Guest: Dr. Rachel Armstrong. Topics: Living architecture design for interstellar habitable starships. Please direct all comments and questions regarding Space Show programs/guest(s) to the Space Show blog, http://thespaceshow.wordpress.com. Comments and questions should be relevant to the specific Space Show program. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are a violation of our copyright and are not permitted without prior written consent, even if for your own use. We do not permit the commercial use of Space Show programs or any part thereof, nor do we permit editing, YouTube clips, or clips placed on other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted, but the quote must be cited or referenced using the proper citation format. Contact The Space Show for further information. In addition, please remember that your Amazon purchases can help support The Space Show/OGLF. See www.onegiantleapfoundation.org/amazon.htm. For those listening to archives using live365.com and rating the programs, please email me as to why you assign a specific rating to the show. This will help me bring better programming to the audience. We welcomed Dr. Rachel Armstrong to the program to discuss the Icarus Interstellar Project Persephone-Living Architectures. During the first segment of our 1 hour 37 minute discussion, Dr. Armstrong provided us with a bit of her personal history and background leading up to her interest in space and living architectures. As you will hear, her medical experience and perspectives were critical to her connecting the body in a relationship with technology. As our guest began introducing us to Project Persephone, Dr. Armstrong talked about the need to move from an industrial type society and economy to an ecological based system which she fully described throughout both segments of our discussion. She talked about new ways of understanding and working with matter and microbes leading to new world views, new types of structures, and to space habitats that will evolve based on the needs of the crew. During our discussion, Dr. Armstrong mentioned many of the leaders in applicable and related fields, their projects, and their papers so I suggest you have pen & paper handy to jot them down for your own research benefits. Dr. Armstrong, in talking about living architectures, made the point many times over that we should start thinking in broader ways about the materials we use. Don't miss her explanation & discussion of this & other important concepts. I also suggest you read "Designing a Sustainable Interstellar Worldship" written by our guest (http://news.discovery.com/space/private-spaceflight/project-persephone-…). We talked about today's closed and open loop life support systems and how the future will be built upon the shoulders of today's engineers and designers. Dr. Armstrong introduced us to non-human matter in this segment, but we continued talking about it in our last segment as well. Complexity was discussed, then listener Jack asked by email for our guest to describe the future starship with an evolvable environment. In our second segment, B John asked if we should skip HSF to the Moon and Mars as distractions, instead focusing on habitable orbiting space stations and growing them into world ships. Don't miss her answer. Rachel talked at length in both segments about the manifesto and its purpose and place in ecological starship design. Our guest also pointed out potential conflicts with solar system exploration and the Outer Space Treaty. Heather asked Rachel if she would produce a reading and reference list given all the citations and references she offered us in our discussion. While that might be forthcoming, do visit Rachel's related website, www.blackskythinking.org. B John sent in a follow up email asking just how biologically independent humans are from the Earth and its unmanageable ecology. Don't miss Rachel's reply. Another listener asked about the concepts being discussed today appearing in sci fi literature and film. Rachel talked some more about sim biosphere which will be a new upcoming project. As we were ending, starship cities were discussed as was the Philips Microbial Home (www.design.philips.com/about/design/designportfolio/design_futures/micr…). Among the many people referenced by our guest was architect Philip Beesley and his work (www.philipbeesleyarchitect.com). Post your comments/questions on TSS blog above. You can reach Dr. Armstrong through me or her university & Black Sky websites.
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