'Star Trek's fantasy technology is proving to be an important inspiration for real-world scientists, as researchers in the UK start work on a magnetic deflector shield that could potentially protect astronauts from space radiation.
'Space, even the bits in between the planets in our little solar system, is awash with dangerous radiation. Some of these highly charged particles can be traced back to solar storms, the normal solar wind, and distant supernovae. Others come from as yet unidentified sources, further out in space.
'All this radiation poses a threat to astronauts of long missions outside of Earth's protective magnetic field, such as a trip to Mars, or Moon colonists.' (The Register article).
media-underground.net