Space Wars

Someday humanity will leave its planetary abode and will eventually embark on the grand enterprise of humanizing the high and final frontier of space. But, as humanity expands ever outwards into this vast new frontier it is certainly inevitable that we will take our propensities for war an aggression with us. We may eventual engage in warfare with members of our own species or extraterrestrial civilizations which share our bloodlust or whatever analogue of blood they possess.

Space Based Laser System from How Stuff Works - How Space Wars Will Work 

Outer space is already an essential part of America's ability to fight wars. Our military depends on satellites for many things, such as communications, reconnaissance and targeting information. But so far, no country has put weapons into space, although the U.S. and China have both shown they can shoot down satellites with ground-based missiles. If weapons do become a part of space, how will they work, how effective will they be, and what type of damage could they do? From ground-based lasers to telephone-pole sized rods hurtling from space at two miles per second to the far out weapons of the distant future.

It's time to "lock and load" with Far Future Horizons for Space Wars.

Journey to 10,000 B.C.

Today on Far Future Horizons we journey to the year 10,000 BC and experience the suspense and heart-pounding action of a woolly mammoth hunt. Where, a single kill could feed the tribe for weeks. 

As the winters grow curiously colder and longer, this vital source of nourishment becomes even more critical. Experience the land where giant ground sloths, great saber-toothed cats, and camels roamed. Witness their extinctions and live through the cataclysms that we are only now beginning to understand.

The Quest for Immortality

Humanity is on a quest in search of Immortality. Can twenty-first century science develop the means to extend the human life span and maybe eventually grant humanity external life?

Is Invisibility a Real Possibility?

Much of what today we consider commonplace was once the stuff of science fiction in a bygone age. Many of the technologies we take for granted today, such as space travel, transcontinental passenger aircraft, submarines and almost instantaneous global communication, once existed in the realm of speculative fiction. How many of the technologies which exist only in the realm of our best loved Sci-Fi motion pictures and television series will eventually become the reality of tomorrow?

Today on Far Future Horizons we present “That's Impossible” a television series from the History Channel that examines seemingly impossible technologies based upon stories and inventions in history, and detailing exactly what is needed to turn them into reality. The show premiered on July 7, 2009 and is narrated by veteran actor Jonathan Frakes, best known for his portrayal of Commander William T. Riker in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Sci Fi Science - Designing a Lightsaber

Today on Far Future Horizons we are going to look at the possibility of designing a working light-saber. The lightsaber, as every science fiction fan knows, is a weapon which has a key role in the Star Wars movies and the franchise's expanded universe.

The lightsaber consists of a polished metal hilt which projects a blade of energy about one meter long. The lightsaber is the signature weapon of the Jedi order and their Sith counterparts, both of whom can use them for offence, or to deflect blaster bolts. In today’s episode of Sci Fi Science, Dr. Michio Kaku reveals how we could one day build a light saber using the knowledge of twenty-first century physics and engineering. 

How does the lightsaber work?

The first and second seasons of Sci Fi Science, hosted by Dr. Michio Kaku is a available on DVD from the Discovery Channel’s online store.

Cutaway view of the Lightsaber

Moons of the Solar System

Today on Far Future Horizons we present a fabulous documentary produced by Britain’s Open University concerning the natural satellites of our solar system. Join us as we take an exciting voyage to some of the most exotic moons in our solar system; each a unique and beautiful world in its own right.

How did the solar system form? Are we alone in the Universe? What are alien atmospheres made of? These questions can be answered by studying the solar system’s vast family of satellites.

This collection of videos looks at five of the most intriguing worlds that we’ve managed to visit over the last fifty years, including The Moon, Europa, Phobos, Deimos and Titan.

From the first human footsteps on another world to the most distant spacecraft landing in history, our neighbourhood of moons has always played a central role in our exploration of the planets.

Mars Alive

Today on Far Future Horizons we take an exciting look at the possibility of transforming the planet Mars into a second planetary abode for humanity and the other life forms of our planet. What would it take to Terraform the red planet and bring life to Mars and Mars to life?

Terraforming (literally, "Earth-forming") of a planet, moon, or other body is the hypothetical process of deliberately modifying its atmosphere, temperature, surface topography or ecology to be similar to those of Earth to make it habitable by terran organisms.

The term is sometimes used more generally as a synonym for planetary engineering, although some consider this more general usage an error. The concept of Terraforming developed from both science fiction and actual science. The term was coined by Jack Williamson in a science-fiction story ("Collision Orbit") published during 1942 in Astounding Science Fiction, but the concept may pre-date this work.

Mars as it is now and after its Terraformation