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Futurama

"The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible." - Arthur C. Clarke

The future of technology will resemble the ongoing ideological clash between liberalism and conservatism. At some point in our near future technology will be accessible and available at such universal level that fundamental changes in our concept of normalcy will occur and a struggle will will ensue. This struggle, between the technologically liberal and the technologically conservative may arise out of any number of events, but at its core it will be a battle between those who are willing, even desiring, to change themselves to operate better in their environment or to conform socially; and those who will seek a purity in the human condition and seek to change their environment to conform to them.

Stories

20 Stories

  • December 2008

    • Japanese Scientists Can Read Your Mind

      Daily Yomiuri  |  Dec 12, 08 12:02 PM CST

      Japanese Scientists Can Read Your Mind

      (Newser) - The Thought Police could eventually exist in reality, if they can just figure out how to harness new technology developed by Japanese researchers, the Daily Yomuri reports. The team managed to re-create images that people were looking at—using only subjects' recorded brain activity. This is the first successful display of messages directly from the human brain. More »

    • Barbies of the Future May Grow on Trees

      Discover  |  Dec 6, 08 2:31 PM CST

      Barbies of the Future May Grow on Trees

      (Newser) - Wooden toys may not be so 1850s, scientists say. A bioplastic made from trees has been used to make everything from golf tees to car parts in recent years, but its sulfurous stink kept it out of the toy market. Now a sulfur-free version of "liquid wood" is available, and it may be molded into kid-friendly playthings, reports Discover. More »

    • Disney's New 'Tomorrowland' House as Bland as Leftovers

      The Atlantic  |  Dec 4, 08 3:52 PM CST

      Disney's New 'Tomorrowland' House as Bland as Leftovers

      (Newser) - In the 1950s, Disneyland wowed visitors and architecture aficionados with its dynamic vision of domesticity in its House of the Future, but, as PJ O’Rourke laments in the Atlantic , Disney’s latest house is “almost furiously unimaginative.” A peek at Disney’s domestic vision finds a future that “will be tough on the stomach, relentlessly beige, and, in every sense, subprime.” More »

  • November 2008

    • Tech Predictions—From 1968

      DVice  |  Nov 20, 08 7:31 AM CST

      Tech Predictions—From 1968

      (Newser) - In 1968 a science fiction writer made some predictions about what 2008 might look like on Nov. 18, 2008. Take a step back into the future with this list from Sci Fi: Online shopping: Long before Al Gore invented the Internet, he predicted shoppers would pay their bills and get their goods electronically. The rise of home computing: "The single most important item in 2008 households is the computer.” Laptop/tablet computers (and email): Ditch that dusty attaché case and start using your portable "TV screen." More »

  • September 2008

    • Harry Potter Portal Is Possible: Experts

      Nature  |  Sep 23, 08 4:24 AM CDT

      Harry Potter Portal Is Possible: Experts

      (Newser) - Harry Potter's invisibility cloak might be a real stretch, but scientists are now closer to making hidden portals like the one in an apparently solid wall that Harry uses to reach the train to Hogwarts, Nature reports. Objects made with so-called metamaterials—electrical devices that react oddly to light—can appear bigger than they are and appear to fill an entire doorway, say scientists in Shanghai. "It is a bit like magic—terrific fun," said a physicist. More »

    • Romans Left Conquered Peoples More Prone to HIV

      BBC  |  Sep 4, 08 6:06 PM CDT

      Romans Left Conquered Peoples More Prone to HIV

      (Newser) - The Roman conquest of Europe may explain why populations living in the former empire are more vulnerable to HIV, French researchers say. A genetic variant that protects against the AIDS-causing virus is less prevalent in former Roman colonies such as England, France, Greece, and Spain, though some argue that a larger event like the bubonic plague caused the variation, the BBC reports. More »

  • August 2008

    • Let Athletes Use Genetic Doping

      Economist  |  Aug 2, 08 2:48 PM CDT

      Let Athletes Use Genetic Doping

      (Newser) - Genetic therapy's potential to boost athletic performance has sports bodies worried, but fairness should not be an issue, the Economist opines. The luck of the genetic draw already gives some athletes an edge over their competitors, and the only question should be whether gene treatment is safe for the athletes. Such doping may not be advanced enough to surface in the Beijing Games, but the issue will arise soon enough. More »

  • July 2008

    • Roots of Speech Found in Humming Fish

      National Geographic  |  Jul 18, 08 3:13 AM CDT

      Roots of Speech Found in Humming Fish

      (Newser) - The songs of birds, the hums and grunts of toadfish, and the lofty speech of humans all use the same ancient brain circuit, despite an evolutionary split 400 million years ago, reports National Geographic . Researchers have discovered that the base of the hindbrain and upper spinal cord is the starting point for all vocalizations. More »

    • Hero Dog Wins Cloning Contest

      Globe and Mail  |  Jul 3, 08 4:13 AM CDT