When I first saw the teaser trailer for Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, I knew it was a movie that I wanted to see. It was a simple trailer in terms of special effects and action, but it spoke deeply and directly to the audience. When the first trailer came out, there was very little information on … Continue reading Should I stay or should I go?
Category: Science Fiction
Random thoughts on the Near-Future
I finally decided to sit down and watch Spoke Jonze’s newest movie, Her. In case you haven’t seen the trailer or heard about the movie, Her is basically a science-fiction romance, where a man falls in love with his Artificial Intelligent Operating System. What you would expect to be some sort of comedy is, at … Continue reading Random thoughts on the Near-Future
The Division of Districts and People
After watching the latest Hunger Games movie, Catching Fire, one of the many things I began wondering was “How did 12 Districts come to be?” For those who aren’t familiar with the Hunger Games Trilogy (don’t worry, I haven’t read any of the books), the nation of Panem is a dystopian North America divided into … Continue reading The Division of Districts and People
Changing Nature to Protect Nature
What we used to call Nature is no more. Almost every part of the world has been changed due to human activity, whether by direct action, or by the indirect change of the global climate. The mark of humanity is distinctly imprinted upon the Earth, for better and for worse. As stewards of the planet … Continue reading Changing Nature to Protect Nature
Loading Program…Earth.System
Arthur C. Clarke’s third law states, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Rachel Armstrong, the Living Architect, expanded on this idea, saying, “Any sufficiently advanced civilization is indistinguishable from nature.” These ideas remind us that technology (and civilization) is advancing at rapid rates, and before we know it, it will become unrecognizable when … Continue reading Loading Program…Earth.System
Computing with Water
Water seems like such a mundane material, yet it covers roughly 70% of the Earth’s surface area and is essential to sustain all living organisms on this planet. Water is used in many basic chemical reactions, but in its purest form, doesn’t do anything exciting. That’s why I found this article: Gardens as Crypto-Water-Computers, written … Continue reading Computing with Water
After the End
Decaying ruins consumed by vegetation, buckling roads littered with broken-down cars, bomb-blasted wastelands under a polluted sky – remnants of a once thriving technological civilization, now monuments to that civilization’s downfall. These images are becoming all too familiar in today’s society, not because they are the scenes we see when we look out our windows, … Continue reading After the End
Modern-day Weather Machines
It’s certainly been a pretty hot summer this year. In fact, it’s been so hot, us Midwesterners are probably experiencing the worst drought in decades. Although it has rained a little bit these past few days, Summer 2012 has mostly been populated with +100 degree Fahrenheit days, cloudless skies and yellow grass. Crops are withering … Continue reading Modern-day Weather Machines
At the Precipice…
I once heard that the United Nations had appointed a scientist to be the Official Liaison for Outer Space Affairs. It was said that her job was to be the first contact in the event that an extraterrestrial species tried to make contact with Earth. Basically, she is the person that the aliens want to … Continue reading At the Precipice…
UrbnFutr: New Breeds of Cities – Fictional Solutions to Future Problems
Wrote my second ''full-lenth'' article for the Urban Times today! It's posted on the Urban Times sub-site, URBNFUTR. Check it out. Let me know what you think, comments and constructive criticism is important to me! In other news: I'm heading back home today for winter break!
Ethan Yen 