Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Futurism.
Asimov 101: Your Ultimate Guide to the 'Foundation' Series
Long before the incessant arguments among Star Wars fans were heard all over the galaxy about when to watch which episode, Isaac Asimov had his fans up in arms about which books of the Foundation series should—no, must—be read before the others. And rest assured that the Asimov-split had far more to contemplate given the complicated timeline of the seven books' releases; prequels and sequels were added to the original Foundation trilogy over a real-time span of 42 years from 1951 (the release of the original Foundation trilogy) to 1993 (the posthumous release of Asimov's second prequel Forward the Foundation).
By Deniz Galip Oygür9 years ago in Futurism
FRACKERS
One premise/motif of our feature film FRACKERS is that every being in the universe is a light being. As Einstein famously figured, "No energy is created or destroyed". We in turn came up with the idea that our light, the light that is us, is also eternal. This fun premise for a film does consider that even our eternal energy might change form, as light can be be both particles and waves, so can our energy break-down from waves into less desirable particles, not to be judgmental.
By Bennett Litwin9 years ago in Futurism
The Philosophy of Westworld
Michael Crichton wrote and directed Westworld for the big screen in 1973. That same decade, in 1976, an adjunct professor named Julian Jaynes made the bestseller list with a surprising title: The Origins of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind. You wouldn’t think that a book with a name like that would become such a popular success. Yet, there it was. In 2016, when Westworld came to the small screen in the re-imagined HBO series, you wouldn’t imagine Jaynes getting heard from again. Especially since bicameralism wasn’t even mentioned in the Michael Crichton’s original film. Yet, there he was. Early on in Westworld’s first season Dr. Ford, one of the creators of the park, explains how he and his co-founder Arnold used a “debunked” theory about the origins of consciousness to bootstrap A.I. The scientific community didn’t recognize bicameralism as an explanation for the origins of the human mind, but, as Dr. Ford suggests, it could be useful for building an artificial one. Thousands of people—perhaps more—started Googling for “bicameral mind.” Bloggers and YouTube channels capitalized on the sudden interest by writing articles and introductory videos about this weird, arguably psychedelic theory of consciousness. Suddenly everyone was interested.
By Jeremy Johnson9 years ago in Futurism
My Out of Body Experience
My out-of-body experience happened when I was four years old. I nearly died in the hospital. I saw no angel. No Jesus. No Moses. I did encounter a light. It had a voice without words. Was it my mother's essence? I wondered as I grew older and learned of possibilities. I spoke with the light and it told me to stay on Earth. I wasn't finished yet. I needed to do some work. I needed to tell my story. I complied. I'm still here.
By Bennett Litwin9 years ago in Futurism
Iconic Sci-Fi Film Directors
The best sci-fi film directors are experts in visual storytelling. Regardless of how crazy and seemingly improbable it is to realize a sci-fi story onto the big screen, they will strive to make things work. From fearsome aliens and desolate planets to time-traveling shenanigans, these people know how to deliver the most imaginative thrills. While superhero films are currently dominating the box office, sci-fi has its fair share of monster hits. It’s about time that the top sci-fi film directors get the recognition they deserve.
By Eddie Wong9 years ago in Futurism
A Clockwork Orange Can Teach Us Something About Partisan Politics In America
My first viewing of A Clockwork Orange 30 years ago left me lost on the message. A hardened criminal receives the opportunity for a quick, psychologically based reform, but the dehumanizing treatment endured almost makes his crimes seem forgivable. Not sure who to side with and put off by the chaotic presentation, I was indifferent. Nonetheless, a later more open-minded viewing got my nod, but the ideological mish-mash remained, and a meaningful critique here, would require the insight of others.
By Rich Monetti9 years ago in Futurism
Historic Female Scientists
The history of female scientists is filled with stories of perseverance, ingenuity, and hard work. When it comes to the field of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), many people are concerned regarding the gender gap. Even now, everyone is still trying their best to lessen the gap and allow more women to contribute to the STEM field. Regardless of this issue, one cannot deny the fact that female scientists have always done much for the further discovery and betterment of the world.
By Stephanie Gladwell9 years ago in Futurism
Oh Wait, It Is Rocket Science...
History has demonstrated that the space race was the first endeavor of man – other than war – to challenge our entire scope of scientific and technological capabilities. The crowning moment in this challenge was when Apollo 11 travelled 260,000 miles in space, landed two astronauts on the Moon and returned safely.
By Scott Snowden9 years ago in Futurism
Telepathy and Quantum Physics
Telepathy is one of the ten magical gifts I have been told by several medicine men and women that we will soon be capable of receiving. Since we are all at different stages in our evolutionary process, I believe we will each be able to receive telepathy only after we have evolved to the point we are capable of practicing it with love and benevolence. Even so, every gift can also become a curse. Our gifts can be double-edged swords we can either use to advance our species or to destroy it. Life is far more precarious than most of us are aware and we must be vigilant to defend its dignity and sanctity.
By Hyapatia Lee9 years ago in Futurism
