tech
Curious tech and technology from the realm of science and science fiction.
Why Asteroid Mining Will Never Happen
It’s amazing how people, even smart people, can be trapped by the past. Take the acquisition of metal, for example. For all of its existence, two hundred thousand years, the human race has known only one general way to get metal.
By Jeffrey A. Corkern8 years ago in Futurism
Digital Drugs: The Future of Pain Relief Is Electronic
Could your Apple Watch do double duty as a pain relief device? Maybe the next incarnation of the fitness tracker, The Fitbit, will be the go-to tech to help you endure your torn leg muscle from jogging too much or suffering from the dull ache of early onset arthritis pain. As wearable tech and digital devices become more affordable and powerful, we’re happily strapping onto our bodies all kinds of wonderful electronic toys. In the medical field, digital pain relief for many kinds of common ailments promises to be only an app click away. All that quick relief and convenience sound great—but what, if any, are the potential downsides?
By Will Stape8 years ago in Futurism
Space
In a recent Omni article, "New Words Were Needed," I looked at some of the commonalities between modernism and science fiction. After inventorying some of the ways science fiction transposes modernist formal concerns to the level of story, I wrote, "And those are just some of the techniques of modernism; I won't even mention postmodernism."
By M. Thomas Gammarino8 years ago in Futurism
The Space Museum Lover's Bucket List
One of the best things about going to a space museum is sharing the experience with astrophile friends and family who are as ready to nerd out as you are. If space shuttles, planetariums, lunar rocks, and astronaut suits get you all kinds of excited, then prepare to blast off to geek paradise with this list of the best space museums in the whole world.
By Sarah Quinn8 years ago in Futurism
When Saucers First Flew
Ray Palmer was the father of a sizable, and still-growing, chuck of Western pop culture. One of the first generation of science fiction editors (Amazing Stories), he discovered and first published writer Isaac Asimov and artist Virgil Finlay. Nonetheless, when it came to pulp, he liked it slapdash, slam-bang, and science-free.
By Jack Womack8 years ago in Futurism
History of the Space Shuttle Columbia
"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Those were the memorable words spoken by astronaut Neil Armstrong. From Neil Armstrong's first steps on the Moon to the discovery of water on Mars, space exploration is no longer science fiction. It has been many decades since Space Shuttle Columbia took off for its fifth mission into space. On November 11, 1982, STS-5 successfully took off following the success of the first four test flights. It then executed a triumphant landing after spending five days, two hours, 14 minutes and 26 seconds in orbit.
By Futurism Staff8 years ago in Futurism