On The Road To A Dyson Sphere?

The Pentagon's National Security Space Office suggested in a recent report that collecting solar energy in space and then beaming it back to Earth could be an effective solution to our foreign energy dependence (To learn more read this article, and read the report here). While the report was focused more on security issues and military applications, I think this suggests an important step for humanity. If science fiction writers and futurologists are worth anything, this could be our first move towards a Dyson Sphere. A Dyson Sphere is basically a megastructure that surrounds a star, capturing all of its energy output. Its creator, Freeman Dyson, believed that these spheres would be a natural long-term step in the survival of a technologically advanced species. And, while this sort of technology is clearly a long way off, I think it is significant that we are seriously beginning to consider going into space to collect energy.

I guess before we even consider building a Dyson Sphere, we ought to get that Space Elevator up and running. And, that should be easy, right?

UPDATE: I've been meaning to post something about MIT's recent "wireless electricity" news, and just haven't gotten around to it. This seems like an appropriate a place as any to drop something in. Of course, for it to work with a Dyson Sphere, the "WiTricity" would have to be able to transmit through the vacuum of space, which I'm sure presents its own difficulties. But, it's either that, a super-long extension cord, or giant batteries.

How to Sleep 4 Hours per Night

I have always wished that I could be one of those people who could subsist on just a few hours of sleep per night, and seem to be unaffected. That is why I was so intrigued by this article from Discover, which states:

The technique, transcranial magnetic stimulation, involves an electromagnetic coil that emits pulses of skull-penetrating, neuron-activating magnetic energy....previous studies have indicated that TMS applied at certain frequencies during sleep can improve memory. Even more intriguing, says Tononi, “there is the possibility that if you have particularly intense slow waves” like the ones the machine induces, “you may be able to do with less sleep.

However, the article also states that this technology is a long way off. So, I guess I'll just have to keep on sleeping the old fashioned way.