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science

Is There a Cure for HIV?

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HIV Virus

The results of a recent HIV treatment trial run by several British institutions are promising, and may mean the discovery of a cure for HIV. Fifty patients took part in the trial, conducted by Imperial College London, University College London, King’s College London and the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. The NHS also supported the research. In one patient there no sign of the virus after a months long trial. The man, aged 44 and a social worker in London, told the Times: ‘It would be great if a cure has happened. My last blood test was a couple of weeks … Read more

New Discoveries Day!

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New Discoveries Day

Hey all, Welcome to New Discoveries Day – a day once a month (usually on the last day of the month) when we discuss recent discoveries that fascinate us and that could spawn plot bunnies (or plot squirrels or plot mongeese – your plot animal of choice). So chime in and let us know about any new discoveries you ran across in the last month – links are always appreciated. Thanks to Freddy MacKay for the great idea! –Scott Come Join the Chat!

New Method Might Allow Gay Couples to Have Babies

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science

Gay men may one day be able to have a baby together without the need of a female egg, a new study has revealed. The research conducted by fertility experts at Bath University has found that it’s possible to create an embryo by fusing skin cells with sperm – suggesting the female half may not be needed. A woman would still have to act as a surrogate to carry the baby, but the study found that it was possible to conceive healthy mice using other types of cells and sperm. By Bobby Rae – Full Story at Pink News

For Readers: The Uncanny Valley

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Uncanny Valley

Today’s reader topic comes from QSFer Aidee Ladnier: Why aren’t there more depictions of the uncanny valley? Do we really want AI and robots that we can’t distinguish from humans? OK, there are a couple ideas here, so let me unpack this a little. For those who are unaware, the “uncanny valley” is an idea of robotics professor Masahiro Mori. Basically, people can feel an affinity for robots that are not too human. But there comes a point where a robot approaches humanlike appearance, movement, etc, but is not quite there, that becomes quite disturbing. Wikipedia describes it this way: … Read more

Your Very Own Invisibility Cloak?

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Invisibility

A team of researchers out of Queen Mary University of London believe they have found the first step to a practical cloaking device. Yes, invisibility may be possible in the future. The team, at the moment, is thinking small. They aren’t trying to make people, or battleships at that, disappear. Instead, they’re working on a new material that will make curved surfaces appear flat to electromagnetic waves. “The design is based upon transformation optics, a concept behind the idea of the invisibility cloak,” said Professor Yang Hao from QMUL’s School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, who helped write the … Read more

Science Trying to Answer Why People Are Trans

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DNA

Why are girls born as girls, and boys as boys? What about an individual who is biologically female but feels or sees oneself as male, or the other way around? Dr. Qazi Rahman who is a lead investigator into LGBT mental health at King’s College London revealed that science still can’t give a complete answer to those questions. ‘This is the key question at the moment,’ the scientist told The Guardian. ‘We know much more about how nature shapes sexual orientation, and my view of the science is that nurture does very little, if any, shaping of sexual orientation. We … Read more

For Writers: Why Do Aliens Find Humans Attractive?

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Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer Aidee Ladnier: I’ve always wondered why aliens would find humans attractive. This trope has even invaded LGBTQ fic. I’ve always wondered about this. I think when we’re more on the romance side of things, it’s a “suspension of belief” thing. We want to believe in stories of love with a handsome alien, so we do. :) On the sci fi side, though, things get a bit more dicey, as the story requires a rationale for why this would be so. It would make for a fascinating story if a human and an alien were … Read more

For Writers: Biodiversity

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A recent report showed that we’ve lost almost half of the animals on earth over the last fifty or so years. There have also been numerous reports about bee population declines, and the ramifications this could have for our food supplies. So my questions for the day: In the future, will we have to bioengineer our own biodiversity? And what would that look like? Join the chat

For Readers: Ripped From the Headlines

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Crystal Ball

Things are happening every day on the modern world. New worlds are being discovered or inferred (sorry, Pluto!), science is discovering cures for some things and new threats from others, and social movements are remaking societies. So our question for today: What current science or social story would you like to read a sci fi extrapolation of? Writers: This is a reader chat – you are welcome to join it, but please do not reference your own works directly. Thanks! Join the chat

New Discoveries Day!

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New Discoveries Day

Hey all, Recently we launched New Discoveries Day – a day once a month (usually on the first day of the month) when we discuss recent discoveries that fascinate us and that could spawn plot bunnies (or plot squirrels or plot mongeese – your plot animal of choice). Today, we’re doing a special year-end edition. So chime in and let us know about any new discoveries you ran across in the last year – and links are always appreciated. Thanks to Freddy MacKay for the great idea! –Scott Come Join the Chat!