Astrobiological Potential on Titan

Posted on September 15, 2020September 15, 2020 by Dave Jordan

Presentation given in November 2017 for UGA’s Astronomy Journal (ASTR 8210) class for Physics and Astronomy Graduate Students and Faculty. The goal of this class and student presentations are to review and summarize current Astronomy research publications and then present for peer and faculty review. This presentation focuses on 2 Astrobiology research papers investigating the potential feasibility of life to form in liquid Methane based environments such that exists on Saturn’s moon Titan. Those papers are as follows:

Membrane alternatives in worlds without oxygen: Creation of an azotosome
Stevenson et al. Sci. Adv. 2015;1:e1400067 27 February 2015

ALMA detection and astrobiological potential of vinyl cyanide on Titan
Palmer et al., Sci. Adv. 2017;3: e1700022 28 July 2017

The presentation is broken up into 3 parts due to the large file sizes of the first 2 parts with videos. Download in order, run in presentation mode, and then click at your own pace.

Part 1
Part 1 provides an overview of the Cassini mission and the scientific instruments on the main Cassini probe as well as the Huygen probe which landed on Titan in 2005. Besides summary text, this consist of several videos and animated GIFs from NASA, etc. highlighting the Cassini mission and key discoveries.
Astrobiological Potential on Titan-Part 1

Part 2
Due to the unique subject of Astrobiology to Astronomy students, the presenter provides an overview of chemical and biological evolution on Earth in Part 2. This mostly consists of an “Origin of Life on Earth” video created by editing parts of various documentaries and adding sub-titles for narration.
Astrobiological Potential on Titan-Part 2

Part 3
This section contains the summary of the 2 research papers with most of the information relevant to the topic. It also provides background information on ALMA, as well as a summary of the importance of the findings and suggestions for follow up research.
Astrobiological Potential on Titan-Part 3

The Heroes of Paradise

Posted on December 7, 2018December 7, 2018 by Dave Jordan

Some of the heroes in reducing loss of life from California’s deadliest wildfire may not be who you think they are.

As I landed in Sacramento, I could already smell the smoke and immediately got a headache as a result. I quickly put on a mask and joined my colleagues in baggage claim. However, the smell still lingered as did the realization of what awaits us in Chico. No one really said much, but we could tell that we were all asking ourselves the same question; “what did we get ourselves into this time?”

Camp Fire - Satellite Image (Courtesy of GTU)

We were still over 80 miles from where the most devastating wildfire in California history destroyed almost 20,000 structures, displaced over 56,000 residents and took the lives of at least 85 people a week earlier. We were there as Red Cross volunteers to help the thousands of victims who lost everything. And I mean everything!. Most of those who made it out alive only had a matter of minutes to maybe grab their purse or wallet, and hopefully their pets, and literally drive or run for their lives. We see this type of split-second, life-or-death drama unfold on TV all the time, but this was as real as real can get.

As we headed to the Red Cross staff shelter at a local church, we all knew what it meant to be a Red Cross Disaster Services volunteer on deployment to another disaster. It meant sleeping on hard cots with dozens of other snoring volunteers. Scrambling to find an open toilet, sink or shower when needed. Eating what ever was available from the Salvation Army or other partners tasked with feeding staff and clients. We knew it would be another two weeks before we could go back to all the comforts of home, but a least we had a home to go back to. Our job for the next couple of weeks was to try and help the numerous victims from Paradise, Concow and the other impacted areas in Butte county begin their long journey on the road to recovery. Unfortunately, when you were living in paradise (hence the name), and have lost virtually everything, there will never be a full recovery.

As we drove north toward Chico, CA the next morning, the smoke was still thick. Even though there were clear skies above the smoke, you could look directly at the sun without even squinting. It just looked like an orange basketball floating in the sky. With all the reports of toxic smoke, a norovirus outbreak and the fire still only 35% contained, my family was concerned about my safety. I assured them there was nothing life-threatening where I was going in Chico and I could recover from smoke, viruses or other hazards after a short time. Given this, along with all the praise I received from locals when they saw my Red Cross vest, I was feeling fairly proud of the sacrifices I was about to make. However, I soon realized the inconveniences I’m enduring for a couple of weeks was trivial compared to the risks and sacrifices of the people I met next. That’s when I met the unsung heroes of Paradise!

One of the first heroes I met was Bill. He is 69, living on minimum social security in a mobile home in Paradise. When he was told he had minutes to evacuate and saw the fire rapidly approaching, his first thought was; “what about Kathryn?”. She was his 90 year old neighbor that would have difficulty moving quickly. When he found Kathryn, she was still trying to get her cats into the carrier. The cats could sense the impending danger and would not come out of hiding. Bill convinced her they would find their way to safety when needed and then helped her get out in the nick of time. If she continued trying to save the cats, she would not have made it herself.

Another hero was Tony. Even though he lost most of his belongings (e.g., cars, tools, sound equipment) on his property, he stayed to help his neighbors save what they could. The fire wasn’t as ravenous in their neighborhood, so shovels and hoses could actually help. He then went to areas less fortunate than his to see if he could help others. That’s where he found his god-mother. Her home was gone and you could see where the fire burned her car in the driveway. When he looked in the car, there she was. Still alive, but in shock. He was able to get her to the hospital in time.

Don told me how he had to abandon his car and escape on foot as burning timbers were falling on him during the last couple of miles. The reason he didn’t get out sooner was because he stayed longer than he should to ensure his neighbors knew they had to leave ASAP. His bravery nearly cost him his life. I listened closely while Desmond describe why he felt concern and compassion to also notify his neighbors before escaping with minutes to spare. Seeing others passed them by, Tamatha told me why she felt compelled to pick up people who were trying to walk down Skyway Rd as flames engulfed both sides of the road. I heard both heroic and horrific stories from dozens of victims of this tragedy that I will never forget.

What I found just as amazing as the heart-wrenching stories I heard every day, was the hope, strength and fellowship these victims provided one another even after that hellish day. People in Red Cross shelters are there because they have no other choice. It’s usually 100-200 people in one large room living on hard cots with just the clothes they were wearing when they fled. Even though there were a lot of different groups donating food, clothes and other items, the one thing no one could provide quickly was a place for them to live. Many were 60+ and barely getting by with minimum social security so they had no insurance. FEMA and other programs can help, but it takes weeks and it will never replace everything they lost and they know it. However, most were eager to help others in the same situation with kindness and encouragement when needed. Again, these are the unsung heroes of Paradise, both during and after that tragic day.

When we see news stories about these types of disasters they typically focus on how the first responders risked their lives to save the victims. I agree that the bravery of Butte County Sheriff deputies, Cal Fire firefighters and many others should be highly commended for going head-on into that inferno to notify residents and rescue those who needed help. However, we don’t usually hear about the little acts of bravery and kindness that also saved lives and continues to bring hope to those that need it. Being so moved by all these first-hand experiences and split-second decisions that made such a positive impact, I felt compelled to make some of their stories heard.

Can Better GPS Make Autonomous Vehicles Safer?

Posted on August 26, 2018August 26, 2018 by Dave Jordan

Why Autonomous Vehicles?

Anyone who has been following the evolution of the automotive industry and it’s progress toward autonomous vehicles (AV) understands the importance of accurate and reliable sensors such as LiDAR, RADAR, cameras, etc. We also realize the importance of machine learning, deep learning and other techniques of artificial intelligence (AI) needed to translate data from these sensors into the appropriate actions required by the vehicle’s control system. More importantly, we have seen tremendous progress made in all of these areas over the past few years by various automotive OEM’s, their partners and other niche players in this growing ecosystem. Given this progress, there is now light at the end of tunnel in reducing the millions of deaths and disabilities occurring each year resulting from human error in operating vehicles.

Annual Global Road Deaths & Disabilities

Current Challenges

However, we have also seen where these very sophisticated technologies, using extremely complex sensors and software algorithms, are still far from perfect. In certain situations, configurations or even as a result of human oversight, these intricate systems can perform inferior to humans and result in death. The Uber tragedy in Phoenix is an example of this rare, but possible, occurrence. I say rare because we see a lot more success than failure in this endeavor, however, it seems like everyone is doing trials in Phoenix and in areas where conditions are always perfect. What will happen as these trials and deployments expand northward during the winter or where other environmental conditions are far from ideal? This problem is not only what everyone working on sensor, AI and AV technology are trying to solve, it is also the problem that will limit and delay the broad deployment of this life saving technology. Can more be done to solve these problems than just better sensors and AI algorithms?

Uber Accident in Arizona

Key Components

For an autonomous vehicle to get from point A to point B, while keeping passengers and everyone else along the journey safe, it requires many different forms of technologies and data. I already pointed out the need for accurate and reliable sensors, such as solid-state LiDAR from companies like Quanergy. I also eluded to the need for sophisticated AI to not only interpret the data (e.g., point cloud) from the sensors, but also to take the correct action based on all the split-second data being ingested from every aspect of the vehicle control system. The most notable input data comes from GPS navigation systems and high-definition maps, such as those from Telenav, required to accurately guide the vehicle to its destination. Besides better sensors and AI algorithms mentioned before, can better vehicle position information help make these AVs even safer?

Autonomous Vehicle Sensors

Can Better GPS Help?

The Global Positioning System (GPS) used in most vehicles, smartphones, etc., today refers to the US system developed in the 1970’s by several notable scientists and engineers from the USAF, including one of Telenav’s co-founders, Dr. Bob Rennard. There has been many enhancements to this system in the past 30 years and many other Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), such as GLONASS, Galileo and Beidou have been deployed by other countries. However, the original GPS still has many limitation when it comes to accuracy (i.e., 2-20 meters depending on conditions) and reliability (e.g., multi-path error, obstructions) so there remains significant room for improvements. In fact, to deal with the current inaccuracies, AV engineers have had to rely more on sensor data and even more complex AI algorithms to compensate for these short-comings. Unfortunately, more complexity leads to more things that can go wrong even with the best machine learning training data and significant training time. As most scientists, engineers and even business people will tell you simplicity is best. When you can distill complexity into much simpler form, you will usually be more successful in your effort and why this is one of Proxcent's core values.

GNSS Orbits

Related: Will I Arrive Alive?

RTK and Other GNSS Techniques Can Make AVs Safer!

Given this, is seems evident that better vehicle position data can help make AV control systems simpler and thus safer. With ongoing upgrades to the new L5 GPS signal with better coding and signal strength, and technologies like Real-Time Kinematics (RTK) using multiple signals from companies like Swift Navigation, the accuracy can be reduced to under 1 foot. These systems can also use multi-frequency (i.e., L1, L2 & L5 signals) and multi-constellation (e.g., GPS, GLONASS, Galileo) techniques to further improve accuracy and reliability. Most importantly, these new approaches to more accurate and reliable positioning data will allow AV engineers to focus using sensors and associated AI to decipher the objects and hazards around the vehicles. They will no longer have to develop significant amounts of specialized code trying to figure out where the vehicle is really located. Therefore, as we improve the quality of the GNSS data being ingested by the AV system, we can reduce the complexity of the software controlling the vehicle. As a result, AV technologist should be able to make this life-saving technology even safer and widely available sooner. I only wonder what else is just around the corner to better enable the future of transportation.

Swift Navigation AV System

Can Too Much Innovation Actually Hurt Your Business?

Posted on April 16, 2018June 18, 2018 by Dave Jordan

Startup Innovation

We all know that innovation is the lifeblood of most startups. The ingenuity of uncovering and meeting unmet needs in the marketplace is crucial in creating a MVP (minimum viable product) that has any chance of getting market acceptance. However, the challenge comes when startup founders depend too much on innovation to further grow the business and neglect many of the basic business practices that will help them scale their new company. Many times the founders have an in-depth technical background which inspired their innovative concept. They are also smart enough to quickly learn the business processes required to take it to market and get funding. Due to this initial success, they sometimes feel the only way to continue business growth is to constantly innovate.

5 Stages of a Startup - Concept thru Exit

See The Nature of Business for more details.

Don’t get me wrong. All businesses need to innovate to stay competitive, but sometimes they can focus so much on it, they lose sight of the other important aspects of the business. This is an easy trap to fall into since innovation is interesting, exciting and easy to evangelize, especially for those of us with technical backgrounds. To the contrary, basic business practices like strategic marketing and efficient business processes are sometimes boring and tedious. Most of us would much rather spend time on the interesting tasks such as trying new ideas to see what works and leave the dull, painful things to others.

Growth Challenges

This disproportionate focus on innovation usually becomes a problem in the Scaling stage of a startup, especially if they need to quickly pivot with a new product or business model. They need to be agile, but they also need to be effective and efficient if they hope to ever get to the Exit stage. Even after a startup exits via an IPO, or just gets large and profitable enough that it is no longer considered a startup, they sometimes think; “what got me here will also take me to the next level in my business evolution”.

Business Evolution - From Startup to Global Enterprise

However, even highly profitable businesses with significant cash reserves can see that success quickly dwindle if they don’t take care of the rest of the business. So what can you do to ensure your business will evolve and grow at healthy pace while still remaining profitable? As with most things in life, it’s important to maintain a good balance in your business also.

Balancing Business Elements

If you break a business down into the fundamental elements of Capabilities, Processes and Market (see The Nature of Business) you can see it requires a combination of capabilities (e.g., innovation, products, people, etc.) and processes (e.g., engineering, go-to-market, etc.) to satisfy customer needs and address other market conditions and opportunities.

3 of 4 Fundamental Elements of Business

See Achieving Business Success for more information on all 4 Fundamental Elements and how they power your business.

More importantly, the need to carefully balance your efforts in growing and strengthening these two elements also becomes evident. In fact, the bigger a company gets, this balance between the strength of capabilities and maturity or effectiveness of processes becomes even more critical in meeting all of your customer’s needs. Let’s look at why this balance is so important using a basic science analogy.

You can think of balancing the strength of capabilities with the maturity of processes to be a delicate balance of forces. This would be similar to balance of gravitational forces with centrifugal forces that keeps all the planets consistently and predictably orbiting the sun.

Balance of Forces in Nature - Planets orbiting the Sun

Where process maturity could be represented by the size of central body like our sun. Similarly, the strength of capabilities could represented by the size of the planets orbiting the sun in stable elliptical orbits. If the balance is correct, then there will be enough stability in the system to address the market conditions and needs of your customers. In summary, balancing the right strength of capabilities with the right maturity of business processes will ensure your portfolio of products, services and technologies will address existing market conditions.

The proper balance will allow Capabilities to meet Market conditions

“Because the purpose of business is to create a customer, the business enterprise has two--and only two--basic functions: marketing and innovation.” – Peter Drucker (Business Author)

If you only focus only on building strong capabilities by hiring innovative and inspired people that can design and build state-of-the-art products and services, but neglect your go-to-market or quality assurance processes, you can miss the needs of your customers altogether. Specifically, you can have the most cutting edge technology in the market, but if your go-to-market processes are not getting the word out to the right audience, then that game-changing product or technology still cannot bring value to your business. You can have more features at lower cost than your competitors, but if you cannot maintain quality or production schedules, then your existing customers will go somewhere else.

Neglecting Processes can cause a business to miss Market opportunities

Consequently, an imbalance can result in lost sales opportunities, poor quality, missed deadlines, dissatisfied customers, cost overruns, low employee morale and you will spend most of your time fighting fires from all of the above. In essence, the business can become unstable where you may be orbiting and operating outside the market. In summary, focusing too much on capabilities, especially innovation, while neglecting the maturity of business processes, can cause your business to miss market opportunities and the needs of your current customers.

"Marketing is too important to be left to the marketing people." - David Packard (Hewlett-Packard)

Conversely, trying to micro-manage all your processes with the primary focus being on quality and cost control, while not growing and strengthening your capabilities, can also be a problem. This can slow things down to where you are not keeping up with the needs of the market and remaining competitive.

Neglecting Capabilities can also cause a business to miss Market opportunities

This disparity will have very similar results where the business spirals inward and grinds to a halt. Similarly, it can also cause missed opportunities, dissatisfied customers, employee frustration and so on. In summary, focusing too much on managing and maturing processes and neglecting capabilities, especially innovation, can also cause your portfolio to miss the needs of the current market conditions.

The key to solving this dilemma is to pay very close attention to both your capabilities and your processes and ensure you are always striking the right balance as you grow the business.

Don’t Go It Alone

This may make sense in theory, but what can you actually do to effectively manage this as your business evolves? First, you just need to be aware of this potential pitfall of business evolution. Second, if your team is weak in one of these areas, then get help where you need it the most. If you are a startup, then having an experienced advisory team should help keep you on track. If you are post-exit and find yourself struggling to stay profitable or remain competitive, then find a business expert in the area that you need the most help with. Don’t make the mistake some founders/CEO’s make by thinking it is up to them to do it all. Some think; “this company is my baby that I birthed and nurtured with sweat equity and I can continue to figure it all out”.

Always keep balance in your business and life!

As you go from creating a startup MVP to developing a large portfolio of products, services and technologies, leverage the business knowledge that is available to you and stand on the shoulders of those experts. Proxcent Transformations has experience in many of these areas and you can learn more about our Mission Specialties if you are seeking help.