Silurian Hypothesis. As summed up by Dr. Monroe in POINT OF ORIGIN, the signatures of a pre-human, technologically advanced civilization existing a few tens of thousands of years ago would be obvious to us today. However, the existence of such a civilization millions of years ago on Earth could very well escape our detection in the present day. The fossil record available to us is greatly fragmented and incomplete. This is due to the volcanic and tectonic geological forces that essentially grind up and recycle the Earth’s surface over those vast timescales. Synthetic chemicals and even radioactive isotopes would decay beyond detection over millions of years.
talking to whales with A.I.
Humpback whale vocalizations (songs) are anything but brief and random animal cries. The songs are long (15 minutes without repeating), consistent, and repeatable. The patterns appear to suggest an underlying syntax and grammar; the hallmarks of language. In contrast to the humpbacks, sperm whales produce equally sophisticated patterns of clicks and whistles called codas. Project CETI is using artificial intelligence tools to potentially decipher their language.
The roswell incident
The underlying facts, theories, and speculations surrounding what may or may not have happened in and around the Roswell Army Air Field in July 1947 have been well covered by a numerous articles, books, and television shows. The general outline of the incident was nicely summarized by LISA in the novel. One of the better resources is Witness to Roswell, by Thomas J. Cary and Donald R. Schmitt, New Page Books, 2009.
bigfoot - Myth or beast?
Much like the Roswell Incident, the depths of the topic of Bigfoot have also been well plumbed in popular media. But before one smirks too rudely at the topic, it’s useful to remember that otherwise rational people appear to embrace other strong beliefs without even so much objective evidence as a blurry photo of a figure in the woods or an enigmatic footprint in the mud (see POLITICS, RELIGION).
One of the more scientifically balanced treatises on the subject is Dr. Jeff Meldrum’s excellent Sasquatch – Legend Meets Science, Tom Doherty Associates, 2006. Meldrum is a professor of anatomy and anthropology at Idaho State University. He is especially interested in the biomechanics of gait and stride and how foot dynamics interact with the terrain to produce footprints and even skin-ridge (toeprint) impressions on the ground.
fringe bigfoot enthusiasts: Soft Porn Edition
Yes, I write speculative fiction, but even I can’t make this stuff up! According to the New York Times, in a 2018 Virginia congressional election campaign, the Republican candidate, Denver Riggleman, was accused of writing Bigfoot-themed porngraphy. Riggleman clarified that although he was indeed writing a book entitled “The Mating Habits of Bigfoot and Why Women Want Him,” the book was not specifically erotic in nature and he denied involvement in any Bigfoot erotica subculture. Although things got a bit hairy for him, Riggleman prevailed and won the election.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/30/us/politics/bigfoot-porn.html