The birth of Skynet anyone?

Vijay Kumar's labs at the University of Pennsylvania are building some pretty amazing flying robots that can act as a unit, fly in formation and and do some other very cool things. These smalls robots could function in a variety of ways, including first response missions to ferret out intruders or find survivors in collapsed buildings, the transportation of objects and construction.

Vijay Kumar: Robots that fly ... and cooperate | Video on TED.com

As amazing as this technology is, we have to consider the repercussions of an increasingly automated world. Could the world of Terminator really exist one day? When will the fascinating advances in Robotics result in the hostile take over of the earth by vengeful A.I.?


I've listed a few books and films that portray different versions of humanities future and how machines can change or even dominate the world. Help me compile a full list of A.I. by adding some titles to the Comments section


iRobot series Issac Asimov 
Dune prequels by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson 
      Butlerian Jihad
      The Machine Crusade
      The Battle of Corrin 

Hyperion by Dan Simmons

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein

The Ship Who Sang by Anne McAffrey

The Ghost in the Machine

The Matrix film series

Terminator film series

 

 

Hong Kong Dollars & Indian Cents: Fantastical Currency

From freerepublic.com

As I waited in line at the bank this morning, I began to think about the types of currency used in SciFi and Fantasy and whether I would, one day, find my retinas being scanned to purchase things like socks from The Bay or underwear from Sears.

Some SFF stories use versions of old world coins or bartering. Stories set in the future often use electronic credits, biological implanted "banks" or some other high-tech exchange system. It's pretty fascinating, especially, when you are attempting to create a currency for your own work.

I've  provided some links to lists of fictional currency that you might enjoy and find useful. Remember "Space Bucks" from the movie Spaceballs?!

I was hoping I would find more lists, so, if you know any, please pass on links to other fictional currency resources.

  

http://concord.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Fictional_Currencies

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fictional_currenciesl

Avengers Assemble - Canadian Release May 4, 2012

DOES NOT WORK WELL WITH OTHERS.

Well, that appears to be the case in the Avengers Assemble Trailer I just watched. To tell you the truth, I wouldn't mind watching the Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America bash each other to bits  and, even better, the Hulk squashing all of them at the same time with his big green foot.

Still, it looks like there will be some nice evil bashing scenes. I'm interesting in seeing more of that serrated, mechanical, flying, super wormy thing that looks like Shockwave's snakey/wormy form's younger and more practical little brother.

And Hawkeye seems useless. Guess we'll see.

Animated Evolution!

 Check out this wonderful little animation of evolution created by  Tyler Rhodes, a student in the animation program at Virginia Commonwealth University, with the help of a group of elementary school children:

Georges Méliès's 1902 Classic, 'A Trip to the Moon'

If you've watched Scorsese's "Hugo", then you have seen Ben Kinsley play Goerges Méliès, the "cinemagician" who discovered "Subsititution Stop trick", and created "The impossible Voyage" "A trip to the Moon", some of the most important early Science Fiction films in history. 


I have to admit, I know of these movies and I respect them for being some of the progenitors of my beloved SciFi and Fantasy films, their innovation and ingenuity, but I don't know much about them and their creator. And I'm a bit ashamed. So, for all of you who are in the same boat, let's cure ourselves of ignorance and learn a little bit about this man and his work. I've attached a clip below as well as somes links to other sites that provide information about Georges Méliès and his work. 


Question: What are your thoughts on early Science Fiction and Fantasy movies? 

Georges Méliès's 1902 Classic, 'A Trip to the Moon'

Georges Méliès

"A trip to the Moon" 1902 

"The Impossible Voyage" (1904)

"20, 000 Leagues Under the Sea" (1907)

"Les hallucinations du baron de Münchhausen" (1911)

Aliens vs Promethius

The new Ridley Scott movie, Prometheus, is coming out some time before summer. It is definitely not what I expected it to be.

Prometheus is a spaceship whose crew includes Michael Fassbender (YaY!) and Naoomi Rapace from the REAL Dragon Tatoo movies (double YaY!). They are investigating an alien society that may hold the key to human origins.

Though it takes place before the events of the Alien, there are only a few connections between Prometheus and the old movies. You will recognize the name Weyland (watch clip below). The Prometheus is owned by Weyland Industries, which merged with Yutani Corporation, and later employed Ellen Ripley, the star of the Alien movies.

I have to admit that I am quite relieved that the Aliens do not appear in this movie. They scare the crap out of me. Instead, we'll see something new, perhaps, a different kind of scary.

I'm curious to know what people think of the new movie from what they have heard and seen so far. Write me a comment below!

Watch the CEO of Weyland Industries in this viral video on you tube:

Watch Prometheus Trailers:

Speaking of Elements...

 Over at www.dailygalaxy.com,

 

Rare Earth Element Detected for the First Time in 12-Billion-Year-Old Stars in Milky Way's Halo

Fictional Elements

Creating fictional elements is an essential part of writing SciFi and Fantasy. What factors do writers and filmmakers consider when selecting or creating an element? 


Do they start with known, exisiting elements and morph them?
Do they start with a function or property and then use it to inspire the name?


According to Wikipedia, the Adamantium that surrounds Wolverine's skeletal structure was inspired by the Greek word adamant, "the embodiment of impregnable, diamond like hardness, or a very firm/resolute position". Okay, so how did Frank Herbert come up with "Spice" or "Melange", a narcotic used as currency in the Dune Books, that had interesting effects on human morphology, physiology and mental ability? If you know, comment below!


I found a wonderful Fictional Periodic Table on the net. As you scroll over each element, a short description pops up, including the element's source (book, film, t.v. show, etc). For example: Magicite from Final Fantasy; Trilithium from Star Trek; Caesiumfrankolithicmixialubidiumrixidixidexidoxidroxide from Red Dwarf:

Periodic Table of Fictional Elements

For those of you who want to dig deeper and who have access to Jstor or other online databases you can read "Chemical Elements in Fantasy and Science Fiction", a paper by Juliane Ober and Thomas Krebs. Heres the info:

    Chemical Elements in Fantasy and Science Fiction

    Juliane Ober and Thomas Krebs

    Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706

    Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706

    J. Chem. Educ., 2009, 86 (10), p 1141

    DOI: 10.1021/ed086p1141

    Publication Date (Web): October 1, 2009

Tell us about elements that you have created or that you think are interesting.

What is the coolest fictional element ever created?

OCAD's SUMO Robot Challenge 2012 - March 3, 1:30pm to 4pm, Toronto

Guys, this is pretty cool. If you register by February 27 you can be like Hugh Jackman in "the-movie-that-no-one-I-know-noticed-or-watched-in-the-theatre" (also known as Real Steel). Though, building a kick-ass robot might take a little longer than a few days.

Why don't you observe this time round and sniff out the competitors' weak spots. Next year you'll be able to dominate the ring!!!!

Read the registration and competition rules

OCAD's SUMO Robot Challenge 2012 - March 3

Dancing lights in the Sky: the Mystery of the Auroras

The nature of the Northern and Southern lights may have been solved by researchers at the  Massachusetts Institute of Technology: 

Read the Article at space.com

How will climate change affect the Earth?

According to Bill Mcguire, climate change will result in a surge of volcanoes, tsunamis and earthquakes, comparable to what happened 20,000 to 50, 000 years. 


           "Between about 20,000 and 5,000 years ago, our planet underwent an astonishing climatic transformation. Over the course of this period, it flipped from the frigid wasteland of deepest and darkest ice age to the – broadly speaking – balmy, temperate world upon which our civilisation has developed and thrived. During this extraordinarily dynamic episode, as the immense ice sheets melted and colossal volumes of water were decanted back into the oceans, the pressures acting on the solid Earth also underwent massive change. In response, the crust bounced and bent, rocking our planet with a resurgence in volcanic activity, a proliferation of seismic shocks and burgeoning giant landslides"                                                                             
                                                                        - Bill McGuire, Guardian U.K., Sunday, February 26, 2012

Read the article

Add a little Neil Gaiman to your day!

Ladies and Gents, Neil Gaiman has a blog. His own personal blog in which he posts stories, journal entries, and other interesting Gaimon-y items. I`ve just joined it, exciting!

Here`s the link, www.neilgaiman.com. Enjoy!!!!!