5 mins

Social inequity in an age of technological extremes (from chapter six of Films from the Future)

On September 17, 2011, a small group of social activists occupied Zuccotti Park in New York City. The occupation became the spearhead for the global “Occupy” movement, protesting a growing disparity between “haves” and “have-nots” within society. Two years later, the movie Elysium built on this movement as it sought to reveal the potential injustices of a technologically sophisticated future where a small group of elites live in decadent luxury at the expense of the poor.

8 mins

Never Let Me Go: A Cautionary Tale of Human Cloning (from chapter three of Films from the Future)

In 2002, the birth of the first human clone was announced. Baby Eve was born on December 26, 2002, and weighed seven pounds. Or so it was claimed. The announcement attracted media attention from around the world, and spawned story after story of the birth. Since then, no proof has emerged that baby Eve was anything other than a publicity stunt. But the furor at the time demonstrated how contentious the very idea of creating living copies of people can be.

1 min

Second-guessing consumer views on products using nanotechnology

This month’s copy of the journal Nature Nanotechnology has a commentary in it by myself and colleague Justin Kidd, where we ask whether manufacturers of nano-enabled water treatment products are in danger of second-guessing consumer views. The commentary draws on research we’re currently involved in on gauging manufacturer perceptions of consumer perceptions, as they develop ...

1 min

Excerpts from Films from the Future

Films from the Future: The Technology and Morality of Sci-Fi Movies

Over the next several weeks, I’ll be posting short excerpts from Films from the Future: The Technology and Morality of Sci-Fi Movies ahead of the book’s publication on November 15 — visit regularly to read the latest, and remember that you can pre-order the book now on Amazon! Schedule: August 23. In the beginning … ...

4 mins

Films from the Future: The Technology and Morality of Sci-Fi Movies

I’m thrilled that my new book Films from the Future: The Technology and Morality of Sci-Fi Movies (Mango Publishing) is now available for pre-order from Amazon — and now’s a great time to get those orders in! From the listing: Learn how movies reveal the future of technology Fans of The Science of Interstellar, The Second Machine Age, ...

Older posts