^TagScience fiction

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post

Author
News
Date
May 29, 2021

Categorized
Arts & Culture, Philosophy, Science

Tagged
Barack Obama, Drake Equation, Drake Equation (updated), Extraterrestrials (ET), Frank Drake, Matt Williams, Sabine Hossenfelder, Science fiction, Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), Steven Novella}

Sixty Billion Stars. And No Aliens? What Now?

_{Are we approaching a crisis of faith in ET?} _{News

May 29, 2021

4

Arts & Culture, Philosophy, Science}

At Universe Today, Matt Williams asks if it is time to update the Drake Equation, by which you could settle — in your own mind — how likely the aliens are. It began to be developed nearly sixty years ago at a conference at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, West Virginia. And everyone took for granted that we would be hearing from the aliens soon. That was the basis of Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) — keeping the hope alive. Rather than being an actual means for quantifying the number of intelligent species in our galaxy, the purpose of the equation was meant to frame the discussion on SETI. In addition to encapsulating the challenges facing scientists, Read More ›

3d rendered medically accurate illustration of a grey alien holding the earth

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post

Author
News
Date
May 29, 2021

Categorized
Arts & Culture, Environment, Law

Tagged
Final Offer (short film 2018), Negotiations (in fiction), Science fiction}

When the Human Race Is Down to Its Final Offer … Sci-fi Saturday

_{The downbeat human lawyer and the alien corporate lawyer in Final Offer achieve artful comedy by the too-little used technique of witty dialogue, NOT gags} _{News

May 29, 2021

13

Arts & Culture, Environment, Law}

“Final Offer” at DUST by Mark Slutsky (July 19, 2018, 11:23 min) “A down-on-his-luck lawyer awakes in a doorless room to find he’s been selected to negotiate on behalf of the human race.” Review: Henry, a lawyer accustomed to late night barhopping, wakes up in a strange boardroom: “Henry, you have been selected to represent your species in what is almost surely the biggest trade agreement in the history of your planet.” “My planet?” Well, it’s science fiction. The corporate lawyer (Anna Hopkins) announces that her client — an alien the very sight of which causes our hero (Aaron Abrams) to retch — wishes to “acquire” Earth’s oceans. Or appropriate them if a few minutes of negotiations don’t work for Read More ›

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post

Author
News
Date
May 29, 2021

Categorized
Arts & Culture, Religion, Science

Tagged
Eden (short film 2018), Science fiction}

What Would the Ruins of “Eden” Be Like?: Sci-fi Saturday

_{Scavenging for artifacts on a ruined planet, a space drifter comes across the ruins of a high-tech civilization} _{News

May 29, 2021

13

Arts & Culture, Religion, Science}

“Eden” (2018) at DUST (May 20, 2021) by Kristian Bakstad, 11:51 min: “Deep in the recesses of space, a lone scavenger hunts for a valuable artifact on a desolate planet. When he discovers an abandoned facility, he ventures inside hoping for his big payday; but instead encounters a mad man and the remnants of a religious cult.” Review: This one got a lot of negative reviews but the studio has been around for a while, so let’s have another look. The lead character (Christoff Lundgren) is agreeably scuzzy, batting around in space. The opening portrays his lifestyle well: His tracking system detects something that might be evidence of a ruined advanced ET civilization to scavenge. He needs something he can Read More ›

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post

Author
News
Date
May 15, 2021

Categorized
Arts & Culture, Ethics, Medicine and Health

Tagged
Alice Henley, Brain Upload, Justin Marosa, Mind Uploading, Nick Mather, No Guarantee (short film), Science fiction, Stuart Black, uploading consciousness}

Sci-fi Saturday: In “No Guarantee,” Brain Uploading Proves Costly

_{In a ruined mid-21st century Britain, a couple gains tickets to a virtual world — if their brains can be uploaded. But can they?} _{News

May 15, 2021

12

Arts & Culture, Ethics, Medicine and Health}

“No Guarantee” (2016) by Stuart Black and Nick Mather (at DUST, May 11, 2021) 5:22 min. A couple living in the ruins of London 2056 must decide whether they should upload their consciousnesses into the mysterious Cloud 9.” Fuller description: “London 2056 – the city is dying and those living in the smog-clogged ruins live by their wits. Those who can afford to opt out of the desperation upload their consciousnesses to Cloud 9. This is advertised as a one way ticket to virtual heaven – but can the Company who run it really be trusted? Virgil and Mary have different attitudes: she wants to go, he doesn’t. Can she persuade him to ‘ascend’ before he dies from terminal illness? Read More ›

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post

Author
News
Date
May 15, 2021

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
5-minutes, Brett Brooks, Erin Ownby, Extraterrestrials (ET), Fenestra (short film), Jason Sheedy, Sci-Fi Saturday, Science fiction}

Sci-Fi Saturday: In Fenestra, the Aliens Land in a Domestic Drama

_{As the alien ships loom worldwide, the cheating boyfriend thinks he can just come back…} _{News

May 15, 2021

11

Arts & Culture}

“Fenestra” (2020) at DUST by Jason Sheedy (May 13, 2021, 3:49 min) “A heartbroken woman must contend with a cheating boyfriend — and an incoming alien invasion.” Review: Okay. What if the aliens land just as a guy wants his woman to know that he is sorry for cheating on her after six faithful years. Of course, he counts on coming back to her amid the chaos. But maybe his stepping out was happening at just the right time for her… Who is she anyway? Erin Ownbey does a good job of looking pretty fed up and Brett Brooks of just not getting it. Impressive alien ships. “Fenestra” is under four minutes in length, which is handy if you would Read More ›

Flowers and a toy on a lamppost in memory of the person who died at this place

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post

Author
News
Date
May 8, 2021

Categorized
Arts & Culture, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
101Exit, Adam 2.0 (short film), Devin Dilmore, Science fiction}

Sci-fi Saturday: Could Stored Memories Bring Back the Dead?

_{A nerd sees a way to bring back his friend Adam from Adam’s girlfriend’s memories} _{News

May 8, 2021

11

Arts & Culture, Philosophy of Mind}

“Adam 2.0” (2020) by Devin Dilmore and 101Exit (April 29, 2021 at DUST, 11:45 min.) “Two friends take a high tech risk for the chance to talk to their best friend one more time.” Review: The “main memory storage facility” on the U.S. West Coast has been destroyed, possibly by terrorists, and household memory storage capsules may be leaking deadly radiation. But two people, played by Caleb Thomas and Andrea Fantauzzi, have found a way to save their memories during the crisis. They attempt to recreate a dead friend, Adam (Chris Bradley), that way. Could the same technology that can store human memories “offsite” be used that way? But then a bigger question arises when one character asks, “Will it Read More ›

Futuristic and sci-fi human android portrait with pcb metallic skin and binary code green background. AI, IT, technology, robotics, science, transhumanism 3D rendering illustration concepts.

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post

Author
News
Date
May 1, 2021

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture, Ethics, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Androids (science fiction), Azhur Saleem, Mirror test, Muse (short film), Paul Ready, Science fiction, Self-awareness, Self-recognition, Taj Atwal}

Sci-fi Saturday: The Artist’s Android Has a Surprise for Him…

_{He makes the fateful decision to allow her to depart from her programming during a crisis} _{News

May 1, 2021

12

Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture, Ethics, Philosophy of Mind}

“Muse” (2020) by Azhur Saleem and (April 13, 2021 at DUST, 12:33 min) “An artist turns to his android muse for help when trying to sell his newest paintings, but events take a dark and disturbing turn when the android learns what has inspired the work.” An artist welcomes in an art gallery owner to view his latest offerings, his in-house android at his beck and call. When the meeting turns sour and the guest tries to leave, Alderman calls on Kay and… So begins the next day. When police officers come knocking regarding an altercation outside, it transpires that Alderman has amended Kay’s CPU to respond to un-programmed demands – including murder to which she complies and the police Read More ›

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post

Author
News
Date
April 24, 2021

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
Andrew Morris, Crime, free will, Limbo (short film), Punishment, Rob Silva, Science fiction}

Sci-fi Saturday: “Limbo” Profiles a Future Approach to Punishment

_{The convict must live in a vision, induced during a coma, as the victim (or bereft loved one), in an attempt to rehabilitate him by teaching empathy} _{News

April 24, 2021

11

Arts & Culture}

“Limbo” (2020) at DUST by Andrew Morris and Rob Silva (April 8, 2021 at DUST, 24:21) “One man’s search for his kidnapped daughter causes his reality to unravel.” A most interesting premise: In the future, there are no prisons. There are no institutions with high walls and barred cells. Instead, the convicted are placed into a coma and forced to live out their sentence within a dream, with reality inverted, as the victim of their own crime. You killed someone’s wife? Your sentence is a life where your spouse has been taken from you, leaving you to toil in grief and mental anguish. But for ‘inmates’ who are wrongfully convicted, and are forced to live in their punishing alternate reality Read More ›

Businessman working with skeleton in office

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post

Author
News
Date
April 10, 2021

Categorized
Arts & Culture, Work

Tagged
Carlyn Hudson, Redundancy, Science fiction, Unemployment, Workplace (short film)}

Sci-fi Saturday: When “The Workplace” Is Anything But

_{The short film (less than 10 min) starts with a woman reassuring herself, unsettlingly, “I AM the boss”} _{News

April 10, 2021

10

Arts & Culture, Work}

“The Workplace” at DUST by Carlyn Hudson (April 1, 2021, 9:32 min) We’ve been warned: “You are very qualified.” For what though? “In a future economy subsumed by technological employment, humans continue to find meaning through their ‘work’ — where the lucky ones get to show up to an “office” from 9-5 and live out their mundane workplace fantasies.” This sci-fi short will appeal to many who have had a job at the corner of Rat and Race and sense that’s a blessing compared to the alternative. It starts with a woman reassuring herself, “I AM the boss,” and cuts to her interviewing a job candidate who seems off-putting at first but appears qualified — and then things get weird. Read More ›

saturn and moon in the sky of a barren landscape

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post

Author
News
Date
March 27, 2021

Categorized
Arts & Culture, Science

Tagged
Big Nothing (short film), Detective fiction, Science fiction, Sharptooth Pictures, Whodunit}

Sci-fi Saturday: “The Big Nothing” melds sci-fi and whodunit

_{The combination of the sci-fi and detective genres takes some skill to pull off but this Australian crew succeeds} _{News

March 27, 2021

9

Arts & Culture, Science}

“The Big Nothing” at DUST by Sharptooth Pictures (March 4, 2021, 37.54) “When the captain of an isolated mining station near Saturn is murdered, Detective Lennox is sent to investigate the three remaining crew members. Centered around a series of interrogations and flashback, Lennox discovers that everyone has a motive to kill. With otherworldly threats approaching and the killer amongst them, will everybody make it off the station?” “The Big Nothing,” a sci-fi detective drama, actually premiered in 2018 as a TV miniseries. The combination of the sci-fi and detective genres takes some skill to pull off. Both genres feature conventions that producers ignore at the story’s peril. For example, sci-fi should feature science. Of course the story can be Read More ›

Surrealistic image with a man lost in time, standing in a foggy street in front of huge clocks set to different times. Hour perception and time travel concept.

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post

Author
News
Date
March 20, 2021

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
Container (short film), Film Platter, Science fiction, Time travel}

Sci-fi Saturday: Can We Live In More Than the Present Moment?

_{When a tech entrepreneur succeeds with time travel, he gets trapped in his own past errors} _{News

March 20, 2021

9

Arts & Culture}

“Container” at DUST by Film Platter (February 23, 2021, 24:42) “The creator of a time machine becomes trapped inside his own creation where he must figure out the timing of his mistakes.” (Scenes of gruesome suffering so caution re kids.) In this Australian entry, time travelers need a container to isolate the effects of themselves and of time travel on the outside world. On this principle, an inventor finds a way to make time travel work — sort of. Or so he thinks. He achieves six minutes backward. But then he notices two things: The machine is continuing to count backward and there are drops of blood on the floor. He understates, “I’ve missed something here.” Then he notices he Read More ›

Extremely detailed and realistic high resolution 3d illustration of a Grey Alien standing in a forest

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post

Author
News
Date
March 20, 2021

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
Dark Forest (novel), Dark Forest Hypothesis, Extraterrestrials (ET), Flatland (short novel), Liu Cixin, Matt Williams, Science fiction}

What If Extraterrestrials Can’t Afford To Take Chances With Us?

_{That’s the Dark Forest Hypothesis, riffing off the title of one of famed Chinese sci-fi author Liu Cixin’s novels} _{News

March 20, 2021

10

Arts & Culture}

In recent months we’ve been looking at science writer Matt Williams’s coverage of the many reasons (links below) people have advanced as to why we do not see extraterrestrials except at the movies. Last Saturday, we considered the Aurora Hypothesis: Given the difficulties and risks of space travel, extraterrestrials with advanced technology may have visited Earth only one in a million years, researchers say. Another hypothesis that Williams has examined is the Dark Forest Hypothesis. He begins by noting that space exploration necessarily conjures up the notion of risk: “Words like Rim, Edge, Fringe, and Verge, Beyond, Perimeter, and Periphery all conjure up feelings of intrigue and anxiety – no doubt, in different measures for different people”: This particular proposed Read More ›

Concept of internet security. Mixed media

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post

Author
News
Date
March 13, 2021

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
Dyson sphere, H. G. Wells, Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction, Jesse Sheidlower, Science fiction}

New Sci-fi Dictionary Will Help Us Tell Our Aliens Apart

_{Not only are definitions of terms provided but many references to their use in sci-fi literature} _{News

March 13, 2021

3

Arts & Culture}

Sci-fi fans will appreciate this new online resource: The Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction. The field is now very large. Even if you know what a Dyson sphere is (“an artificial structure in the form of a hollow shell surrounding a star”), you may not know where, in science fiction and commentary, the term has been used. Many such examples are right there at the link. Many other terms are defined, like “Anglic” (future English) and “Belter” (resident of an asteroid belt). We may not need the definition if we are reading the book or watching the film but we will if someone uses the term in casual conversation. The compiler is lexicographer Jesse Sheidlower who has worked at the Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
March 13, 2021

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
Cam Girl (short film), Despair, Jacob Schühle Lewis, Science fiction, suicide}

Sci-fi Saturday: What If a New Start in Life Were Two Pills Away?

_{Would you feel the same about suicide?} _{News

March 13, 2021

9

Arts & Culture}

“Camgirl” at DUST by Jacob Schühle Lewis (March 9, 20:21) “Dee, disillusioned with life and working as a cam girl to make ends meet, helps a strange client, starting an unlikely friendship that might save them both.” A cam girl is a girl-next-door type for hire for viewing and chat sessions (not necessarily pornography or sex) for lonely people. The filmmaker requested a warning that the film depicts self-harm and suicide attempts and it is age-restricted. Given the declining mental health occasioned by the total lockdown response to COVID-19 in many places, vulnerable teens might indeed be best encouraged to watch something else. Meanwhile… You have to watch it here at YouTube because we can’t display it, due to the Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
March 13, 2021

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
Metacognition, robotics, Science fiction, System Error (short film)}

Sci-fi Saturday: In a World Run By Robots, a Bot Becomes a Joker

_{The dull, dystopian atmosphere of an Australia dominated by robots is well done and worth the watch} _{News

March 13, 2021

9

Arts & Culture}

“System Error” at DUST by Matt Vesely/ Closer Productions (March 11, 2021, 13:12): From the director’s notes: More About “System Error”: Every day, George works his job at a dingy convenience store, desperately hoping for a friend – but George is also an immobile robotic service unit, and immobile robotic service units do not have friends. When human customer Sid tries to tell George a joke, the simple robot is baffled. So, he sets about editing his code to learn how to laugh… Review: It’s 54 years after an alien invasion and the world is dominated by advanced robotic technology. Everything seems run by robots, including a local convenience store in Australia where everything is under the control of a Read More ›

Illustration: The Terrible Alien UFO Destroyer comes. The Combat Begins. Realistic Style. Scene / Wallpaper Design.

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post

Author
News
Date
March 6, 2021

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
Alternative universe concept, CARONTE (short film), Grief, Luis Tinoco, Science fiction, Self-absorption}

Sci-fi Saturday: Can an Alternative Universe Save a Lonely Girl?

_{A girl finds fighting space aliens easier than fighting a brain haemorrhage and a sense of guilt} _{News

March 6, 2021

7

Arts & Culture}

“CARONTE” at DUST by Luis Tinoco (March 2, 2021, 14:04 min): “A self-absorbed teenager somehow contacts another universe after she’s injured in a car accident.” Language warning. The initial plot development is laudably clearer than that of many short DUST entries. Minimizing spoilers, it’s apparent early on that the heroine is not really a lieutenant in a space force. So what is happening in those scenes is happening either an alternative universe or all in her head. The characters are well imagined and portrayed and the real life scenes are deftly executed. The film ends as it must — not happily but inevitably, and with at least some sense of redemption. Quibble: There is way too much profanity. It gets Read More ›

Nebula and stars in deep space, glowing mysterious universe. Elements of this image furnished by NASA

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post

Author
News
Date
March 6, 2021

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
C. S. Lewis, Extraterrestrials (ET), Geoffrey A. Landis, Matt Williams, Out of the Silent Planet, Percolation Hypothesis, Perelandra (book), Science fiction}

Is Real-World Space Travel Just Too Daunting for ET?

_{That’s the Percolation Hypothesis as to why we don’t make contact with aliens. They can’t overcome the laws of physics, any more than we can} _{News

March 6, 2021

7

Arts & Culture}

Last week we looked at another reason that has been advanced, as to why we do not see extraterrestrials except at the movies. Science writer Matt Williams has been looking at the reasons (see the links below.) Last Saturday, we looked at the possibility that Earth is unusual in that it is a rocky planet whose intelligent inhabitants live on the surface. Many rocky planets and moons with icy surfaces may have interior oceans that harbor life.: In that case, intelligent life may not think of space exploration. Another hypothesis that Williams has examined is the Percolation Theory Hypothesis, that there are limits imposed by the laws of physics as to what intelligent life forms can do by way of Read More ›

mysterious exotic exoplanet lit by a bright red star

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post

Author
News
Date
March 6, 2021

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
5-minutes, Austin Charlesworth, McPherson’s Toys (short film), Sci-Fi Saturday, Science fiction}

Sci-fi Saturday: “This Planet Is Not in Our Co-ordinates”

_{A space courier crew gets a surprise when delivering a mysterious machine to a strange planet} _{News

March 6, 2021

6

Arts & Culture}

“McPherson’s Toys” at DUST by Austin Charlesworth (Jan 23, 2021, 2:59 min): “Two anxious space couriers have to deliver an ominous package to an unfamiliar planet with unexpected results.” Animated. At only 3 min, this one is very short. It will give fast food staff time to prepare your burger. The space couriers find themselves on a planet not expected to be in their co-ordinates. The rest would make a great greeting card. Depending on how you react (the audience is mixed), that may be fun. The animation feels a bit old-fashioned but many viewers will like that. Perfect for nostalgia. Other reviews from the “We are but DUST” files: Sci-fi Saturday: A future where dreams have been privatized Unfortunately, Read More ›

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post

Author
News
Date
February 27, 2021

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
Dreams, DUST, Dystopia, I dream (short film), Juan Pablo Arriagada, Science fiction}

Sci-fi Saturday: A Future Where Dreams Have Been Privatized

_{Unfortunately, the dream Carlos wants is to see his missing family again and that's illegal …} _{News

February 27, 2021

7

Arts & Culture}

“I Dream” at DUST by Juan Pablo Arriagada (February 20, 2021, 14.25 min, Spanish with English subtitles) “In the future, dreams have been privatized. Carlos will risk anything to have one last dream to see his missing family.” Severe language and violence warning. It’s an interesting concept: “It was just a matter of time before dreams became privatized and became a basic service. Only rich people can afford to dream. The people who can’t pay for it must work double shifts. Or buy this drug that makes them stay awake. And, by the way, it’s made by the same people that privatized sleep.” Carlos, an ex-cop whose family went missing, can afford one last dream in which he wants to Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
February 20, 2021

Categorized
Arts & Culture, Social Media

Tagged
addiction, Best Friend (short film), Brain implant, loneliness, Nicholas Olivieri, Science fiction}

Sci-Fi Saturday: When Virtual Friends Are a Real Addiction

_{This animated short begins with the thirtieth birthday party of a rather glum young man} _{News

February 20, 2021

6

Arts & Culture, Social Media}

“Best Friend” at DUST by Nicholas Olivieri, Shen Yi, Juliana De Lucca, Varun Nair, David Feliu (Feb 16, 2021, 5:31) “In a near future, a lonely man is addicted to a product called Best Friend which offers him perfect virtual friends.” As is hinted in the title (so this is not a spoiler), we suddenly learn — via an effective plot maneuver — that all of the partying friends are virtual realities. I had already begun to wonder about the animated objects cheering along with the crowd but then maybe in the future our kitchenware will have enthusiasms … But no. It’s all in his head, as long as he keeps replenishing the supply of a chemical cocktail to a Read More ›