Recap

Space & the Universe

Astrobiologist & astronomer Dr. David Darling discussed a variety of topics related to space, technology and the universe. On a large scale, gravity is the most important force in the universe and is the key to where we're going in the future, he said. "Dark energy," that causes the universe to expand could be considered an oppositional force to gravity, he added. Antigravity is being explored, such as for magnetic levitation and shielding devices. Boeing, NASA and British Aerospace are all looking at this technology which could ultimately be used for propulsion, yet it's almost inevitable that the military is already developing it for their own ends, he commented.

Black holes that are spinning have a singularity that spreads out and it might be possible to travel through these "wormholes" not unlike a subway system. Travelers could reemerge on the other side in a different part of the galaxy or even another universe, he postulated. Darling further speculated that an ancient race might have established an elaborate network of these wormholes. If we were to discover one of them, we might send a probe through to see where it ended up, he suggested.

He expressed disappointment with NASA's current focus on the Shuttle and the International Space Station, which he believes yield little in scientific data. Darling was however enthusiastic about next generation space telescopes which can be spread out thousands of miles apart yet function as one giant unit.