Keith Watanabe * NET 2.0

Been writing a novel now. It's up at 107 pages or so. Cyberpunk/Sci-fi, no working title yet. Don't really want to put a genre on it either since a lot of what I write is realistic; the sci-fi portions are more of a function of guestimated enhancements to basic theories or practices we have now. Been doing a lot of research on biotech, nanotech and space exploration. It's really rewarding getting a chance to read upcoming topics for those branches. Some of my keen interest include the usage of nanotechnology for the environment, space propulsion, and medical applications. Also, I do a lot of news reading. Always have, but I keep my eye out on major developments. China is a key player for me, not so much as someone I directly encounter in my writing, but as a background player. I expect major development in China in 3-5 years, especially with their recent announcements for space exploration. The US seems to not using its potential for this field, instead opting to spend its reserves in military. I can't say how China is spending their money, but their increasing interest in space might prove to be something that jumpstarts competition for colonization outside of Earth. I'm sure India won't be far behind either. The rest of the world (namely the US and EU) will be concerned with Mars. Titan just made a huge impact by the unveiling of its premordial surface. However, the distance and temperature makes this world at this moment, only a speculative object. Same with Europa. However, examine the number of probes being sent to Mars. One this year with its arrival in 2006. One launched in 2007 and more conceivably being sent per year as discoveries and science improve on the planet. Still we are so far behind in what could be the period of space exploration because there are only a limited amount of worlds we can realistically get to at the moment. Venus has no reality for us. The outer planets are scientific wonders but serve no pragmatic cause. Only the moon and Mars are realistic options. I'm really surprised at the lack of involvement in having more lunar missions. It's an obvious candidate for exploration and colonization with its proximity to Earth. I make the guestimate that India and/or China will be the ones demarcating their territories on the moon. People seem more interested in Mars at the moment. It seems the tenuous atmosphere acts as a stimulant for scientists since they insist that there's water locked up somewhere. Problem is that atmosphere or not, you still have a distance problem. Scientists....