Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Futurism.
Best Transhumanist Books
Would you get a chip implanted in your skull that would allow you to surf the web in your mind? Would you cryogenically freeze yourself to heal life-threatening wounds? These are examples of transhumanism, or the transformation of the human condition by incorporating technology with the goal of improving humankind and perhaps providing the answer to death. The closest we have gotten to transhumanism today is the world’s most extensive face transplant which took place on November 16th, 2015. A forty-one-year-old firefighter from Mississippi was severely burned, but received a face transplant from a 26-year-old man who recently died in an extreme cycling accident. The 26-hour surgery was performed by a 150-person medical team from New York University Langone Medical Center. Not as extensive as the half-human half-robots in the best transhumanist books, but impressive by current technological standards.
By Futurism Staff10 years ago in Futurism
Meaning of the Moon
What has the moon done for you lately? Have you sailed on the tide? Perhaps you've been a bit loony? Did you feel lycanthropic? Did your moonlighting pay for your moonshine? Did you recite "Jack and Jill"? All these phrases refer to the moon, our natural satellite and, by far, the most noticeable object in the night sky. Its changing shape and brightness have long fascinated watchers. Consequently moon lore, beliefs, and stories regarding the meaning of the moon have greatly enriched our culture.
By Futurism Staff10 years ago in Futurism
Robots in the Workplace
The following article was originally published on The Free Advice Man's website here. The fear of empowering others stems from the fear of the mob. And wealthy people are afraid of a mob of people becoming empowered with the ability to take away that which they own and/or have. And that stems from the fear of being impoverished and poor! Naturally and logically the fear of being poor stems from the fear of being vulnerable to the mob and being at the mercy of the wealthy!
By Jean-Pierre Fenyo10 years ago in Futurism
Astronaut Gordon Cooper Interview
Which would you consider the greatest challenge: steering a racing car to victory? Piloting an experimental aircraft? Whirling in a centrifuge to find out your body's ultimate limits? Keeping in mind the hundreds of intricate details a spacecraft checkout requires while waiting to be hurled into orbit? Astronaut Gordon Cooper took all those challenges. And that was only the first career for a man who then put the future to work.
By Futurism Staff10 years ago in Futurism
Where Does Personality Come From?
As his name, so is he. The Talmud expresses a scientific sentiment many prominent empiricists believe to be true. It appears that Jewish law scholars understood a psychological notion thousands of years before psychology. Almost against his will, psychologist Lewis Lipsitt, of Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island, came to believe that nomenclature is destiny. If artificial intelligence is an attempt by mankind to create a better species in its own image, then perhaps the same will hold true of robots, and other automated self functioning forms of AI. A person’s name, or a robot's designation, will influence his, her, or its chosen profession.
By Joshua Samuel Zook10 years ago in Futurism
Sci-Fi Shows that Need Reboots
We’re in the age of prestige television, correct? We’ve all agreed upon this. Shows that are considered to be part of the television canon include Breaking Bad, The Wire, and True Detective. Of course, now all of this canonizing has made us think that we should look back on sci-fi shows that need reboots. Now, we can actually look at groundbreaking science-fiction television series with fresh eyes. These sci-fi shows are all worth understanding, worth re-watching, in fact, they are worth rebooting. Seriously, each one of these shows, such as Andromeda, Relic Hunter, and Roswell, deserves a reboot. Whether it is because their technical capabilities did not allow their full potential to be expressed the first time around or they simply still have arguments, ideas, and theories that would be interesting to today’s viewing public, sci-fi shows that need reboots are among some of the best of the genre.
By James Lizowski10 years ago in Futurism
Best 'Star Trek' Shirts
Hailing all frequencies, you gotta beam up the best Star Trek shirts to your collection. Now that may have sounded a bit hokey, but that is the point of Star Trek. It's okay to be yourself, and if you are a corny fan like me, it means taking my best Star Trek shirt recommendations very seriously. Star Trek T shirts are more than just novelties for fans to express themselves. Unlike so many other commercial franchises, Star Trek represented a way of life. Gene Roddenberry's ideological TV show was founded on ideals such as freedom of choice. Originally conceived during a time of significant social change that began in the 1960s, the franchise has continued to reflect the same principles well into the 21st century. From The Next Generation's exploration of AI to more contemporary issues such as genetic cloning that permeated later feature films and the best Star Trek books, Star Trek has been a cultural phenomenon that fans are proud to wear on their T shirts.
By Futurism Staff10 years ago in Futurism
Atmosphere of Earth
Imagine you are an otherworldly explorer. As part of your survey of the Milky Way, you have come across an interesting stellar system with nine major planets. You have gotten permission from your superiors to investigate the lively third planet. The planet is called “Earth” in one of the many languages used there. In your last report you discussed the development of the planet as part of the entire system. Now you are going to begin a more detailed examination of Earth itself. The most logical place to start is the atmosphere, the envelope of gasses and vapors that gives this planet so much of its character. Since it is always best to begin at the beginning, you review your findings concerning the early history of the atmosphere.
By Futurism Staff10 years ago in Futurism
Coolest Sci-Fi Spaceships
From novels to feature films, from TV series to video games, the presence of spaceships have been prevalent across all forms of the science fiction genre. With imaginative minds creating these fictional machines, some realistic and some far­fetched, there are bound to be several that enthrall us unlike any others. What makes a great spaceship can be hard to define, though. Intriguing technological enhancements and mind bending paradoxes are sure to attract attention, but for some, their sheer massiveness will suffice. The coolest sci-fi spaceships encompass a wide variety of types like the ones mentioned above. Some you will be sure to recognize. Others are more obscure. All are among the greatest spaceships in all of sci-­fi.
By Futurism Staff10 years ago in Futurism
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Best & Worst Episodes
One of the most popular television shows ever developed for the Star Trek franchise, Deep Space Nine (DS9), came to an end in June of 1999. Its growing popularity did come as a bit of a surprise, especially to the community of Trek fans. When the show began airing in January 1993, Star Trek: The Next Generation was at its prime, and it had taken long enough for the fans of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy to warm up to that show. Deep Space Nine had quite a few other strikes against it. Not only was it a darker vision of the future, but it was the first Star Trek ongoing series to be developed after the death of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry.
By Futurism Staff10 years ago in Futurism
Why Presidents Swear on the Bible
Symbolism is not always what it seems. Presidents swear on a Bible. “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Do they actually believe in the deity whose purported book, religion, and ideals are sworn over and, by definition, are therefore the judge of their success? Are all our presidents, according to accepted scientific belief, swearing over a book that may have no more truth in it than Lord of the Rings. Did Eve talk to snakes? Did Frodo talk to a dragon? In an age of deteriorating numbers of true believers, and a resurgence of science as the authority, why do the leaders of our country swear over what half the country believes is a book written by men in their pursuit of organized and institutional religion. Where is the separation of church and state, when the first act as president is religiously symbolic? Maybe they should swear over Frank Herbert’s Dune or George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones. Or perhaps the best idea would be to swear over the constitution. God should have very little to do with it, irrespective of traditions. The perception that it is a requirement is wrong. There have been notable presidents who have not sworn over a religious book. Irrespective of their religious beliefs, they did not confuse their duties to America with God.
By Joshua Samuel Zook10 years ago in Futurism
