Science fiction has introduced us to certain technologies, the realization of which now seem overdue. I am talking about flying cars, humanoid housekeeping robots, and, yes, artificial gravity. We have been reading and talking about them for decades, but they are really not part of our lives yet. The first two I have to admit are still out of reach due to some technical hurdles, but the third isn’t.

Today I found in my inbox a link to an article on artificial gravity, and it got me thinking. Why aren’t we building spinning habitable spacecraft? The author points out the number of health issues facing astronauts during long-duration space flight that could be solved by an artificial gravity system. We are currently spending a lot of resources to overcome the problems in other ways, but if we want to get to Mars sooner rather than later, perhaps we should, as the article suggests, undertake more research on artificial gravity.

It seems pretty simple. Spin up a system of masses and create centripetal force. Of course, the system can’t spin too fast or the astronauts would become ill. Motion inside the system would also need to be properly compensated. But hey, this is a dynamics problem that definitely isn’t out of reach.

Money is always a limiting factor. There are competing interests demanding their share of the pie. Yet, with the current pace of certain advances, I wonder if perhaps Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey could be safely updated to the year 2101.

Joel Achenbach of the Washington Post reports that yesterday, billionaire Dennis Tito testified before the U.S. House subcommittee on space regarding his plan to send a husband-wife team of astronauts to Mars and back. According to Tito, the 800 million mile journey would take 501 days and cost a cool $1 billion. Hmmm…. That’s $1.25 a mile, about the same cost to fuel a Winnebago. Unfortunately, the two volunteers for the journey won’t be as comfortable as they would in an RV, as they would be confined to Orbital Sciences Corporation’s Cygnus space capsule the entire way, which is perhaps half the size. That doesn’t leave much room for food, supplies, taking a walk or having a change of scenery. I hope the walls are padded.

Accomplishing a Mars flyby would be an amazing feat. The United States would have at least 10 or 20 more years to claim leadership in space exploration. As Tito hopes, it would certainly inspire the rising generation to dream again. Doing so would also obliterate current notions of what can and cannot be done. Yet, could we find a way to protect the astronauts from the radiation risks and keep them sane by 2017, the year Tito wants to launch? Probably not. Could we spend our billion in some other way and get an even bigger bang for the buck? Maybe. But I admit, if we could pull off a Mars flyby in the next decade, what a thing that would be!

If I had a billion dollars for space exploration, I would fly a heliogyro to Mars and back. That would leave me $990,000,000 left to fly somewhere else.

Running is a gift from Heaven. In fact, if I lead a good life, I expect to receive in the hereafter a pair of fresh-from-the-factory New Balance training shoes to go with my halo – both gold-plated, of course. Oh, and it will be Fall.

I believe there is nothing better than going on an Autumn run. I love how the leaves crunch beneath my feet and the crisp air wakens my senses. Somehow, magically I actually feel lighter on my feet.

My best running experience happened in the Fall. It occurred In the Uintah Mountains, an hour and a half from where I grew up. I was there with my dad. We had borrowed my grandpa ‘s 1955 Chevy pickup – a classic. Deep blue, eighteen inch diameter steering wheel, the word STOP painted on each of the rear brake lights … I should describe it in detail in a future post. Anyway, my dad and I were in the mountains to cut a load of firewood for the winter. It was hard work! We spent the day manhandling the chainsaw, trimming off the branches with our combination axe/sledge hammer, and hauling the logs back to the bed of the truck. After my dad and I tied down the load, I got changed into my running clothes. I wasn’t about to miss a day of training, firewood or no! It didn’t matter that I was tired. In fact, most great things happen when you least expect them.

It was late afternoon when I started running. We had driven on a winding dirt road for maybe 10 miles to get to the firewood spot. I planned on running back out. As it was getting dark, my dad drove the truck behind me, with the headlights lighting the way. Now, here is the cool thing. There wasn’t anything special about the run, EXCEPT, I was with my dad and the 1955 Chevy, and I felt like I could run and run, as long and as fast as I wanted. If there was a hill, I sprinted up it. If the road was flat, I lengthened my stride and took off. Sometimes my dad had a tough time keeping up on the winding road. I just kept on going. If only I could have everything be this perfect in a race!

I love my dad for being so willing to drive the truck behind me to show the way. He was my biggest fan. Someday, I hope to go on a run with him again. I’ll bet it will be Fall. To be sure, the clear, crisp air and the crisp fallen leaves will help it be another perfect run, like you would expect in Heaven.