I think today's films still have futurism but we don't want to see it as that because they predict the future will be a burned out and destroyed Earth with us living elsewhere. And that is depressing.
Star Trek, tech companies, and the death of futurism in cinema
21–30 of 127 posts
Re: Star Trek, tech companies, and the death of futurism in cinema
#22Obviously this person hasn't seen Continuum
Re: Star Trek, tech companies, and the death of futurism in cinema
#23I tend to have an opposite reaction -- I get annoyed with futurism that is unrealistic compared to how far in the future the story takes place. Even Star Trek is completely unrealistic - it takes place less than 25 decades from now. There's no way we have space vehicles so advanced so soon. (edit: even ignoring 'warp speed')
People alive today still don't believe we were able to get to the moon; what makes you so sure about your predictions?
Re: Star Trek, tech companies, and the death of futurism in cinema
#24I agree with the author. We should not be content with just silly iPads! Silicon Valley please start thinking "actual future" and give us some replicators and holodecks. Especially holodecks.
Re: Star Trek, tech companies, and the death of futurism in cinema
#25I guess I was watching a different movie, because I saw: - advanced handheld medical scanners and treatments - a genetically engineered human with super strength, health, and intelligence - suspended animation that keeps humans alive for centuries - artificial gravity - faster than light communication and travel - materials strong enough to maintain structural integrity after falling from space and plowing through a…
I came to say something similar. Much of the tech like light-speed travel and other advances will not be around for a very long time, perhaps never. There's a fine line between sci-fi and fantasy. Lots of ideas have been done in other movies, like The Matrix, with instant learning through brain programming, lifelike VR simulations. Men in Black, Thor, Contact, Aliens go from sci-fi to unrealistic fantasy.
I think Star Trek tries to maintain a balance that still looks attainable. Also, perhaps there's a shortage of grandiose discoveries lately. We know the Higgs exists, the universe is flat from WMAP, quantum entanglement is gaining practical use. But this isnt as useable for movies as say discovering that we live in a universe with other galaxies, etc...
Re: Star Trek, tech companies, and the death of futurism in cinema
#26Reading the comments here, then most of the article itself, I couldn't help thinking "so what?" I like the older Trek and it was clearly impressively ahead of its time, but the new ones (despite the fact that I really enjoyed the reboot, at least the first film) aren't intended to be anything more than action movies with reheated characters. On finishing the article... I'm closer to siding with the author. I don't kn…
When I try to think of scifi that really seems like "the future", I have a hard time thinking of any movies. But I can think of some novels that fill the role. The one that comes to mind most immediately is Neal Stephenson's Diamond Age, which revolves quite a bit around super advanced nanotechnology and AI. I could see a film adaptation of that being fairly awesome.
Re: Star Trek, tech companies, and the death of futurism in cinema
#27Spoiler Alert, HCI elements will plateau at voice control and touch displays. Why? Because the human body is what it is. It isn't going any further than that until it jumps to something matrix style, but that movie has already been made. Alien Computer Interaction however could offer some interesting opportunities. Forget hoverboards and dick tracy watches, Star Trek still has plenty of imaginitive technologies that…
Re: Star Trek, tech companies, and the death of futurism in cinema
#28I guess I was watching a different movie, because I saw: - advanced handheld medical scanners and treatments - a genetically engineered human with super strength, health, and intelligence - suspended animation that keeps humans alive for centuries - artificial gravity - faster than light communication and travel - materials strong enough to maintain structural integrity after falling from space and plowing through a…
You saw the same movie, but you missed his point: this is the same future that folks in the 70's were predicting, and not one as his own generation sees it.
Re: Star Trek, tech companies, and the death of futurism in cinema
#29I tend to have an opposite reaction -- I get annoyed with futurism that is unrealistic compared to how far in the future the story takes place. Even Star Trek is completely unrealistic - it takes place less than 25 decades from now. There's no way we have space vehicles so advanced so soon. (edit: even ignoring 'warp speed')
Perhaps I'm missing your sarcasm, but 2500 years is a very, very, long time. Never mind the last 2500 years - just think how far technology has advanced in the last 250.
Re: Star Trek, tech companies, and the death of futurism in cinema
#30We went from big CRTs to flat touch screens. What more do you want? A flat touch screen is a pretty practical form, unlike a CRT, so it is kind of the reached target of an evolution imho.
Surely gimmics like screens in tshirts, glasses, and what not may appear as well, but a flat hard device simply is a good useful form.
I also never saw them charge their devices by plugging them in the wall. There's something that's pure sci-fi for us: actually long lasting batteries.