GLOSSARY
Biomodulator
A 29th century implanted medical device that:
- acquires biometric data: temperature, pulse rate, respiration, blood gases, blood cell counts, pH, electrolyte concentrations, hormone levels, viral and bacterial infections, etc.;
- stores these data and, upon receiving a correct radio-frequency I.D. code, transmits them via radio signal to the individual’s nearby e-pad or to a health data collector. [When there are data indicating a significant health risk, the e-pad notifies the individual and, if necessary, contacts an Emergency Medical Team.];
- from natural precursors found in the bloodstream, it is able to synthesize nearly any organic molecule – such as coded histone proteins and RNA & DNA strands – and place the compounds in targeted nano delivery packages;
- is programmed to regulate physiological functions by fine-tuning the body’s own organ systems, mostly via altering gene expression, and to combat infections;
- for women, prevents pregnancy until such time the Federal Health Department approves an application for fertility and releases the requisite code.
b-mod
see Biomodulator
c
Speed of light = 3×105 km/s = 300,000 km/s = 186,000 miles/second
Coriolis Effect
A freely moving mass passing axially through a rotating frame of reference appears to curve in that frame.
Dermic
see Transdermic
Doppler Effect
The speed of approach or recession of a wave source affects the frequency received. E.g. a train whistle is a higher pitch during approach than after it passes.
e-pad
A 29th century paper-thin device that combines functionality of phone, browser, computer, e-reader, video recorder, music player, GPS, TV, health monitor, etc.
FECS Drive
Fusion-Enhanced Clark-Sheldon Drive. First envisioned by Rodney L. Clark and Robert B. Sheldon, the FECS Drive is a rocket engine design using uranium and thorium nano-dust fission for its main energy production and uses the fission products as the main reaction mass. (Also known as a fission-fragment rocket drive.) Magnetic fields control the resulting plasma. Deuterium fusion boosts the fission energy yield and also thermally boosts exhaust velocity, Ve. Trillium’s FECS engines also employ xenon both as a neutron barrier to protect engine walls and as reaction mass accelerated by the Hall Effect and by thermal energy. One of the fission products, xenon-135, is especially good at absorbing high-energy neutrons. The FECS drive also serves as a magnetohydrodynamic electricity generator for Trillium.
FP
Family Party, an anti-science political party founded in the 23rd century.
FSA
Federal Space Agency
GEO
Geosynchronous Earth Orbit. Objects orbiting at 35,800 km (22,500 miles) above Earth make a complete circle around the Earth every 24 hours. Those over the equator appear stationary to ground observers.
Goots
A pejorative term for Sky Children, followers of the deity Guthi-guthi.
Guthi-guthi
In Australian mythology of the Ngiyaampaa, he is the ‘Sky Father’ who came down, made the land, made it livable with the assistance of other deities, and created all life. To others in Australia he is known as Alchera, Altjira, Alcheringa, Baiame, Mura-mura, and Tjukurpa.
Hall Effect
An electrical condition that can accelerate plasma and render the plasma electrically neutral as it leaves the rocket engine.
I.D. chip
A 29th century RFID chip usually implanted in the back of either the right or left hand that identifies the individual.
Ion Engine
A rocket engine that achieves thrust by accelerating ions as exhaust.
ISTRI
Inter-Stellar Travel Research Institute founded in 2012.
Lidar
Similar to radar in function but uses laser beams.
Minifactory
A compact module with mechanisms that incorporate the functions of 3D printer, lathe, mill, router, welder, laser cutter, etc.
New Earth
Earth-like planet HIP 79672f orbiting New Sol, star HIP 79672.
New Sol
Sun-like star HIP 79672, a.k.a. 18 Scorpii; approximately 45.3 lightyears from Earth. Coördinates: 16h 16m α, -8° 22’ δ.
Oberth Effect
In the 20th Century, Hermann Oberth studied the apparent paradox that a rocket at high speed can accelerate to a kinetic energy greater than the amount of potential kinetic energy in the rocket fuel. However, he was able to show that when one mathematically considers the kinetic energy of fuel in a speeding rocket and the kinetic energy of the exhaust in the starting frame of reference, there is no paradox. Prior to Oberth’s work, however, it was calculated that the amount of fuel needed for interplanetary space flights was so great that rockets would never reach other planets. The same error is sometimes made when calculating energy needed for interstellar travel.
Oort Cloud
Region of space surrounding the Solar System extending out to perhaps a lightyear from the sun that has chunks of rock and frozen matter and is the source for many comets.
Petabyte
A quadrillion bytes of information = 1015 bytes.
Pod
see Street Pod
Reaction Mass
In order to propel a rocket forward, the engines must expel reaction mass backward. For chemical rockets, it is the combustion products – usually hot gases. For nuclear rockets, it is the nuclear products plus anything else that can be accelerated and expelled.
RFID
Radio Frequency Identification. Technology that uses radio waves to transfer data from an electronic chip, called an RFID tag, to a receiver. Once used only for identification but now used for other data handling and transmission purposes.
SETI
Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence. May also refer to the SETI Institute located in Mountain View, California.
Scramjet
An airplane that uses a Supersonic Combustion ramjet engine first developed in Russia. Since a scramjet engine will not function below mach 3 or 4 [3 or 4 times the speed of sound] other means of propulsion are required to reach the minimum velocity. Top speed is in excess of mach 12 = 4 km/sec = 14,400 km/hr = 9,000 mph.
Sky Children
Adherents of a religious system loosely based on ancient Australian Aboriginal mythology. Michael Harden, an Englishman, is generally credited with establishing the religion in the late 27th century. See Guthi-guthi; see also Goots.
Sonogram
An image that displays how the amplitude and pitch of a sound vary using time as the x axis. Often used to analyze speech or animal calls.
Spoof
Verb: to alter electronic data such that they appear to have originated from a different source.
SST
SuperSonic Transport. Passenger airplane that travels faster than the speed of sound but slower than a scramjet.
Street Pod
29th century driverless car.
Telepresence
The phenomenon of something at a distance being made present. The term applies equally well to the use of: a) tin cans on a string; b) telephones; c) video conferencing; d) telepresence robots; etc.
Teracycle
A trillion (1012) cycles, such as computer instruction cycles.
Tonne
Metric “ton” = 1,000 kg = approximately 2,200 pounds
Transdermic
Through the skin without piercing. Refers to the process of introducing medications or to the medication itself.
V-baby
Human infant whose genome is a result of in vitro fertilization.