Alex R. Howe
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My blog of science, science fiction, and more.
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Author Archives: Alex R. Howe
The Wayfarers
A Short Story Author’s Note: This story takes place in the same fictional universe as “The Lacertan Incident,” but it is separated by millions of years and millions of light-years from that story. A permanent link to this story will … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Science Fiction
Tagged original fiction, short story
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What If? Rejects #6.1: A Well-Balanced Meal, Part 1
Previous post in this series: Cutting the Cheese Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. What If? bonus: How Many Seconds in Eternity? Q: What is the total nutritional value (calories, fat, vitamins, minerals, etc.) of the average human … Continue reading
Posted in Biology, Medicine, What If? Rejects
Tagged biochemistry, calories, human body, nutrition
1 Comment
What If? Follow-up: Can a Wire Cut a Person in Half?
In my last post, I determined that it is not possible for a human being to be cut in half by running into a cheese-cutting wire that is stretched across a road. The wire will break long before the human … Continue reading
Posted in Science, Technology, What If? Rejects
Tagged absurd cutting power, carbon nanotubes, monomolecular wire, spider silk
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What If? Rejects #5.2: Cutting the Cheese
Previous post in this series: Balancing Act. Follow-up post. What If? bonus: How Many Seconds in Eternity? Next post in this series: A Well-Balanced Meal. Q: How fast would a human have to run in order to be cut in … Continue reading
What If? Rejects #5.1: Balancing Act
Previous post in this series: In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream. Next post in this series: Cutting the Cheese. Q: If global warming puts us in danger through temperature rise, and super-volcanos put us into danger of global … Continue reading
Posted in Geology, Science, What If? Rejects
Tagged balancing act, global warming, supervolcano, yellowstone
2 Comments
What I Learned From Writing The Lacertan Incident
Last week, I published one of my short stories, The Lacertan Incident, on my blog. This week, I wanted to share some of the process of how I wrote and rewrote it, and what I learned from the experience. I … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Writing
Tagged beta reading, criticism, dealing with criticism, revising, rewriting, writing
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The Lacertan Incident
A Short Story Author’s Note: This story is part of a series of short stories and at least one novel that I am writing about Earth’s future over the next 200 years or so. This story is set in 2154. … Continue reading
What If? Rejects #4.2: In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream
Previous post in this series: Volcanoes. Next post in this series: Balancing Act. Q: A friend of mine is convinced that there is sound in space. There isn’t, right? Randall’s response: A guy floating in space speaks, but the speech … Continue reading
Posted in Space, What If? Rejects
Tagged interstellar medium, no one can hear you scream, sound in space
2 Comments
Book Review: The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin
The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin is one of the best-selling science fiction novels in China and is the first Chinese science fiction novel to be translated into English for a wide-scale Western audience. The translator, Ken Liu, is himself … Continue reading
Posted in Book reviews, Culture
Tagged Chinese science fiction, Liu Cixin, The Three-Body Problem, Three Body
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Harry Potter and the Power of the Internet
A couple weeks ago, I reviewed a work of fan fiction called Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality by Eliezer Yudkowsky. I wanted to make one more point about this piece, not about the story itself, but about how … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Fiction, Technology
Tagged crowdsourcing, Eliezer Yudkowsky, Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality, HPMOR
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Science Meets Fiction 