What is the connection between science and science fiction? Are television shows like "Battlestar Galactica" and "Dr. Who" inspiring the next generation of scientists? Professor Lawrence Krauss explored these issues at the 2014 Annual Meeting in his talk, “Physics of the Future,” which was part of the symposium titled, "Where's My Flying Car? Science, Science … Continue reading Lawrence Krauss on the relationship between science and science fiction
Tag: Science fiction
Gravity: a review
I finally watched the movie Gravity last night. Despite a number of flaws, I enjoyed it immensely. I think it sets a new standard for movies set in space (at least I hope it does). The visuals were stunning and the story had me on the edge of my seat. I now really regret not … Continue reading Gravity: a review
They’re Made out of Meat
amanimal clued me in to this sci-fi short story by Terry Bisson, 'They're Made out of Meat', which originally appeared in Omni magazine in 1990, and which is brilliant! A number of video treatments have also been made of it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaFZTAOb7IE
Deep history, and deep future?
John Schellenberg has an article up on Aeon noting that, while we seem to have no problem accepting deep time in the past, there isn't much discussion of deep future, that is, the future millions or billions of years in the future. It's an interesting article (aside from an unfortunate plea for us to take Thomas … Continue reading Deep history, and deep future?
Neptune’s Brood, a review
This is a review of Charlie Stross's science fiction novel, 'Neptune's Brood'. It's a sequel of sorts to another book of his that I reviewed a couple of weeks ago, 'Saturn's Children'. Both of these books envisage a post-human robotic civilization. (In both books, the robots have very human like personas, having been modeled after … Continue reading Neptune’s Brood, a review
After human extinction, a robot civilization?
This is a review of Charlie Stross's science fiction novel 'Saturn's Children'. It's been out for a few years, but I wanted to read his latest, 'Neptune's Brood', which is a sequel (of sorts), so I started with this one. Stross describes a universe where humans have gone extinct, but where the sentient machines that … Continue reading After human extinction, a robot civilization?
Isaac Asimov’s Predictions For 2014 From 50 Years Ago Are Eerily Accurate
Fifty years ago, American scientist and author Isaac Asimov published a story in The New York Times that listed his predictions for what the world would be like in 2014. Asimov wrote more than 500 books in his lifetime, including science fiction novels and nonfiction scientific books, so he was well-versed in thinking about the … Continue reading Isaac Asimov’s Predictions For 2014 From 50 Years Ago Are Eerily Accurate
Elysium: a quick review
I saw the movie Elysium this afternoon. It's a tale of a desperately poor population living under the rule of an elite wealthy class. In this case, the poor are living on Earth and the wealthy elite in a space habitat called Elysium. The habitat has technology able to cure any ailment, but this technology … Continue reading Elysium: a quick review
Appointment with the Doctor
Appointment with the Doctor. I'm a big fan of Doctor Who. It's the longest running science fiction show on television (sorry Star Trek), and it often explores many concepts that American television won't touch. Tonight will be the 50th anniversary special, 'The Day of the Doctor', and I'm definitely looking forward to it! Related … Continue reading Appointment with the Doctor
Why FTL travel is unlikely, at least in the foreseeable future
I'm a big fan of Star Wars, Star Trek, and the space opera genre. The future I would most hope for the human race would be for us to spread out among the stars and become an interstellar species. Now, assuming we don't drive ourselves extinct, I do think we will eventually become an interstellar … Continue reading Why FTL travel is unlikely, at least in the foreseeable future
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