Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about one of my favourite science fiction novels: ‘Snow Crash‘ by Neal Stephenson. “Snow Crash” envisions a future world where nation states have unravelled into chaotic, hyper-commercialised landscapes where traditional governmental structures have largely disintegrated. In this world, power is decentralised and fractured among Read more…
If I were to ask you about a film depiction of artificial intelligence, there are quite a few candidates that would pop into one’s head. My mind tends to immediately jump to some classics, such as HAL 9000 in “2001: A Space Odyssey”. Another popular one is Skynet, and therefore Read more…
We have spent decades preparing for the end of the world. Well, more accurately, we have spent decades consuming media that tells us what the end of the world will look like. Aliens, zombies, killer robots, giant meteorites, a dying sun, catastrophic ice ages, an exploding moon, mutating neutrinos. We Read more…
Something is happening with the way in which we acquire and share knowledge, something that might explain the current issues that we are having with the spread of disinformation. The steady erosion of authority and expertise is a well-documented phenomenon, but what is interesting is what is replacing it. While Read more…
[SPOILERS] After languishing for more than a year in my “to read” pile, I finally got around to reading The Circle by David Eggers. This is an important, yet flawed book, and while I loved many of the concepts and loathed the dystopian present that it describes, I believe that Read more…
There has been a disturbance in the Force, have you felt it? Wait, wrong franchise. To Boldly Go Where No Copyright Suit Has Gone Before! Yes, Qapla’ ! Occasionally there are cases that seem to be tailor-made for legal geeks: Naruto v Slater; Lucasfilm v Ainsworth; DC Comics v Towle. Read more…
Besides being one of the world’s most popular pop stars, Taylor Swift is usually recognised for her masterful use of social media. Her Instagram and Tumblr accounts are wildly popular, but are also textbook examples of how to use the Internet to communicate a carefully curated image. The savvy online Read more…
My new favourite show is Orphan Black, a Canadian BBC production set in a world where human cloning was achieved 30 years ago. I’ve just finished watching the first season on Netflix, and I’m thoroughly hooked. Tatiana Maslany is the greatest actress of her generation. Just trust me and watch Read more…
You are just waking up from a 28-day coma, the world is a desolate wasteland, the zombie apocalypse has come unleashed by the release of the new U2 album Songs of Innocence. At least this is the idea that you would get if you were reading Twitter, where people have Read more…
Many years ago I started reading The Wheel of Time fantasy series (yes… I know…) I started with Book 5, which I think is still the best of the franchise, just before it descended into a nightmarish description of clothes, and endless comments on the act of braid pulling. My Read more…