Posted by Chris Jensen |
Apr. 28, 2008 10:54AM PST
| 1461 views
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FILED UNDER: Features, Humor.
Apparently, Top 10 Lists have not lost the ability to generate readership in the future, as evidenced by my recent time-hopping adventures that found me securing a few lists from popular publications.
Top 10 Unintentional Consequences of Being Immortal
1. No one can figure out when Social Security begins.
2. Recent Gamma-Ray Burst has charred Earth, making life here unappealing.
3. “Till death do us part” needs some re-wording.
4. Ancient videogames that allowed your character to die are seeing a massive wave of nostalgia.
5. You've surfed every page on Universe-Net.
6. No easy answer for the question, “What's the worst that could happen?”
7. You're bored.
8. The word “procrastination” has lost all meaning.
9. Everything that annoys you will annoy you forever.
10. What hell is going to happen when the Universe collapses?
More lists on page 2.
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(Source: InfoAddict Original)
Tags future, lists, top 10
Posted by Chris Jensen |
Mar. 26, 2008 07:52AM PST
| 330 views
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FILED UNDER: Features. People, Books.
The BBC has put together a great compilation of predictions offered by Arthur C. Clarke throughout his career, some of which came true, some which we're still waiting for. It covers everything from space elevators to earthquake prevention and makes for a great read.
#7. Brain Backup
It was an idea he thought would be useful for people wanting to pass their memories and personalities on at the end of their lives.
"When their bodies begin to deteriorate you transfer their thoughts so their personalities would be immortal," he told the BBC in 2005. "Just save it on a CD-Rom and plug it in - simple!"
Although scientists have not quite reached this stage yet, projects are starting to lay the foundations.
A CD-Rom? Surely we'll need a larger storage medium. Then again, considering the current state of humanity, perhaps a floppy-disc would suffice.
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(Source: BBC)
Tags bbc, future, predictions, arthur clarke
Posted by Chris Jensen |
Mar. 24, 2008 07:50AM PST
| 377 views
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FILED UNDER: Opinion. Books.
Isaac Asimov, Arthur Clarke and, to a certain extent, Robert Heinlein, wrote about possible futures that had a single common element: optimism. This was quite common in the golden age of science-fiction and has seen a steady decline every decade since. Pick up a typical science-fiction book today and the common prediction is a future loaded with pessimism. Either aliens will have enslaved us, or we will have enslaved ourselves with soul-sucking technology.
With that in mind, Loyd Case has written a good opinion piece on golden age science-fiction, a eulogy of sorts for a bygone era. It's excellent food for thought.
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(Source: ExtremeTech)
Tags future, isaac asimov, robert heinlein, arthur clarke, pessimism, optimism, science fiction
