Ponderings of science, philosophy, history, society, and many other topics
I've been a Star Trek fan since I was very young. I remember getting home from school every day and rushing to the TV to catch the next episode, which at this point, c. 1971, were syndicated reruns. Most of the episodes were individual stories, and so could be shown in any order, which the … Continue reading Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Just watched the first episode of Star Trek Picard. What follows has spoilers, but only from the early parts of the episode. It takes place about 15 years after the events of the last Next Generation movie. Picard appears to be living in retirement in his family vineyard, apparently with a couple of Romulans, presumably … Continue reading Star Trek Picard
This is an incredible video that I really wished I had shared yesterday, but better late than never! George Takei, of Star Trek Sulu fame, talks about the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII and the bravery of those who fought in the war. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeBKBFAPwNc
The "Wait But Why" blog takes an in depth look at something some of us were discussing on another thread: the Fermi Paradox. Everyone feels something when they’re in a really good starry place on a really good starry night and they look up and see this: Some people stick with the traditional, feeling struck … Continue reading The Fermi Paradox – Wait But Why
NASA engineer and physicist Harold White announced a few years ago that he was working on a potentially groundbreaking idea that could allow space travel faster than the speed of light. Yes, like in “Star Trek.” And now, to boldly go where no designer has gone before, Mark Rademaker — who is collaborating with White — has … Continue reading This is the amazing design for NASA’s Star Trek-style space ship, the IXS Enterprise – The Washington Post
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
Imagine a future in which your mind never dies. When your body begins to fail, a machine scans your brain in enough detail to capture its unique wiring. A computer system uses that data to simulate your brain. It won’t need to replicate every last detail. Like the phonograph, it will strip away the irrelevant … Continue reading Virtual afterlives will transform humanity – Michael Graziano – Aeon
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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