Tag Archives: futurism

Nixon’s pyramid, the future, and intelligent octopus arms

Posted on October 12, 2022 by smellincoffee

At some point in the last year a book tipped me off to Tom Vanderbilt’s Survival City, in which the author tours ruins and remains of DC’s vast Cold War infrastructure while providing a history of the way popular fears … Continue reading →

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The Inevitable

Posted on March 21, 2018 by smellincoffee

The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future© 2016 Kevin Kelly336 pages No one can say where exactly a ball thrown in the air will land,  but at least on Earth it’s a certainty that a … Continue reading →

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Short rounds: of cybercities and medicinal ectasy

Posted on March 8, 2018 by smellincoffee

Recently I’ve read a couple of books that I wasn’t particularly impressed with, but  they weren’t stinkers enough to merit one of those rare-but-fun-to-write negative reviews.  They’re in that “I can manage a paragraph of mixed interest and disappointment” grey … Continue reading →

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Springing forward

Posted on March 4, 2018 by smellincoffee

At the library I’ve put out the gardening books, which means it’s officially springtime! …at least, in central Alabama.  I’m still not certain we’re past the threat of a sudden frost, but I am looking forward to my annual spring … Continue reading →

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The Silent Intelligence

Posted on February 26, 2018 by smellincoffee

The Silent Intelligence: The Internet of Things© 2013 Daniel Kellmereit, Daniel Obodovski166 pages A couple of years ago I created a Digital World label in recognition of the fact that the Internet was no longer a discrete service that one could … Continue reading →

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Future Crimes

Posted on January 24, 2016 by smellincoffee

Future Crimes; Everything is Connected, Everyone is Vulnerable, and What We Can Do About ItPaperback subtitle: Inside the Digital Underground and the Battle for Our Connected World © 2015 Marc Goodman608 pages “It’s not safe out here. It’s wondrous, with treasures to … Continue reading →

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Player Piano

Posted on November 6, 2014 by smellincoffee

Player Piano© 1952 Kurt Vonnegut352 pages “I’d be in exile now, but everywhere’s the same…”      Not since the roaring twenties was American society so giddily obsessed with newfangled stuff than in the 1950s.  Americans were awash in material prosperity, … Continue reading →

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Physics of the Future

Posted on December 6, 2011 by smellincoffee

Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100© 2011 Michio Kaku389 pages We live in a remarkable time of human history. Since the industrial revolution, society has been radically altered … Continue reading →

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The KunstlerCast

Posted on November 9, 2011 by smellincoffee

The KunstlerCast: Conversations with James Howard Kunstler …the tragic comedy of suburban sprawl. © 2011 Duncan Crary, James Howard Kunstler 300 pages James Howard Kunstler is a journalist turned social critic and the author of numerous books, most prominently The … Continue reading →

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The Currents of Space

Posted on June 18, 2011 by smellincoffee

The Currents of Space© 1952 Isaac AsimovFrom Triangle (pp. 1-172). © 1952. “Frightened people can be very dangerous, my Lady. They can’t be counted on to act sensibly.”“Then why do you keep them frightened?” An entire planet is doomed, and only … Continue reading →

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