recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Inner Solar System Settlements

The Inner Solar System consists of everything between the Sun and the Asteroid Belt. This includes Mercury, Venus, cislunar space (between Earth and the Moon), the Moon, Mars, and the small asteroids present within these orbits.

## Inner Solar System Settlements

#### **Background**

The Inner Solar System is generally defined as Earth, the Moon, Mars, Venus, and Mercury, as well as the Sun itself. Settlement of all of these places will be very different. Space habitats in cislunar space (between Earth and the Moon’s orbit) will likely be the place where most space settlers will live for the foreseeable future.

It is possible to establish cloud colonies in Venus’ upper atmosphere, where the environment is somewhat similar to Earth. Mercury can be mined for its raw materials, as well as Mars (though the planets are very different). Finally, the Sun can be used for energy, eventually culminating in a stellar engine such as the Dyson Net, an array of solar panels around the Sun to take advantage of the full solar output. This could power all settlements in the Solar System, as well as provide enough energy to send fleets of ships to nearby star systems.

#### **Pros**

* Plenty of material to mine from planets and small asteroids
* Many areas for people to live in (such as cislunar space)
* The Sun can provide trillions of times the energy humanity currently uses
* Settlement of space lessens the burden on Earth

#### **Cons**

* Requires space infrastructure for any settlement to be viable
* Mining planets requires “climbing” their gravity wells
* There are many hazards in space, such as radiation
* The Asteroid Belt may be a better candidate for many early settlements

#### **Outlook**

It is very likely that humanity will eventually settle space, including the Inner Solar System. Unless something goes terribly wrong, this is the natural next step for humankind. Space settlement will provide access to virtually unlimited energy and materials.

#### **Further Resources**

* Colonizing the Inner Solar System: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALBMdY9-SZs
* Industry on the Moon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y47MMNqKGxE
* Cislunar space: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOr-Gd58zu8
* Venus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI-old7YI4I
* Mercury: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4aXmnQzJ0o
* “Mining” the Sun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzuHxL5FD5U
* Wikipedia: Colonization of the Inner Solar System: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonization\_of\_the\_inner\_Solar\_System#:~:text=Bodies%20in%20the%20inner%20Solar,the%20Moon%20and%20even%20Mercury
Molten Salt and Thorium Reactors

Current nuclear reactors use the energy of nuclear reactions to boil pressurized water, which is then boiled off to create steam and run a turbine. This carries some inefficiency; the hotter the reactor, the more efficient the conversion to electricity. But if the reactor gets too hot it will melt the containment material, and the water may become too hot and too energetic, causing an explosion (this is called a nuclear meltdown).

To avoid meltdown, and also to gain some extra efficiency, a molten salt reactor can be used. These use a molten salt as the coolant instead of water; the plant cannot meltdown because the containment material is already melted. Since the fuel is melted as well, if the reactor gets too hot the fuel will drain away through a freeze plug. This makes meltdown impossible.

Thorium is an element similar to uranium, but needs a trigger to initiate fission. It cannot be used in current reactors, but could be in a molten salt reactor. There are benefits to using thorium as well. Often, molten salt and thorium reactors are conflated because they are often used in tandem. But a molten salt reactor does not necessarily use thorium (and it is possible to design a thorium reactor that did not have molten salt).

## Molten Salt and Thorium Reactors

#### **Pros**

* No risk of meltdown
* Higher thermal efficiency
* Higher fuel efficiency (more nuclear fuel gets “burned”)
* Some designs can utilize nuclear waste
* Waste created is not radioactive for as long as current nuclear waste

#### **Cons**

* Very difficult to design the containment chamber for the molten salt
* The waste decays faster, but in the short term it is *more* radioactive
* May be more expensive than some renewables

#### **Outlook**

Molten salt and thorium are most likely the future of nuclear energy. Molten salt reactors have actually existed for a very long time, but were not studied extensively for various reasons. Multiple countries and corporations are currently working on the challenges of these new reactor designs, often called Generation IV reactors.

#### **Further Resources**

* Generation IV Reactors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=\_mJ3S-VQuHY&t=5s
* Thorium Reactors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElulEJruhRQ
* How a Molten Salt Reactor Works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqPLU8ge-0w
* LFTR (Thorium and Molten Salt): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYxlpeJEKmw
* Molten Salt Reactors: https://whatisnuclear.com/msr.html
Sustainable Fuels

In the future, fossil fuels will no longer be used due to environmental concerns and the fact that there is only a finite supply of them. However, batteries are not energy-dense enough to power all of our vehicles and energy needs. For this reason, we need to develop clean burning or carbon-neutral fuels.

Carbon-neutral fuels are hydrocarbons, like fossil fuels, that are synthetically made from the air or from the exhaust of fossil fuels. This creates a sustainable loop: emissions are used to make the fuel, and when they are re-burned they create no net CO2. Note that this does require an input of clean energy to accomplish.

Clean burning fuels like hydrogen or ammonia, on the other hand, never create any CO2 at all. This avoids the issue of localized pollution and smog. However, this does still require an input of clean and abundant energy.

## Sustainable Fuels

#### **Pros**

* No net emissions
* Sustainable fuels will never be exhausted
* High energy density; only option for large vehicles

#### **Cons**

* Carbon neutral fuels still pollute local environments
* Hydrogen and ammonia are volatile fuels
* New infrastructure needs to be put in place

#### **Outlook**

Whether or not battery density will ever catch up to fossil fuels in a way that is useful for large vehicles is unclear. Assuming that batteries do not catch up, the only way to power trains, barges, large airliners, etc. will be sustainable fuels.

#### **Further Resources**

* Hydrogen Economy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYBGSfzaa4c
* Carbon Neutral Fuels: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7VaTFscyFE
* Ammonia Economy: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/07/ammonia-renewable-fuel-made-sun-air-and-water-could-power-globe-without-carbon
Self Driving Cars

Autonomous vehicles are vehicles that drive themselves without human intervention. There are different levels of self-driving car intelligence. Some partially self-driving cars do exist already, but no fully autonomous car that is safe in all conditions has been developed so far. In the future these vehicles can save countless people from accidents every year.

## Self Driving Cars

#### **Pros**

* Chances of accidents are drastically reduced
* Stress and time of driving can be avoided
* Traffic may become a thing of the past
* Higher speeds may be possible on roads safely

#### **Cons**

* Requires a lot of development for full autonomy
* Ethical issues of who the car should save in case of accident

#### **Outlook**

Self-driving cars are closer than many think, but they do have a ways to go before they are fully autonomous. Ultimately they will be a better, safer way of traveling.

#### **Further Resources**

* Levels of Autonomy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE3gXRKBNHc
* Pros and Cons: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RAFgKcY4uA
SISTER WALK

### 登場

**ルミネス** (デビュー)
**LUMINES LIVE!**
**ルミネスII**
**ルミネス スーパーノヴァ** (DLC)
**ルミネス リマスター**

### Remixの長さ

3:01

**SISTER WALK**（**シスター ウォーク**）はルミネスで登場するスキンである。ルミネスで13番目のスキンとしてデビューした。

歌詞
--

なし

## グラフィック

**SISTER WALK**のデザインは車ナビの背景と人の顔がある。

このスキンのデザインの顔は、WORKING IN THE HOLEの顔と同じである。

 ブロック

## 入手方法

ルミネスとルミネス リマスターでは、**SISTER WALK**はChallenge "Basic"でレベル48に到達すると入手できる。
Outer Solar System Settlements

Defined as everything past the Asteroid Belt, the Outer Solar System will provide a massive amount of resources and possible settlement locations for humanity.

## Outer Solar System Settlements

#### **Background**

The Outer Solar System is generally defined as anything past the orbit of Jupiter (including Jupiter itself, and its moons). Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, other dwarf planets, the Kuiper Belt of comets, and the Oort Cloud of distant comets are all part of the Outer Solar System. Where the Solar System “ends” is up for debate; the Oort Cloud by some estimates extends for a light-year or two, half the distance to the nearest star Alpha Centauri. Generally, however, the Solar System is seen to “end” a lot closer than this.

Colonizing the gas giant moons is generally seen to be the main activity in this area. Slowly, humanity might push further and further outward, perhaps colonizing parts of the Oort Cloud to lay the groundwork for journeys to nearby stars.

#### **Pros**

* There are practically unlimited resources in the Outer Solar System
* The gas giants are an excellent source of fusion fuel (hydrogen, helium-3, etc.)
* For colonies looking for isolation, the Outer Solar System is an excellent place

#### **Cons**

* Travel times are greatly increased (depends on where exactly)
* Solar power is not viable in the Outer Solar System; fission or fusion must be used
* Communications are also more difficult the farther spread out settlements are

#### **Outlook**

Note that this is a broad topic; settling Jupiter’s moons may be no more than a few decades off while settling the outer edge of the Oort Cloud may take millenia.

#### **Further Resources**

* Colonizing the Outer Solar System: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0W7IRBeDkj4
* Jupiter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQnvjGN91Mg
* Titan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdpRxGjtCo0
* Neptune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb6sdimG8GE
* Oort Cloud: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8Bx7y0syxc
* Wikipedia: Colonizing the Outer Solar System: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonization\_of\_the\_outer\_Solar\_System
Democratic Unionist Party (Sirex)

Small party whose primary platform is improving relationships with Tarrin, Nymeria, and even some foreign powers such as Sigil. Alternates between voting with New Labour and National Action.

Primary concerns:

* Improved cooperative relations with Tarrin and Nymeria
* Formally recognizes Dol Arrah.

## Notable Members

* Silas Vo — First Speaker
* Mahnoor Trestia — Second Speaker
* Klemalkor Kofs
* Gorneag Kragbrew
Electric Aircraft

A “conventional” electric aircraft, sometimes called eCTOL (Electric Conventional Take Off and Landing), is essentially just a normal plane but powered by a battery and an electric motor instead of aviation fuel. They exist for very similar reasons to electric cars. Aside from being much more environmentally friendly, they are also much cheaper to operate than a modern fuel-powered aircraft.

For these reasons their adoption is essentially a no-brainer; the issue is that battery weight is more of an issue for planes than cars. This makes electric planes harder to design; also, electric planes are limited to short-range travel. On the other hand, about half of all flights are short-range (under 500 miles), meaning there is still a substantial market for electric aircraft. Hybrid planes also exist to cut down on emissions without a full conversion.

## Electric Aircraft

#### **Pros**

* No emissions
* Cheaper to operate (and thus, cheaper tickets)
* Can fly to more airports (because of cheaper operation)
* Able to fly most short-range flights

#### **Cons**

* Can only carry a few passengers at a time
* Range is limited (but again, there is still a large market)
* Battery weight makes these difficult to design

#### **Outlook**

Electric planes are not discussed often in the media and are generally considered a distant future technology. However, this is not truly the case. Electric planes already exist (in fact, prototypes have existed for quite a long time) and are likely to hit the market within the next decade. Their use will likely be a game-changer for the aviation industry.

#### **Further Resources**

* Electric is the Future of Flying: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH4b3sAs-l8
* Scientific American Article: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/electric-aviation-could-be-closer-than-you-think/
* Electric Planes Slash Emissions: https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2021/05/to-really-slash-emissions-were-going-to-need-electric-airplanes/
High Speed Rail

The exact definition of high speed rail differs but generally includes trains that travel faster than around 200 mph. These are also called “bullet trains”. For intermediate distances (about 100-500 miles), they are faster and more convenient than both cars and planes for traveling between city centers.

Maglev trains, which use magnetic levitation to work, are also included here although they are technically a distinct technology from “high speed rail”. Ultimately these technologies may lose out to electric airplanes, given that their main reason for being is to cut back on emissions. In most other ways they are inferior to airplanes.

## High Speed Rail

#### **Pros**

* No emissions
* Faster than cars or planes for intermediate distances
* Can carry a large amount of people at once
* Links city centers together directly

#### **Cons**

* Very expensive infrastructure and ticket prices
* Many trips are not from city center to city center
* Limited places to travel

#### **Outlook**

High speed rail is an older technology, having been in use for decades in many parts of the world. Maglev is also relatively old but has yet to be widely introduced. Many consider these technologies the best way to a sustainable future. On the other hand, it is possible that high speed rail and maglev are already mostly obsolete, due to the advent of Electric Aircraft.

#### **Further Resources**

* High Speed Rail in the U.S.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qaf6baEu0\_w
* Possible U.S. Network: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyJEQjabJjl
* How Maglev Works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-rNILcfTKM
Future of Wind Power

Wind power is an excellent sustainable resource, but isn’t well suited to all applications. In the future, wind turbines will be more efficient and built in places to take advantage of higher wind. The highest winds in the world are located either offshore or in the jetstream, far above the ground. Therefore, future wind turbines will be built offshore, and one day perhaps in the clouds.

## Future of Wind Power

#### **Pros**

* More access to sustainable energy
* Zero emissions

#### **Cons**

* Offshore wind turbines are more expensive
* Wind power itself is only useful in some cases

#### **Outlook**

Wind power often has a bad reputation, but it is a powerful energy source in many instances. However, it is ultimately inferior to solar (wind is ultimately driven by the Sun, so wind is essentially indirect solar power), and nuclear power may be well suited to the applications wind is currently used for. Offshore wind could be more competitive in the future, however.

#### **Further Resources**

* Offshore Wind Turbines: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqCVgRbPQcg
* 10 Things About Offshore Wind Power: https://www.energy.gov/eere/wind/articles/top-10-things-you-didnt-know-about-offshore-wind-energy
* Airborne Wind Turbines: https://physicsworld.com/a/the-promise-and-challenges-of-airborne-wind-energy/
ABACK

### 登場

**ルミネス** (デビュー)
**LUMINES LIVE!**
**ルミネスII**
**ルミネス スーパーノヴァ** (DLC)
**LUMINES パズル&ミュージック** (DLC)
**ルミネス リマスター**

### Remixの長さ

1:48

**ABACK**（**アバック**）はルミネスで登場するスキンである。ルミネスで11番目のスキンとしてデビューした。

歌詞
--

なし

## グラフィック

**ABACK**のデザインは、オレンジ色の、回転する太陽系がある。アニメーションはMy generationのものと似ている。

 ブロック

## 入手方法

ルミネスとルミネス リマスターでは、**ABACK**はChallenge "Basic"でレベル40に到達すると入手できる。
Orbital Rings

Orbital Rings are an alternative to Space Elevators and Orbital Tethers that can drastically reduce launch costs and allow everyone to access space.

## Orbital Rings

#### **Background**

An orbital ring is a similar concept to a space elevator for the same purpose: to launch material into space cheaply without the use of rockets. The ring is constructed in orbit, most likely around the Equator, and once complete it is spun up to slightly more than orbital speed. An outer sheath around the ring is magnetically slowed to a stop above the surface, and the higher velocity of the inner part keeps the average speed at orbital speed, allowing the ring to remain in orbit. Tethers hang from the stationary part, which is often only about 100 km from the surface, allowing construction of these much shorter elevators. This is a bit more difficult to understand than the concept of the space elevator, which is probably why the space elevator is more famous.

Unlike a space elevator, an orbital ring can be built with current technology. It is a superior concept to the space elevator regardless, allowing greater throughput and faster transport into orbit. The difficulty is that if the ring’s magnets ever fail and the inner part stops spinning, the entire system goes offline. The stationary part will fall to Earth and the orbiting part will fly up into higher orbit (because it is traveling faster than orbital speed at its altitude).

A launch loop is a similar concept that is basically a shorter version of an orbital ring. Instead of traveling all the way around the Earth, it traces an arc between two locations on the ground. It may be useful for building a complete ring but carries issues of its own.

#### **Pros**

* Allows very cheap access to space
* Allows a very large throughput to space, more than any other known technology
* Can “bootstrap” itself and become much larger than its initial size
* Can allow fast travel around the planet as well

#### **Cons**

* Very expensive to launch into space
* Most likely needs orbital industry to get started
* Catastrophic failure is possible (though this can be mitigated with redundancies)

#### **Outlook**

Because of the very high potential throughput of an Orbital Ring compared to other launch technologies, it is extremely likely that we will eventually build one, regardless of what other developments take place.

#### **Further Resources**

* Orbital Rings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMbI6sk-62E
* Launch Loops: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1MAg0UAAHg
Version 7227

**New content**

- Halloween event! New decor that unlocks for special mushrooms from reward chests; A special Halloween biome, as well as Halloween themes in all other biomes; Thematic music and decorations for the main menu. The event runs until 1st of November.

- 20 new Rofleemo designs.

- Containers rack (explored through technology, you can transfer already built containers to the rack).

- Added a system of permissions and prohibitions for clients (specified by the server in session settings).

**Fixes and Changes**

- When a client exited the server, a rope was left which could be used.

- Added a full inventory notification when grabbing items.

- Fixes for minor bugs on the arena island.
Future of Shipping

Shipping cargo across the oceans currently takes a massive amount of fuel and emissions. In the future, sustainable ways of shipping will need to be found. These include: nuclear powered ships, a return to sailing, using hydrogen or ammonia fuel, and batteries.

Of these, batteries are the least likely to work because of their high weight (and therefore, any ship powered by them would likely have a very short range). Sailing is also unlikely; of course sailing works and has worked for millennia but it is not an effective way to move a lot of cargo. Nuclear power would be excellent but carries political and cost concerns. Fuel-cell ships are perhaps the best alternative but require infrastructure like all fuel-cell vehicles. It is likely that all these solutions will be developed to a certain extent.

## Future of Shipping

#### **Pros**

* No emissions
* Cheaper in the long run
* Less pollution in the oceans

#### **Cons**

* A single path to developing sustainable shipping has yet to be found
* Likely to be an expensive change in the short run
* Differing concerns based on what type of solution is used

#### **Outlook**

Ultimately, making shipping environmentally friendly and sustainable will cut our emissions drastically, as well as greatly improving the effectiveness of our infrastructure. The path to get there is not as clear as with some other technologies at this time.

#### **Further Resources**

* Future Sailing Ships: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L86znpiEzX0
* Renewable-Powered Cargo Ships: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWiX2edcBoA
* Nuclear Cargo Ships: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2020/11/09/international-marine-shipping-industry-considers-nuclear-propulsion/?sh=3703f952562c
* Carbon Free Shipping: https://www.airseacontainers.com/blog/sustainable-shipping-how-the-shipping-industry-is-working-towards-a-carbon-free-future/
Orbital Tethers

Orbital Tethers are a way to boost space travel by making it much easier to launch payloads into orbit.

## Orbital Tethers

#### **Background**

The term “Orbital Tethers” refers to both skyhooks and space elevators. A major part of space infrastructure is structures that help launch things into space. The space elevator is by far the most famous of these, but probably one of the least likely to ever exist (and also one of the least useful).

A skyhook is a long cable that stretches thousands of miles vertically above the Earth’s surface, but does not touch the ground. In designs it often extends from around 100 km up to somewhere between 1000 and 2000 km up. The lower end is traveling slower than orbital velocity at that height, while the upper end is traveling faster (because both ends must travel at the same speed, due to the skyhook being a continuous structure). It is easier for a craft to latch onto the lower end than it would be for the craft to achieve orbit.

This assist is not free; the skyhook would lose a bit of momentum every time it caught a spacecraft. But it is possible to boost the skyhook back up to speed with either ion engines (far more efficient than regular rocket engines, but takes longer to accelerate) or by catching craft coming *down* from higher orbits.

A space elevator, meanwhile, essentially is a skyhook, but one so tall that its lower end does not move *at all* with respect to the ground. As a result, the lower end of a space elevator is attached to the ground instead of floating above the atmosphere. A space elevator, however, would require materials that are not currently existent (because the top end would have to be more than 40000 km above the surface) and a trip up the elevator would take a very long time.

#### **Pros**

* Allows easier access to space
* Skyhooks can be built with current technology

#### **Cons**

* Must put a lot of mass into the skyhook so that it can catch spacecraft
* Still need rockets to leave Earth
* A space elevator cannot be built with current technology

#### **Outlook**

Skyhooks may or may not exist in the future, whereas space elevators are likely never going to exist even if the materials are found. This is because of the superior qualities of Orbital Rings.

#### **Further Resources**

* Skyhooks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqwpQarrDwk&t=1s
* Skyhooks (In Depth): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlpFzn\_Y-FO
* Space Elevator: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPQQwqGWktE
Torpor and Cryonics

Torpor and Cryonics allow for long voyages in space with the passengers in some kind of stasis, lowering costs and risks of social issues onboard. This may one day be the only way to travel for voyages to other stars.

## Torpor and Cryonics

#### **Background**

Cryonics is a term for the freezing of organisms, to be revived at a later date. This is a common trope in science fiction, with colonists being frozen for a long journey in space and then being awoken hundreds or even thousands of years later when they arrive at their destination, usually a distant star system. As of now, it is not possible to freeze people in such a way and then revive them, and it is unknown if it ever will be.

Torpor, on the other hand, is routinely performed as a medical procedure. Torpor is a “light” form of cryonics where the subject is not completely frozen, but put into an extended sleep. Torpor may be useful for interplanetary travel, to keep astronauts asleep for the long journey so as to avoid any social conflicts on the ship. Research into torpor and related technologies may eventually unlock the path to full cryonics in the future.

#### **Pros**

* Complex social issues onboard ships are avoided
* Passengers on spaceships do not have to wait months or years to arrive
* May eventually be a path toward life “extension”, but this is currently unknown

#### **Cons**

* It is difficult to freeze people with torpor and revive them
* Complications may result in injury or death to passengers
* Mental shocks from being asleep for such a long time may cause serious issues

#### **Outlook**

Cryonics is a very interesting way to transport people long distances. The future of cryonics is unknown, but torpor likely has a place in the near future of interplanetary travel.

#### **Further Resources**

* Torpor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wj0KM\_j0TLY
* Human Hibernation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfmOnqh9vyA
Space Construction

Space construction is a critical component in space industry, and in the settlement of outer space.

## Space Construction

#### **Background**

If we are ever to settle space, we will need to build almost everything there. We will need to figure out how to build factories and other industries in space. As soon as the space construction industry gets started, it will use itself to grow (“bootstrapping”), allowing humanity to expand along with it.

3D printing will likely be a massive help to building things in space. In-situ resource utilization will also be necessary (this is the use of the resources already present in space to build things, instead of bringing objects or raw materials from Earth).

In the end, we may even be able to build things *better* in space than on Earth. Some manufacturing is helped greatly by zero-g conditions, and pollution is essentially a non-factor in space. In the future nearly all construction, even for objects intended to be used on Earth, may be done in space.

#### **Pros**

* No need to bring large amounts of raw materials and items from Earth
* Only way to build large structures like O’Neill cylinders
* Can ultimately help to end pollution and environmental damage on Earth
* Once space industry is started it can fuel itself

#### **Cons**

* Difficult to start the process
* Industrializing the Solar System carries societal issues

#### **Outlook**

In the near-term, fiber optic cables and other high-tech items will likely be manufactured in zero-g. These can be made very high quality in space and maintain their quality once brought back to Earth. In the longer term, space construction will benefit people living *in* space, and be the foundation of a future interplanetary or even interstellar civilization.

#### **Further Resources**

* 3D Printing and Space Construction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olFeKZugDEM
* Microgravity Manufacturing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUj1-cPaFgo
EVTOLs

An EVTOL is an Electric Vertical Take Off and Landing aircraft. These are essentially giant drones, large enough to carry passengers. Most current designs carry 1 or 2 passengers only. EVTOLs are essentially the modern version of a “flying car”, although most do not have wheels to travel along the ground (but some do).

## EVTOLs

#### **Pros**

* No emissions air travel
* More range than a normal car
* Avoids traffic by flying above roads
* No need for pilot training with autonomous EVTOLs
* Faster than a car, train, or conventional airplane for most trips

#### **Cons**

* Expensive and energy-intensive
* Less range than a normal plane
* Difficult to control and fly effectively, with software or pilots
* Low volume of passengers for most applications
* Safety concerns

#### **Outlook**

Ultimately, EVTOLs are an interesting solution to traffic issues in a city. Whether they become mainstream is yet to be seen, but many companies are currently working on them. A few prototypes have already been constructed.

#### **Further Resources**

* List of EVTOLs: https://evtol.news
* Video on EVTOLs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=\_JdO4BEd-BY
* Vertical Flight Society: https://vtol.org
Terraforming Mars

Terraforming Mars is a common topic these days, but while it is possible, it is not the most efficient way to settle space.

## Terraforming Mars

#### **Background**

Mars is a world that is uninhabitable by humans; however, through a process called terraforming it could be made to be more Earth-like. Terraforming is not impossible, but it is an extremely energy-intensive process that would take many centuries. A new atmosphere will have to be made, entire oceans of water brought in from comets, and the planet will have to be warmed and a new magnetic field put in place.

While terraforming Mars has gotten a lot of press lately, it is much more likely that humanity will create rotating space habitats and gain much more living area at much less cost. Nonetheless, terraforming *is* scientifically possible, though it does carry risks with it.

#### **Pros**

* Terraforming Mars gives an extra Earth-like planet for humans to inhabit
* Mars has resources that can be used in the rest of the Solar System as well

#### **Cons**

* Terraforming is extremely energy-intense
* If terraforming goes wrong it may be even more difficult to “fix” Mars
* Space Habitats provide a much easier way to inhabit the cosmos

#### **Outlook**

Terraforming Mars may ultimately end up not happening, not because it is impossible but because it is extremely inefficient. If it does occur, the process will not be finished for many, many years.

#### **Further Resources**

* Terraforming Mars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGkJZsfJq6O
* Issues with Terraforming: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk7TfO0ut6U
* How to Terraform Mars: https://www.planetary.org/articles/can-we-make-mars-earth-like-through-terraforming
Stellar Engines

A Stellar Engine is a device that uses the full energy output of a star. The Dyson Sphere is the most famous type of Stellar Engine.

## Stellar Engines

#### **Background**

A stellar engine is an immense machine that uses a star as its power source. There are two main types of stellar engines: devices that use power from stars and devices that move stars. These are called Dyson Spheres and Shkadov Thrusters, respectively.

Shkadov Thrusters aren’t very useful for most applications because they cannot move a star very quickly (a few m/s in acceleration over a period of many thousands or millions of years). Dyson Spheres, however, could harness billions of times more energy than our entire civilization currently uses. Note that a Dyson Sphere does not have to be a solid sphere, and in fact would not be, as a swarm of solar collectors could perform the same task in a far easier way.

Essentially, a Dyson Sphere (or swarm, net, etc.) is a collection of solar panels, but built near the Sun itself and covering the entire star. The scale of a stellar engine is almost beyond the ability of the human mind to comprehend. It is not likely that we will be able to build such a thing for many, many years, but it could be done as a gradual process. Some of the power from the partially-completed stellar engine can be used to create more solar panels, allowing the engine to grow itself. The completion of such a stellar engine would make our society a Type II civilization on the Kardashev scale.

#### **Pros**

* A Dyson Sphere would allow us to harness the power of the entire Sun
* Virtually unlimited, completely clean energy for all mankind
* A stellar engine can also be used to accelerate ships to explore other stars
* Can be built gradually and can “bootstrap” itself

#### **Cons**

* Such a large amount of energy can be weaponized to a horrifying extent
* Requires extensive space infrastructure to get started
* Mercury or a similar world may have to be destroyed for its raw materials

#### **Outlook**

Dyson Spheres are considered to be very likely for our future. In fact, the initial concept of a Dyson Sphere was that it was *so* eminently powerful and useful that *all* intelligent civilizations would attempt to create one. As such, some astronomers look for signs of them to prove extraterrestrial life.

#### **Further Resources**

* Constructing a Dyson Sphere: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP44EPBMb8A
* Dyson Sphere (In Depth): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlmKejRSVd8
* What is a Dyson Sphere: https://www.space.com/dyson-sphere.html
Vactrains

A vactrain is a train that travels through a vacuum tube. The vacuum reduces drag to near zero and greatly increases the maximum speed of the train, potentially to thousands of miles per hour. The most famous example of a vactrain is the Hyperloop, but this is just one version among many proposed systems. Vactrains would link the world in unprecedented ways, but would also be very expensive and difficult to make.

## Vactrains

#### **Pros**

* Very high speed, cheap transport
* Large passenger volume
* Can link the world together physically like the Internet has virtually
* Would stimulate the world economy

#### **Cons**

* Extremely expensive
* Difficulties with keeping a vacuum; may not be possible at all
* Massive safety concerns

#### **Outlook**

Currently it is very difficult to say whether or not vactrains will ever be part of our future. If they are, however, they will leave a massive impact on the world.

#### **Further Resources**

* Wikipedia on Vactrains: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vactrain
* Hyperloop; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcikLQZI5wQ
* How Vactrains Work: https://www.scienceabc.com/innovation/can-we-travel-around-the-earth-in-4-hours.html
Future of Solar Power

While solar power has been around for a long time, a drastic and sustained drop in prices has caused a boom in solar power in recent years. Solar power has become cheaper, more efficient, and more widespread than ever.

There are two main types of solar power: photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal. Photovoltaics convert sunlight directly to electricity, while solar thermal plants use sunlight to heat water or some other liquid and use that heat to drive a turbine, which creates electricity. Solar thermal can be better for large plants because it requires large amounts of mirrors rather than solar panels, which are much cheaper.

## Future of Solar Power

#### **Pros**

* No emissions
* Sunlight is free energy (though it still costs money to install solar)
* Sunlight is an inexhaustible resource

#### Cons

* Still somewhat expensive (but lower costs every year)
* Toxic metals are used to manufacture solar panels
* Solar plants require a large amount of land area
* Solar plants produce little or no power when it is cloudy or at night

#### **Outlook**

Solar power is already in widespread use and will only increase as time goes on. That being said, it is unlikely to be able to meet our energy needs alone. Wind power, nuclear power, and energy storage will all likely be part of a future energy grid.

#### **Further Resources**

* How Solar Panels Work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKxrkht7CpY
* Solar Thermal Plants: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgjfJGfusdE
* Future of Solar Power: https://www.powermag.com/blog/future-of-solar-energy-brighter-than-sun-rapid-innovations-pave-the-way/
Electric Vehicles

Electric Vehicles, sometimes called Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) are the most common version of sustainable vehicles. These are usually powered by lithium-ion batteries and are often relatively small. While battery-electric trucks and buses do exist they are relatively rare. Electric cars, meanwhile, are becoming more and more common.

Ultimately, BEVs and fuel cell vehicles are almost certainly to be the future of transportation. Fossil fuels are polluting and unsustainable; there is only so much to be dug out of the ground.

## Electric Vehicles

#### **Pros**

* No emissions
* Cheaper to operate in the long run
* Electric vehicles have higher performance in some areas than ICE vehicles

#### **Cons**

* There are issues with manufacturing batteries
* Needs to be powered by sustainable electricity to have an environmental impact
* Infrastructure is still not fully in place (charging stations)

#### **Outlook**

Everyone is aware, of course, that electric cars already exist. The *future* of electric cars is that they are going to be cheaper, lighter, have longer range, more infrastructure will be developed for them, and they will be a larger part of our lives.

#### **Further Resources**

* Future of Cars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0D4jUEmTMQ
* EV Charging: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLcqJ2DclEg
* What to Expect by 2030: https://www.businessinsider.com/promises-carmakers-have-made-about-their-future-electric-vehicles-2020-1
Nuclear Waste Mitigation

Nuclear power is an excellent source of clean, abundant energy. However, there are issues involved with creating it, and none more so than disposing of nuclear waste. Nuclear waste consists of spent fuel rods, reactor components, and other wastes that give off radiation. Some waste can remain dangerously radioactive for tens of thousands of years.

While the issue of nuclear waste is often greatly exaggerated, it is still a genuine concern. There are essentially two ways of solving the problem: reprocessing the waste in breeder reactors (the new waste is more radioactive, but sheds its radiation in hundreds rather than tens of thousands of years) or burying the waste very deep beneath the Earth.

## Nuclear Waste Mitigation

#### **Pros**

* A solution to nuclear waste makes nuclear power more viable
* Waste reprocessing can produce even more energy from “spent” fuel rods

#### **Cons**

* Waste reprocessing can be toxic
* Breeder reactors can sometimes produce weapons-grade material
* There has been no site chosen yet to dispose of nuclear waste permanently

#### **Outlook**

This problem is usually cited as a reason that nuclear power is unviable or undesirable. It is worth noting, however, that we currently store the waste above ground at the power plants (the worst possible solution), and there have been no incidents so far. While nuclear waste cannot be written off, it is important to be objective about what danger it actually poses.

#### Further Resources

* Fuel Reprocessing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA5sxV5b5b4
* Nuclear Waste Disposal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96et8ZGsxJY&t=891s
* Current Disposal Methods: https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/nuclear-fuel-cycle/nuclear-waste/storage-and-disposal-of-radioactive-waste.aspx
Zhuralisha Kovicheshna

**Zhuralisha Kovicheshna**, often called by her nickname "Zhu-Li," is a Loxodon Sorcerer (Wild Magic) and Player Character. Deriving her magical powers from Arasaka's unethical Etherium experimentation on her during her time as a captive, Zhu-Li fills the role of an aggressive spellcaster that assists the party with raw, hefty damage rather than by casting useful buffs or protective wards.

## General Characteristics

Zhu-Li stands out in Aurelia, already noticeable for being a Loxodon, a race not native to the continent. This is only redoubled by her missing left arm, a conspicuous metal contraption fused to the stump in its stead, as well as plenty of other scars on her body and a partially repaired tusk that was clearly broken in the past. She speaks Common in a distinctive accent with imperfect grammar, as she learned it rather late in life -- her nomadic past in a Loxodon parade did not require her to learn Common as a child.

Zhu-Li is naturally quiet, electing to remain silent in many situations. However, this does not mean she is soft-spoken, and will say things in a rather direct and brazen manner if she decides to speak at all. Whether this is due to her personality or her broken Common is unclear.

Though XX years old, Zhu-Li is still young and immature by Loxodon standards. Her years in captivity have radically changed her perspective and left an indelible mark on her psyche.

## Background

### Life in Valtora

Zhu-Li was born into a mid-sized parade of Loxodons in the Sea of Sand, where she was raised on all of the common Loxodon traditions.

## As an Adventurer

### To the Rescue

Zhu-Li made a rather dramatic entrance to the party when she accompanied Pensive Paw on a mission to rescue them from a band of Lizardfolk that had captured them in the jungle after their hasty escape from the Time Eater. Riding atop Pensive Paw wildshaped as a Triceratops, Zhu-Li crashed through into the clearing, interrupting a pretense of divine intervention that Wan-Ti and Kysona had set up to attempt their own rescue mission. Demonstrating her newly mastered magical prowess and storm-oriented spells, she and Pensive Paw successfully subdued the Lizardfolk, saving the party, including the Child of Bombyx Mori and newly recruited Verinen. Following this, she accompanied the party back to the Elder Tree to patch themselves up and plan for what to do next.

### Elder Tree Down

Zhu-Li was therefore also present during the siege on the Elder Tree by Arasaka that occurred shortly thereafter.
Interstellar Travel

Interstellar travel is the process of traveling to distant stars. This will likely not be accomplished for centuries, and will always be extremely expensive in terms of energy.

## Interstellar Travel

#### **Background**

While travel to other planets is within the bounds of current and near-future technology, travel to other star systems is another thing entirely. Even the nearest stars are thousands of times farther away than the farthest planets. To reach them in any reasonable amount of time, a spacecraft will need to travel thousands of times faster than our fastest ships--and even then, reaching the nearest stars will take years or decades. Reaching the other end of the galaxy would take hundreds of thousands of years.

This is a very broad topic that can range from the propulsion for such ships to the social and psychological issues with maintaining a community onboard an interstellar starship. The only propulsion technologies we know of that could work would be beam propulsion, fusion, and antimatter. Of these, beam propulsion is probably the most useful and also the most achievable. FTL drives (faster than light) have been proposed in science fiction, and some research has been done, but it is unlikely that FTL is possible. Even if it is, the amount of energy such a drive would require is probably cost-prohibitive in almost all cases.

#### **Pros**

* Humanity could establish homes around other stars
* Resources of other star systems could become available if we exhaust our own

#### **Cons**

* Extremely energy intensive no matter what
* Extremely long travel times
* Very expensive
* Most of what we can find in other star systems can also be found in the Solar System

#### **Outlook**

It’s quite likely that someone will eventually create an interstellar starship once the technology becomes available. How many people will actually take the long, arduous journey to even the nearest stars is impossible to say, however.

#### **Further Resources**

* Interstellar Travel Challenges: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6BQSgidbmc
* Interstellar Civilization: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LQU69sYd3s
Fuel Cell Vehicles

A fuel cell is a device that takes hydrogen and oxygen and “burns” them to produce water and energy. This is done without fire or any harmful exhaust. Fuel cell vehicles are powered by hydrogen or a hydrogen carrier such as ammonia.

This document is about fuel cell ground vehicles (aircraft are explored in their own section). These vehicles are dependent on a distribution of hydrogen or other sustainable fuel, which is the main thing holding them back from further use. It may be that batteries are better suited to power cars. However, larger vehicles like trucks, buses, and trains may require fuel cells to operate sustainably.

## Fuel Cell Vehicles

#### **Pros**

* No emissions
* Sustainable; fuel will never run out like fossil fuels
* Fuel may one day be made cheaply
* Only sustainable way to power a large, heavy vehicle

#### **Cons**

* Hydrogen and ammonia can be dangerous fuels
* The infrastructure is not in place
* Fuel cell cars may always be inferior to electric cars
* More expensive than either fossil fuels or battery-electric

#### **Outlook**

Fuel Cell Vehicles will likely play a major role in the future of trains and trucks especially. What remains is to build a hydrogen economy to fuel and maintain these vehicles.

#### **Further Resources**

* Video on Fuel Cells: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4pXAmljdUA
* Video on Fuel Cell Cars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU-LDZ0HTGc
* How Hydrogen Cars Work: https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/hybrid-electric/a22688627/hydrogen-fuel-cell-cars/
Nuclear Rocket Engines

While chemical rockets are powerful, they have limitations. Nuclear reactions are much more powerful than chemical reactions, allowing for the possibility of much more powerful engines. This includes fission and fusion designs.

## Nuclear Rocket Engines

#### **Background**

Fission nuclear rocket designs include nuclear thermal engines (the only kind that have actually been tested), fission fragment engines, and nuclear salt water reactors. Nuclear engines that directly expel radioactive exhaust are much more powerful, but this makes them too dangerous to use near populated areas. Fortunately, space is full of completely unpopulated areas.

Fusion engines are farther off, but would be even more powerful than fission engines. The difficulty with all nuclear engines, as with nuclear power in general, is containing the reaction. This requires heavy shielding and equipment that can seriously hurt their performance in a spacecraft, though they still outperform chemical rockets by wide margins.

#### **Pros**

* More efficient rocket engines; less fuel needed
* Faster travel to many locations in the Solar System
* Heavier payloads can be brought to distant worlds

#### **Cons**

* Difficult to design and maintain
* Nuclear engines cannot be used near Earth or to launch from Earth

#### **Outlook**

Ultimately nuclear engines are quite likely to exist in the future, and fusion engines, while a ways off, may even enable interstellar travel. There are difficulties with radiation and exhaust, but these are mostly not a concern in deep space.

#### **Further Resources**

* Nuclear Rockets: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSNxaWkuoRo
* Nuclear Salt Water Rockets: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvZjhWE-3zM
* Nuclear Thermal Propulsion: https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/nuclear-propulsion-could-help-get-humans-to-mars-faster/
* Fission Rocket Designs: http://www.projectrho.com/public\_html/rocket/enginelist2.php
* Fusion Rocket Designs: http://www.projectrho.com/public\_html/rocket/realdesignsfusion.php