Category: Articles
THE MORALITY OF THE DRIVERLESS CAR
Can Machines be Taught to be Moral? An Essay, August 12, 2018 The Mercedes-Benz ‘Luxury in Motion’ F 015 fully autonomous concept car. *** “A no-win situation is a possibility that every Commander may face. Has that never occurred to you?” — Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner), The Wrath of Kahn *** In […] Read More
UPGRADING YOUR MENTAL FIREWALL
Let’s Start Making Them Work For It! An Essay, July 17, 2018 *** “Firewall (n) 1. A wall or partition designed to inhibit or prevent the spread of fire. 2. A part of a computer system or network which is designed to block unauthorized access while permitting outward communication.” — The Oxford Living Dictionary […] Read More
Post Mortem – ‘GHOST IN THE SHELL’
White-washing and ‘Ghost in the Shell’ An Essay, April 27, 2018 The opening sequence of the 2017 version of Ghost in the Shell (wr. Jamie Moss, William Wheeler and Ehren Kruger/dir. Rupert Sanders) is a beautiful series of shots depicting the creation of the android called The Major (played by Scarlett Johansson). Visually stunning, it […] Read More
STAR WARS AS RELIGION
STAR WARS AS RELIGION An Essay, December 29, 2017 *** Since I was in grade school, Science Fiction has always been a big part of my life. From the age of fifteen until I quit University, I read as many as three to four books per week, most of them Science Fiction. My friends […] Read More
I’ve Seen Things …
Blade Runner 2049 and the Problem With Sequels An Essay, November 8, 2017 *** “I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time… like tears in the rain. Time […] Read More
Post Mortem – ‘PASSENGERS’
‘Passengers’ and the Subtle Sexism of Hollywood An Essay, May 12, 2017 *** The movie ‘Passengers’ was one of those year-end Holiday movies that came and went, making little in the way of a lasting impression. Repeat viewings were non-existent, so, within a few weeks, it was gone from the theatres, destined for a weak […] Read More
Losing Our Way
Robert Pirsig and The Corrosive Effect of Dualism “Making… an art out of your technological life is the way to solve the problem of technology.” — Robert M. Pirsig, (Interview, NPR, 1974) *** Robert Pirsig died today. For those who do not know who Robert Pirsig was, it might be difficult to describe how […] Read More
The Divided America Psyche
“Good people don’t go into government.” — Donald J. Trump *** Well, it seems our bipolar neighbours to the south are off their meds again. After enduring the trauma of the violent demise of Europe’s Golden Age at the end of World War 2, the world at the middle of the 20th Century looked […] Read More
Finite Jest
*** Since its release in the mid-nineties, I had always intended to read ‘Infinite Jest’, the Seinfeldian(1) epic of biblical proportions by David Foster Wallace. With twenty years having passed since its publication, I have only just found the time and the mental capacity to absorb it, after three unsuccessful attempts. Written between 1993 and […] Read More- 2 of 3
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