tech
Curious tech and technology from the realm of science and science fiction.
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.
Futurism StaffPublished 8 years ago in FuturismLiving in a Disconnected World
David Karp, a recent graduate from Cornell University, is part of the up-and-coming trend of initiative Millennials taking their careers by storm. In his visionary film Disconnected, Karp sees the world through a lens that we all find ourselves bound to: that of the screen. In a world where screen-time replaces human interaction, what does it mean to truly be alive?
Natasha SydorPublished 8 years ago in FuturismIsaac Asimov's Cryogenic Predictions
Below is an article by Isaac Asimov written exclusively for Penthouse magazine's December 1972 issue, originally titled "See You in the Hereafter."
Isaac AsimovPublished 8 years ago in FuturismDebate Over Bionic Humans
Bionic humans are increasingly popular in today’s pop culture and society. Ignoring the far-fetched likes of Black Ops III, the third in the Black Ops series by the Call of Duty game series, or movies like Terminator, bionic humans have become a reality—kind of. So what is classed as a "bionic human"?
Benjamin WareingPublished 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 FuturismBill Lear Interview
William Powell Lear was a notable rarity among inventors of the 60s and 70s: He turned his ideas into money. The classic inventor sold out in despair after years of unrewarding toil, then watched someone else make a fortune out of his invention. Bill Lear, by contrast, was worth between $30 and $50 million in his prime—and he started from scratch.
Futurism StaffPublished 8 years ago in FuturismHistory of Sound Effects
BOOM! A nuclear bomb just went off before your eyes. You feel your heart pounding, and the explosion is still reverberating in your ears, but you can’t move your body. Your eyes are glued to the screen as you sit on a cushioned chair in a cool IMAX theater. When the movie ends, you head to the bathroom and reality smacks you in the face. You’re not Will Smith and you didn’t just save the human race from extraterrestrials, but none of that matters because you feel like you did.
James LizowskiPublished 8 years ago in FuturismRobots Imitate Life
If you've been to an office, you probably know what a drop-ceiling is. It's the grid of whitish tiles in which light fixtures and ventilator grates are set. If you stand on a desk and push one of the rectangular tiles out of its frame, you can stick your head into the space above it and see your office building as it really is: air ducts and electrical cables, concrete beams and sprinkler pipes. When you lift the ceiling tile, you might feel a sensation of trespass as the secrecy above escapes into the office below. Once you know about the space above the ceiling, no office ever looks quite the same. Everything about an office looks strange when 30 percent of the building has to be hidden in order to make the other 70 look normal.
George LazenbyPublished 8 years ago in FuturismAsimovian Robotonomics
The following article was originally published on The Free Advice Man's website here. Asimovian Robotonomics is a Comprehensive Economic System, backed by specific laws, based on the highest ethical standards, in which Robots, and other Human-Labor-Replacing or Augmenting Technologies, such as Automated Machinery, Computers, and other Advanced Machines, perform mundane (tedious, boring) and/or potentially dangerous, unhealthy, but essential work that Human Labor would otherwise have done without causing harm to the Socio-Economic and Financial welfare of those persons who are rendered work-wise redundant, non-essential, or less required. It is named after Isaac Asimov, the World Renowned Famous late Grandmaster of Sci-Fi and Science Author who was also a champion of Advanced Human Thinking and Social Progress.
Jean-Pierre FenyoPublished 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 FuturismReal Bionic Man
The rumor began in 1972. That's when Martin Caidin's science fiction novel Cyborg was published. The rumor intensified when ABC turned Cyborg into the popular television program Six Million Dollar Man. The hero of the TV series, Steve Austin, is an astronaut whose body was almost destroyed in a rocket-sled accident. But by using bits of plastic, titanium, sophisticated electronics, and a nuclear power pack, medical scientists put him back together again. Moreover, not only was old Steve restored to peak condition, he was given superhuman capabilities. He could leap over buildings, hear conversations half a mile away, see with zoom lens accuracy, and resist physical assaults that would fell a water buffalo. It all added up to good fun on the tube.
Futurism StaffPublished 8 years ago in FuturismHow to Make an Arcade Game
They wanted the ultimate bad guy, the kind of villain who could eat Darth Vader for breakfast. They wanted a game that would tell a story, show off the best new arcade technology, and be more than just another outer-space-shoot-'em-up thriller. But in November 1981, all Williams Electronics, Inc. had were some awesome-looking planets and spaceships created by Sam Dicker, one of their game designers. So one November day about a dozen top people from this major arcade game company gathered at a downtown Chicago hotel to brainstorm about a new idea—an idea that would become the game Sinistar.
Futurism StaffPublished 8 years ago in Futurism