Two Interesting Stories from CBS Sunday Morning

The Future isn't what it used to be.

 

The treasures of the Library of Congress.

 

Superman - Looking Good at 75!

Promotional art for Superman (vol. 2) #204 (April 2004)
by Jim Lee and Scott Williams copyright DC Comics
Wikimedia Commons

New Superman Logo
 

Man of Steel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The LA Times has a nice article on the 75th anniversary of Superman which includes a quiz, the new logo, plus information on the upcoming movie, "Man of Steel." Wikipedia, of course, has a comprehensive history of Superman and his creators, as well as the impact this superhero has had as the quintessential American icon. He's getting a lot of coverage in the news and there will be more as the summer progresses. And coincidentally, June also happens to be Skyscraper Month, which is very fitting considering one of Superman's powers is the ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound!

May the 4th Be With You!

May 4th is Star Wars Day - May the 4th be with you!

It must be Star Wars Day, a day to celebrate all things Star Wars, naturally. And to go around greeting everyone with, "May the 4th be with you!" Star Wars Day is also observed on May 25th, in honor of the release of Star Wars on May 25, 1977. Neat Jedi mind trick, convincing us to honor them twice! Happy to oblige :)

45th Anniversary of 2001: A Space Odyssey

So much has been said and written about this iconic and influential film that it's best to let Zarathustra speak:

Jules Verne's 185th Birth Anniversary

Photograph of Jules Verne by Félix Nadar
 - public domain, Wikimedia Commons

“How many things have been denied one day, only to become realities the next!”  ~ Jules Verne, From the Earth to the Moon


Often referred to as the "Father of Science Fiction", Jules Verne was a remarkably prescient prognosticator of future technology. Many know him as the author of works such as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Around the World in 80 Days, and A Journey to the Center of the Earth among others; but he also described such inventions as the submarine, fax machines, and even the Taser. My own love of science fiction, like many others, was awakened when I read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea as a child. This led to reading more books by Verne as well as other authors, notably Arthur C. Clarke, who was also another accurate technology forecaster. And today, Steampunk as a genre wouldn't exist without Verne's imaginings!

Arthur C. Clarke 95th Birth Anniversary

Planetary alignment May 2000 - photo by B. Magrath, from NASA

Today marks the 95th birth anniversary of one of the greatest science fiction authors of our time; he died in 2008 having witnessed many of his predictions about the future come to reality, including the concept of geostationary satellites. The geosynchronous orbit of communications satellites is now known as the Clarke Orbit. It's also speculated now that he may have originated the concept behind the workings of the iPad. He is, of course, most famous for his classic 2001: a Space Odyssey, which was based on his earlier short story, The Sentinel. He was a great proponent of space exploration and wrote many sci-fi classics about humankind's role in our universe given its vastness and our own small stature. Below are some of his most famous quotes:

• "Sometimes I think we're alone in the universe, and sometimes I think we're not. In either case the idea is quite staggering."
• "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
• "If we have learned one thing from the history of invention and discovery, it is that, in the long run and often in the short one - the most daring prophecies seem laughably conservative.

 

Sir Arthur C. Clarke - 2005
public domain photo by Amy Marash

Movie poster for 2001: A Space Odyssey
Wikimedia Commons

 

Fascinating.

 

Google is celebrating Star Trek's 46th anniversary today, so in honor of that auspicious occasion, I thought I'd post some websites with the best sci-fi quotes. There's a top 7 list of most memorable quotes floating around, possibly first posted on Nokia, but also picked up by Inktank. Weirdmedia has compiled a huge list of their top 100 sci-fi quotes. Everyone's got their list, even Psychology Today, with their own top 10. And, who could ever forget one of the most memorable lines ever uttered in a sci-fi show, "Never fear, Smith is here!"