Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Futurism.
Interview with Trina Phillips, Chief Futurist at SciFutures
Trina Phillips is a writer, editor and one of the chief futurists at SciFutures, a company dedicated to helping companies bridge the gap between science fiction and reality, via ideation, prototyping and storytelling. Trina has been published in numerous science fiction publications, including Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, AE and Daily Science Fiction. I had the opportunity to sit with her to discuss her career, and the myriad of ways her company is helping to shape forthcoming technology.
By Joshua Sky9 years ago in Futurism
Screen Reader Usage: Part 1
Welcome to another article here on Vocal. I'm Jared Rimer, I am here to talk today about how us blind people go about using a computer. This will be a multipart series. The first part will talk about screen readers, the different names of the ones that came out around the time I started using a computer, and provide a basic understanding on how it all works. Subsequent installments will discuss how we use Windows machines, and how we learn computer commands and other capabilities.
By Jared Rimer9 years ago in Futurism
The Star Trek: Discovery Debacle
The above trailer has sparked such a controversy among its viewer base that it would be nigh-impossible to fairly describe the whole affair in any short time. I'll try nevertheless, concentrating on my own thoughts concerning the subject.
By Nathan Istvan9 years ago in Futurism
White Knight
Everything was in motion at once. The vibration came from the fuel pumps below kicking into life, sending the rocket's lifeblood in motion. Those pumps would have to help the engines to produce enough thrust to get the twenty-one ton vehicle in motion.
By Matthew Kresal9 years ago in Futurism
Visual Content Needs a Social Life
Series note: As technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, Big Data and mixed reality start to blur the line between science and science fiction, some of the most exciting developments are coming from startup companies operating at the frontiers of innovation. Over the next few weeks, I'll be profiling a few of the companies chipping away at problems big and small, helping to make the future real for consumers and businesses.
By Rob Salkowitz9 years ago in Futurism
Scariest Science Fiction Aliens
The scariest science fiction aliens often capture some element of existential dread we all hold inside. Good horror fiction captures that spark of terror all of us have inside from the days of cave man. The fear of being eaten. The fear of what lurks in the dark – and what darkness is more vast and mysterious than the dark expanse of space?
By Anthony Gramuglia9 years ago in Futurism
Novel Samples
A sample of Chapter 1 for Smile of a Broken King. A knock sounded at the door, prompting the servant to stand and allow a large, dark man with crow’s wings in. His sharp, yellow eyes looked the girl over in the tub, a grin stretching over his long face. He stepped inside and bowed to her, flourishing his feathers. She lowered herself deeper into the water in a sad attempt to hide from him.
By Saphira Nightengale9 years ago in Futurism
Aliens or Comets? Has the 'Wow!' Signal Mystery Finally Been Solved?
The search for evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence is one of the most exciting pursuits in astronomy today. Needless to say, there is a lot of controversy and debate surrounding the topic, partly due to an event which happened in 1977 - the famous "Wow!" signal. The brief but unusual radio transmission was detected only once, and the debate over its origin has continued to this day. Now, a group of astronomers are claiming to have finally solved the mystery. According to their new study just published, the signal came not from aliens, but comets.
By Paul Scott Anderson9 years ago in Futurism
Luminous Beings Are We
Myths persist in our time. They evolve, take on new lexicons, new symbols—some shiny and chrome. Myths take our reality and spin wonders out of it. One glimpse through the Hubble Space telescope and our universe is filled with cosmic gods. Sea voyages of old become star sojourns, traced through celestial vistas filled with megalithic starships—be they Star Destroyers, or Battlestars. Enter the wise old sage, the Hermit of the tarot deck, as the Yodas and Obi Wans. Stories have traveled with us from the tales we uttered around the primordial fires, to the towering statues of worship in the Hellenistic world, to advent of great works of literature. Still more to the booming, dazzling icons of the movie screen.
By Jeremy Johnson9 years ago in Futurism
The Ink Ranger
Jayden Howles is a nineteen-year-old Computer Science student, and hobbyist writer, attending Riverton College. One night, he stumbles across an injured beggar who offers him a mysterious book in exchange for his goodwill. The only problem is the book is unwritten. All of that changes when he decides to pen a few pages of his new fantasy story idea in the book, and it sucks him into the story.
By Kevin Chase9 years ago in Futurism
