Scientific Exploration

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From exploring the depths of the ocean to our race to inhabit other planets, scientific disciplines and areas of research are melding as never before to advance our knowledge and capability as a species. Amidst political upheaval, war, and growing threat of extremist activity around the globe, the world can often feel a dark place, far from our natural predisposition to learn and be explorers, but we are on the verge of some remarkable discoveries and breakthroughs that remind us of what we can achieve. So where do we start in our exploration of all things scientific? Perhaps from the depths of the ocean, working up towards the stars.

Most of the Earth’s oceans are still unexplored, with no real understanding of what lies deep beneath the surface. In December 2015 the X-Prize Foundation launched the ‘Shell Ocean Discovery X Prize’ competition. This challenge is looking for a team to advance the capabilities of ocean exploration, with a $7m prize fund for the team who pushes the boundaries of nautical exploration, and successfully maps the ocean floor. To further entice innovators and explorers, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have added a bonus prize of $1m for any team who is able to detect the source of chemical and biological signals underwater. The target depth is 2000 and 4000 metres below the surface. Registration for the competition began in June 2016, with testing in September 2018 and judgement in November. The prize will be awarded before Christmas 2018.

Returning to dry land, a Californian start-up company called Bolt Threads believe they are on the verge of being able to mass-produce synthetic silk, which if true, would be the biggest technological advancement in clothing since nylon, with the fascination coming from our knowledge of the humble spider. A spider’s silk has a tensile strength comparable to steel, but due to its flexibility is tougher than Kevlar. Bolt Threads take genetically modified yeast, water, and sugar, and through fermentation produce the raw material of spider silk. The material is spun through similar processes to that used to make cellulose-based fibres such as Lyocell. The resultant thread is molecularly comparable to spider silk. Whilst an obvious practical use of this synthetic spider silk is in the manufacture of performance clothing, companies including Bolt Threads believe the applications could include armour, automotive parts, medical devices, and any other area where light but incredible strong componentry is required.

Stepping into the world of information technology, we find ourselves in a field experiencing an accelerated and unrelenting evolution. Earlier this year the University of Southampton’s Optical Research Centre established a new way of storing data that can ensure information veracity for 13.8 billion years. The 5-dimensional data storage (5D) can store up to 360 terabytes of data within the nanostructures in glass. In development since 2013, this technology packs the information into the tiny spaces within the glass, rather than encoding onto the surface like a DVD. The practical applications are immense, with vast volumes of literature and regulative information stored on glass discs no larger than a coin, saved for posterity.

In the field of processing power, many tech-giants are dabbling in the field of machine-learning, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing. In May IBM opened up it’s 5 qubit quantum computer to developers in the hope of accelerating global programming capabilities in quantum computing. The IBM Quantum Experience is a cloud service that allows programmers to access and build their skills in what is effectively a new paradigm of coding. Without coders fluent in programming these powerful machines, as the technology evolves and becomes more readily available over the next decade, their true potential will remain untapped. Today’s binary principled computers use semiconductor gates signifying a value of ‘on’ or ‘off’. By comparison, based on the theory of quantum mechanics, quantum computers utilise qubits that can be ‘on’ or ‘off’ or both ‘on and off’, which allows for phenomenal data manipulation. Whilst a 5 qubit computer is not nearly as fast as today’s super computers (think 100 qubit), once the technology is cracked, the fundamental blocker will be the shortage of coders. This is why corporations like IBM and Google are opening their clouds to encourage a community of developers to learn together.

Finally, we look to the stars, where private organisations are building ships able to traverse space to other worlds. Over the past decade we have seen Elon Musk establish Space X, and Jeff Bezos create Blue Origin. Whilst the United Launch Alliance (ULA), established in 2006 by Lockheed Martin and Boeing continues to put satellites into orbit, SpaceX and Blue Origin have bigger aspirations, including manned flights to Mars. These innovative companies are harmonised in the philosophy that mankind should be an interplanetary species, but in order for regular and repeatable transit into space to be sustainable and financially viable, reusable launch vehicles are a necessity. To this end, both companies are working on rockets that can propel their cargo out of earth’s atmosphere, and then return to a designated landing platform, ready for refuelling and prep for the next flight. SpaceX has undertaken much of this development in public, with live streamed launches cataloguing both success and failure on their path to a fully reusable rocket. Virgin Galactic is now also focussed on development of a small satellite launch vehicle named LauncherOne. Built from a Boeing 747-400 aircraft, this mobile launch vehicle brings flexibility and the potential to dispatch multiple satellites within days.

This diverse scientific innovation, and its convergence, is the catalyst driving us forward to understand more about our planet, to advance technological capability, and to realise solutions to impactful global issues, steadfast in the belief that even the most challenging obstacles can be overcome. As these innovative visionaries delve deeper into our oceans, or cross space to different planets, they inspire us and help to reaffirm who we truly are – explorers…