Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Futurism.
Can Technology Help Mankind's Moral Compass?
Guide, like most new technologies, began in a billionaire's dream of reason. The PR-generated story of Guide's origin posited it as a passion project of Metra's cofounder and longtime CEO. Its aim was simple, universal: help people act more rationally.
By Ken Baumann10 years ago in Futurism
3D Bioprinting is the Future of Transplants
Imagine a world where there was no organ donor waiting list. A world where you would be able to get the organ you needed straight from a printer. According to Quartz, a Philadelphia-based company, BioBots, has released a printer that lets users 3D print human tissue and (potentially) human organs. In May of 2014, BioBots publicly launched at TechCrunch Disrupt in New York and printed a replica of Van Gogh’s ear for everyone to see. Currently, the printer works with a liquid mixture of different cells called “bio-ink.” This liquid is pressed through an extruder and fused together on the printer bed using blue light. A representative from the company told Quartz that the system could print out an object that has blood vessels and organ tissue at once, and the goal is to use this to create livers for drug testing and skins for cosmetic testing. This would eliminate the need for testing on humans and animals. However, BioBots isn’t the only company to create 3D printing for organs.
By Futurism Staff10 years ago in Futurism
Most Terrifying 80s Sci-Fi Movies
Maybe burying your dead pet in that haunted cemetery wasn't the best idea. Whether it's Pet Sematary or The Fly, America loves horror movies. Add some science fiction into the mix, and it's a recipe for disaster for the characters, but success in the movie business. Terrifying 80s sci-fi movies encompass everything that scares us—whether it's the terror of death or disaster—but they also make us think long and hard after the movie is over about its scientific realities. Could we really have a serum that rejuvenates dead people in the future like Re-Animator? Or would we really want our dead cat Fluffy to come back from the dead like Pet Sematary? Or what if, like in Parasite, we were run by an organization other than a government and they wanted to control the population with a deadly parasite? It's the mystery of terrifying 80s sci-fi movies that drive us to watch them over and over.
By Emily McCay10 years ago in Futurism
Does the Earth Have a Hidden Twin?
For several years now we have been hearing about new planetary bodies being discovered inside and outside our solar system. There are suggestions that our familiar companions - Mercury Venus, Mars, and the rest - may not be all there is to the sun's family. There is evidence that one member or more still awaits discovery through scientific research. This idea is not new. With ideas like Planet X and also back a century ago it was widely thought that another planet could be found within the orbit of Mercury. It was even given a name: Vulcan.
By George Gott10 years ago in Futurism
Rio 2016—The Olympic Games Meet The Science Fiction Games
If intellectual luminaries of Ancient Greece such as Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle could see a modern interpretation of our classic Olympic games, they’d likely be gratified their legendary athletic contest evolved into a unifying global event. Compare the ancient Olympians with our present day athletic engagement and depictions of a far flung future in sci-fi romps such as, The Hunger Games, Star Wars, and Star Trek, and if nothing else, it’s clear challenging athletic contests will survive centuries of sweeping, transforming modernity.
By Will Stape10 years ago in Futurism
Most Deceptive Scientific Frauds
There are so many problems in the world that demand solving, and scientific research is the source for such desired lifesaving innovation. However, this pressure can be a double-edged sword. Scientists are inspired to work hard to release quality research, but this can also lead to situations where people will stoop to deception to achieve fame. Fabricating data to prove a theory is an easy way to cut corners, after all, and peer review has its limitations.
By Futurism Staff10 years ago in Futurism
Top TARDIS Trivia Tidbits
Everybody knows the basics of the Time and Relative Dimensions in Space (TARDIS) vessels, right? They are a Type 40 class of chameleon time machines built by Time Lords from the planet Gallifrey. They’re much bigger on the inside. And one of them was stolen several hundred years ago by a man whose name is a secret… a man who calls himself only the Doctor. Together they’ve traveled from one side of the universe to the other, down the line from the Big Bang to the end of the time itself… and all the while, the Doctor’s TARDIS has been stuck in the form of an antiquated English policeman’s phone booth.
By Matt Cates10 years ago in Futurism
'Star Wars' Beach Gear
Step over to the Dark Side as you tan the day away on a beach with the best Star Wars beach gear. Whether you are hopping on a cruise to the Bahamas or enjoying a relaxing weekend in the Hamptons, the only thing hotter than the climates to which you are vacationing will be the Star Wars beach gear that you bring along. For the Tatooine-like weather that you are visiting, these beach must-haves will check everything off of your vacation list, as well as your fan list. From an R2-D2 bathing suit for the pool, a Death Star inflatable beach ball for some fun or Star Wars headphones for a long trip, there is something for every Star Wars fan. Pack up the umbrella, cooler and beach chairs, as well as your Star Wars beach gear for a vacation full of fun that is out of this world.
By Futurism Staff10 years ago in Futurism
Science of Identical Twins
“Double your pleasure, double your fun” couldn’t be more true when it comes to identical twins. Starting with the moment your obstetrician tells you, “There are two of them,” your life is never the same. Twins are double the fun and doubly amazing. Aside from the remarkable science behind them and the totally random happenstance of their creation, the very fact that two people can have identical faces and DNA is just miraculous. Here you have two babies who have spent nine months keeping each other company in the womb and then, upon being released into the world, continue to amaze all those around them. Parents of twins have reported identical sleeping positions, finding their twins sleeping in the same bed; As babies, when they would nap in the same crib, and even if they started out on opposites sides, they would always end up holding on to each other, most likely as they did in-utero.
By Stephanie Gladwell10 years ago in Futurism
Can Memories be Transferred by Eating Them?
There’s an episode of J.J. Abram's cult favorite Fringe where Olivia chugs a beaker full of chopped up worms. Walter, the stereotypical absent minded professor-slash-mad scientist wonders, "Can memories be transferred by eating them?" Walter remembers an experiment that transferred memories between worms by chopping them up and feeding them to each other. In the context of the show, Walter’s worm shake seems like one of many implausible examples of “fringe” science, like pyrokinesis or interdimensional travel. But 50 years ago these experiments actually happened, blurring the lines between fact and fiction and igniting one of the fiercest controversies in the history of neuroscience.
By Christina Agapakis10 years ago in Futurism
