I need to get my wetware dry-cleaned...
I've been reading a lot of (what else?) sci-fi recently that deals with humanity's future. That is, the future where we don't blow ourselves up or get wiped out by a bunch of time-travelling cyborgs. The happier endings seem to fall into a few basic categories:
1. The Galactic Empire. Think "Dune" or "Foundation." Humanity has conquered the stars, relatively unchanged, and goes on to fight interesting wars with itself in the style of medieval houses. While the easiest to relate to, the oddest thing seems to be that unless you have something like the Spice Melange, humans don't evolve all that much in spite of technological advances. Of course, a lot of these ideas were put forth in what I'd call the "Big Science" era where computers filled rooms and machines were kept very apart from man (comparitively speaking).
2. The Collective. This is similar to a concept put forth in "The Forever War" or a less H.R. Giger vision of The Borg. Either through some kind of biological modification, technological networking, or both, humanity becomes a greater whole. Individualism varies, but we're all to one extent or another, part of a larger organism made up of networked computers and brains. This one seems more likely, given trends in technological advancement, than #1. I mean, I know tons of people who would love to be able to text and call people by just thinking about it.
3. Cyberpunk: Kind of "collective lite," and examples can be found in such novels as "Snow Crash" and "Altered Carbon" as well as the graphic (emphasis on "graphic," so click carefully) novel series "Transmetropolitan." We get wetware, neural inputs, and downloadable "selves" that can pilot new bodies (if we get killed by fellow cyberpunks). Life is digitized, drugs and enhancements are plentiful, and our civilization spans the stars wearing computerized body piercings and sporting a chromium-green mohawk. Style is nearly as important as skill, and life can range from Megacorp CEO to cyborg hacker to A.I. to homeless vet of the "steel wars" with an artificial lower half.
I think we might be trending towards 2 by way of 3, unless some nano-collective cyber-virus gets loose and we cut out the part where iPods are surgically implanted and go directly to the singularity. Though the singularity might have its downside, too. I think the biggest "miss" that older sci-fi didn't see coming was the integration of computer technology (or perhaps just processor power) with mass-produced consumer goods added to the human desire for distraction and immersion into our distractions of choice. The economic kablooie currently going on might kill that concept, but in the meantime, us gizmo fanatics can probably look forward to a Black Friday like no other.
But on to lighter sci-faire: "Eureka" left us with lots of loose ends tied up, but a new thread to hold viewer interest until next season. But more news on the show's next season has come out, including the return of Nathan Stark. They're also putting out a comic book to flesh out some of the characters seen in the previous seasons, along with a web-based series. So weird science fans can rejoice!
On a related note, some concept art for Stargate: Universe has been posted. The description of the show as "never-ending" seems a tad optomistic, but there you go.
Speaking of spaceships, some clearly insane Europeans want to launch other lunatics into low-orbit inside of rockets where (scroll down for the image) you ride behind a clear nosecone all the way up and all the way down. I say they're nuts in the same way I find roller-coaster enthusasts nuts, and I freely admit that were I put on one of these, I would probably paint the inside with whatever I'd eaten the week before as I passed out. And that would most likely happen before it had even left the lauchpad. :)
Then again, there's always the chance you'll someday view Earth from an orbiting bubble.
Link two of these and call me in the morning:
- I like this new trend if office security.
- Forget all of the news from Wall Street, when McDonald's starts rationing the sauces, we're in deep yogurt.
- A language warning on the next one: Someone has cast the current political race as a D&D game. The table-talk alone is worth the read.
- This is an interesting 3-D game concept: Run has you, a little space-organism, running down a hallway with holes to jump over and walls to "rotate" onto if the current "floor" displeases you. Arrows to move, space to jump.
- And now, a random moment with Tom Baker. Anyone know the story behind this?
- Puzzle game time: Rlax is a sort of cross between Mah-Jongg and a reversed form of Tetris. Clear the playfield by clicking on "clear" (that is, untrapped) pieces before the timer runs out.
- A small diverison in the form of a webpage that turns your name into a face.
- An item I could see myself wearing (if it wasn't $150 smackers): a skull ring with a 2gb flash drive built-in. I like to think of it as what "The Phantom" would keep his files on. :)
- To close, here's a top 10 list of the greatest rogues galleries in geekdom. I take issue with Spider-Man having the dumbest rogues gallery, as the ones that have lasted outweigh the lame ones. I'd probably put The Flash up for having one of the oddest collections of villains, though the animated Justice League cartoon brought three or four of them into at least kitchy-fun territory.