intellect
Insightful post about reason, abstract thinking, and science, highlighting gifted science fiction influencers.
Why Geniuses Don’t Run the World
"Society is aimed at the average. It does poorly when dealing with people that are smarter than the average or dumber, worse, than the average." —Eugene Volokh
Jacob FrommerPublished 8 years ago in FuturismHow Apollo 13 Avoided Disaster
Are you superstitious? Would you fly on ship number 13? Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Ken Mattingly didn't think the number 13 would be unlucky for them. They had trained for many months to fly the third lunar landing mission, Apollo 13. Lovell and Haise planned to spend 33 hours exploring the surface of the Moon, while Mattingly circled above them in the command module Odyssey. The story of what happened instead is a tribute to the bravery, ingenuity, and teamwork not only of the astronauts themselves, but also of the hundreds of controllers, technicians, and scientists who brought three men safely home from outer space. You can decide whether or not the number 13 was unlucky for them at the end of the story.
Futurism StaffPublished 8 years ago in FuturismHow Accurate is Astrology?
Over the decades, evidence has been accumulating of striking correlations between events in the heavens and events on earth. If astrological "influence" is a fact, it ought to be susceptible to statistical study. With this starting point, a number of early studies were made (the most famous by Jung), some of which appeared to vindicate astrological claims, at least to astrological devotees. Then, in 1950, a young Sorbonne graduate in statistics, Michel Gauquelin, set out to disprove these claims, with unexpected results.
Futurism StaffPublished 8 years ago in FuturismNext Generation Pioneers
In popular culture, Millennials are often characterized by a lack of productivity, cultural obsession, and a general sense of self entitlement. Generation We, as it is often referred to, fosters a culture of instant gratification and constant connectivity. Often viewed in a negative light, Millennials far outnumber their Baby Boomer predecessors and are critiqued for their way of commanding a world they feel is apparently their rightful playground. Although Millennials are overlooked and disregarded in the eyes of older generations, a small group of them are taking advantage of their unique upbringing in a period of constant change and advancement, mixed with an access to unlimited knowledge. This combination has given us the next generation pioneers and thinkers, who, at this moment, are changing the world as we know it. The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Hyperloop pod team, BadgerLoop, personifies the success and growth of next generation pioneers.
Natasha SydorPublished 8 years ago in FuturismHistory 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.
Futurism StaffPublished 8 years ago in FuturismMystery of Quasars
Quasar! The very name evokes visions of vast power, primordial matter, the brightness of a trillion suns, mystery. In the decades since these curious objects were first identified, the mystery of quasars has broadened and deepened. Many astrophysicists think that quasars were only one type in a wide range of energetic extragalactic phenomena. A decade after their discovery, Britain's Dr. Martin J. Rees even called for a whole new classification scheme to replace the helter-skelter assortment of terms that was in use for high-powered radio sources with terms that recognize their basic similarity.
Mark R. Chartrand IIIPublished 8 years ago in FuturismInfinite Mystery of Light
The following article was originally published on The Free Advice Man's website here. Our Magnificent Star, The Sun, emits Photons that reach our fragile little planet Earth after traveling in the relative vacuum of outer-space for a time duration of roughly Eight Minutes, and at a Speed that is considered to be the Relative Speed Limit of The Universe, The Speed of Light, which is approximately 11,176,943.8 miles per minute! Which is 670,616,629 miles per hour, or 5.87849981 × 1012 miles per year! The nearest Star to our Star is actually a Binary Star System (two Stars orbiting one-another) that is located 4.37 Light-years distance from our Sun! A Light-year distance is 5.87849981 × 1012 miles! Anyway; guess what! All the plant food and animal proteins you and I and all fauna and flora consume on this planet are packages of energy, or more precisely photons emitted by the Sun transferred electromagnetic radiation energy from the Sun to plants and animals on Earth, (with a fraction of energy from other sources) and so we are essentially energized by our Star The Sun's photons! The Light that allows us to see one-another is also the Light that allows us to be one-another! We are Enlightened by Light!
Jean-Pierre FenyoPublished 8 years ago in FuturismShould Vaccinations Be Administered?
What could possibly link the theology of Protestantism with the rivalry between Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin over their respective polio vaccines?
Futurism StaffPublished 8 years ago in FuturismScience Needs Unreasonable Leaps
An abiding fascination of science is its propulsive creativity and unreasonable leaps. Why does the occasional lone genius succeed where a lavishly funded, mission-oriented project has failed? Even odder, why should Alexander Fleming, half a century ago, have made his mightily significant discovery of penicillin—yet leave its consummation to Howard Florey and Ernst Chain more than 10 years later? Often it requires great risk for scientists to make great strides.
Bernard DixonPublished 8 years ago in FuturismMeteorites and Asteroids Facts
With all the unknown objects and happenings beyond our control going on in outer space, as human beings we can’t help but wonder what the chances are of extraterrestrial disasters having a significant impact on Earth. Every day, people die from the strangest things, but for some reason we’re inclined to believe that there’s a looming possibility of life ending because of space rocks. So for those curious about astronomical catastrophes affecting our beloved planet, here are a few things to note:
Futurism StaffPublished 8 years ago in FuturismElon Musk's Self-Driving Tesla Car
In 2012, there were 33,561 deaths from motor vehicle accidents. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Motors, announced in 2015 that Tesla cars would handle 90 percent of driving within five years. This plan included all Tesla vehicles being equipped with an autopilot system. Musk compared Tesla's autopilot to the autopilot in airplanes, where people still manually control the vehicle in risky situations.
James PortersonPublished 8 years ago in FuturismImpact of Moore's Law on the Live Music Industry
Music may be art, but a live concert is more science. The variety and potential of visual technologies designed for live performances exploded in the late 1990's and early 2000's. Credit Moore’s Law—the projection that hardware capacity will double every two years—for these high-tech visuals. And don’t forget about the escalating velocity of software development, either, which now outpaces Moore’s law. Performers are better equipped than ever before to deliver mind-melting experiences to their audiences, and their futuristic visions are spilling over into the here and now.
D.J. PangburnPublished 8 years ago in Futurism