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Weekend Reads - 171103

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This week we take a look at the feeling modern culture is fearful of, sadness. It's a good read. Also this week lots of science stuff. In the Science of Science Fiction Swinburne astronomer Associate Professor Alan Duffy reveals his scientific-accuracy rating system, which is based on the movie rating system. And there's more along with another theory to try and explain the Fermi Paradox, monster planets and Star Trek.

So when you have some free time this weekend to do some reading enjoy the following articles with your favourite beverage, starting with my latest one of course, The Far Called Trilogy by Stephen Hunt.



Happiness is not the default for most. Happiness is flashed around like life’s holy grail – as something to be sought out and achieved – so for the greater some, ‘future happiness’ is in perpetual hot pursuit.

How accurate is the science of science fiction? Swinburne astronomer Associate Professor Alan Duffy reveals his scientific-accuracy rating system.

Planetary scientist Alan Stern of Colorado's Southwest Research Institute has proposed a new theory for why our nearest neighbors haven't been returning our calls. Essentially, he argues that other alien life throughout our own galaxy is simply too cold to listen to our desperate cries for attention.

A giant planet, which should not exist according to planet formation theory, has been discovered around a distant star. The new research is presented in a paper recently accepted for publication in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

If you think technologies from Star Trek seem far-fetched, think again. Many of the devices from the acclaimed television series are slowly becoming a reality. While we may not be teleporting people from starships to a planet's surface anytime soon, we are getting closer to developing other tools essential for future space travel endeavours.


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