Today, the New York Times published a headline article about global superpowers racing to build nuclear reactors on the moon.
I recommend gazing at this lovely image from NASA while that sinks in:
The article describes the reasons behind this ambition…
The race is for the very future of space exploration. The United States and China want to be first to establish a moon base, to search for resources like frozen water and to launch missions deeper into the solar system. Controlling access to the moon’s assets is vital to this mission. Both superpowers believe a nuclear reactor is the centerpiece of this ambition.
… and the risks…
Failures could cause a chain reaction with dire consequences. Falling reactor debris could scatter radioactive material, as happened in Canada in the late 1970s. An explosion or a meltdown on the moon’s surface would risk turning entire regions into no-go zones.
I composed Noise #210 thick with the giddy feeling of untethered possibility that comes when futuristic sci-fi bends closer to hear-and-now reality.
You may hear barely-controlled chaos in my playing—a reflection of the unknown space that emerges when technological abilities threaten to exceed wisdom. When vaulting geopolitical ambition leaves common sense lightyears behind.
The piece mostly orbits within a 7/4 time signature because the Times article reminded me of Neal Stephenson’s stunning novel seveneves. That story begins with our moon shattering into seven pieces and ends somewhere fundamentally, jarringly different.
I hope you enjoy Noise #210:
Wishing you peace,
Michael
(Noise #210 by Michael Gallant. Copyright 2026 Gallant Music LLC. All Rights Reserved.)