Futurism Staff
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A team of space cadets making the most out of their time trapped on Earth. Help.
Stories (149/0)
History of Flight
In 1903, man realized a primal dream—to fly. The Wright brothers's hometown paper was one of the few to note the epochal achievement. Today, we have gone above and beyond the beginnings of flight, even entering space. Today's flight technologies have a long and intriguing history of development and dedication to the dream to take to the skies.
By Futurism Staff8 years ago in Futurism
Most Exciting NASA Space Missions
NASA has kept the world on its toes. From Apollo to Chandra to Viking, and all of the space exploration in between, NASA's entire history has been step after giant step for mankind. The organization was established in 1958 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to encourage peaceful applications in space science. Since then, NASA has led the vast majority of US space missions. Throughout these decades, NASA has launched many an exciting and revolutionary mission, from winning the space race to launching numerous unmanned missions for observational purposes. As man looks from the most exciting NASA space missions and exploration towards colonization, more and more privately held space companies are popping up to complement NASA's work. With Elon Musk's SpaceX releasing the first privately funded, liquid-propellant rocket to reach orbit and working towards enabling people to live on other planets, it seems that the future of space travel may be more privately run than governmental. However, as we move forward, it is important to look back and see how far NASA has brought us with the most exciting NASA space missions.
By Futurism Staff8 years ago in Futurism
Science Fiction Author Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury left a monumental impact on the world of science fiction, and is considered by many to be one of the greatest sci-fi authors of all time, but he always maintained he was a writer of fantasy. Ray Bradbury was born in 1920 to a large family in Waukegan, Illinois. His supportive family and hometown became a symbol of security in many works, such as Dandelion Wine and Something Wicked This Way Comes. Unable to afford college, Bradbury spent his time at the local library absorbed in the science fiction works of H.G. Wells and Jules Verne.
By Futurism Staff8 years ago in Futurism
Betty Hill Abduction
Among the most influential and widely known UFO incidents is the story of Barney and Betty Hill, a middle-aged New Hampshire couple who in 1961 were returning from vacation. Driving late at night through the White Mountains, the Hills encountered a UFO whose alien occupants reportedly took them on board and subjected them to a thorough medical examination. Several factors seemed to argue strongly in favor of the authenticity of the case. First, the narrative of the abduction was not consciously remembered by the Hills but was extracted by a psychiatrist using hypnosis. This fact seemed to rule out any chance of a deliberate hoax. Second, one particular piece of information (similarly retrieved from Betty Hill’s subconscious) was a "star map," which was subsequently deciphered by experts to indicate the alien ship's home solar system. Over the years, the "Barney and Betty Hill Abduction" has become accepted as a "classic" close encounter of the third kind. Since then, dozens of similar cases have been reported. A bestselling book (Interrupted Journey by John Fuller) and a made-for-TV movie (NBC's UFO Incident) have boosted the case's fame. Betty Hill (Barney died in 1969) has become a popular feature at UFO conventions nationwide.
By Futurism Staff8 years ago in Futurism
Classic Sci-Fi Horror Films
Little mutant killer children scare us. A group of women that kill men after being intimate with them also instills fear in us. Regardless of your fear tolerance, sci-fi horror films are one of the most terrifying horror film genres in existence. Alien deals with a violent extraterrestrial life form that is out to kill others, while Demon Seed depicts a super smart AI that wants to pass on its intelligence through a human child by means of his creator's wife. No matter what gets you covering your eyes on a scary movie night, the mixture of horror and sci-fi movies has been a recipe for both terror and success for decades. The potential of these scenarios actually occurring combined with the gore and horror of the events makes for movies that will have fans for years to come.
By Futurism Staff8 years ago in Futurism
Origin of Star Trek
Author Marc Cushman’s first installment of his These Are the Voyages, an exhaustive three-volume set devoted to the making of the original Star Trek television series, was published by the boutique imprint Jacobs Brown Press. From the nondescript cover you'd never know this book is any different from the hundreds of other books about Star Trek that have lined bookstore shelves and digital libraries for decades. However, after reading only a few pages, it will become abundantly clear that this is a book like none ever published about the making of Star Trek or any television series, for that matter.
By Futurism Staff8 years ago in Futurism
Making The Terminator
Time travel as a device has been used quite extensively in science-fiction since H.G. Wells wrote The Time Machine late in the 19th Century. Also the time travel device has been used in Time After Time, Somewhere in Time, The Final Countdown, and The Time Traveler's Wife. Time travel was used to good effect on television science fiction also; On The Twilight Zone, in particular "A Stop at Willoughby." On Star Trek, in "City at the Edge of Forever" (written by Harlan Ellison) and "Assignment: Earth" and in three of the best Outer Limits episodes, "The Man Who Was Never Born," "Soldier," and "Demon with a Glass Hand," the latter two written by Harlan Ellison.
By Futurism Staff8 years ago in Futurism
50 Greatest Movies Never Made
Remember that great scene in Starfleet Academy—you know, the sixth Star Trek movie—in which the young Cadet Spock, the school's first alien, endured racist taunts from his classmates, only to be defended by fellow student James Kirk? And remember that deeply affecting scene where the two meet again on the maiden voyage of the Enterprise? You don't? Well, maybe that's because Starfleet Academy was never actually filmed.
By Futurism Staff8 years ago in Futurism
Do Language and Emotion Affect Health?
Some years ago, when I was a little younger but just as peculiar, I was a general surgeon more interested in why people got sick than in cutting them—and equally interested in why they got well. Eventually, I decided that if I were to get any of my crazy ideas accepted, I'd have to become a psychiatrist. So I started hunting for a psychiatry residency. I was interviewed by one eminent gentleman and incidentally expressed my belief that anger and depression were important mechanisms in the induction of cancer. He sneered, not very politely, and said, "Every weekend we get at least a dozen nuts in the emergency room who have figured out what causes cancer." I asked, "What do they say?" His reply, which I treasure, was, "We ignore them... we have better things to do."
By Futurism Staff8 years ago in Futurism
Making Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica was one of the most expensive series ever created for television in its time. Its price tag averaged nearly a million dollars per hour for the episodes seen in fall of 78. The usual fees for a big budget series were compounded by an inspired move from creator/writer/executive producer Glen Larson. In signing John Dykstra, multiple Academy Award-winning special effects supervisor for Star Wars, Larson hired a formidable talent. Dykstra created the dazzling array of effects that highlight this otherwise pedestrian program, making Battlestar Galactica the hottest new series of its time.
By Futurism Staff8 years ago in Futurism
H.R. Giger's Dune Concept Art
"You get talent when you discover the ground of your pain." In 1964, H.R. Giger began producing his first artworks, mainly ink drawings and paintings. He would move on to airbrush, the execution that would help the artist create monochromatic worlds depicting dreamy landscapes. By tapping into a nightmarish universe, Giger captured the fascination of local purveyors, leading to his first solo exhibition in 1966. Not since Hieronymous Bosch has an artist been able to effectively tap into unnerving imagery while holding the public's fascination.
By Futurism Staff8 years ago in Futurism