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Which Drink Are You Based on Your Star Sign?
Star signs are a fun and exciting way to explore our personalities, whether it’s your own or your friend’s. It’s all good fun, so why not see which drink you are based on your star sign?
Summer Space Reading List: The Interstellar Age
The 1960s and 70s were inspirational times for young nerds, like me. Hard science fiction from Robert Heinlein, Larry Niven, and Jerry Pournelle drove my passion for an exciting human future in space. Isaac Asimov’s prolific output of science essays and books grounded that passion. Real world space exploits by NASA operationalized it. America’s national space agency seemed to be everywhere at once during that period; going to moon, building an orbital space plane, and exploring the solar system from Mercury to Neptune! Three NASA programs strongly influenced my personal goal to eventually to secure a career in the space world: the Apollo Moon landings, the Viking Mars landing, and the exploration of the outer solar system by the Voyager probes. The two Voyager spacecraft, launched in 1977, were particularly influential to me because their missions occurred when I was a teenager, that important time in one’s life when you are young enough to be amazed by technology but finally educated enough to grasp some of the science behind it. I wasn’t the only one captivated by these robots. The Voyagers were immortalized in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, a film that required me to ditch a day of high school and wait in line for eight hours in order catch the first showing. While I was pleased to see the Star Trek future included funding for six Voyager missions (alas, there were only the two), it was less heartening to see one them going postal; V’Ger returns from interstellar space to threaten the Earth with a destructively high-powered delivery of its research findings. On a more positive note, real Voyager images also inspired the flyby sequences of Jupiter and Saturn in the original opening sequence of the Star Trek: Next Generation TV series. Of course, most of the Voyager excitement occurred back in the 80s when I was busy being an entrepreneur in the software, computer, and networking space. I didn’t have direct access to the cool kids from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, like I do now. I eagerly followed the Voyager flybys of Jupiter (1979), Saturn (1981), Uranus (1986), and Neptune (1989) in newspaper and magazine stories (sigh, no Internet kids). It was Jim Bell’s description, over a recent dinner with colleagues, of the challenges he had in recording the audio version of The Interstellar Age that reminded me of my love for those missions and prompted me to take up the audio version of his 2015 book. I’m a fan of many excellent voice actors who do audiobook narrations. I particularly love Wil Wheaton’s narration of modern Sci Fi classics. However, when an author does the reading of his or her own work, the result can be fantastic, and I was not disappointed here. With The Interstellar Age on audio, I know the pronunciations are precise, as in not saying “probing Uranus” as gleefully as the proverbial twelve-year-old. A good, author-read audiobook can also conveys subtle humor from text to the listener. My favorite humorous anecdote appears when Jim discusses the “grand adjectives of exploration.” These are the words like “plucky”, “intrepid,” or “courageous” which are often applied to our favorite space robots by the media. Of course, the Voyagers are simply doing what they were built to do so long ago and executing the code that we send to them. They are unaware of the frightening risks they face, a given requirement for sentient beings who aspire to be plucky, intrepid, or courageous! However, this harsh reality doesn’t stop us science fanboys from loving metallic space critters, so Jim must set us straight with the advice of Voyager Project Manager John Casani, “Don’t anthropomorphize the spacecraft, they don’t like it.”
'Star Wars' Confirms This Sith Apprentice Was Not Going To Be In 'Obi-Wan Kenobi'
The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many cameos, some considered to be unnatural. However, it may not be that way in Maul’s case, at least according to Director Deborah Chow in her interview with Total Film:
Culture SlatePublished 2 years ago in FuturismDid Democracy Lead us to Value Social Media Status?
I'm going on a tirade of thoughts while reading the book European Intellectual History Since 1789 by Roland N. Stromberg. I can see how history is once again repeating itself. In my last entry about "Why it's impossible to find the truth", I had my mind blown about an ideology. This time I'm seeing parallels to today's social media.
Brian AnonymousPublished 2 years ago in FuturismComparing The Fan Reception To Grogu Vs. Boba Fett
Star Wars fans are always up for a conversation of what personally appeals to them, especially when something new drops. Depending on its execution it can light the internet on fire! Let's go back to 1977, when there was no internet, and people sat in the cinema for the first time in their lives and watched the epic adventure George Lucas created, Star Wars.
Culture SlatePublished 2 years ago in FuturismDisney Unveils 2023 Movie Lineup at CinemaCon, 'Rogue Squadron' Still On Track For 2023
Disney unveiled a new timeline of their upcoming movies today at CinemaCon, along with the first twenty minutes of Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, Lightyear, and first looks at Avatar 2: The Way of Water. The Bespin Bulletin reported on the displayed infographic, which included releases into 2023. Conspicuously absent from Disney’s timeline, though, was the logo for Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, helmed by Patty Jenkins and slated for release in December 2023. This set off some speculation as to the reason behind the movie’s absence from the release timeline, which is now the norm for Rogue Squadron news.
Culture SlatePublished 2 years ago in FuturismLucasfilm Announces Manga Adaptation Of 'The Mandalorian'
The Star Wars universe has been growing every year by adding new characters into our lives and bringing back ones from some of our favorite shows/movies. The Mandalorian has already cemented its presence as a heavy hitter in the Star Wars fandom and has become a fan favorite not only because of how genuinely awesome the character is but also from the cameos that we have received from the two seasons of the show as well. Additionally, from a recent announcement, Star Wars fans are excited to hear that the live-action show will be receiving its first-ever manga adaption, which is not the first time Star Wars has dabbled into the manga world.
Culture SlatePublished 2 years ago in FuturismThe Top 10 Star Wars Movie Duels
Where would 'Star Wars' Be without the iconic lightsaber duel? When these weapons first appeared onscreen in 1977's A New Hope fans were instantly fascinated by the saber and the mysterious Jedi that once proudly wielded the blade. Since that iconic moment on the first Death Star the lightsaber duel has made for many unforgettable moments, take for example when you first saw Darth Maul switch on his second lightsaber blade in theaters for the first time. In that spirit we have found ten of our favorite Duels in all of 'Star Wars' and present them to you here.
Culture SlatePublished 2 years ago in FuturismHayden Christensen Teases His Time As Darth Vader Might Not Be Over
Prequel fans are finally having their moment. As we are still reeling from Temuera Morrison’s return in The Book of Boba Fett, Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen are now poised to reclaim their roles as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi, premiering on Disney+ on May 27. We do not know much about what the future holds for McGregor or Morrison, but for Christensen, it seems like the fun is just beginning.
Culture SlatePublished 2 years ago in FuturismINCREDIBLE RISE OF 3D PRINTERS IN THE FUTURE
Technology opens up for vast range of possibilities ahead — and some transformations that are difficult to assimilate at first glance. In the not-too-distant future, thanks to 3D printers, sales will no longer focus on ready-made products but also on models that consumers can produce in their own homes.
Will Twitter Be Best Under Elon Musk?
Read on to find out. Until then, I'm still unsure. But I do believe that Twitter will be the best under Mr. Musk. After all, Elon Musk is a billionaire.
Shaheer MalikPublished 2 years ago in FuturismWhat These 9 Lightsaber Colors Say About Your Personality
There’s a prevailing belief that certain colors can impact your mood or say something about your personality. While the science is, let’s say, open for interpretation, it’s an intriguing subject. There's certainly some colors that evolutionary psychologists argue can influence our mood. There's a reason why red is a dominant color for Valentine's Day. Literature is full of moods equated with color. Feeling blue. Seeing red. There's no doubt that colors have a profound impact on our lives.
Culture SlatePublished 2 years ago in Futurism