What with this being a science fiction website, and what with the embarrassingly poor science education afforded people in our country, it's easy to overlook the fact that a few starships have *actually* been designed. Nothing's built, obviously - NASA can't even be bothered to put people in space anymore, so good luck with that whole "Alpha Centauri" thing - but there have been several concepts developed to a greater or lesser extent.

When I saw Phil Dick for the last time, he was beside himself with glee, having recently received a fat check from his agent for film options on a long shopping list of novels and short stories, in every case for a figure in excess of what he had gotten for their original publications. In addition, the first in the series of optioned stories, Blade Runner, was nearing completion and Phil had seen the rushes and heartily approved of how it had turned out.

Asteroid mining is one of those things that comes into and goes out of fashion regularly and quickly. Here's a little blurb from Wired about its economic viability, and it plays in with my ongoing rant about how Space should be a commercial concern first, and a scientific one second. Worth a look-see if you've never thought about this, then come back here and we'll chat.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/04/planetary-resources-asteroid-m...