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Posts Tagged ‘future’

Don’t Stop Believing

Posted in Other, Science!, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on May 27, 2025| Leave a Comment »

A couple of years ago I wrote about NASA’s excellent graphic novel encouraging folks to imagine themselves on the moon: First Woman: Dream to Reality.

There was a second issue, too, called First Woman: Expanding Our Universe. Both were free and available to the public on NASA’s site. (Which makes sense, because NASA is paid for by US tax dollars, including mine.) Sadly, both have now been removed.

But good news, aspiring explorers! As highlighted over at Space.com, both issues are still available via that bastion of awesome, The Wayback Machine:

Calliefirst – NASA

Issue : Dream to Reality follows Callie’s trailblazing path as the first woman on the Moon. Callie and her robot sidekick, RT, overcome setbacks, disappointment, and tragedy along the way. From her childhood dreams of space travel to being selected as an astronaut candidate, Callie takes us on her journey to the Moon.

I don’t always take the time to update older links, but I thought this one was important.

Because if humanity stops inspiring the next generation, humanity stops.

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NASA, via The Wayback Machine

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Dilithium All the Way?

Posted in Other, tagged , , , , , , on November 13, 2024| Leave a Comment »

You know how some days a question gets stuck in your mind? For me today, it’s the question of where the energy comes from for Star Trek’s matter replicators. (Reminder: I came to Star Trek much later than Star Wars, and I’m ok with that.) Does everything in the ST universe run on dilithium?

Sure, I could look it up, but instead I’m going to use the distraction to keep the part of my mind that focuses on the future happily entertained, instead of stressfully worried. Because that leaves me with more positive energy for action.

Whatever it takes, right?

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Photo by Stepan Kulyk on Unsplash

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What We Can Become

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , on January 23, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Released today, Grist’s Imagine 2200 contest brings new, more hopeful, visions of the future.

Imagine 2200: The 2024 climate fiction contest collection | Grist

Grist’s Imagine 2200: Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors short story contest celebrates stories that offer vivid, hope-filled, diverse visions of climate progress. From 1,000 submissions, our reviewers and judges selected the three winners and nine finalists you will discover in this collection. These stories are not afraid to explore the challenges ahead, but offer hope that we can work together to build a more sustainable and just world. Through rich characters, lovingly sketched settings, and gripping plots, they welcome you into futures that celebrate who we are and what we can become — and, we hope, inspire you to work toward them.

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Photo by Jonas Verstuyft on Unsplash

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Visions of the Future

Posted in Science!, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , on December 31, 2023| Leave a Comment »

For me, the end of a year is a great time to think about the future. 

What did one of science fiction’s most acclaimed writers think about the future back in 1980, what’s changed, and which of his predictions have already come to pass?

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Photo by Ali Pazani on Unsplash

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Designing the Future

Posted in Science!, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , on October 11, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Had a great chat this morning about AI and creativity with Technology Revolution’s Bonnie D., plus Jason Palmatier, Gene Williams and Glenda Benevides. If you’re interested in a discussion ranging from AI clones to democratized design, check it out.

Technology Revolution: “The Future of Human Creativity and AI: Emotion vs Logic? Part 2

LISTEN Later: On-Demand
WATCH Later: LinkedIn On-Demand and Facebook On-Demand

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Photo by Sharan Pagadala on Unsplash

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Voting Day!

Posted in Likes, Other, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , on November 8, 2022| Leave a Comment »

One realization I had after studying a bit of history is how little say most people have in it. Traditionally, a limited number of people have been in charge of most things, usually to the detriment of the rest. (We remember the pyramids, for example, but what about those conscripted to build them?)

There’s a reason democracies attract people. 

“Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.” 

― Winston S. Churchill (often quoted, still true)

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Today is voting day in the United States. Not sure where you need to go or what to bring with you? These sites can help.

Get to the Polls

How to Vote

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Yes, there are a lot of forces trying to pull us apart, and there are many aspects of our economic and social lives that could be improved. 

There are also many elements we agree on. Consider health, safety, education, holding doors for the elderly, giving up a seat for the pregnant, and of course, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

The devil’s in the details, of course, and as anyone with even a passing acquaintance with the news or social media can tell you, we are flooded with examples of what’s broken on a daily basis. But that’s not all that’s happening, or all that is possible.*

There are a lot of ways to live and I happen to think that democracy is one of the best. (Just ask those pyramid builders.) That doesn’t mean the system can’t improve.

How can we make our voices heard? Vote.

How do we build a world that works? Together.

* For a break from doom and gloom, I recommend a visit to David Byrne’s Reasons to be Cheerful.

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Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

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Today’s Plug for Sci-Fi

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , on October 17, 2022| Leave a Comment »

What can science fiction do for you? Help you think. Here’s an interview on Marketplace, better known for its discussions with economists, professors and policy wonks, with writer Neal Stephenson.

How sci-fi can make us smart – Marketplace

We’ll talk with Stephenson about how he thinks about big, complex issues like climate change and what this genre can teach us about the future and solving problems in the real world.

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Photo by Daniel K Cheung on Unsplash

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Mirror and Inspiration

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 14, 2022| Leave a Comment »

This interesting article discusses space exploration as an extension of the frontier mentality, how humanity’s complications underly a lot of science fiction, and asks, “Are the stars better off without us?”

Expanding Horizons | Atmos

A few years ago, in an attempt to lose myself in something other than winter lethargy, I became enthralled with The Expanse, a space drama that asks: what if humanity became a multiplanetary species? What would happen next?

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“So much of the show is about resources and scarcity and the connection between economics and history”

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It’s easy to write off The Expanse as “just” science fiction, but the ideas that the show wrestles with are important. Science fiction both holds a mirror to culture and acts as a source of inspiration. 

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Photo by David Gavi on Unsplash

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Map from the Past

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , on December 29, 2021| Leave a Comment »

I am feeling particular affection for my past self today.

Earlier this year I needed to design and print multiple versions of a complicated spreadsheet. It was the sort of project that should have been easy but was a verifiable pain. After more time on it than I want to remember, I had my printouts finalized. Yay. I have a vague memory of thinking, “Self, this is great, you have this covered allllll the way to the end of the year. Go you!” And then I forgot about it.

Yesterday I went to flip December over to the next sheet. You can guess what happened next.

There is no next printout. The stack only went to December and now here I am at the end of the line.

Usually this would mean having to start over from scratch, trying to remember exactly which hoops I had to jump through to get the end result.

Not this time.

This time, Past Me realized that there was no way I’d remember all the annoying details required in each of the multiple applications used. This time, Past Me not only took notes but also clipped them to the last printout in the stack.

I left myself a map.

And so today I am feeling grateful for my past decisions. I’m also asking a question with the potential to make the future a better destination: 

What can I do today to help myself tomorrow?

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Photo by Julentto Photography on Unsplash

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Pass It On

Posted in Likes, tagged , , , , , , , , , on January 8, 2014| 2 Comments »

We are at the very beginning of time for the human race. It is not unreasonable that we grapple with problems. But there are tens of thousands of years in the future. Our responsibility is to do what we can, learn what we can, improve the solutions, and pass them on.

— Richard P. Feynman

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