Your tax dollars at work, making science fiction a reality

Bureaucracy and government obfuscation, of course, are already real:

Space tourists must be screened to ensure they are not terrorists, according to proposed regulations from the US Federal Aviation Administration.

The draft report's suggestions aim to prevent a terrorist from destroying a spacecraft or using it as a weapon.

[from BBC News]

And it’s obviously past time for someone to start thinking about these things, because:

AN EXTRAORDINARY "hyperspace" engine that could make interstellar space travel a reality by flying into other dimensions is being investigated by the United States government.

The hypothetical device, which has been outlined in principle but is based on a controversial theory about the fabric of the universe, could potentially allow a spacecraft to travel to Mars in three hours and journey to a star 11 light years away in just 80 days, according to a report in today's New Scientist magazine.

[from the Scotsman]

And we’re gonna wanna get our interstellar asses in gear, because gray-goo doom looms ever closer:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- From toothpaste to trousers, dozens of everyday products contain materials made through the blossoming science of nanotechnology -- but laws safeguarding the public's health and safety aren't developing nearly as quickly, according to a new report.

Few will say whether the nano materials, often hundreds of times smaller than the diameter of a human hair, are unquestionably safe or dangerous given the lack of definitive research into the matter.

[from CNN]

Got your space suit?