Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Futurism.
Quantum Stills of a Thin-Spun Life - Part 6
The once secret Augur Chamber echoed with many awed and exclamatory voices as the Masters, Elders and senior Journeymen looked about and studied the strange objects. It was the first time any of them had entered the room, but for this meeting of the Advisory Council, Naera thought it best to convene where she could offer answers to some of the questions she knew were coming. That she had her own misgivings about both the immediate and ongoing future was something she couldn’t allow them to see.
By Theresa McGarry9 years ago in Futurism
Do You Want Your Bacon CRISPR?
In the 1980s, pig farmers started seeing their herds come down with a viral infection causing severe breathing problems, a disorder that became known as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, or PRRS. The disease is particularly rough on young pigs, and in sows it can cause early pregnancy terminations or stillbirths of entire litters. PRRS today results in annual losses among pork producers in the U.S. of $650 million and €1.5 billion in Europe.
By Alan Kotok9 years ago in Futurism
Rewatching... Doctor Who: The Evil Of The Daleks - Part 3
"You are more than human." Saturday 3 June 1967 All things considered it hasn't been a great day for Jamie. He opened a booby trapped box of gas which knocked him and the Doctor out. Then he woke up all groggy in 1866 with a thumping headache. In Canterbury. Now I'm sure most of us could tell a few stories about waking up in 1866 after springing a gas box (yes that's right: a euphemism), but even I have never woken up in Canterbury. And now he's been bashed on the head and abducted by a well loved 70s comedy actor (Windsor Davies), playing a thug called Toby, and has woken up all groggy with a thumping headache (probably - he doesn't actually say so), in a barn. Toby calls his weapon 'Mr Nod'. I like a villain who gives his weapon a pet name. Mr Nod is a sort of cudgel thing. I expect if he'd been armed with a pistol it would have been named Mr Death.
By Nick Brown9 years ago in Futurism
Interview with Trina Phillips, Chief Futurist at SciFutures
Trina Phillips is a writer, editor and one of the chief futurists at SciFutures, a company dedicated to helping companies bridge the gap between science fiction and reality, via ideation, prototyping and storytelling. Trina has been published in numerous science fiction publications, including Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, AE and Daily Science Fiction. I had the opportunity to sit with her to discuss her career, and the myriad of ways her company is helping to shape forthcoming technology.
By Joshua Sky9 years ago in Futurism
Screen Reader Usage: Part 1
Welcome to another article here on Vocal. I'm Jared Rimer, I am here to talk today about how us blind people go about using a computer. This will be a multipart series. The first part will talk about screen readers, the different names of the ones that came out around the time I started using a computer, and provide a basic understanding on how it all works. Subsequent installments will discuss how we use Windows machines, and how we learn computer commands and other capabilities.
By Jared Rimer9 years ago in Futurism
The Star Trek: Discovery Debacle
The above trailer has sparked such a controversy among its viewer base that it would be nigh-impossible to fairly describe the whole affair in any short time. I'll try nevertheless, concentrating on my own thoughts concerning the subject.
By Nathan Istvan9 years ago in Futurism
White Knight
Everything was in motion at once. The vibration came from the fuel pumps below kicking into life, sending the rocket's lifeblood in motion. Those pumps would have to help the engines to produce enough thrust to get the twenty-one ton vehicle in motion.
By Matthew Kresal9 years ago in Futurism
Visual Content Needs a Social Life
Series note: As technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, Big Data and mixed reality start to blur the line between science and science fiction, some of the most exciting developments are coming from startup companies operating at the frontiers of innovation. Over the next few weeks, I'll be profiling a few of the companies chipping away at problems big and small, helping to make the future real for consumers and businesses.
By Rob Salkowitz9 years ago in Futurism
Scariest Science Fiction Aliens
The scariest science fiction aliens often capture some element of existential dread we all hold inside. Good horror fiction captures that spark of terror all of us have inside from the days of cave man. The fear of being eaten. The fear of what lurks in the dark – and what darkness is more vast and mysterious than the dark expanse of space?
By Anthony Gramuglia9 years ago in Futurism
Novel Samples
A sample of Chapter 1 for Smile of a Broken King. A knock sounded at the door, prompting the servant to stand and allow a large, dark man with crow’s wings in. His sharp, yellow eyes looked the girl over in the tub, a grin stretching over his long face. He stepped inside and bowed to her, flourishing his feathers. She lowered herself deeper into the water in a sad attempt to hide from him.
By Saphira Nightengale9 years ago in Futurism
Aliens or Comets? Has the 'Wow!' Signal Mystery Finally Been Solved?
The search for evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence is one of the most exciting pursuits in astronomy today. Needless to say, there is a lot of controversy and debate surrounding the topic, partly due to an event which happened in 1977 - the famous "Wow!" signal. The brief but unusual radio transmission was detected only once, and the debate over its origin has continued to this day. Now, a group of astronomers are claiming to have finally solved the mystery. According to their new study just published, the signal came not from aliens, but comets.
By Paul Scott Anderson9 years ago in Futurism
