One of my favorite things to do (although it baffles me on a regular basis) is to witness concepts and technologies emerge that humans only dreamed about 40 or 50 years ago. Sometime last year, a company called Space Perspective announced their plans for a state-of-the-art luxury "space balloon" that would take people on a calm ascent into space. Last year, the Florida-based company began taking reservations for the coveted trips, which last 6 hours and come with a price tag of...