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Forry Ackerman Gravely Ill
io9 reports that 91-year-old Forrest J. Ackerman is very ill and not expected to recover. Ain’t It Cool News, a site among many influenced by Ackerman’s work, has more. I talked to Joe Moe, Forry’s caregiver and best friend. He told me to spread the word about Forry. Forry is leaving us quickly. If youre…
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:::whew:::
Now I can exhale.
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How to Talk to an Alien…Maybe
I think it’s a big maybe, as it’s predicated on the idea that alien languages might have at least some resemblance to human languages. Dr. John Elliott of Leeds Metropolitan University has developed a computer program which is analyzing a library of 60 disparate human languages to look for commonalities. In much the same way…
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I Was Afraid of This
Ever since they started mining classic SF movies for remakes, I’ve eyed every headline announcing an SF “update” with trepidation, fearing that the movie they’re savaging ruining retelling might be Forbidden Planet. The Crotchety Old Fan reports that J. Michael Stracynski plans to do just that. I am beside myself. If ever there was an…
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Something Wicked This Way Comes
A Cognitive Science researcher at Rensselaer is plumbing the roots of human evil by developing a computer program to simulate it. Selmer Bringsjord has created a checklist to determine whether someone is “demonic,” and is working with a team of grad students to create a computerized representation of a truly evil person. To be truly…
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Is Science Fiction Responsible for the Lack of Public Interest in Space Exploration?
Buzz Aldrin says it is. “Q: Astronaut Buzz Aldrin said fantastic space science fiction shows and movies are partly responsible for the lack of interest in real-life space exploration among young people. Do you agree with this assessment? Why?” And look at all the SF authors who answered him :-) http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/007350.html
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Wait…I’m Not Getting Paid for This?
Andrew Keen, self-proclaimed “leading contemporary critic of the Internet,” recently wrote an article claiming that current economic hardship heralds the death of “free content” on the ‘Net. So how will today’s brutal economic climate change the Web 2.0 “free” economy? It will result in the rise of online media businesses that reward their contributors with…
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Quitting the Tardis
David Tennant is to quit as Doctor Who at the end of next year. Tennant took up the role as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor in 2005, and will end his tenure after filming five final episodes, the last of which will be shown early in 2010. Story at link Well, pooh.
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“Naked Eye” Solar System Discovered
Astronomers have discovered a solar system around a star that’s close enough to Earth to be seen with the naked eye. At least one and possibly three planets are orbiting Epsilon Eridani, the ninth-closest star to our own. It’s much, much younger than our own system–only around 850 million years old–giving researchers a glimpse of…
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H+, New Transhumanist Magazine
Humanity Plus (formerly the World Transhumanist Association) has launched a new Transhumanist magazine, edited by R.U. Sirius. The first issue is available as a free PDF, and includes interviews with Charles Stross and Cory Doctorow. It’s a very slick-looking publication, and some of the technology it features is very cool. Sirius promises to continue editing…