Futurism Staff
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A team of space cadets making the most out of their time trapped on Earth. Help.
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Best Sci-Fi Movie Soundtracks
While music in cinema is new in comparison to the age-old practice of music composition, the process of composing movie soundtracks isn't much different than any other composition project. The clear predecessor of music as a soundtrack to acting is opera, with its fusion of the arts of music and acting. While the methods of transmitting visual information have changed since opera ruled the acting world (the set made of cardboard has become one of digital backdrops and green screens), and sound effects were added (synthesizers, samplers, and various ethnic instruments), there isn’t much difference, in regards to musical needs. The goal of a sci-fi movie soundtrack the same as the music behind an opera: set the atmosphere, enhance the drama of what’s happening on stage, and highlight the specific features of the characters.
By Futurism Staff8 years ago in Futurism
Crops in Space
"The world hunger problem is getting worse rather than better," said a Presidential Commission report on World Hunger from 1980. "A major crisis of global food supply—of even more serious dimensions than the present energy crisis—appears likely... unless steps are taken now... Moral obligation alone would justify giving highest priority to the task of overcoming hunger."
By Futurism Staff8 years ago in Futurism
Best Actors for a Dune Reboot
Frank Herbert’s Dune is one of the most celebrated science fiction novels of all time. A novel of dense political intrigue, plus giant space worms, Herbert’s vision has stumbled in the attempts to bring it to the big screen. After many attempts to adapt the book stalled, including on from post-modern director Alejandro Jodorowsky, Dune was finally adapted by Blue Velvet director David Lynch. The film did poorly, receiving savage reviews and pitiful takings at the box office, with noted film critic Roger Ebery giving the film an embarrassing Dune one star out of four stating, "This movie is a real mess, an incomprehensible, ugly, unstructured, pointless excursion into the murkier realms of one of the most confusing screenplays of all time.” The casting choices were iffy at best with the bewildering choice of Sting as The na-Baron Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen as the peak of its failure. There is little question that modern technology and directors could make a far better adaptation of Dune, but who are the best actors for a Dune reboot?
By Futurism Staff8 years ago in Futurism
Is Luck Real?
Luck. It blunders in and out of our lives, unbidden, unexpected, sometimes welcome and sometimes not. It is the supreme insult to human reason: You can't ignore it, yet you can’t plan for it. No matter how carefully you design your career, you cannot know how the design will be changed by the workings of random events. You can only know that the events will occur. You can only wait for them, and hope that they're in your favor.
By Futurism Staff8 years ago in Futurism
Evolution of Sci-Fi Women
In September 1992, Mae Jemison became the first African-American woman to launch into orbit upon the Space Shuttle Endeavour. When asked of the role models that helped her achieve this amazing feat, none other than Starfleet’s main lady, Lieutenant Uhura was at the top of the list.
By Futurism Staff8 years ago in Futurism
Jupiter the Red Giant
Jupiter, the king of the planets, is aptly named for the king of the gods. A brilliant, white wanderer through the skies, Jupiter has been praised with countless superlatives since ancient times. The Red Giant, as it is commonly referred to, is the largest in the solar system with a diameter of more than 88,000 miles, more than 11 times the size of Earth.
By Futurism Staff8 years ago in Futurism
Best Transhumanist Books
Would you get a chip implanted in your skull that would allow you to surf the web in your mind? Would you cryogenically freeze yourself to heal life-threatening wounds? These are examples of transhumanism, or the transformation of the human condition by incorporating technology with the goal of improving humankind and perhaps providing the answer to death. The closest we have gotten to transhumanism today is the world’s most extensive face transplant which took place on November 16th, 2015. A forty-one-year-old firefighter from Mississippi was severely burned, but received a face transplant from a 26-year-old man who recently died in an extreme cycling accident. The 26-hour surgery was performed by a 150-person medical team from New York University Langone Medical Center. Not as extensive as the half-human half-robots in the best transhumanist books, but impressive by current technological standards.
By Futurism Staff8 years ago in Futurism
Meaning of the Moon
What has the moon done for you lately? Have you sailed on the tide? Perhaps you've been a bit loony? Did you feel lycanthropic? Did your moonlighting pay for your moonshine? Did you recite "Jack and Jill"? All these phrases refer to the moon, our natural satellite and, by far, the most noticeable object in the night sky. Its changing shape and brightness have long fascinated watchers. Consequently moon lore, beliefs, and stories regarding the meaning of the moon have greatly enriched our culture.
By Futurism Staff8 years ago in Futurism
Astronaut Gordon Cooper Interview
Which would you consider the greatest challenge: steering a racing car to victory? Piloting an experimental aircraft? Whirling in a centrifuge to find out your body's ultimate limits? Keeping in mind the hundreds of intricate details a spacecraft checkout requires while waiting to be hurled into orbit? Astronaut Gordon Cooper took all those challenges. And that was only the first career for a man who then put the future to work.
By Futurism Staff8 years ago in Futurism
Best 'Star Trek' Shirts
Hailing all frequencies, you gotta beam up the best Star Trek shirts to your collection. Now that may have sounded a bit hokey, but that is the point of Star Trek. It's okay to be yourself, and if you are a corny fan like me, it means taking my best Star Trek shirt recommendations very seriously. Star Trek T shirts are more than just novelties for fans to express themselves. Unlike so many other commercial franchises, Star Trek represented a way of life. Gene Roddenberry's ideological TV show was founded on ideals such as freedom of choice. Originally conceived during a time of significant social change that began in the 1960s, the franchise has continued to reflect the same principles well into the 21st century. From The Next Generation's exploration of AI to more contemporary issues such as genetic cloning that permeated later feature films and the best Star Trek books, Star Trek has been a cultural phenomenon that fans are proud to wear on their T shirts.
By Futurism Staff8 years ago in Futurism
Atmosphere of Earth
Imagine you are an otherworldly explorer. As part of your survey of the Milky Way, you have come across an interesting stellar system with nine major planets. You have gotten permission from your superiors to investigate the lively third planet. The planet is called “Earth” in one of the many languages used there. In your last report you discussed the development of the planet as part of the entire system. Now you are going to begin a more detailed examination of Earth itself. The most logical place to start is the atmosphere, the envelope of gasses and vapors that gives this planet so much of its character. Since it is always best to begin at the beginning, you review your findings concerning the early history of the atmosphere.
By Futurism Staff8 years ago in Futurism
Coolest Sci-Fi Spaceships
From novels to feature films, from TV series to video games, the presence of spaceships have been prevalent across all forms of the science fiction genre. With imaginative minds creating these fictional machines, some realistic and some far­fetched, there are bound to be several that enthrall us unlike any others. What makes a great spaceship can be hard to define, though. Intriguing technological enhancements and mind bending paradoxes are sure to attract attention, but for some, their sheer massiveness will suffice. The coolest sci-fi spaceships encompass a wide variety of types like the ones mentioned above. Some you will be sure to recognize. Others are more obscure. All are among the greatest spaceships in all of sci-­fi.
By Futurism Staff8 years ago in Futurism