For many years I have been listening to sci-fi stories on Escape Pod. Great way to make your driving time more enjoyable. In the olden day when I drove much more I was always up to date with the latest episode but lately I have fallen seriously behind – not enough commuting (well, not too sad about that, though.)
On my last trip back from LA I listened to a classic, written in the 40s – Expediter by Mack Reynolds. Happy to report that there were anarchist that long ago.
My first encounters with computers were through the medium of punch cards and line-printers.
Thus, finding the Google60 art project made me a bit nostalgic. The project tries to show how you would interact with the all-pervasive Google through the mediums of the 60s.
Click on the image to experience it yourself…
Google 60 Art ProjectA very early exposure to the idea of living under water came through a German science fiction series “Space Patrol” in the 60s, just a tad before the original StarTrek. Mankind had settled on the floor of the ocean and space ships took off from underwater bases through water funnels.
And after an adventure in space the crew met in the Starlight Casino for a drink and a round of futuristic dancing. Commander McLane’s apartment was obviously also located at the underwater city.
Something a bit more tangible was then envisioned in 2006 with the Hydropolis Underwater Hotel and Resort, but at this time it seems as if this project is at least on ice if not completely scrapped.
In other words, currently we still have to live with just the imagination of living under water. These imaginations are made a bit easeer through the pictures of Elena Kalis.
(from her Google+ Album)
This is a number that nearly blew my mind but after serious consideration and a bit of research and good old fashioned investigation I have come to the conclusion that this number is not an understatement: 30% of internet traffic IS cat videos!
After finding the main source of all this traffic through this ground breaking documentary…
… I now believe that this is actually a great justification for the existence of the internet at large.
We have heard rumors that porn is driving innovations like home movies in the 50s and 60s and the VHS tape in the 70s and 80s, followed by the internet – but this smut can not stand up to the clean enjoyment of cat videos reaching each and every house on this PLANET. I am convinced that we would also find cat videos behind the wide spread of the VHS tape in the 70s and beyond, and not the porn!
Without doubt, cat videos are even the main trust behind bringing the internet into 3rd world countries.