Homely Scientist

You know what yesterday’s post about the kid who made a fusion rector in his basement reminded me of?  Star Trek: First Contact.  Wait, stop shaking your head and hear me out.  Okay the premise of the movie is simple.  Picard, et al must travel back in time to keep the Borg from stopping the first warp drive test (and thus preventing first contact and what would become Starfleet).  Fine, so what’s this have to do with a 17 year old making a fusion reactor in his basement with parts from eBay?

Don’t get it yet?

Think about it.  One person with a crazy idea in his/her basement tinkering until it works (or explodes).  See, that is what gives me hope when thinking about the destruction we’ve wrought upon ourselves.  People, ordinary people, get ideas.  Then they tinker.  They scrounge for parts.  Then they make something amazing.

So, who’s got a prototype warp drive cooking in their basement?

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