Strange New Worlds: Fall 2005

Article about wormholes

2005-12-12T15:18:00.000-06:00

While I was doing a little research for my paper, I cam across this interesting article about wormholes. I thought it explained things in a way that was easy to understand. Enjoy!

Movies

2005-12-04T20:08:00.000-06:00

Hey all!
I went to see the new Harry Potter and was wondering what those who had seen it thought about it. This one was definitely my favorite because it wasn't so predictable, which was good. And the graphics seem to be improving, or maybe I'm just not as picky now that I'm adjusting to the fact that, yes, I can tell those are graphics and not reality.
I was also wondering if anyone else had seen I, Robot and had a different interpretation from mine. I thought the movie was interesting, but came out with the notion that it had a lot to say about religion and free thinking. Anyone else think this, or am I just losing it?
Anyway I'm excited about food tomorrow, are we meeting in our usual classroom?
Hope everyone had a good weekend!

Scientology

2005-11-21T16:31:00.000-06:00

I know we don't have to blog anymore, but after watching last week's South Park, I could not resist. Before watching last week's South Park, I never really knew what Scientology was all about. After watching the show, I did a little research and found that the outlandish claims South Park made about Scientology were true.

You see, according to Scientology, millions of years ago in a galaxy far, far, away, an evil alien lord killed a whole bunch of other aliens and sent their spirits to Earth. When man came on the scene millions of years later, these evil alien spirits inhabited man's bodies and still do today. That is why we do bad things and have bad thoughts. The story is a lot longer and much more complicated than that of course. If you want to know more, just click on my link.

So who was the man that brought this crazy cult to being that sounds like something out of a science-fiction novel? Well, it just so happens to be science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard. Yep, a science fiction writer in the 1950s wrote a book called Dianetics and founded the religion (or cult) of Scientology on it.

I am writing about this to dispel some of the people who are still critics in our class (I was one) about the importance of science fiction. Well, if you do a little research on Scientology you will find that science fiction has a lot more impact on the world than just the literary side of it. Science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard has created a religion stemming from science fiction. Fortunately, it does not appear that this religion teaches anything bad. Though crazy, scientology seems to be pretty benign.

So, Andy, this puts you in a unique situation. Are you ready to start your own religion like your predecessor L. Ron Hubbard? If so, look no farther than the students in your 5:00 class on Monday nights for your first disciples. All hail Andy!

late for class?

2005-11-21T16:16:00.000-06:00

Hi, guys. I may be a little late for class today. I'm finishing up some work on a deadline, and while I might not be there for the whole class, I will make it just as soon as I can. Thanks for understanding.

-Katie

Movie today

2005-11-20T10:28:00.000-06:00

I haven't heard of any group plans yet, Katie. Sydney and I plan to go to the first show today at 12:20 p.m. because that works out best for us, and anyone who wants to meet us there is welcome.

harry potter movie Sunday?

2005-11-16T21:22:00.000-06:00

I think I must have missed some things. Who is up for Harry Potter (we talked about seeing it Sunday, right?)? What times are convenient? Let me know.

Cures for Diseases Continued...

2005-11-16T12:00:00.000-06:00

Hello all! Sorry I haven't been participating lately, our internet has been down & you know how long it takes Comcast to make house calls! Anyway, I was reading Jose's post about the "cure" for HIV. I was just going to say that I've been doing a lot of research lately on pharmaceuticals/medical research for a group project. From reading some of the material, scientists truly believe that many cures to deadly diseases will be found by 2010. Actually, they are pretty confident about cancer, because they've had some advancement in their research. Since I've started this class and begun reading books about fictional scientific advancements (The Speed of Dark, for example), I've started to think about the fact that it may not be long before all of the books we're reading ring true to reality. The number one pharmaceutical company alone spends $7.7 Billion dollars a year on medical research (that's a 2004 figure). That means that some real advancement could soon take place in these disease areas. I've been looking for the article I read about these potential cures, but I haven't yet found it. I will post it when I do. Just wanted to comment on that subject.

Ashley

Googlezon!

2005-11-16T11:11:00.000-06:00

Katie, thanks for your perseverance in posting that link. Much food for thought there, and not just for journalism majors.

I shared the link with the College Media Advisers listserv. This is an excerpt from one of the responses, from an adviser in North Carolina:

"I don't really know whether to laugh or cry. Is this an image of a bright future? Or, is it an image of a dark future in which Big Brother isn't the government, but a corporate entity instead. Wow! ... Well, science fiction hasn't gotten too much correct despite my many years reading Huxley, Bradbury, Asimov and many of the others. This visual seems more like science fiction, but perhaps more in the Mary Shelley model. Googlezon seems more the monstrous creation than the enlightened hope for future citizens."

Googlezon does suggest Ginsberg’s Moloch, doesn’t it? "Moloch whose mind is pure machinery! Moloch whose blood is running money! Moloch whose fingers are ten armies! Moloch whose breast is a cannibal dynamo! Moloch whose ear is a smoking tomb!"

newspaper stuff, second try

2005-11-14T23:14:00.000-06:00

Mr. Duncan,

You asked I re-post the link to the "future of newspapers" site (it's interesting), so here it is. Let me know if anybody has trouble, guys.

http://www.robinsloan.com/epic/

-Katie

The British "Spontaneous Clearance" of HIV

2005-11-14T22:27:00.000-06:00

Try this link for the story. I hope this fellow's willing to undergo a lot of medical study!

Response to Jose's article

2005-11-14T16:18:00.000-06:00

I could not get the link to work, but I think I found the article you were referring to here:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/ats-ap_health12nov14,0,6964441.story

I think there is potentially some good information about the behavior of the virus that can come from studying this man's case. It's also good to keep in mind that there are many strains of the virus. An effective cure cannot be strain specific. I think that more information can be gained from studying those people who exhibit a natural immunity to the HIV/AIDS virus. There seems to be some type of biological adaptation in those people that prevents them from acquiring the virus. Unfortunately, I don't believe that a cure for the disease will be forthcoming anytime in the near future.

Are you serious?

2005-11-14T14:02:00.001-06:00

I was reading an online version of the newspaper I used to get in my hometown and I came accross something that seems like it belongs in the Weekly World News rather then a real newspaper.

A british man claims he might hold the cure for aids, saying his body has rid itself of the HIV virus.

http://http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/ats-ap_health11nov14,0,6571224.story?coll=sns-ap-tophealth

As unbelievable as it is, I must say it is intriguing. What if this is forreal? The tests did infact come back negative.........

the future of newspapers?

2005-11-10T20:01:00.000-06:00

This is a really interesting view on what might become of newspapers in the future. It kind of echoes some of our readings, with a twist. Although originally intended to be a satire of sorts, I think, it is something to think about nevertheless. BTW, the video lasts about 8 minutes or so. It is well worth the time - I highly recommend it.

-Katie

Armageddon?!?!?!?!

2005-11-08T00:53:00.000-06:00

I saw this article, and it reminded me of the movie "Armageddon." It talks about how there is a huge asteroid that may or may not cross the earth's path in 2029. There is a 1 in 5,500 chance that if it hits, it could wipe out New York City, and surrounding areas. Scientists and astronauts are keeping a close watch on the 99942 Apophis asteriod, but come 2029, we may need to figure out something to do outside of sacrificing Bruce Willis. The good news is, that this asteroid could rule out an even worse hit in 2036, which does not really put my mind at ease. Apparently we have the technology to deflect an asteriod that crosses the earth's path, but the odds are not great enough to make it worth the investment. Which poses the greater question of what do you think the odds of an asteriod hurling itself at our planet need to be to make this defelction policy financially worthwhile? Furthermore, can you put a price on ensuring the safety of the bill?

ALLELE Evolution/Intelligent Design Debate Series

2005-11-08T00:52:00.000-06:00

Here is some information on the debate series held on campus. The next lecture will be this Thursday, November 10. I attended the first lecture, and it was great. I would encourage everyone to try and attend.

Bigfoot?

2005-11-07T22:45:00.000-06:00

Big Foot is often a player in science fiction stories or at least often creatures like him. Did he ever walk on the earth while humans did? Well maybe not, but something quite similar once shared the world with humans. This article discusses the gigantic apes, Gigantopithecus, that once coexisted with us. Pretty interesting and perhaps the basis for all the stories. It also includes some links to other Bigfoot websites discussing the myth.

On a separate note, Thanks to Andy for posting my plea for help. I've got mono and didn't want to infect any of you with it tonight, seeing as how most everyone associates mono with the plague :(. I will supposedly be un-contagious next week, but I'd really like it if anyone had any input on what we talked about in class. I personally haven't enjoyed the Doctorow books mostly because I felt I needed a glossary page or something. However, Katie's comparison to Whuffie being like Ebay points posted about sellers helped me out quite a bit. I just didn't get the obsession with Disney. I do like the idea of deadheading, being able to put myself away for a few years and seeing what's happening when I wake up would be great. Although, I can really say that right now I'm tired of sleeping! -Liz

Robot issues

2005-11-07T22:17:00.000-06:00

Much of y'all's discussion of what robots should or should not do and whether that would be a good idea in society sounds more like the 1920s, when Karel Capek coined the word "robot," than like the 21st century. We long ago decided that computers, not robots, would be our default technological option to handle such chores as assembly-line work, ship navigation, checking out customers at the grocery store, etc., and we have been trusting computers to do these chores, big ones and small ones, for years. In years to come, as computers advance, the jobs we trust them to do will advance as well. The ethical decision of whether to trust computers with sensitive tasks was made (collectively) not even by your parents' generation but by your grandparents' generation, folks now in their 60s and 70s; their answer was, "Hell, yes," and y'all are stuck with the society made by that decision, because that clock isn't turning back. For example: A friend recently retired after decades as a pilot for a Major Airline. He says that for the past 10 years or so, the computers were doing almost all the flying, anyway. He was in the cockpit as a backup for the computers. If we let computers fly the trans-Atlantic route, why not let them (eventually) do brain surgery as well?

One question: Graham, why are you threatened by the prospect of a self-aware robot? Would a self-aware robot be any more dangerous than a self-aware human?

The Transhumanist Declaration

2005-11-07T22:15:00.000-06:00

I'm glad John posted the link to the Transhumanist Declaration, which reminds me of the old Los Angeles Science Fiction Society credo that I mentioned in class: "Saving humanity through science and sanity."

Last Class

2005-11-07T22:09:00.000-06:00

I remember it being mentioned that both of these stories had happy endings. In both stories, the main character was in a bad spot with few companions, and in the end, both were vindacated. We also went over (like Andy said) if the worlds in these stories could actually work and how they actually could have been formed in the first place.

The white-hot killing machine of legend

2005-11-07T22:04:00.000-06:00

Nick Beadle's Oct. 23 post on this topic is marvelous.

Let's help Liz

2005-11-07T21:34:00.000-06:00

Before class, Liz, who is ill, asked me whether we could blog some class notes afterward, so that she could see what we talked about. If we each post our recollections of one topic we covered, she should be well served. I'll go first: Some readers of Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom view the evident Disney fixation as an insurmountable handicap, since the cult of Disney is hardly universal. But the history of the Disney organization may be a good example of proto-Whuffie in action, since Walt commanded a loyalty and devotion from employees and customers alike that seemed beyond the sphere of mere talent, mere innovation, mere business acumen. Indeed, Walt generated so much Whuffie in life that his corporate heirs are still spending it and reaping Whuffie interest on it today. (Or am I confusing the issue? Is Whuffie inheritable, in our pre-post-death economy?) Who's next? Step right up.

Whuffie

2005-11-07T21:23:00.000-06:00

I'm pleased to read this Wikipedia article, Katie, partially because it reminds me of one of my favorite board games as a teen, Careers. I still have my set somewhere. Maybe I'll bring it to class.

One economic element of Doctorow's future that we didn't mention in class is the "post-scarcity economy." Exactly how would such an economy, in which all valuable goods and services are free or nearly free, come about? Is such an economy a purely theoretical thought experiment, or a real possibility?

Wuffie's application to webpages

2005-11-07T19:36:00.000-06:00

Ok, I know, I know, wikipedia feels like cheating, but this entry makes a good point that online trading sites like eBay use not only money but reputation scoring (feedback ratings on eBay), that sound an aweful lot like Doctorow's Wuffie in Down and Out. As much as I argued it wasn't a workable system in class today, I can see how it would be useful online when paired with real currency. Will I actually get paid by this guy, or will he gyp me? I can just look at his reputation score/Wuffie and get a good idea by how others feel about him. I can see how this system would be useful. What do you think?

Re: Harry Potter

2005-11-07T19:28:00.000-06:00

I'm game for going to see the new HP movie. We mentioned Sunday night in class... keep us posted on when and where. I willingly admit I'm a dork who is totally excited about the new movie, and will be even more excited about the last book. (Do we really have to wait till Sunday night? :) )

Reply to Andy Duncan

2005-11-07T16:36:00.000-06:00

I have XM satellite radio which is transmitted to my headunit via a FM modulator. I have had friends tell me that they can pick up whatever I'm listening to through their radios sometimes even though they are a couple of cars away from me. Kinda strange but neat.

Asteroid Collision

2005-11-07T16:31:00.000-06:00

I really enjoyed the article that Sean posted on a potential asteroid collision with Earth. It is good for the media to hit on this subject and remind people that such a collision could lead to the end of the world.

But should huge amounts of money be put into preventing a collision when there are so many more problems at home. I look at it this way: if a physicist and a computer can figure out nearly any mathematical situation, let us solve it that way. For us to build a huge rocket costing millions of dollars and slam it into an asteroid to see if we move it is pointless. Let the best physicist of the day try and figure out if we are even capable of doing it. If so, don't go ahead and waste millions of dollars on testing out the theory. Let us just monitor the skies for threats. If a threat occurs, then we can do something about it by testing.

I just think it would be unwise to go ahead and spend so much money on something that is so unlike to happen. We shouldn't start spending hundreds of millions of dollars on reflecting an asteroid until we know for darn sure that we are gonna get hit.

Harry Potter

2005-11-07T16:26:00.000-06:00

I have attached a link to the Harry Potter trailer as found on Yahoo Movies. The movie comes out on the 18th. I'm not gonna lie, I am really excited about it. If any of yall would like to go see it with me, I would enjoy your company. I think we should all go as a class. That would be great. Even if you haven't read all of the books like I have, the movies are always great, and this one promises to be no different. This particular book has been my favorite of the six released so far.

Trailer Link:
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808475610/hmg

Excellent Related Site (Includes Lots of Trivia):
http://www.mugglenet.com/

A patent question

2005-11-07T16:19:00.000-06:00

Ashley, if you don't like the idea of patenting human genes, what do you think of patenting cures for pandemic diseases? The Swiss company that makes Tamiflu, the world's current best hope for treating an avian-flu pandemic, stands to make a fortune from the global demand, but it can't possibly make enough of the vaccine for everybody. The link above is to a Reuters story about an Indian company that wants permission to make its own copycat version. Anyone, of course, can jump in on this, not just Ashley.

Asteroid impacts

2005-11-07T15:48:00.001-06:00

Jose, while I don't spend a lot of time worrying about it, asteroids certainly have hit the Earth in the past, and they certainly will hit the Earth again. The town of Wetumpka, Alabama, near Montgomery, sits on the jagged rim of a tremendous ancient impact crater, so old, eroded and forested that it's not as obvious as, say, Meteor Crater in Arizona, but it's there just the same. If you look at any road map of Alabama, you can see the oval shape formed by highways circling around the thing.

Here's a link to Arizona's Meteor Crater.

5th Article: Asteroid Collision

2005-11-07T15:48:00.000-06:00

This article discusses the possibility of a certain asteroid striking the earth in about 30 years. The world is divided over how to handle this matter, seeing as how the chance of it actually hitting the earth could be about 1:5,500. It said that the asteroid is large enough to level a major city, and that there are actually individuals whose job is to observe space and watch for nearing comets. I would personally perfer that some measures me taken (IE deflect the comet)to prevent this huge rock from possibly killing millions of people.

I like this article a lot just because it reminds me a lot of movies and books that discuss great natural disasters threatening humanity. What makes this instance even more intriguing is that this "natural disaster" is actually from space.

You thought our lack of preparation for a hurricane was bad?

2005-11-07T15:38:00.000-06:00

I came accross this article and it immediately sent my mind spinning with all sorts of scenarios. After seeing this disasters created by the tsunami and by hurricane Katrina, what would happen if an asteroid collided with earth? Sure, it is very unlikely ( a 1 in 5,500 chance), but what if it did happen? Could you imagine the pandemonium that would insue? After seeing the heat President Bush is taking, I would feel really bad for this president. If this happends, what would ensue seems like something that would come straight from a captivating science fiction text.

American Exorcism

2005-11-07T15:36:00.000-06:00

Amanda, I haven't seen The Exorcism of Emily Rose, but I have read a very interesting recent book, American Exorcism: Expelling Demons in the Land of Plenty by Michael W. Cuneo. Cuneo is a sociologist who looks at the exorcism phenomenon from a secular perspective. Much of the book is about the increasing popularity of exorcism among Protestants, especially among Pentecostal or charismatic non-denominational congregrations. Some churches meet weekly for group exorcisms in which believers froth, writhe, curse, even fondle themselves in the Linda Blair manner, while their fellow believers pray over them until the demons leave those people and enter someone else, whereupon the congregation begins to pray over her, and so forth. At the evening's end, everyone is sweaty and exhilarated, just like after a good revival meeting.

The Frozen Walt

2005-11-07T15:26:00.000-06:00

Here's a fine Snopes.com essay on the frozen-Disney legend that Amanda alludes to.

The great sf writer Frederik Pohl, by the way, suggested years ago that the frozen bodies of people who hope to be revived later should be known as "corpsicles."

iPods and other car-to-car technologies

2005-11-07T15:05:00.000-06:00

That's an interesting story, Meredith, with some laugh-out-loud quotes. What car-radio frequency do you use locally for your iPod? Since Hurricane Katrina, oddly, I've had trouble getting the factory-set frequency to work. Some distant station is competing with the iPod signal.

I don't remember the details, but I recently read a wire story about university researchers testing a system in which networked cars would exchange information about traffic conditions and advise drivers of alternate routes, thus alleviating congestion. I agree with Doctorow, though, that music-sharing is a sexier "killer app" for networked cars.

Magic Kingdom

2005-11-07T15:01:00.000-06:00

Hey all!!!
So after reading the "Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom" story, I was thinking alot about having yourself as a type of Windows program that you periodically backup so that you have yourself up to that point and you can revert back whenever you want--esentially never die, like we do with computers. Would anyone really want to live forever?? And in the way of getting a new clone body but having the same memories?
I thought about it, and I decided that doing a few things that were dangerous knowing that you would essentially live even if you died would be cool. I mean who wouldnt' take some serious risks knowing they were alomst invincible, short of the initial pain until you were regenerated? But I'm not so sure that doing this more than a few times would be good or fun or anything else...and that there would be people who never wanted to die, or would want to go to sleep for thousands of years so they could have another way of living forever.
Interesting that the author picked the subject of what he called "deadheading" in conjunction with the location of Disney World, since there's that rumor that Walt had himself criogenically frozen until they found a cure for cancer.
Anyway, I was just going to see if anyone else wanted to live forever in this manner, or would be willing to "deadhead" through centuries. I have to admit, it would take the fear out of flying, but it would rid you of the experience of fear that makes life worth living! Thoughts, anyone?

Carol Emswhiller wins a Life Achievement Award

2005-11-07T14:59:00.000-06:00

At the World Fantasy Convention this past weekend, that is. I hope she'll soon be among us on the blog, so y'all can congratulate her in person.

Technology in Eastern Standard Tribe

2005-11-06T21:46:00.000-06:00

I thought this was an interesting article. It deals with the same technology as the novel, only on a smaller scale. The man featured in the story liked the idea of broadcasting his choice of music to other cars around him. I think it would be cool to experiment with this idea of pirate radio. I have XM radio and people have told me that they are able to pick up my signal sometimes coming from my FM modulator. So I am broadcasting my choice of music to those in vehicles around me if they happen to stubble across the right channel.

I think that it would neat to expand this technology in the way Doctorow does in the novel. The general public would really get involved in developing this technology I believe, but the government might not be so keen. Advancement of this technology has all of the trademarks of another Napster-like case. With people freely distributing music from car to car, people will surely pull the copyright card. Even with all of the potential problems; I believe that companies should explore the possibility of incorporating this technology as an added feature when purchasing a vehicle even if there is a minimal monthly fee to share your tunes with others.

Mount Question

2005-11-06T18:35:00.000-06:00

The thing that interested me most about the Mount is how the human mounts are very similar to horses. They are bred and their lineage is tracked just like horses used for racing and they even have bits similar to that of which are put on horses. I was wondering if this was what you were trying to portray the humans as, as just animals rather then human beings? Did you get your idea from racehorses? This idea captivated me throughout the book.

5th Article: Possible Causes of Autism

2005-11-03T15:09:00.000-06:00

In our class discussion about "The Speed of Dark" we came to the still unanswered question of what exactly causes autism. I began to read articles on the subject, and came across this one that discusses various possible causes of the disorder. While the article is, of course, inconclusive, it discusses many possibilities that I had never heard before. The statement from the article that most intrigued me was:
"Perhaps the term autism actually covers several different disorders, each caused by a different problem in the brain. Or perhaps the various brain differences are themselves caused by a single underlying disorder that scientists have not yet identified."
What if "autism" actually refers to more than one disorder, but because the symptoms are closely related, the term is used to describe the entire group? I thought back to our discussion about the wide spectrum of those suffering from autism, from those who can manage on their own like Lou, to those that need much more attention like Liz's client. What if the varying degrees of autism are actually due to differing disorders with somewhat similar characteristics? While there is no definitive answer, the article gave me a lot more insight into the possible causes of the disorder. I thought you all might find it interesting also.

Ashley

http://www.asatonline.org/resources/library/causes_autism.html

Mount Question

2005-11-02T19:58:00.000-06:00

Mrs. Emshwiller,
I was wondering what course you thought humanity would take after the conclusion of the novel. Do you think that the Hoots and Humans would live together peacefully, or perhaps do you believe a world might have formed where man decided to enslave the Hoots. Any insight into this would be appreciated.

Emshwiller question

2005-11-02T00:07:00.000-06:00

Mrs. Emshwiller,
How much did you intentionally focus on the different types of submission (through violence, through nurture, etc.) in "The Mount"? How much did creating a dominant species who are really dependent factor into the anatomy you designed for the Hoots?

Though I hope I'm not too provocative, how much psycho-sexual subtext should be read into the relationship between the Hoots and their admiration and need for submissive "mounts"?

question on The Mount

2005-11-01T13:21:00.000-06:00

My biggest question about The Mount is this: How did the Hoots manage to take over human civilization(s) with only electric shock and painful noises? I think it would answer a lot of my questions if I could understand what time period it was set in. That would explain what technologies were available to humans at the time and what they had to counter the Hoots' technology. If it were in the modern era, how would the Hoots have stood up to nuclear missiles? If it were in earlier times (with refrigerators and airplanes, of course), humans would still have had technology to counter the invasion, but they might have been more vulnerable. Also, the area of the world this invasion takes place, if it is an isolated invasion, would make a difference. If it were a third-world country, for example, the Hoots might have an easier job of taking over than if it were in a country where communication were instant. I'm not saying a Hoot invasion would be impossible in today's society (look at how the United States handles natural disasters and attacks), but it would make more sense if the whole situation were explained a little more in depth.

Question on the Mount

2005-10-31T16:29:00.000-06:00

What has bothered me the most about The Mount is figuring out what statement the novel is trying to make. Is the novel focusing on the master/slave relationship or the superior relationship humans have to animals? Or is it about something else entirely such as race or sex relations? It seems to me that the book touches on all these issues. Is there one issue, Ms. Emshwiller, that you really focused on the most or do you want the reader to decide for him/herself?

Mount Question

2005-10-31T16:06:00.000-06:00

I was actually going to ask the question that Liz previosly asked, about Ms. Emshwiller's choice to have the first chapter come from a Hoot's point-of-view, and the rest of the story from Charley. I assume this is so the reader can relate to both sides, rather than just from the human perspective. I also noticed that there is no distinctly defined villian in the novel. Of course, the Hoots could be considered to be the "bad guys," but then again, they are not completely evil beings, as villians are usually depicted to be. I was wondering why you chose to write the novel in this way rather than have the aliens be a more evil force as they often are in other works.

Ashley

Question for Ms. Emshwiller

2005-10-31T15:58:00.000-06:00

Could you explain why Charley is so emotionally attached to Little Master? I cannot remember any of the other mounts from the book feeling so attached to their Hoot masters. What makes Charley and Little Master's situation different? Even when given a chance to escape from Little Master's control when the two are in the wild, Charley chooses to stay with Little Master. If Charley is indeed a captive of Hoot society and culture and is unable to give up that way of life when given the opportunity, is Charley then a captive by choice or by force? This reminded me of the behavior of many victims of Stockholm Syndrome. Did you intentionally write the book this way, or was this behavior a byproduct of other compounding circumstances within the novel?

Thanks!
Meredith

Mount Question

2005-10-31T15:41:00.000-06:00

Hello Ms. Emshwiller!
My question is about the point of view that your novel was written in. Why was the first chapter from the perspective of a Hoot and then the other chapters are all written from Charlie's perspective? Was there any reason for this other than you just wanting to write it that way?
-Liz

'Mount' Question

2005-10-31T12:58:00.000-06:00

Hello!!!!
I was interested in what the 'Mount' might have to say about past or current master-slave (although slave isn't really the word I want but I'm having trouble thinking of the word I mean) relationships.
Throughout the story, the Hoots were constantly saying that they loved the Sams and Sues and everything that was done was done with the Sams and Sues in mind. They really were free to make their own choices and do as they pleased. But then the Hoots would punish them by putting them in prison or making them gaurds' mounts if they spoke or misbehaved, and they were kept in stalls like animals.
This just seemed to speak very loudly about past human relationships and the way we deal with one another. For instance, in the case of African American slaves before the Cival War. Is this what was intended, or was the intent more of a general exploration of human psychology during a master-slave interaction?
I was also wondering if maybe there was some hint into other areas of human psychology, like the way people behave because of how they are raised. For example, when Charlie is very resistant to go out into the woods because he enjoys the amenities and structure that his previous life provided. Most people would assume he would want freedom and to be with his family rather than to be ordered around by a child who rides on his shoulders, but he prefers this life. Is this an implication of the fact that we are creatures of habit, and gravitate towards what we have grow accustomed to? Or is there something deeper in his reactions to the new lifestyle??
Overall I really enjoyed this story because there were so many levels to it; so many different ways that it could be interpreted!!!
Amanda Schnee

movie situation

2005-10-29T18:05:00.000-05:00

Ok, guys. If Graham's ok with this, here's the deal: Sunday night (what time, Graham?), I'll get the movie from Nick Beadle and bring it. Graham, if you could post directions to your place and the time, i guess we're good. Let me know. Thanks.

movie showing?

2005-10-27T12:08:00.000-05:00

I'm ok with Sunday night, if everyone else is. Let me know the time and directions to get to your place. Thanks.

Also, Nick, if this time's ok, do you mind bringing your copy of the movie? thanks.

MOVIE?

2005-10-27T09:45:00.000-05:00

We can use my place if we need to, but I don't have the movie. If we could do it on Sunday night, I think that would be the best.

Donnie Darko showing?

2005-10-25T18:33:00.000-05:00

Hey, guys... any idea when and where we'll meet to watch the movie?

Autism

2005-10-24T23:50:00.000-05:00

This is probably the best site for general information on autism, it has so many links covering topics we talked about tonight, from symptoms to treatments, research and great interviews and information about Temple Grandin. John it talks about supposed/thoughts on causes, and new ways to "treat" autism. The site has links to information about autistic savants also.

Another site worth checking out is the National Alliance for Autism Research site, it has recent news about the "Autism Susceptibility Gene".
http://www.naar.org/

This last link is an example of the "treatments" that are being offered for children with autism. It's a commerical site but is just an idea of what parents will try to treat their children.
http://www.glutensolutions.com/autism.htm

article on autism

2005-10-24T21:02:00.000-05:00

This is a pretty interesting (though short) article on autism. It's fairly new research, and it clarified some issues for me.

Thoughts on Emily Rose

2005-10-24T14:46:00.000-05:00

Hey all!
I know that this is more of the fantasy realm of science fiction, but I thought it was interesting none the less.
I went to see the Exorcism of Emily Rose last night, and while I found some of it a bit far stretched, I was wondering what everyone else thought about demons and possessions. The Catholic Church seems to recognize these events--although perhaps not the one from the movie--as real occurences, but since I'm not Catholic I'm not sure how I feel. Sometimes I think that people just get so caught up in something that it is more of a mental phenomenon than a physical one.
But if anyone is Catholic and has a perspective matching that of the movie, that these possessions really happen, I would be interested to hear it. Or if you aren't Catholic and have some thoughts, that's good too.
I also thought about Mr. Chiang's work with 'Hell is the Absence of God' and how things like this didn't happen because Hell wasn't necessarily a bad place. His, of course, was a non-religious perspective, so that was interesting as well. I wonder what he would have to say about that movie and all the interest it created in demons and things of that nature.
The movie is well done I thought. If anyone enjoys Mr. King's stories they would enjoy this.

4th Article

2005-10-24T14:32:00.000-05:00

The first article is by Jerry Oltion, an acclaimed SF writer, dealing with the aspects of writing a good science fiction story. We have discussed in class before, but I really enjoyed the examples he uses. Oltion's article is from the current issue of The Writer. In the article he lays out what he considers to be the six basic rules of science fiction writing. Throughout the article he emphasizes the need to tell a story instead of explaining the science behind it. His examples are great. He writes a basic paragraph and follows it with his own brand of SF translation. Oltion lists the following as the six key ingredients to good science fiction writing: pick a contemporary theme, use the right language, think scientifically, add speculation, tell a story, and choose the right subgenre. I think that this is a must read article. It is not only informative, but it is also beneficial to aspiring SF writers as well as a great guide to critiquing SF writing.

The second article is by Lev Grossman, Time magazine's book critic. I included this because I found it more amusing than informative to the topics being discussed.

Comment on Gene Patents

2005-10-24T13:39:00.000-05:00

I was just going to comment on Sean's post. I agree that companies should not be able to patent genes, because this could do tremendous damage to medical advancement in years to come. I am a marketing major, so I do understand that sometimes it is necessary to patent certain technologies to protect a company from competition, but this is an area where a patent could restrict progress. I think that companies working on medical research should be working together to find cures, not working against each other. The more medical tests & trials that are undertaken only increases the chance that success will be achieved. Just a thought.

4th Article: Gene Patents

2005-10-24T03:24:00.000-05:00

This article points out the interesting fact that hundreds of private firms and universities have paid to claim patents on certain human genes. This article states that "more than 4,000 genes, or 20 percent of the almost 24,000 human genes, have been claimed in U.S. patents." That seems like a lot of genes to me. Of course this wouldn't have a direct effect on us, but it would definately slow down research that could someday lead to medical advances.

They don't make death rays like they used to

2005-10-23T14:03:00.000-05:00

In San Francisco Saturday, a group of researchers from MIT and the University of Arizona tried to use a contraption made of mirrors and bronze as a white-hot killing machine of legend on an unknowing and presumably innocent fishing boat.

It didn't work, or at least all that well. The Associate Press reported the ship "smoldered" at 150 feet away and only a small fire was caused by the concentrated refelcted sunlight at 75 feet. That flame, however, quickly burned itself out.

The Discovery Channel show "MythBusters" sponsored the event, which was an attempt to recreate the death ray Archimedes used to annhilate an invading Roman fleet in "Epitome con Istorion." The show had concluded it was a myth after not being able to make their own death ray last year.

The guy from "MythBusters" pronounced the experiment as seemingly reaffirming their previous ancient death ray mythbusting, though his comments might be influenced more by the narrow mindset of someone who busts myths on a regular basis for fun and profit.

The MIT researcher, however, was not completely convinced the tale of Archimedes cooking Romans like a six-year-old uses a magnifying glass to incinerate ants on a sidewalk was entirely bunk.

"Who can say whether Archimedes did it or not?" MIT professor David Wallace told AP. "He's one of the great mathematical minds in history. I wouldn't want to underestimate his intelligence or ability."

While I'm not saying that ancient Greek legends and myths are completely full of crap, there's probably a little bit of exaggeration to the tale Archimedes incinerating Romans, to say the least.

But as a concept, a device that reflects the suns rays into fiery death doesn't sound completely out of the question either, does it?

In a dark somwhere deep below the Pentagon, a shadowy figure takes a drag off a big cigar as he reads about the fools in Frisco who haven't figured out the right combination of bronze and glass to recreate Archimedes' death ray.

He strokes his own solar powered death ray sitting beside his fine mahogany desk and fires a dark, raspy laugh into the darkness.

Of storms and location

2005-10-22T19:33:00.000-05:00

More rainy skies ahead: For anyone who made the morbid bet that we would be using the greek letter Alpha to name a hurricane by the end of the season, it's time to make somebody pay up.

You can still say that it hasn't been proven that we're experiencing a global climate shift right now. You an also say that if you scream at a Category 5 hurricane long enough, it won't rip the roof off your house.

Hey, maybe it'll work.

Since mother nature tends to be slow and clunky about her changes, it'll be interesting to see when and how this all ends up.

But this winter should be interesting in seeing how long this powerhouse hurricane season stretches on. The adaptations made on the Gulf Coast and Carribean to surviving these meaner and more frequent storms should be interesting to watch and is good SF fodder.

Transhumanism: John, thanks for the post on the transhumanist novel. It's a really interesting concept that technological and cultural advancement is not dependent on human effort, but a state of mind determined by location.

Maybe we can catch a Zeta beam to the outer limits and get some superhuman action going all up in here.

4th Article: Timeline Cosmic Future

2005-10-21T14:41:00.000-05:00

When I was scanning the internet for my next posting, I came across this crazy webpage that spans the far future of our Earth, the Sun, the galaxy, and the universe...for millions & millions of years. The reason this is science fiction related is because, while based on scientific papers, it is also uses a timeline from a science fiction novel, "Star Maker," by Olaf Stapeldon. The timeline says that the it consists of "default predictions of the very distant future," but I thought it was really neat to see what scientists are predicting the world to be like in millions of years. It's really hard to explain the specifics, but definitely check out this site.

http://www.magicdragon.com/UltimateSF/timelineCF.html

Ashley

4th Article

2005-10-21T14:32:00.000-05:00

The first article is by Jerry Oltion, an acclaimed SF writer, dealing with the aspects of writing a good science fiction story. We have discussed in class before, but I really enjoyed the examples he uses. Oltion's article is from the current issue of The Writer. In the article he lays out what he considers to be the six basic rules of science fiction writing. Throughout the article he emphasizes the need to tell a story instead of explaining the science behind it. His examples are great. He writes a basic paragraph and follows it with his own brand of SF translation. Oltion lists the following as the six key ingredients to good science fiction writing: pick a contemporary theme, use the right language, think scientifically, add speculation, tell a story, and choose the right subgenre. I think that this is a must read article. It is not only informative, but it is also beneficial to aspiring SF writers as well as a great guide to critiquing SF writing.

The second article is by Lev Grossman, Time magazine's book critic. I included this because I found it more amusing than informative to the topics being discussed.

3rd Article

2005-10-19T12:02:00.000-05:00

I figured since no one had posted an article in a while I'd throw this one out there..

This article is about the prospect of using the study of amphibians to help learn about the regeneration of limbs. English researchers are observing frogs and salamanders in hopes to learn about their regenerative abilities. These scientists hope that they will be able to use their research to aid humans who have had amputated limbs. I think it would be amazing if we could make a scientific breakthrough of this sort, however, I wonder if there would be any consequences to whatever procedures this might entail.

Transhumanism

2005-10-17T15:53:00.000-05:00

So in my paper, I did some research on some Transhumanist concepts, and I found them to be very interesting. I have included a link to the "Transhumanist Declaration." I have also included a link to a wikipedia article about a Transhumanistic SF novel called A Fire Upon The Deep, by Vernor Vinge. In the novel, the galaxy is divided into "zones of thought." Toward the center ("The Unthinking Depths"), only simple machines and animal-like intelligences are possible. In the outer realms ("The Transcend"), super beings are found.

One of the most interesting and common themes of the articles I read about transhumanism is that "Transhumanists" are struggling for ordinary human rights.

http://www.transhumanism.org/index.php/WTA/declaration

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

More on Robots

2005-10-17T15:17:00.000-05:00

Since so much has been said about robots in society, I thought I might add my two cents. I see nothing wrong or dangerous about it. It may very well make things safer. We already live in a very automated world. Many of the robots we have today put many people out of work in the past. In the end, however, more jobs were created because more skilled workers were needed in other areas. If anything, having robots in society only helps the economy and encourage humans to work on more important things.

One fellow blogger was concerned about an automated car accidently running over a child because it could not distinguish it from a fox. I understand the concern, but in the event that a fox were to run out in front of a car, the automated car would save the driver's and passengers' lives by not swerving and flipping the car. So while there is potential for the loss of human life in that situation, there is even more potential to save it. The same may be said for airplanes.

Should we turn our lives over to machines? Of course not, like humans, robots can make mistakes too. It would just be nice if humans used robots more often to make the quality of life better. I say let the robots bag our groceries or perform open heart surgery. If a robot is capable of doing something, I say why not. Let us not forget that their are jobs that robots could never hold: lawyers, teachers, CEOs, inventors and much more. Then there are many jobs that robots could do, but humans would much more prefer a human to do it for them (i.e. bartender, waitress, maid, grocer, etc). There is huge potential for robots to help us human beings live a better life and be more efficient.

I think what we should be afraid of is a self-aware robot. A robot that is self-aware and can evolve is dangerous. We know that because so many SF stories have told us. We just need to be sure never to create such a machine that could compete against in everyday life.

My response to the city thing....

2005-10-17T13:47:00.000-05:00

I would like to see cities ration their resources and plan to be cleaner. That would be good for everyone.
However, the thought of expanding somewhere else that is yet untouched scares me greatly.
I find that rather than attempt to clean up the mess we have already made and stay in the cities we have, humans would rather let those cities deteriorate and continue to pollute the earth while they move to pure areas and attempt a fresh start. This is terrible.
I believe a lot can be learned by dealing with the consequences of your actions and having to find a solution without getting a "mulligan." We as humans should have to suffer the penalties of dirty air and roadside trash, and rather than move to a pristine desert or rain forest and demolish it, should find ways of cleaning up the areas we already have. After all, we have spent years developing these urban areas and some of them we are very proud of.
Despite the fact that we make it sound like a clean city and will reduce waste, the fact is that we are still destroying untouched earth. A city looks like an abomination: a blip on a beautfiul area that by the grace of God we have left alone this long. Sure, it wouldn't make much pollution, but think of all you would be destroying just to build in that area. And a city there, no matter how clean, would still be a disruption to the ecosystem. I don't think lizards or vultures care much for automobiles, or people for that matter.
And if we leave our current cities as they are they will continue to junk up the planet. We need to start some reactive measures for cleaning up what we already have. And this will give us an advantage because while cleaning up we will know how to reduce pollution in the future and what NOT to do with our cities again. Learning from our mistakes is key. A new city sounds great at first, but I think we should fix what we already have before we go parading in some new area claiming it in the name of science.

Unmanned Robots in Society

2005-10-15T19:41:00.000-05:00

I don't think that this is a good idea. First, robots would be created to perform the jobs of individuals. Second, this decrease in the number of jobs would lead to a gradual decline in the economy. Third, once most things are automated, there would be no reason for humans to exist at all, except for the human who were left to design the robots. But, this too could become a problem. Once we create robots, who's not to say that the robots could somehow find a way to reproduce, evolve, and take over the small population of humans left on the planet. The only reason I see to have robots is to fill new niches in technology where human labor did not exist before and to control the abilities of the new robots. They should only be used for specialized labor tasks.

I know this sounds like a doomsday scenario, but hey, I think anything is possible.

unmanned robots pt.2

2005-10-15T15:37:00.000-05:00

Katies asked:

How is that (being nervous of putting our lives in the hands of a robot) different from putting our lives in the hands of another human, say, a pilot of a plane or the engineer of a train, or (scarriest to me) the driver of a bus? Wouldn't it make sense that if used in the comercial field, unmanned vehicles would mean fewer human-error accidents?

I think that a licensed pilot or train engineer could definately benefit from advancements in technology, but to consider replacing them with technology seems farfetched. As far as I know, robotics is no where near able to create a free thinking robot, which is the only thing other than a human I would trust flying my airplane. Of course a robot can make less mistakes and be more efficient than a human in some aspects of life, however my life is something I would prefer to put in the hands of someone who has spent years learning how to ensure it's safety.

unmanned robots

2005-10-15T15:01:00.000-05:00

Going back to the unmanned robot post, I had a couple questions I wanted to answer...

Andy asked:

aren't robots always unmanned, by definition, and haven't we therefore had unmanned robots for years? Do you mean that the prospect of unmanned automobiles unnerves you, rather than unmanned robots per se?

First of all, yes, it is more unmanned automobiles than anything else that unnerves me. I would have trouble putting my life in the "hands" of unmanned automobiles because I think there are too many judgement calls it could not make. Just as an example, imagine if unmanned cars were programmed to not swerve if a small animal like a fox happened to jump out into the road where the speed limit is high. Now imagine again if instead it was a small toddler who had found his way onto a road (maybe his house was along the road), and the car acted upon what it had been programmed to do and simply treated it as it would any other creature on the road. Although this is a very specific example of what could go wrong with these vehicles, I believe there could be too many ways for a driverless car to screw up.

Urban sprawl redux

2005-10-15T12:59:00.000-05:00

In the Arizona desert stands Acosanti, an incomplete ecological city that is being looked at by some as a model for making cities cleaner and reducing the standard of living depreciating effects of urban sprawl through self-suffiency, pedestrian travel and clean energy.

This is of interest to China, who is already in the process of building their first "eco-city" to accommodate their rapidly expanding populace.

As the human population swelters and we run out of livable real estate on Earth, it's an interesting and possibly necessary concept for cities to be mapped out and their resources managed instead of the philosophy of almost unchecked expansion and consumption many larger cities seem to live by now.

It's not like we're moving off this planet anytime soon.

Third Article..a little late but hopefully worth it

2005-10-12T20:10:00.000-05:00

This has been bothering me for days, and it's part of the reason my third posting is so late (big apologies Mr. Duncan!!!!). After bouncing some paper ideas off my fiance' (my paper is going to explore some of the ideas in "Liking What You See"), he said, "That reminds me of a story we read in EN101." This was the class that we met in but I didn't remember it, not at first. All he could remember was the character's last name being 'Bergeron'. Well, after trying to find a short story with only that clue, not an easy feat, I found it!
It's a short story by Kurt Vonnegut, "Harrison Bergeron". It's set in 2081 and humans are finally "equal", they've achieved this through a "Handicapper General" whose job it is to make sure no one is better than anyone else whether by brains, talent or beauty. I think its a good contrast to "Liking What You See", more extreme than callignosia but along the same line of thinking.
-Liz

Emshwiller Interview

2005-10-12T09:34:00.000-05:00

I found this great interview where Carol Emshwiller addresses many of the questions we were discussing in class. I know that quite a few people had a problem with the lack of technical background information about how the Hoots invaded the humans. In the interview she discusses how she develops her plots. For her, it's easiest to start with an idea she likes and write all she can about it to start with. Only then, does she attempt to develop the technicalities of the setting. She discusses this about 3/4 of the way down the first page for anyone interested.

3rd Article

2005-10-10T20:31:00.000-05:00

I just came across an online book titled "Me Human, You Alien: How to Talk to an Extraterrestrial," byJonathan Vos Post. I began to read it and thought you all might enjoy. It is quite different from "The Mount," but I thought it was definitely unique and worth the read. Just wanted to post the link for anyone who's interested.

http://www.magicdragon.com/EmeraldCity/extraterrestrials/alien.html

Response to Graham

2005-10-10T16:40:00.000-05:00

I believe that Carol Emshwiller was indeed making a point about slavery in all forms; however, I believe this was not her ultimate goal. To me, it seemed that she was attempting to point out the possibility that our society could resort back to human slavery. What would our attitudes be toward the issue? Would you identify with the special needs of a Hoot-like species or would you be a wild human?

In some ways, human are already slaves, whether it's to their work, the government, or an organization. I believe that in some ways, the author is making a statement about the different types of humans. Let's face it, there are those who will follow anything the government tells them and then there are others who will investigate for themselves the truth behind the government's "lies." I can see Charley as the ignorant human and his father as an independent thinker.

Just my $0.02.

Re: robot car race

2005-10-10T15:33:00.000-05:00

It's funny you mentioned the robot car race on the blog. When I saw the news article about it, I immediately thought of last week's discussion of robots in the battlefield. Interesting topic in iteself, but I want to know why unmanned vehicles unnerve Sean. Are we nervous about not being in control of something that transports us, has our lives in its hands? How is that different from putting our lives in the hands of another human, say, a pilot of a plane or the engineer of a train, or (scarriest to me) the driver of a bus? Wouldn't it make sense that if used in the comercial field, unmanned vehicles would mean fewer human-error accidents? I can see not wanting to lose control of certain aspects of one's life, but I can also see the benefits.

Underwater intelligences

2005-10-10T15:28:00.000-05:00

Jose wrote: "After studying Marine Biology last year, i was always intrigued by the way some underwater species have evolved over the years. I think it would be pretty awesome if another species evolved enough to potentially rival humans."

If you're interested in the prospect of underwater intelligences, Jose, you'll enjoy James Cambias' story "The Ocean of the Blind," on our syllabus later in the semester.

Of course, intelligence is not necessarily a survival trait. Witness the cockroach. It may inherit the Earth yet.

Re: "Don't Call It Science Fiction"

2005-10-10T15:03:00.000-05:00

Three points:

1. I would not list the creator of Star Trek: Enterprise and the writer of the Blade movies among the great science fiction writers.

2. Whenever Hollywood comes out with a new science fiction TV series or new science fiction movie, the creators always deny it's science fiction. It's a thriller, they say, or a human drama, or a buddy movie, etc.

3. What could possibly be more fake than "reality TV"? How entertaining are "Survivor" contestants without a script?

PETA or Slavery Connection?

2005-10-10T14:53:00.000-05:00

Since we will be discussing The Mount tonight in class, I thought I would bring up something that has been bothering me about the book. I could not help but feel that the author made certain connections between us and horses when the Hoots used us as mounts. Was the author trying to make a statement about the use of animals as beasts of burden? Some would say that you cannot compare us to horses since we are so much more intelligent. But the Hoots were supposed to be much smarter than us. In fact, they looked down on us as we look down on horses.

I get the feeling that the author wanted us to be upset with reading about humans racing and wearing bits just like horses. I could not help but think of PETA's recent efforts to change the poultry industry by comparing it to the Holocaust. Would PETA want to send out posters with horses riding us? Did she want us to feel how horses feel? If so, she did a good job. Was her goal to have us rethink using animals as servants? Or would it be easier to compare the plot to the abolition of slavery in the 19th century? Did the Hoots underestimate us, like others underestimated African Americans? Maybe she wasn't trying to make a statement on either point. I'll be looking forward to hearing what others think in our discussion tonight and on the blog.

Unmanned robots

2005-10-10T14:46:00.000-05:00

Sean wrote: "I think that it is interesting/slightly scary that unmanned robotics appears to be looming closely in humanities future."

Sean, aren't robots always unmanned, by definition, and haven't we therefore had unmanned robots for years? Do you mean that the prospect of unmanned automobiles unnerves you, rather than unmanned robots per se?

unmanned robot car race

2005-10-10T11:53:00.000-05:00

This article is about a contest held by our government in which 23 prestigous colleges built "robotic" cars to traverse a 128-mile offroad course. This contest came about after congress voted that war casualties should be decreased in the next 20 years with the use of unmanned technology. Only five cars finished the race, and the winning team (stanford) took home around 2 million dollars in prize money. I think that it is interesting/slightly scary that unmanned robotics appears to be looming closely in humanities future.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science/
10/10/robot.race.ap/index.html

Our gov't with a plan?

2005-10-09T21:33:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I'm not so sure our government has a plan for much of anything other than reducing taxes for the wealthy and telling people how to run their lives because we've forgotten how to separate church and state. I'm not so sure we are really prepared to take ANYTHING if it doesn't include a grenade launcher; much less alien invaders, or that Bush can even spell alien invaders for that matter. I would like to think that science fiction writers are intelligent individuals who are either: a.) creative enough to invent their own ideas, b.) liberal politicos who enjoy spunky satire or c.) branching off of topics that interest them because they contain enough of the scientific information themselves to make the story believeable. If they got that from the government then where is this government hiding? They need to make an appearance before the world explodes or is ravaged by another hurricane. That's my thought...but I could be wrong.

"Don't Call it Science Fiction"

2005-10-09T21:05:00.000-05:00

CBS has developed a new science fiction show called "Threshold." Three of the most renowned sci-fi writers have put their head together to develop a show that is more "science fact." The show deals with certain facets of science fiction, but things that involve more ordinary people and situations. The network is trying appeal the recent shift from reality TV towards shows that deal more with escapism from real life. The article mentions that sci-fi writers supposedly get many of their ideas from the government because the government has a plan for everything that could ever possibly occur. I was curious as to how valid the speculation is. Thoughts anyone?

time travel cont'd

2005-10-09T17:11:00.000-05:00

Here is another article on time travel, and all of this talk about time travel has got me thinking. I don't think it is impossible to travel back to the past, just not likely, but according to my physics classes an object traveling at very high velocity will age more slowly than an object at rest. So if you were to travel to outer space in your spaceship that travels at the speed of light and then return at a later date, you would have aged slower than your fellow friends who remained earth. So is time travel possible?, I for one am just not sure!? And what about "wormholes" that connect parallel universes, can they possibly exist???

Some notes on time travel

2005-10-07T14:48:00.000-05:00

John and Nick wonder, if time travel is possible, why haven't we seen any time travelers from the future?

Although physicists have imagined a couple different designs for a time machine, they all share a basic limitation: you can't travel to any date prior to the time machine's construction.

We tend to think of a time machine as something like the DeLorean in Back to the Future, just vanishing and reappearing at dates specified on a digital readout. Instead, the time machine envisioned by physicists can be thought of as a machine with two doors. If you walk into door A, you'll walk out of door B, say, tomorrow. If someone walks into door B tomorrow, they'll walk out of door A today. But you need to have built this machine first. Before the machine is built, there's no door for anyone to walk out of.

So, we shouldn't expect to see any time travelers right now, because no one's built a time machine yet. Only after we build the machine can we expect people to start walking out of it. And that means we'll never be able to go see the dinosaurs, unless we find a time machine that was built by aliens a hundred million years ago.

Some notes on evolution

2005-10-07T14:21:00.000-05:00

Hey all. I just wanted to respond to some of the comments posted on Monday.

Regarding evolution, John asked, "If we as humans did evolve from monkeys, toward what I would presume would be a more advanced being, where are the links in the evolutionary chain? Why have the less primitive primates outlasted these middle species?"

First of all, it's not that humans evolved from monkeys. Humans and monkeys have a common ancestor; you could say they're our distant cousins instead of our great-grandparents. Our common ancestor is gone, but some of its surviving descendants are humans, and others are chimpanzees. And these are the descendants that survived; just as there may be branches of your personal family tree that ended because your great-uncle didn't have any kids, that common ancestor also produced branches that didn't make it to the present.

Also, it's important to realize that evolution does not have a goal. It's not trying to produce a more "advanced" species. That old picture of a line of animals, starting with a fish crawling out of the ocean and ending with a human being, is profoundly misleading. We as humans are (understandably) most interested in humans, and tend to see ourselves as special and important, but evolution does not see us that way.

For a better picture of evolution, go to this page and click on the link labeled "Tree of Life." It's a PDF file, showing an immense circular tree of life on earth. Zoom in close to read the species names at the tips of the branches. The 3000 species on this diagram are only a tiny fraction of all the species on earth, but you can get some sense of how varied life is; humans, mice, birds, frogs, and fish all fit in one tiny sliver of this circle.

Evolution is moving in all directions at once; different kinds of bacteria are evolving in a dozen different ways right now, and they aren't necessarily becoming more "advanced." They're just becoming different. The same is true for funguses, plants, insects, worms, etc. Human evolution is only one tiny part of the picture.

It's true that some species remain essentially unchanged for millions of years, while others do not. That's just because they occupy different environments. One population of fish might occupy a particular region of the ocean where it faces no competitive pressure, while elsewhere, another population finds itself competing against squids for food. It shouldn't be surprising that, after a few million years, those two populations may look very different.

in regards to food pills

2005-10-03T16:10:00.000-05:00

I find this topic very interesting because I, like most people, really like food. I think that food pills, however, are something that we wouldn't be able to realize for a long time. For instance, there are many important characteristics that make up a fruit that humans can currently come no where near close enough to replicate and shrink down to a pill size. This reminds me of meal replacement shakes that are sold in GNCs and grocery stores that although may be a healthy addition to one's diet, should never be used solely as replacements of "real" food.

Eugenics

2005-10-03T16:03:00.000-05:00

Our discussion last week about "Liking What You See: A Documentary" made me think about why I wouldn't try calliagnosia. It seems to me that people should be content with their bodies, and that any attempt to alter natural biological forces en masse would resurrect the underlying principles of eugenics. I guess that just the thought of everyone desiring to appear the same reminds me of the Hitler's Arien philosophy. The reason America is so great is that you don't have to be just like everyone else.

Here's a brief history of Eugenics including some really great pictures to check out.

Monkeys, time travel, etc.

2005-10-03T15:37:00.000-05:00

Amanda: The reference at the end of my last post was merely a joke to Gorilla City in the DC Comics Universe (the link was to an entry on Gorilla City on a very thorough, albeit strangely theoretical Flash Encyclopedia I had found).

I did find it interesting that you don't like the idea that humans could have evolved from primates -- specifically monkeys (though they are a bit different than gorillas). I think perspective is everything if you examine that opinion through a very broad evolutionary mindset: will whatever humans become in the future find it hard to believe they came from us? Given how far (and how little) we've come in intellectual development, are most humans ashamed of what they came from 100 years ago? 200 years ago?

Delicious food for thought.

John: It's a good question why we haven't been visited by anyone from the future yet if time travel is possible, though they may merely be trying to ensure that they don't alter the timestream.

(Thank you Robert Zemeckis.)

Of course, Mr. Chiang also pointed to how many don't believe traveling to the past is possible. That would mean, as depressing as it is on a very deep level, that the past really is gone forever.

As for getting a CW story on a time traveller, do you know how hard it would be to background someone who doesn't even have a birth certificate or a Social Security number yet?

It's a little difficult, especially with our resources.

Strange New Worlds: Fall 2005

2005-10-03T15:22:00.000-05:00

People have always talked about travelling at the speed of light. That would be really cool, but still not worth the effort. If we could travel the speed of light, it would still take us several decades to travel to the nearest star. Then on top of that, if we could build a rocket capable going the speed of light, the human body could not withstand the stress. It is hard enough for us to withstand going several times the speed of sound. Travelling at the speed of light would only be good for deep space probes, and that is if our equipment could even make it.

I would rather propose more research when it comes to travelling via worm holes, time, or other dimensions. While it may be possbile for us to one day build a rocket that travels the speed of sound, we will never be able to travel on it. Our bodies may be able to travel through worm holes or other ways, however. Why don't we try looking into that.

I would be wrong if I did not mention that I am not an expert on astrophysics or math. Most of my knowledge on this subject comes from movies like Event Horizon. It's a good one, you should check it out.

that would be awesome

2005-10-03T12:40:00.000-05:00

Although I think it is unrealistic, Nick's post is just flat out fun to think about. Who really knows what evolution could have in store? After studying Marine Biology last year, i was always intrigued by the way some underwater species have evolved over the years. I think it would be pretty awesome if another species evolved enough to potentially rival humans. Im pretty sure if this did happen, from monkeys or another species, that we would enslave and benefit from them anyways. i dont know, I had fun thinkin about it, thanks Nick.

Traveling at Faster than the Speed of Light

2005-10-03T12:17:00.000-05:00

I think this will be my last post about this topic, but I wanted to say just a few more things about it. After having read the link in Mr. Chiang's response to my question several times, I can't honestly say that I got much out of it. But I have formulated my own thoughts on the issue.

If you were able to travel at faster than the speed of light, I would imagine that you might would be able to see yourself coming once you arrived. This would be very similar to hearing a golfer hit a golf ball seconds after he or she actually hit it. While you might see yourself coming, you wouldn't actually see yourself coming, because you would obviously already be there. Light would just be catching up to you and carrying your image with it. I don't know how likely I think this is, but I guess I can't rule it out.

If you think of the world we live in as being more than just three-dimensional, time travel becomes more feasible, yet perhaps more out reach. You could think of time as being a forth dimension. Just as in three dimensions, you can walk along a two dimensional plane with out changing your third coordinate, you could possibly change your time coordinate without changing your other coordinates. Similarly, you could maintain your time coordinate and move to another location in our three dimensional world. This would represent teleportation perhaps. But this really represents traveling at a speed of infinity.

Next comes my skepticism with not being able to change future events if indeed time travel was possible. If you are truly able to interact with the past, I think you would have to be able to change it too. Otherwise, what kind of interacting are you really able to do?

Next, if time travel were possible, whether by traveling faster than the speed of light, or any other means, why hasn't any one come back from the future to tell us about it? I would think that would make it onto CNN, and if not Nick could at least get it into the Crimson White. I know that if I had invented a time machine, I would use it. Why wouldn't they? Perhaps it will be invented so far from now that the idea to come back to this point in time to tell us about it would be as unlikely as me deciding to go tell homo erectus. I don't know though, because if I had a time machine, I would use it often. I might just go see homo erectus and make a documentary.

Food Pills and Evolution

2005-10-03T12:05:00.000-05:00

These are fruitful topics for discussion, so I think I'll chime in on both with this post. First on the topic of food pills, I like the idea. I think it would be quite convenient. Of course, there would be times when I would like to actually cook my own meals; however, most days (especially this semester) I just don't have time to eat until around 9:00 pm. I think being able to take a pill to substitute would be remarkable. And if they were cheap, that would be even better. I think that the pills would be a great tool for combatting world hunger.

As far as evolution goes, I think I have to bring about some skepticism. I tend to agree that evolution does occur, but I have some questions that need answering. If we as humans did evolve from monkeys, toward what I would presume would be a more advanced being, where are the links in the evolutionary chain? Why have the less primitive primates outlasted these middle species? In virtually all other types of animals, there are various related species that have almost definitely evolved from a common source. I mean seriously, how many types of birds are there out there? And how many of them look utterly the same?

Neuroengineering

2005-10-03T11:58:00.000-05:00

I want to apologize for not having posted this earlier. I actually thought that I already had. Over the past week or so, I have been looking over the realm of neurengineering as a possible paper topic. There are lots of articles out there that discuss the topic, but I think the one I have linked is the best for our purposes. At this point, much of what we want to do with these advances is still science fiction. I hope you guys find this as interesting as I do. I am going to save many of the specifics of this breakthrough for my discussion tonight. I will say this, DARPA is involved, and when DARPA gets involved things get interesting.

Something about monkeys?

2005-10-02T22:21:00.000-05:00

I'm not really sure who would think monkeys using tools was a big deal either. I mean if you believe in evolution (which I do to an extent) then we supposedly came from monkeys anyway...shouldn't they then have some of the capabilities we have since they have thumbs? Right now all they do is sling poo around and play in trees--not very human-like if you ask me.

Actually I think it's somewhat insulting to say we evolved from something that we are fascinated by the fact it just learned how to use "simple tools." They have hands like ours, how did they just figure this out if they are so smart?!

But then again there was that monkey they taught sign language and she could talk about her parents and everything. I thought that was really neat, although the fact that their mouths aren't developed enough to produce language is a bit disappointing--or perhaps its the fact that they can't create enough neural synapses to have language, but I don't think that's the case if they can communicate via sign language.

Personally, I think monkeys are overrated and we should be linked to amoebas and divine intervention before we are linked to them. Afterall, I have yet to throw poo, hang from a tree limb, or spontaneously scream at people for simply looking at me.

Nick, did you say people are worried about a "planet of the apes" type thing?? If so, those people are not all together. I'm with you, I don't really see the big deal about a monkey using tools. This should have happened decades ago.

Damn them all to hell

2005-09-30T00:42:00.000-05:00

Gorillas have been observed using simple tools.

Doesn't seem like too big of a deal; heck, I remember a few years ago when a bird was observed using simple tools to retrieve food from crevices too deep for its beak to reach.

But it makes you wonder about the surprises evolution might have in store on down the line, namely whether another species could evolve a level of intelligence equal to humans — and if we would be in competition with them as dominant species of the planet.

It might sound hare-brained — and probably because it is. Plus, if any such evolutionary intelligence were to happen, humans would have an obvious advantage, namely thousands of years of survival experience and the ability to influence the development in a way to decrease, if not eradicate the threat.

It is an intriguing idea to consider, however, that so much thought has gone into the possibilities of an invasion from extraterrestrial species when there may be a greater terrestrial threat given the trickiness of the space travel it would take to stage a cross-galaxy attack.

Though I'm not ready to believe in Gorilla City just yet.

Another thought on a food pill.

2005-09-29T09:13:00.000-05:00

While it would be a shame to lose the social and emotional aspect of food, I think a food pill would do fairly well in today's society. With everything being so fast paced nowadays, many people (not all people) would jump on the chance to skip breakfast, lunch and dinner to work. This would also be good for people who were sick and had a hard time keeping down a whole meal. If it could be made cheaply, it could even help fight hunger in the world. While a pill that replaces a meal would not be good in all situations, I would definately enjoy the simplicity and ease of a pill every now and then.

Agree with Sara

2005-09-28T12:31:00.000-05:00

I agree with Sara's comment about the future of food. While the possiblities seem interesting, I just don't think that a pill or any other form of food substitution will ever be able to replace our concept of food. Eating is an experience that provides us with much more than just nutrients. It's a social event...it's comfort, and many other things to other people. But the emotional aspect of food is part of the weight problem we as a nation face today. So this made me think of an interesting question: If food was replaced by a pill, would this relieve the weight issues many people face? Or would this do the opposite? Could people really get that comfort they're often looking for from a pill? Could you "over-eat" on pills? Just an interesting thought.

2nd Article

2005-09-27T18:43:00.000-05:00

I know that this article from Wired.com is a little out of date. However, I thought that it was kind of cool that there is a museum devoted to Sci-Fi. In the article, it describes many of the major contributors and what will be displayed in the Seattle based homage to all things science fiction.

Future of Food

2005-09-27T13:55:00.000-05:00

I don't think I would like engineered food. In today's society we already have enough processed food. I like fresh, home cooked meals. Only when in a hurry or completely hungover do I crave fast food. I think some of the best conversations with people also occur while eating or involving food. If our entire meals turned into a pill, wouldn't we miss out? Just a little thought.

2nd article

2005-09-27T13:44:00.000-05:00

This is a really cool site that promotes female sceince fiction authors. They will review any works that are in progress and guide you to successful science fiction writing. They also post the latest articles, short stories, and novels that female science fiction writers have published. I thought this site was very interesting because not many places promote female authors, and I wouldn't really think they would in a mostly man's realm. I think the ladies should check this out and see what's out there.
http://www.feministsf.org/femsf/bibs/

SciFi article

2005-09-26T22:25:00.000-05:00

I found this article about new food technology that's sort of sci-fi-esque. I thought it was kind of cool considering all the episodes of star-trek and stuff like that where computers magically produce any food right in front of you and lots of other stories talk about a complete meal in a pill--perhaps this is our future?? Or perhaps just newly engineered foods...who knows? I guess I'm just really interested in food because I'm always hungry.
Check it out if you're interested!!
http://www.concatenation.org/articles/feedme.html