fact or fiction
Is it science fact or science fiction? Futurism presents both sides to determine the truth.
Can Scientific Theory Prove Philosophical Ideology?
Philosophy was once the domain of the purely speculative—the nearly abstract. A well-known philosophy department posed the question, "What is human?" The questions were too complex. The answers available only to God. That is, if there is a God.
Joshua Samuel ZookPublished 8 years ago in FuturismSci-Fi's Obsession with Ancient Egypt
At first it sounds contradictory; isn’t science fiction all about what the future holds? But in looking back to a time before toothbrushes and iPads and breakfast cereal, you can get really philosophical without all the minutia that threatens to dominate life today. (Notice that I said you can, not that you have to - some of these films are just here to have fun.) If you love Ancient Egypt AND aliens and spaceships and futuristic weapons, now you can have both in one magical sandy pyramid-shaped package.
Sarah QuinnPublished 8 years ago in FuturismRobert Helms 'Guinea Pig Zero'
Our country’s pharmaceutical industry demands rigorous testing of potential drug agents, human trials that sometimes drag on for weeks or months. Test subjects must often monotonously return to get blood drawn, abstain from normal activity, or keep meticulous notes about their side effects. But, at the end of the trial, it’s a quick couple thousand dollars in your pocket. This is precisely the kind of work that draws those on the margins of society, those who are willing to dose themselves with the latest psychiatric concoction and live in a confined clinic for a few weeks. And we need them—these guinea pigs. Without reliable test subjects, America doesn’t get its drugs.
Kelly BourdetPublished 8 years ago in Futurism'Star Wars' Planets' Real Life Counterparts
Have you ever looked up at the sky at night, wondering what the meaning of life is, how all that planets and stars and dark holes and comets came to be? In something so huge and unknown, what is the possibility of fictional stories like Star Wars having real life planet counterparts? Well if you did, you are not the only one. Probably every real fan of the saga wondered that at least once in their life, envisioning how those planets look like and maybe even what species might live there. Star Wars has inspired many generations to dream, fantasize and imagine distant worlds and aliens, spurring the interest in astronomy and science, not just in special effects. So, for all those who wondered about this, but could find the answer due to the infinite nature of the universe, here are some of the Star Wars planets real life counterparts.
Futurism StaffPublished 8 years ago in FuturismCraziest Sci-Fi Movie Fan Theories
Are you prepared enough to hear some of the most absurd, mind-boggling, craziest sci-fi movie fan theories? I guess if there ever was a fertile ground for weird and over-imaginative theories to flourish and gain a lot of popularity it was only logical to happen among the fans of the sci-fi genre. I mean, if you enjoy watching movies in which reality is by definition a pretty flexible concept, why wouldn’t you also enjoy stretching it a little bit more? Anyway, some of these craziest sci-fi movie fan theories actually have some solid arguments, so why not hear more about them?
Futurism StaffPublished 8 years ago in FuturismWhat Happens to Your Body When Exposed to Space?
We've all seen that movie: where some unfortunate guy gets sucked out of an airlock and is thrown from his spaceship into unknown space. What is the first thing he does? Struggle to breathe. This is followed by panic, while blood oozes out of his eyeballs and ears. Until finally, his slow death ends, and all we're left with is a frozen corpse. Yuck.
George GottPublished 8 years ago in FuturismCan Memories be Transferred by Eating Them?
There’s an episode of J.J. Abram's cult favorite Fringe where Olivia chugs a beaker full of chopped up worms. Walter, the stereotypical absent minded professor-slash-mad scientist wonders, "Can memories be transferred by eating them?" Walter remembers an experiment that transferred memories between worms by chopping them up and feeding them to each other. In the context of the show, Walter’s worm shake seems like one of many implausible examples of “fringe” science, like pyrokinesis or interdimensional travel. But 50 years ago these experiments actually happened, blurring the lines between fact and fiction and igniting one of the fiercest controversies in the history of neuroscience.
Christina AgapakisPublished 8 years ago in FuturismHow Pixar’s 'Wall-E' Predicts the Future
Self-driving cars. Humans glued to the screens of their devices. Trash everywhere. One company to rule them all. Sound familiar? Either you just watched the 2008 Pixar hit Wall-E, or you simply looked at the ever-changing world around us. Debuting at a time when the economy hit its lowest point since the Great Depression, the dystopian society surrounding everyone’s favorite hardworking robot scared many with its foreboding predictions. But before humans actually admit that Wall-E predicted the future and director Andrew Stanton’s garbage-covered, humanless Earth of the year 2805 becomes a reality, we must take action for the sake of our planet.
Jake AronskindPublished 8 years ago in FuturismIs Pluto a Planet?
Every space-minded child growing up found their niche among the stars once they were able to name all the planets in order from the Sun. For anyone born after 2006, they might find it a little harder as we continue to ask: Is Pluto a planet? Pluto, the true underdog story of the Milkyway, was declassified as a primary planet after it failed to meet the International Astronomical Union's specifications. The world watched on as the baby brother of the planet family was disowned and thrown into a meaningless group of misfit dwarf planets. So while we brush away our tears as we watch everyone’s favorite underdog become stripped of its planetary ties, let’s find the true reasons why we still question whether or not Pluto is a planet.
Jake AronskindPublished 8 years ago in FuturismIs 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.
Futurism StaffPublished 8 years ago in FuturismWhy Presidents Swear on the Bible
Symbolism is not always what it seems. Presidents swear on a Bible. “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Do they actually believe in the deity whose purported book, religion, and ideals are sworn over and, by definition, are therefore the judge of their success? Are all our presidents, according to accepted scientific belief, swearing over a book that may have no more truth in it than Lord of the Rings. Did Eve talk to snakes? Did Frodo talk to a dragon? In an age of deteriorating numbers of true believers, and a resurgence of science as the authority, why do the leaders of our country swear over what half the country believes is a book written by men in their pursuit of organized and institutional religion. Where is the separation of church and state, when the first act as president is religiously symbolic? Maybe they should swear over Frank Herbert’s Dune or George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones. Or perhaps the best idea would be to swear over the constitution. God should have very little to do with it, irrespective of traditions. The perception that it is a requirement is wrong. There have been notable presidents who have not sworn over a religious book. Irrespective of their religious beliefs, they did not confuse their duties to America with God.
Joshua Samuel ZookPublished 8 years ago in FuturismPast Predictions of the Future
John F. Kennedy couldn't have said it better: "For time and the world do not stand still. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future."
Futurism StaffPublished 8 years ago in Futurism