Category Archives: Science
Books, books, books aka Christmas swag
I’m fitting in a quick post before I have to consume the very very last of the turkey. I admit, I’m easy to buy for…as long as you buy me slightly odd and/or obscure reference books. This Christmas I bagged 5 – 4 on the seers, oracles and roman curiosities and one on synthetic biology. […]
On Artificial Intelligence
You could say it all started with Frankenstein. Man creates lifeform using science. Lifeform yearns to be like man. Realises it can never be. Seeks to punish man. Man becomes trapped by his own creation. It’s one of the staple themes of science fiction, and one of the most popular: the revenge of technology on […]
Is science innovation driven by science fiction?
Arizona State University recently opened its new Center for Science and the Imagination to bring together scientists and science fiction authors. From the NYTimes: Its first projects include a collaboration with the chip maker Intel, which has created a Tomorrow Project to generate “science-based” conversations about the future. The center will collaborate with (cyberpunk author […]
Name an Asteroid
Turns out the world could end in 2182. That’s when near-Earth asteroid 1999 RQ36 will swing by, “dangerously close“. Since this one could actually cause us trouble, NASA is naming it–or asking students to. I guess if you’re gonna get sideswiped, it’s best to know who’s doing it. In all seriousness, I’m an optimistic type. […]
All the data in your fingertip
Science fiction is getting that much more real. The latest science news has me pondering the possibilities. Researchers are developing ways to back up your hard drive to DNA. This sort of biotech leads to all sorts of interesting concepts. From the idea of a living ship ala Farscape to the “biocyph” seed technology in […]
When old is new again
One of the things I enjoyed most about writing a post-apocalyptic romance (Desert Blade) was world-building. Or, in this case, tearing down a world and deciding what’s left. Desert Blade‘s setting was a large part of that world-building, and I talk more about that in a post on landscapes on the Carina Press blog. When […]
The future is now… again
Last year, I mentioned how challenging it is to be a science fiction writer in the 21st century, because every time you think you’ve invented something cool and futuristic, it already exists. Here are a few more things that don’t exist yet — but they are coming soon. Sooner than 2060, probably, the decade in […]
Illusion or better home builder?
I ran across this article the other day and it got me to thinking. It’s about an Australian male bird that spends most of his time creating the perfect bower to attract a female(s) for mating. Apparently, there’s some technique to it involving optical illusions and better building practices. And trinkets. Mating dancing and preening. […]
Race in Space: A Question
I’ve recently been involved in a few discussions regarding race in science fiction. The majority of the science fiction I’ve read in my four plus decades almost always featured white, male protagonists. It’s only in more recent years that I’ve been able to find more diversity – women and characters of different races. My own […]
Do You Dream in Color?
The other day a really cool bit of sci-fi news caught my eye (yes, I like to read weird stuff, don’t you?) and made me think of the old question – Do you dream in color? This was a topic of discussion in psych class years ago – they claimed that most people dream in black & white, […]
