book review
Books reviews of the best science fiction stories, texts, educational texts, and journals.
A new kind of 3D-printed carrot, in the words of its Qatar-based inventors. Content Warning.
Qatari students aim to make ‘food accessible to people all over the world’ with their newly invented 3D printer. Innovation in the heart of Qatar has birthed a groundbreaking solution to the widespread issue of food insecurity. Two visionary students, Mohammad Annan, aged 20, and Lujain Al Mansoori, aged 21, both pursuing information systems at Doha's Carnegie Mellon University, have achieved an extraordinary feat - the creation of a 3D printer capable of mass-producing vegetables, offering a potential remedy to the global food crisis.
By nizam uddin2 years ago in Futurism
Review of Jack Dann's The Fiction Writer's Guide to Alternate History
I've always had a keen love of alternate history science fiction. Amazon Prime Video's The Man in the High Castle series (2015-2019), a mostly brilliant adaptation of Philip K. Dick's path-breaking 1962 novel, in which the Axis won the Second World War, was pretty much from the moment I started watching it easily the best drama I've ever seen on television, and still is. (Here's an interview I did with Rufus Sewell in 2021 about the leading character he played in the series, one who wasn't in Dick's novel.)
By Paul Levinson2 years ago in Futurism
Exploring the Possibilities of Time Travel 🕰️ 🧳
The idea of traveling to the past or future has long captured our imaginations in science fiction, but could it ever become reality? While time travel remains firmly in the realm of theory today, the laws of physics may permit it under certain conditions. Let’s explore what modern science tells us about the possibility and challenges of manipulating time. Our modern understanding of time began with Einstein’s theory of relativity. It showed that time is relative and can flow at different rates depending on an object’s motion or proximity to massive objects like stars. But perhaps the most profound insight is that time is merely one dimension of spacetime, along with three dimensions of space. This opened up mind-bending ideas about the nonlinear nature of time. If time can bend and warp alongside space, it suggests the possibility of shortcuts or ‘wormholes’ that could connect different points in spacetime. In theory, wormholes act like tunnels cutting across the fabric of the universe. Traveling through one could transport someone vast distances, or perhaps even between different points in time. However, current physics shows wormholes would collapse almost instantly due to pressure from quantum effects. Stabilizing them would require amounts of energy far beyond what we can generate.Another approach focuses on moving at or faster than light speed. According to relativity, time slows down for fast-moving objects. At light speed it stands still. So accelerating to superluminal speeds could allow travel into the future, as more time would pass on Earth than in the traveler's frame of reference. However, no known means exists to exceed light speed, and relativistic effects become unpredictable beyond that boundary. Tachyons, hypothetical particles that always move faster than light, are another proposed solution. Some think they could travel backward in time. But direct evidence for tachyons has never been found, and they would violate causality by allowing effects to precede causes. Regardless, building a viable 'tachyon drive' remains entirely speculative. Wormholes and superluminal travel face enormous practical hurdles requiring technologies far beyond our current capacities. But progress in quantum physics offers another potentially viable avenue – harnessing quantum effects to create shortcuts between spacetime points. One idea proposes squeezing matter through an extra dimension curled up tiny at the subatomic scale. Essentially tunneling between our three dimensions and higher-order dimensions to travel through spacetime. However, generating controlled extra dimensions and navigating them presents formidable challenges. Another approach applies quantum mechanics principles. Entangled particles behave non-locally as if interfaced, even when physically separated. Some theorize entangled systems could allow communicating into the past by exploiting obscure quantum processes like negative energies or closed timelike curves. If realized, quantum time travel may be far more achievable than classical approaches. But controlling delicate quantum states well enough to transmit meaningful information backward poses monumental engineering obstacles. Clarifying how to preserve causality also remains unclear. Regardless of the method, time travelers would face fundamental problems like paradoxes arising from changes to history. The 'grandfather paradox' - changing the past so your grandfather is never born thereby preventing your own existence - highlights issues of self-consistency. Special principles may need to govern changes, with the past only mutable in dynamically allowed 'alternative timelines’. While overcoming all these immense scientific and logical hurdles means time travel may never transpire, ongoing developments in fields like quantum computing could gradually create ways of transforming time manipulation from imaginary fiction to theoretical possibility. Ultimately, even partial demonstrations of warping or tunneling through spacetime would profoundly influence our view of reality and humanity's role in the cosmos. Whether we can devise reliable journeys across time remains one of science's greatest unsolved puzzles.
By Rakindu Perera2 years ago in Futurism
Kaido Vs Kizaru
In opposite of those who sought for treasure through Piracy, Kizaru, would rise up amidst the crafted chaos in defense of the weak and defenseless. A stark difference to the likes of the War Hungry Ogre, General Kaido. A confrontation between these two Titans had narrowly been avoided on two separate occasions. As Strawhat Luffy has now sparked a war with the World Government, he's been put face to face with Admiral Borsalino and his near invincible powers of a Logia class master.
By Twilights Cavern2 years ago in Futurism
Future Peering Masters Of One Piece
5. "Chaser" Yasopp Red Hair Shanks would embark on a quest to find capable men to follow him into a Chaotic Sea. Seas filled with chaos that Gol D. Roger, essentially Red Hairs adopted father had excited through the lure of power and treasure. Yasopp like many of his fellow crew had earned his notoriety through his own exploits. The infamy of Red Hairs Lieutenant's are unmatched by many of their rivals in sheer quality.
By Twilights Cavern2 years ago in Futurism
Strawhat Luffy VS Kizaru
The Dastardly Strawhat Luffy has yet again lived up to his reckless reputation. By involving himself in matters of the World Government, he has sparked an event of worldly consequences. For delving too deep into forbidden history, Dr. Vegapunk was to meet his demise at the hands of Cipher Pol Aigis Zero. The Strawhat Pirates would be thrusted onto this path by "Fate" itself. The drawing of straws between the Worst Generation Trio, had set into motion dangerous events. Ones in which the trio of captains were prepared to risk their lives in their pursuit of conquest.
By Twilights Cavern2 years ago in Futurism
Review of Chris Cosmain's Novikov Windows
I'm going to here review a a very recently published, nearly 500-page time travel novel -- Chris Cosmain's Novikov Windows: A Time Travel Novel (that's the sub-title) -- I've just read, in two days. That should give you an idea of how compelling I think this novel is.
By Paul Levinson2 years ago in Futurism
Sony Xperia 5 versus Asus Zenfone 10: Pursuing the Best Decision for Your Conservative Cell Phone. Content Warning.
Value, specs, and accessibility **Asus Zenfone 10:** Cost: Beginning at $700 Accessibility: Sent off in late August in the US, accessible in Europe since June
By YOU NEED ME2 years ago in Futurism
Why Hanging tight for the iPhone 15 Is the Shrewd Decision. Content Warning.
1. Forthcoming iPhone 15 Enhancements Apple's approaching item sendoff, the Apple September occasion planned for September 12, vows to divulge the long-supposed iPhone 15 series. This range is reputed to contain the standard iPhone 15, iPhone 15 or more, iPhone 15 Expert, and iPhone 15 Master Max. With somewhat less than seven days until the occasion, it is enthusiastically prescribed to anticipate the arrival of these new iPhones, especially on the off chance that you are mulling over an update from an iPhone 13 model.
By YOU NEED ME2 years ago in Futurism
