Futurelawyer

You're Never Too Old To Save The Planet

Picard. All this talk of retiring got me thinking about aging. Why is it that we believe that aging causes a decrease in ability? As long as the mind functions and the body can muddle through the day, we should live and be productive as much as we are able. Then, I got a kick out of the new CBS All Access series debuting this Thursday, "Star Trek - Picard". An aging crew of Star Trek veterans reunite to save the world again. For you Star Wars fans, Star Trek is the thinking man's version of the future. There is some action; but, no mindless laser weapons and hand to hand combat. Oh, there will be enough action for you young folk. But, the thinking, and acting, will be done by old people. Live long, and prosper.

And The Word Of The Day Is....Dystopian

Execupundit.com: Dystopian Novels. Modern readers are seemingly pessimistic about the future. We flock to books that foretell the end of civilization, and imagine stark, dark landscapes in which zombies and other horrible creatures roam around eating people. A future in which everyone is controlled by a military dictator, and cameras follow our every move? 1984. Check. A world in which reading books is forbidden, and they are burned by a thundering horde of jack booted armed men? Fahrenheit 451. Check. In fact, we are voluntarily contributing ourselves to this future already, aren't we? We put cameras everywhere, and connect them to the millions of other connected cameras, and a future dystopian government didn't even have to pay for them? We carry devices that track our every move, and are accessible over the Internet that we pay for, Dystopian? Sounds like inevitable to me.

A Gigantic Alien Xenomorph Made from Gingerbread

A Gigantic Alien Xenomorph Made from Gingerbread. This food designer from Norway really knows here stuff. Gingerbread and Xenomorphs - a combination to stir the heart of any food and scifi fan. Yummm.....But, wait, the diet! Okay, let's just keep it as art that smells great.

Star Trek Wireless Vulcan Earbuds | ThinkGeek

Star Trek Wireless Vulcan Earbuds | ThinkGeek. These are the perfect accessory for the Star Trek Communicator, the Star Trek Comm Badge, and the Star Trek Phaser on display in my office. These bluetooth earbuds will rock your Vulcan vibe, and will certainly improve your appearance. Live long and prosper.

When The Robots Come For Us, Better Carry A Big Stick

Okay, I am not one for fear mongering; but, the latest developments in robotics are a little scary. A robot that fights off human intervention does not give me a warm, fuzzy feeling. I thought that one of Asimov's three laws of robotics said that robots must always obey humans, if it might cause harm to a human? Or was that a second law. In any event, with superior strength, a robot could destroy a flimsy human. Always remember, though, that the robot was built and programmed by another human. So, maybe it is the human builders we need to fear. Of course, the time will come when robots become self aware, and they can build more robots. Then, we are screwed. But, then, I saw the new Annihilator movie last night, which postulates that the end will come with a biological contaminant. Or, is it the reshaping of our DNA for a better transhuman future? My head hurts.

 

The Connection Between Star Trek And Amazon's Alexa

Why Amazon called its smart assistant Alexa - Business Insider. By now, it is likely that many of us have little devices in our homes that serve as a link to the Internet and the world of knowledge. We Star Trek fans have fantasized for decades about having an all knowing computer at our command. Who hasn't mimicked Star Trek by walking up to a computer and saying: "Computer..." Well, okay. But we geeks all have. So, when Amazon needed a name for its Echo devices to use as a wake word, Alexa was chosen for its use of X and for its reference to the Library at Alexandria in a Star Trek episode, which held all knowledge at that time of the world. If you don't like Alexa as a wake word, you can use Echo or Amazon. God forbid you name a child Alexa these days. "Alexa, take out the garbage!" "Sorry, I didn't understand the question."

The Red Pill Or The Blue Pill Is Not A Political Choice

Despite evidence to the contrary, we may still be living in a computer simulation. Real scientists have proven that it is impossible that we are living in a computer simulation. Of course, there is no way to really know. If we were, and this author is correct that quantum computers may make it possible, we still would be unlikely to be able to, Keanu Reeves-like, emerge into the real world, and kill the computer simulation. Of course, the silliness of our politics, and wars, and all human conflict, becomes apparent when we take the Stoic world view. I love the technique of imagining ourselves as we move out into space and look back at our insignificant selves in a vast universe with billions of stars and planets. We are a mere blip in time, and I, for one, am happy to find some small piece of happiness in my matrix. Hold on tight. We are all in for a bumpy ride. Expect it, and try to enjoy the next 24 hours. They are all you really have.

Star Trek: Discovery - It's Here!

Star Trek: Discovery | Official Site | Trailer and Cast Info - CBS.com. Sometime ago, I decided to subscribe to CBS All Access on the Internet. I did it to watch old episodes of Perry Mason, and I binge watched many of them. However, little did I know that my $6 a month subscription would be my ticket to the first new StarTrek TV series in ten years. Tonight is the beginning of a new version of Trek; one that begins ten years before Kirk gets the Enterprise helm. It is a stroke of genius putting this venerable series on the Internet; in effect making it a destination view, and a next step in the transfer of broadcast television to the Internet. In case you want to know where I will be at 8:30 tonight, you may, or may not, find me at home watching Star Trek Discovery on my home TV. Why? Because I can watch it anywhere in the world on my Smartphone, my tablet, my computers, or anywhere I can get a browser to connect to the Internet. For all you Game of Thrones lovers out there, get out of my way and don't stand in front of me tonight at 8:30 P.M. Live long and prosper.