Reversible Metabolic Hibernation, a Gift of Immortality

Sci-fi geeks like me dream of technology that will allow astronauts to travel long distances and terra-forming scientists to sleep while a new planet’s evolution works its magic. But why wait for futuristic cryo tubes? Science research has caught up with our dreams!

Watch the 2010 TED talk by Mark Roth. He’s found a way to put mammals into a state of suspended animation, keep them cold, and then reanimate them.



Mark Roth and his team are very close to finding a practical way to make this happen for humans now, maybe this year, certainly in this decade. He calls it “reversible metabolic hibernation” and he wants EMT crews to put people who are experiencing life-threatening medical trauma into suspended animation, until they can be given the life-saving care they need. Then the individual will be reanimated, receiving a gift of immortality.

For more history on the practice of human hibernation, intentional and accidental, see my longer article on GeekMom.com.

Scary Mother-Daughter Sex Talk Made Easy: Try a Matinee of The Vagina Monologues

Picture this: A beautiful, 16-year-old girl, a bright A-student, a good kid, my daughter. Her main extra-curricular activities are the marching and jazz bands, and now she’s been dating her first love, another band geek, for almost one year. He’s adorable, funny, and a true gentleman. What a relief that my girl is sweet on a boy I truly like, and I'm happy for her that she has someone who lets her know how special she is.

Here’s the problem: I’m afraid that it’s time for the big sex talk. Statistically, it may be past time.

It's not that we've never covered the mechanics of sex and procreation. Those talks have been ongoing. But this is definitely different and scary. This isn't just the theoretical facts. Now there are feelings involved.

My sex professor friend, Dr. Debby Herbenick, sexual health educator at Indiana University and the Kinsey Institute, suggested I take my daughter to a movie that features a sexual relationship, and use talking about the fictional story as a way to open the conversation.

A movie, of course! After all, we'd seen Juno together. (And I highly recommend this film about a smart teen who navigates her unexpected pregnancy.) But, when I checked the listings I found that late winter is the season of thrillers and super-hero movies.

Then, I found something better. Saturday I took my girl out to a matinee performance of The Vagina Monologues. It has everything. In the interactive portion of the show, we named body parts until the word vagina is no longer embarrassing to say. We heard a story about a woman, so ashamed of her sexual desire and physical response, that she's spent a lifetime shut off from "down there." We celebrated pleasure with a comic rendition of orgasmic moans. We cried for rape victims. We laughed at a woman railing about the indignity of a cold speculum. My daughter and I shared every emotion, along with a loving community of women and men.

And afterward, when I thought the time was ripe for our big talk, I simply told her if she was ever scared or confused or hurt that she could talk to me. (Note to self: Do NOT freak out, when and if she tells me something uncomfortable.)

Really? That's it? The Big Sex Talk? It turns out, there really wasn't much else to say. It turns out, the biggest part of my Big Sex Talk was how much I needed to lower my fear and open my heart.

I realized my daughter already understands everything I could tell her now. We've been having the conversation for years. Every time we've seen a television program, a movie, or a play together. Every book we've read and discussed. Every side comment and giggle. Every roll of the eye. Sex for procreation and sex for pleasure have always been part of the discourse between us. How could it not be?

And I also realize that I trust my daughter to know when she's ready to "cash in her V-card." Of course I don't want her to grow up too fast. There will always be a part of me that remembers when she was born. She's my baby girl. But she's also growing into a gorgeous young woman. And her sexual life is her own. The most important thing, the big thing I want her know is that I trust her to make her own choices.

For more information and resources, see my longer article about having the Big Sex Talk at GeekMom.com.

The Art of Hibernation

What this sci-fi geek loves most about hibernation is there is considerable research being done with the intention of applying similar metabolic changes to humans to help them cope with space travel! Because there are physiological and psychological advantages to snoozing through multi-year-long trips, induced hibernation may be just the thing for future astronauts.

As long as I’m writing a novel that includes one person waking from a long cryogenic sleep, I claim--by right of authorial research--the right to liberally practice the fine art of hibernation.

To read more of my musings on this topic, including a note on how to sleep your way to the top, courtesy of Arianna Huffington at TEDwomen, go to GeekMoms.

(Photo of astronaut Sullivan, courtesy of NASA.)

Wonder Woman Returns to Television

As beautiful as she is strong, Wonder Woman is also known for her extraordinary mental powers, including wisdom, profound scientific insight, and fluency in all languages, including Martian. (Who knew? A little quick research revealed she’s also been known to speak caveman.) Wonder Woman is victorious, not through her super strength, but through her wisdom and love. The lyrics from the 1976 TV series intro capture her spirit perfectly. ” . . . Make a hawk a dove. Stop a war with love. Make a liar tell the truth.”

And now David E. Kelley is slated to bring Wonder Woman back to television.

Read a more complete article about the new incarnation of Wonder Woman and some of her rich history at GeekMoms.

Rewrite in Progress

On January 1 of this year I made it to "the end" of a draft in first person of my MG novel, Green Tara. w00t!

Now, I'm going through the manuscript chapter by chapter, revising for clarity and revealing more of how the character feels. (I'm especially conscious of adding the emotional connection to the M.C. per the advice of my writing group. Slavedrivers:-)

Simultaneously, I'm going through the manuscript page by page, grooming every sentence and every phrase. And I'm experimenting with twitter by tweeting daily about the story. Yes, indeed. I'm story tweeting now.:-)

If you're interested follow my story tweets @thestorygoddess.

Story App: An Emerging Art Form That's Good News for Readers

Look! On that iPad over there. It’s a book. It’s a game. It’s a story app.

You may ask, what exactly do I mean by story app? Let me set some context and give you an excellent example.

Most kids' books that have been converted to the iPad format feel very much like animated movies for the mobile screen. They can add gorgeous visuals and beautiful soundtracks to a story. Kids love them, and rightly so.

Now we're starting to see original stories created specifically for the new platform. A Present For Milo is an example of a story that takes full advantage of the iPad’s interactive playground, perfectly blending story, animation, sound, and game-like exploration. For look and feel, imagine a mash-up of a Sandra Boynton board book and the television program, Blues Clues. Clearly, Milo style stands in the company of winners.

The best thing about Milo is the story is infused with sheer joy. Thank you, author Mike Austin.

Story apps are on the rise. The good news for readers: A Present for Milo has set the gold standard for all current and future writers and developers.

For a complete review see my Story App Review: A Present for Milo on GeekMoms.

A Present for Milo. Written and illustrated by Mike Austin, produced by Sequel Digital, and published by Ruckus Mobile Media Group. $2.99

(A copy of this product was provided for review purposes.)