Science + Tech
Advances that redefine reality. Welcome to the future.
Can Technology Help Mankind's Moral Compass?
Guide, like most new technologies, began in a billionaire's dream of reason. The PR-generated story of Guide's origin posited it as a passion project of Metra's cofounder and longtime CEO. Its aim was simple, universal: help people act more rationally.
By Ken Baumann8 years ago in Futurism
3D Bioprinting is the Future of Transplants
Imagine a world where there was no organ donor waiting list. A world where you would be able to get the organ you needed straight from a printer. According to Quartz, a Philadelphia-based company, BioBots, has released a printer that lets users 3D print human tissue and (potentially) human organs. In May of 2014, BioBots publicly launched at TechCrunch Disrupt in New York and printed a replica of Van Gogh’s ear for everyone to see. Currently, the printer works with a liquid mixture of different cells called “bio-ink.” This liquid is pressed through an extruder and fused together on the printer bed using blue light. A representative from the company told Quartz that the system could print out an object that has blood vessels and organ tissue at once, and the goal is to use this to create livers for drug testing and skins for cosmetic testing. This would eliminate the need for testing on humans and animals. However, BioBots isn’t the only company to create 3D printing for organs.
By Futurism Staff8 years ago in Futurism
Most Terrifying 80s Sci-Fi Movies
Maybe burying your dead pet in that haunted cemetery wasn't the best idea. Whether it's Pet Sematary or The Fly, America loves horror movies. Add some science fiction into the mix, and it's a recipe for disaster for the characters, but success in the movie business. Terrifying 80s sci-fi movies encompass everything that scares us—whether it's the terror of death or disaster—but they also make us think long and hard after the movie is over about its scientific realities. Could we really have a serum that rejuvenates dead people in the future like Re-Animator? Or would we really want our dead cat Fluffy to come back from the dead like Pet Sematary? Or what if, like in Parasite, we were run by an organization other than a government and they wanted to control the population with a deadly parasite? It's the mystery of terrifying 80s sci-fi movies that drive us to watch them over and over.
By Emily McCay8 years ago in Futurism
Does the Earth Have a Hidden Twin?
For several years now we have been hearing about new planetary bodies being discovered inside and outside our solar system. There are suggestions that our familiar companions - Mercury Venus, Mars, and the rest - may not be all there is to the sun's family. There is evidence that one member or more still awaits discovery through scientific research. This idea is not new. With ideas like Planet X and also back a century ago it was widely thought that another planet could be found within the orbit of Mercury. It was even given a name: Vulcan.
By George Gott8 years ago in Futurism
Rio 2016—The Olympic Games Meet The Science Fiction Games
If intellectual luminaries of Ancient Greece such as Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle could see a modern interpretation of our classic Olympic games, they’d likely be gratified their legendary athletic contest evolved into a unifying global event. Compare the ancient Olympians with our present day athletic engagement and depictions of a far flung future in sci-fi romps such as, The Hunger Games, Star Wars, and Star Trek, and if nothing else, it’s clear challenging athletic contests will survive centuries of sweeping, transforming modernity.
By Will Stape8 years ago in Futurism
Most Deceptive Scientific Frauds
There are so many problems in the world that demand solving, and scientific research is the source for such desired lifesaving innovation. However, this pressure can be a double-edged sword. Scientists are inspired to work hard to release quality research, but this can also lead to situations where people will stoop to deception to achieve fame. Fabricating data to prove a theory is an easy way to cut corners, after all, and peer review has its limitations.
By Futurism Staff8 years ago in Futurism