io9
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future disasters
The Shattered World Of 2050 Glows With Unearthly Beauty
The sands of a renewed desert claim the remains of Las Vegas in 2050. It's not a still from Resident Evil 3, it's one of the terrifying future visions from The Age Of Stupid, a new environmental docudrama. Gallery below. More »
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Comment by Aaron Roberts: Gotta love the demonization of disagreement: "They are just stupid" And who needs to listen to stupid people? Ah, the... 29 Responses | Other threads
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futurism
The Future Of The U.S. Government, According To Science Fiction
Countless science fiction stories have asked the same question: What will America turn into next? The answers fall into three major categories, some more plausible than others. Take our poll to choose your favorite option.
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Comment by CodenameV: Soviet generals and government officials shown the "Amerika" miniseries openly laughed-out-loud at how mind-blowingly implausible "Amerika" was. Their biggest... 14 Responses | Other threads
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futurism
Seasteading Is The Aquatic Answer To The Housing Crisis
The Seasteading Institute, committed to the ongoing development of ocean communities, has just announced the winners of their first annual design content. Could people really end up living in these hypothetical off-shore communities? More »
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Comment by Jason Nugent: Seasteading is an interesting idea (I'd totally do it), but a "design contest" is nothing more than superficial dreaming. I'd... 16 Responses | Other threads
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augmented reality
More Augmented Reality Software That Will Change the Future
Using a new augmented reality (AR) service called Pachube, you can use your smart phone to "see" invisible environmental data about air quality and energy consumption. And we've got another amazing AR application too. More »
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Comment by cjgentile: Maybe this will help everyone realize that there is no global warming and the government is just trying to tax... 3 Responses | Other threads
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futurism
Two Augmented Reality Technologies That Are About To Change The World
Augmented reality is a technology futurists and scifi authors like Vernor Vinge have been talking about for decades. Now the tech has matured and is entering the market. Two videos of new products show you the near future. More »
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Comment by Kessica: Okay, I've read a handful of Augmented Reality SciFi, and are there any out there where things actually turn out... 7 Responses | Other threads
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futurism
Is Stem Cell Tourism About To Go Legit?
It's medical tourism's bleeding edge: people traveling to countries with no stem cell bans. Last year, a boy went to Russia for stem cell injections in his brain – he got only tumors. Is this the future of medical innovation? More »
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Comment by Jes St.Lawrence: 'Among them is Van Golden, a Christian, anti-abortion Texan who has sold his house so that he can travel to... 5 Responses | Other threads
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quote of the day
Google Is Making Us Smarter
Though it is fashionable to say the internet is making us stupid, futurist Jamais Cascio just published an article in The Atlantic refuting that idea. In fact, he thinks computer networks and biotech are an evolutionary response to global crisis. More »
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Comment by FiorenzaDampt: I dunno. I can see his point but all the bad spelling I've been exposed to online these past few... 7 Responses | Other threads
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larry niven
Larry Niven Helped Usher In Our Weird World
Ringworld author Larry Niven didn't just pioneer the "cool massive object in space" genre — he also helped predict today's world, including flashmobs, cochlear implants and planets orbiting Epsilon Eridani. NASA even found a possible ringworld, in 2004. [USA Today]
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Comment by gorehound: So why does Hollywood bombard us with all hteir lame YARM and they leave great authors like niven alone. Ringworld to... 8 Responses | Other threads
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chart porn
Chart Shows How Transhumanism Went Mainstream
Over At Accelerating Future, Michael Anissimov has used Google Trends to do a quick analysis of how many people searched on the term "transhumanism" over the past five years. More »
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Comment by twophrasebark: I don't mean to poop on this, but you can enter just about anything and get a fancy graph from... 4 Responses | Other threads
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futurism
Researchers Say Africa Needs "Genetic Prospectors"
Over the next 50 years, the climates of most African nations will change enough that their traditional crops will no longer be able to grow. But there is a solution — a new type of explorer called a genetic prospector. More »
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Comment by CSX321: What about natural selection? Assuming the seed for the next year's crop comes from the current crop, the plants that... 11 Responses | Other threads
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crap futurism
Can Ray Kurzweil's Rosy Predictions Stand Up To Fact-Checking?
When the Singularity arrives in 2045, Ray Kurzweil will finally be infallible. Until, then, however the famous futurist's meat brain has made some ludicrously inaccurate predictions, as Newsweek magazine pointed out recently. Kurzweil has sent an angry letter to the magazine, to try and clear his name. More » -
quote of the day
The Death Of Newspapers And Malls Proves That The Cylons Really Did Have A Plan All Along
We haven't yet created deadly Cylon centurions whose single red eyes are bent on our destruction. But we've definitely seen how our fervor for technology and invention has led us to some unintended consequences, Battlestar Galactica writer Mark Verheiden tells CNN. More » -
Stanley Schmidt
The Crazy Science-Fictional Future Is Coming Sooner Than You Think, Says Analog Editor
Stanley Schmidt, longtime editor of Analog Science Fiction And Fact, just published a new futurist work, predicting huge technological shifts "not in some hazy future... but tomorrow, next year, and the rest of our lives." More »
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Comment by goldfarb: bah...'convergence' here means 'mash-up'... BREAD! and MEAT!...= SANDWICH! it's amazing! it's a paradigm shift! "The 9/11 World Trade Center attack was made... 6 Responses | Other threads
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urban futurism
The Same Cityscape According To Star Trek And Terminator Salvation
Mega-nerd Protohiro compared screenshots of the exact same view of San Francisco from the Star Trek and Terminator Salvation trailers. Here's Trek's super-bright, super-big Frisco. Click through to see Terminator's gloomy, Skynet-infested version. More » -
future of an epidemic
Scientists Offer Four Scenarios Predicting the Spread of Swine Flu
Today epidemiologists have released four maps showing the way a flu pandemic will spread, depending on how nations respond with anti-viral drugs. Two scenarios demonstrate how to stop the spread of swine flu, fast. More »
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Comment by Roklimber: I find people's reactions here puzzling. "It's just the flu", "Call me when the quarantines start", and so on. First, we... 9 Responses | Other threads
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futurism
Plans to Convert the Sahara Into a Forest
One of the finalists for the prize in this year's Buckminster Fuller Challenge is a project that would use known technologies to convert the Sahara desert into a sustainable source of fresh fruit and vegetables. More »
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Comment by crashedpc : ã‚´ã‚ブリ and 蟑螂 division: Whoa! That seawater greenhouse is TOTALLY in ACTION and EXCITING. *stares at drab building in the middle of the desert* Kidding aside,... 46 Responses | Other threads
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urban futurism
Under the New Gaian Regime, No Roof May Lie Fallow
Many countries like Germany (pictured) and Switzerland are now mandating that all new buildings with flat roofs must plant a garden on them. What will cities look like when this practice becomes the norm? More »
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Comment by KeepingTheForeName_GitEmSteveDave: OK, someone correct me if I am wrong. I have heard a lot lately from the enviromentalist crowd that... 22 Responses | Other threads
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futurism
Could Pirates Become an Army for the Stateless?
A group of pirates is holding a US ship captain hostage in East African waters after hijacking his freighter. Forget robot soldiers - the ancient pirate is the future of warfare in a post-national world.
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Comment by alphanumeric1971: the only reason ships are hijacked at sea is because seagoing vessels aren't allowed to arm themselves or their sailors.... 27 Responses | Other threads
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concept maps
Diving Into the Wreck of Copenhagen's Metro System
Global warming has flooded the tunnels of the Christianshavn part of the Copenhagen metro network. Now the metro is occupied by whales and the occasional diver. Other strange things are happening to Copenhagen too. More »
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Comment by Grey_Area: This is just more hysteria dreamed by the liberal media. There is no such thing a Global Warming or whales.... 12 Responses | Other threads
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concept art
Indoor Forests Are Eco-Chic Home Accessories for a Deforested World
If all the forests around your home have been cut down, why not just turn your living room into a forest if you want to enjoy the green? That's what they're doing in Los Angeles. More »
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Comment by crashedpc : ã‚´ã‚ブリ and 蟑螂 division: The only immediate problem that I can see is that I might be tempted to pee on the trees. That... 5 Responses | Other threads
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sci fashion
Discarded Ethernet Cables Become Recycled Fashion in Colombia
Environmentalists worry about piles of non-recyclable e-waste, or discarded high-tech equipment. And somehow that's led to an explosion of ethernet cable fashion, as you can see in this recent fashion show in Medellin, Colombia. More »
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Comment by I ♥ Bitchy Trampolines: That headdress made out of ethernet cables is not very imaginative at all and the color combinations are atrocious. It... 11 Responses | Other threads
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concept art
Astronauts Tour the Ruins of Earth's Future
By the time the first extraterrestrials arrived on Earth, they found only the ruins of human civilization. But the landscape, at least outside in the deserts, was beautiful. Want to see what else they found? More »
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Comment by Grey_Area: First glance at those suits and I thought, "Pikachu". 10 Responses | Other threads
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found footage
What Computers Will Look Like in Utopia, According to Microsoft
Here you can see what Microsoft thinks the future holds, at least when it comes to computers and the internet. More »
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Comment by lucky_you: Left on the cutting room floor: Blue screens. Norton Anti Virus The girl calling New Dehli for support. 4 Responses | Other threads
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immortality
Chart Shows All the Technologies That Could Help You Live Forever
The weirdos at Xenophilia have posted this intriguing chart from the Methuseleh Foundation, a group that promises to help cure aging if you'll just donate $85/month. More »
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Comment by bronzeorchidsac: Haw Heinlein taught us nothing? W.W.L.L.D? 9 Responses | Other threads
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futurism
Killing Mosquitos With Lasers, Genetic Engineering, and Microwaves
Scientists in fields as diverse as genetic engineering and astrophysics are competing to create the most efficient way to kill mosquitos. Trying to eradicate malaria, a disease carried by the annoying little insects, the researchers are inspired (and some funded) by Seattle geek think tank Intellectual Ventures, where scifi author Neal Stephenson also works. The hope is that these scientists can come up with a novel way to eliminate malaria that doesn't rely on bug poison. More »
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Comment by Duke Olivius: Isn't it bad to mess with the eco system? I guess these mosquitos are such a damn nuisance that... 2 Responses | Other threads
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book review
"Wired for War" Asks What Happens When Robots Kill for Us
If you're interested in the future of non-fictional robot armies, P.W. Singer's Wired for War will give you an intriguing glimpse into the present state of mechanized warfare. This is where scifi meets reality.
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Comment by corpore-metal: As I said hear before many months ago. I foresee a lot of cheap countermeasures being used by insurgents in... 6 Responses | Other threads
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bruce sterling
Why Does Bruce Sterling Hate Web 2.0?
Last week in Wellington, New Zealand, all the brightest future-minded web nerds gathered together at an event called Webstock. And scifi author Bruce Sterling keynoted with a lecture about how Web 2.0 is doomed.
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Comment by SeeingI: Um, java might not help if a trawler snaps the internet cable to New Zealand, but ... um ... neither... 6 Responses | Other threads
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design
Habitats for Space Cats of the Future
Techno-utopians and cats rejoice - the greatest minds in radiator design have figured out where your cat will sleep on those icy-cold trips between the stars. More »
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Comment by ManchuCandidate: Nice, but I've been twitchy about cats in Space since Alien. No way in hell I'm going to look... 4 Responses | Other threads
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architecture
The Cities Bloomed with Mushroom Tops That Drank the Sun
Cities whose power comes from the sun must grow into these organic shapes. Homes cling like fungus to tall, fat stalks, and solar panels stretch awkwardly open above each neighborhood. More »
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Comment by crashedpc /sarcasm: There's gotta be Tarzan-esque swinging vines between the 'shroomcaps, right? That would make police chases awesome sauce. 16 Responses | Other threads
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war games
$36 Million Virtual Reality Game to Train US Soldiers
The Pentagon has just given the U.S. Office of Naval Research $36 million for what it calls a "futuristic" experiment in training soldiers to deal with terrorists by using immersive virtual reality scenarios. More »
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Comment by Adah: I hate these simulators, and find them absolutely worthless. First of all, for computer game challenged people like me, they're... 10 Responses | Other threads
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crap futurism
Online Media Will Never Threaten Print Media
Back in 1981, this newscast showed us an amazing new technology: Newspapers online! The newscaster chuckles that it can't really compete with print. And the editors say they'll never make money on it.
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Comment by Belabras: Ranks right up there with Gates's comment on storage space. Does anyone still buy a newspaper? 14 Responses | Other threads
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sci fashion
Football Fashion from the Weird Future
Visions of future fashion saturate a new show called "Weird Beauty" at the International Center of Photography in New York. All are from real fashion magazines celebrating the bizarre side of loveliness. More »
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Comment by draxenato: And we're caring....why ?? What is this doing on an SF blog anyways ? 7 Responses | Other threads
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futurism
Forget The Shiny Toys — Urban Transit Will Go Low-Rent
Whenever public planning types talk about urban transportation's future, they always discuss light rail or tiny electric yuppie-mobiles. But future urbanites will really get around in the cheapest, most low-overhead manner possible.
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Comment by Belabras: The reggae bus may not be as fast as the other buses, but they have a better time on the... 6 Responses | Other threads
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etech
Geek Out About the Future at Etech
This March in Silicon Valley, techie publisher O'Reilly is holding its annual Emerging Technology conference, or Etech. Scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, futurists, and creative geeks meet and mingle, swapping ideas and inventing the next flying, blogging transgenic animal. I was on the planning committee this year, so I can guarantee there will be a ton of great talks about everything from biology hacking to materials science and the future of Web culture. You can see the full schedule here, though we will add more interesting presentations over the next few weeks. More »
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Comment by Illogic: GOD DAMMIT! This is one of the bad things with living in Sweden, things like this doesn't seem to happen a... 2 Responses | Other threads
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military futurism
The Art of Defense Machines, Today in Washington, DC
Today the federal government of the US will be spending roughly $50 million on state-of-the-art defense during today's inauguration of President Barack Obama. Here, a robot bomb sniffer gets ready for the big day. More »
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Comment by corpore-metal: No new types of bomb disposal robots that I haven't seen before. No new technology at all really. 3 Responses | Other threads
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futurism
Washington Post Live Chat About What the Future Looks Like in Dark Times
From 1-2 PM EST, I was live online at the Washington Post, talking about my article on how dark times change the way we imagine the future in science fiction. Now you can read the transcript of the chat, with typos and all.
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Comment by Adam Coleman: Love this discussion, one of my favorite film, and book genres is Sci-Fi. Love the parallel between current trends in... 1 Responses | Other threads
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futurism
How We Imagine the Future in Dark Times
I have a feature in the Washington Post "Outlook" section today about how people have imagined the future during difficult periods in history (including our own). Check it out!
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Comment by Dr Emilio Lizardo: I respect Annalee's opinions and I'm sure she's researched this more than I have. Furthermore, I didn't RTFA so I... 5 Responses | Other threads
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fully functional
Can a Robot Consent to Have Sex with You?
It's a truism in adult science fiction that humans of the future will have sex with robots. But can a robot really consent to have sex when it's been programmed?
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Comment by GreyHammer: unless there is a law passed that gives robots rights then they are property. you can do to property what... 37 Responses | Other threads
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futurism
Will It Soon Be Acceptable to Select the Sex of Your Baby?
A recent poll by Spanish research foundation BBVA reveals that the majority of people in the developed world favor reproductive technologies like IVF. However, the majority are against using these technologies to choose the sex of children. Over at Sentient Developments, futurist George Dvorsky asks why this prejudice exists. He's "flabbergasted" that people are favor of mixing babies up in test tubes, but not in favor of choosing to implant a fertilized egg that will be male rather than female. He thinks that's just unreasonable. More »
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Comment by Banned for pointing out blatant misrepresentation by io9: "What does that even mean? That people in India and China are too savage to make ethical choices for themselves?... 10 Responses | Other threads
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futurism
Love for Our Futuristic Freedom Fighting Homies at EFF
Yeah, I'm a civil liberties futurist junkie. That's right - I want to make the future a place where you've got a right to do things like speak your mind online, or get a little privacy away from government's prying eyes. I also think scientists and engineers should have the freedom to tinker with machines, whether biological or technological, without giant corporations locking up their discoveries behind patents, scientific journal subscription firewalls, and bizarre copy protection schemes. More »
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Comment by Liz Henry: Awesome!!! We're in THE FUTURE! and we get a cool tshirt and stickers too! 1 Responses | Other threads
futurism
San Francisco, 12:47 PM
Fri Jul 10
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