Quantum physics, the world of molecules, atoms, and their components, is a relatively new study area, at least when it comes to being called quantum. Research helps produce new technologies that will enable the development of molecular computers and other products. The following is an announcement of a breakthrough. “A novel quantum state, “hybrid topology,” was discovered in arsenic crystals by Princeton scientists, merging edge and surface states in a unique quantum behavior. This groundbreaking finding, revealed through advanced imaging techniques, makes a significant leap in quantum material research and has implications for developing new quantum devices and technologies.1  While exciting to many, I needed to break this down to understand it. So, I started with what I knew. I remember hearing about this field of study in Star Trek years ago, and now I want to start there. Here is the quote from that episode. Illustration 2 Rayna […]

Release Date September 18, 1951 Starring Michael Rennie played Klaatu Patricia Neal played Helen Benson Hugh Marlow played Tom Stevens Same Jaffe played Professor Jacob Barnhardt Billy Gray played Bobby Benson young son of widow Helen Benson Frances Bavier played Mrs. Barley. Recognize her? She’s Aunt Bee in Andy of Maybury Lock Martin played Gort Based on the short story called Farewell to the Master written by Harry Bates and 1st published on October 1940 issue of Astounding Science Fiction Directed by Robert Wise Musical Score by Bernard Hermann Synopsis A flying saucer (called a ‘space ship) lands in Washington, D.C., at the ‘mall’ with the Washington Monument in the background. Our aliens know right where the power seat is on Earth. So, the alien gets shot when he tries to show them his present. However, it is only by one nervous soldier, not the whole army, that would be a show! Next, a huge (meaning tall) robot, Gort, comes out of the saucer and shoots […]

My top ten science fiction movies were what I intended to do when I started writing this blog. Well, that was quite a monumental feat. I have an extensive collection of DVDs, but I repeatedly found films I forgot about listed on the internet. Thankfully, a tremendous Wikipedia page lists scifi films from the beginning1. If you read any of my blogs, you know I like to find hidden gems in obscure films, and I have spotted quite a few from searching that I look forward to watching. So, with that in hand, I came up with twelve categories and filled them with the films I love. There is some disagreement on what categories these films belong in, so I categorized them myself when they conflicted on different websites or I thought they were off the mark. I chose my top pick from each category and the best movie overall. Unfortunately, because I have watched some of these films multiple times, I have trouble watching them now. I know them by heart. It is better to play them in my head at this […]

Starring Arthur Hill who played Dr. Jeremy Stone, the group leader investigating the probe I am very familiar with Mr. Hill, so I looked him up. Mr. Hill starred from 1971 to 1974 in the television series Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law. Another of his television roles was Grandpa Lansford Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie (1976) and the narration of Something Wicked This Way Comes1, a 1983 film based on the novel by Ray Bradbury2 James Olson who played the Doctor and was the Odd Man The Odd Man means he qualified as the one to shut off the nuclear bomb at the facility they were in. This was because he was a single male. Would a single man be more clear-minded? This idea shows the age of the film Kate Reid who played Dr. Ruth Leavitt She was given the role of a male scientist who was changed to a cranky female scientist in the trio called to investigate the killer virus gene. This woman is so like my grandmother: bold, unafraid, and funny. She reminded me of my father’s […]

The entertainment industry has developed into a considerable part of human lives and, to some extent, animal lives, too. There is a lot of talk about how bad using the phone is. Wouldn’t movies and television be just as bad? They certainly could be, in large doses, just like phone use. Why do I care what is happening? Because entertainment is an integral part of being human. It allows us to try different ideas, people, and circumstances in a safe environment. Science Fiction takes this ability up to the next level. Imagine meeting someone or something that didn’t evolve on this planet, or indeed our solar system. Trying to understand our dog, dolphin, or chimpanzee is hard enough. And they have DNA. If we are to continue exploring, we have to be able to use our imagination, emotion, experience, and rational thought to find a way to get through what lies ahead. Humans are a unique creature on this planet. They have highly developed brains that process information analytically and […]

I don’t want to review big blockbuster movies (because many people have already seen them). However, I want to discuss I, Robot, because it discouraged me. The movie wasn’t what I remembered of the original stories. The film plot deals with a detective who investigates the death of the foremost designer of robots, Dr. Alfred Lanning, in the future, circa 2035. The detective has an innate distrust of robots and zeros in on one robot as the murderer. The other characters don’t feel this is possible except as a defective product that must be destroyed. How could any robot circumvent the 3 Laws? Of course, the robot in question, Sonny, is the one who killed Lanning, and that becomes quite clear. At this point, the detective must save the world.  This movie’s average approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes was 56%. Roger Ebert said the plot was simple-minded and disappointing, and the action was routine. What happened to make it so flat? You can blame it on the no-plot, […]

I wanted to add more fuel to the fire regarding AI. In my initial blog, Blog #5, AI Artificial Intelligence, on October 2, 2023, I talked about the current state of AI technology, especially the programs available to businesses and individuals (like ChatGPT). I pointed out that the tech is in the beginning stages. Many proclaim how great it is, but a lot of that is because it is so new, and we have read about it in scifi. I have used some of ChatGPT when I corrected my grammar and sentence structure. I found that you need a human being to oversee the result. Sometimes, it doesn’t understand and presents ideas and interpretations that don’t fit the narrative. The idea that you could use it to write school papers, blogs, and other informational material, as well as creative writing, seems ludicrous. Still, we live in a time when people look for shortcuts and can disregard the problem the program creates with the product’s poor quality or the ethics of publishing it uncorrected. This […]

A Comparison of the two books and movie Authors  Phillip Wyllie- Graduate of Princeton University. He mainly wrote philosophical critical views on man and society.   Edwin Balmer- He was a reporter for the Chicago Tribune in 1903. He wrote a comic strip and many novels, including some for Amazing Stories in 1927) one of the original science fiction pulps.   Synopsis A famous scientist, Cole Hendron, consults with scientists worldwide about Dr. Bronson’s discovery of two rogue planets. They determine and verify that the two planets will enter the solar system in eight months. The rogue planets will pass by Earth. Bronson Alpha, the larger of the two, will collide with the moon, and that destruction will cause havoc on Earth. The Bronson planets will continue around the sun and return sixteen months later. Bronson Alpha will collide with the Earth. However, Bronson Beta will be close enough for humans to reach by spaceship. Bronson Alpha will go on its merry way out of the solar system, […]

Why should humans go to Mars? First and perhaps foremost, it helps ensure our survival. Animals and plants relocate because it benefits them. They relieve competition for mates, food, and space to stretch out in. This has a downside: It can be dangerous. However, living things do dispersal because it has been not only a short-range but also a long-range strategy.  Secondly, we could discover life and/or how life started on this planet that probably once had life. Precursor life molecules have been found in rock samples from Mars. This is another long-term strategy for humans. As a side note, I believe a human should go on these journeys because first-hand observation by humans outweighs robots-we have to tell them what to look for, and humans can go outside the parameters initially laid out.  Third, we can improve the quality of life on Earth. Many technologies and inventions have emerged from the space program to make the immense challenge that led to landing on the Moon. […]

1996 science fiction, thriller film Written by David Twohy, who also wrote The Fugitive and The Chronicles of Riddick Live Entertainment Starring Charlie Sheen Lindsay Crouse, Teri Polo, Ron Silver Synopsis Charlie Sheen plays Zane Zaminsky (the name has to have a story), a brilliant astronomer employed by SETI as a radio astronomer. His girlfriend (Teri Polo) complains that he gets so wrapped up in work there is no time for her. Zane and his co-worker, Calvin, discover a signal in the unlikely nosy FM band: “It’s searching for a needle in a haystack of needles.” They find a signal from outside the solar system, and Zane takes it to his boss, Gordi (Ron Silver), who dismisses it and lets Zane go (lays him off) due to budget cuts.  Roger Ebert’s review says Zane got a job as a consumer satellite dish repairman expressly to create his own phased array to listen to space. However, I thought Zane got the job because he was blackballed, and that was all he could get close to what he had […]

by JM Strasser I hope your day is good with you and yours Here is an update on my trials and tribulations of starting a website. Something upsetting happened recently on my website. I got a “You’re in real trouble” message while improving the presentation. Panicking, I asked for help, and the issue was resolved. I’m unsure whether I did it; everyone is so busy. The important thing is it got fixed. Now, I can go on with the improvements. I like them. I want to do something for Christmas, so I wrote a short piece about the first Christmas celebrated by our intrepid travelers. I am taking some license with a Sonoran Desert winter day. A desert means little rainfall, but the Sonoran Desert is unique in that it has a monsoon. Yeah, I was surprised, too. A monsoon is where a lot of water comes down quickly, like an inch in a few minutes. As such, there is an excellent downpour (you better pull over if you are driving); you only have to wait a bit and then go on your way. This is in the […]

by JM Strasser Life seems rare. Earth may be the only planet in our solar system to have life. It may have started elsewhere, like Mars, and transferred here. From a practical standpoint, we are alone in this solar system. The rest of the galaxy should have the same odds, given the mechanism of evolution. In simple terms, I mean- whatever works. This idea determines survival and, therefore, the development of life. Even though the odds of life forming are small, with so many planets, quite a few should be populated, and quite a few of those with intelligent life. In that group, many scientists believe that only one intelligent species that reaches sentience exists on a planet. Sentience is similar to sapience, but they are both a roundabout way of describing a species with consciousness. Indeed, we do not understand how or in what way animals are intelligent. Recent years have brought much data to show that animals are, in certain species, more intelligent than we ever guessed. […]

Review of a local science fiction convention by JM Strasser I have just returned from my local science fiction convention and decided it might be interesting if I told you about it. What are these cons, what happens at them, how do you choose which to go to (what is worth it), and generally whether they are worth the trip?  I have attended many of the Tuscons since I arrived in Tucson 19 years ago. At that time, I was unaware of the cons and hadn’t started writing. Tuscon is a Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror convention for writers and fans. It has been going since 1974. This year, they celebrated the 50th convention, which is quite an achievement. Unfortunately, two significant people in charge of running this show chose this con to announce their retirement. Since this con is run by volunteers (typical to this type of operation), we don’t know if the Tuscon will continue.   Cons are usually long weekends; this one is generally around Veteran’s Day. People get […]

Written by JM Strasser Dark fantasy, Occult detective, Urban fantasy, television show on SciFi Channel This is not technically science fiction, but for me, it is. This series was taken from a book series of 17 by Jim Butcher. The First Novel was called Storm Front. As usual, the series is in the same universe and has the same settings, but not all the same things happen.  The story deals with a wizard, Harry Dresden, named after Harry Houdini. His father, Malcolm Dresden, was a wizard but didn’t impress anyone too much. Harry’s mother, Margaret LeFay, is a powerful witch, and Malcolm wants to protect Harry from that world of true magic and tries to hide Harry’s powers when they manifest when he turns eleven years old. Others notice, and Malcom dies. Harry’s uncle takes the boy into his household.  Harry grows up being tutored by a ghost named Bob. Harry leaves after his uncle’s death, taking Bob with him into a poor section of his hometown of Chicago, where he becomes a […]

Written by JM Strasser Science Fiction became a genre and a debate on what literature is and what to call the rest of writing in today’s world. I think it is prudent to define literature and then genre, specifically getting into the Science Fiction genre. The status of science fiction, from the start leading up to today, has been a rocky and prosperous one with a dubious reputation. It is helpful for those who partake to understand what has gone before. Literature–that holds a revered tone. It brings to mind War and Peace and Shakespeare, high-brow stuff. Wikipedia defines literature as “Any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered an art form, especially prose: fiction, drama, poetry, all including both print and digital writing. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include oral literature, also known as orature, much of which has been transcribed. Literature is a method of recording, […]

TV Series review originally on CBS 2016 Written by JM Strasser 1 season, 13 episodes Political satire, Comedy, drama and SCIENCE FICTION The description fits, but I most loved the science fiction part. Two people, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, playing Laurel, and Aaron Tveit, playing Gareth, portray the central drama of two people in the middle of the ridiculous world of Washington, DC. Danny Pino plays Elizabeth’s brother, Luke, and the fact they are in a dynasty family creates unwanted turmoil in her life. Add into this soup US Republican senator “Red” Wheatus, the sleazy politician, played perfectly by Tony Shalhoub. https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/817Q946TslL.RI.jpg Our story starts with the invasion of ant-like creatures that crawl into people’s ears to take up residence in their brains, shoving out the left side to make the room. Red’s scene where he gets infected is over-the-top gross and hilarious. Laurel, the sister of a Democratic US senator, and Gareth, Red’s […]

Written by JM Strasser An old concept just popped up for me. Is there an end to the Universe? I don’t necessarily mean the end of time, but that is tied up in this idea. Is there an end, a wall, or a cliff? Or does it go on forever? By definition, the Universe is everything, so having a wall (for an end) would be part of that, but the other side would, too. This is an old nightmare idea for me. It’s creepy to think of the Universe going on forever, and for some reason, it is more comforting to believe there is a wall. I think of that wall, then immediately think of what is on the other side: a place to explore. I realize that is silly because that means it does not end at the wall. I guess human beings like the idea of defined borders. The basics of this discussion could be broken down into four elements. The shape, age, movement, and composition of the Universe. Though the subject matter is vast, there isn’t much to prove or explore in these areas. However, that […]

Released 1951 Review by JM Strasser Science Fiction film Directed by George Pal (Originally, producer-director Cecil B. DeMille considered adapting both books) Stars Richard Derr, Barbara Rush, Peter Hansen, and John Hoyt This film was based on the 1933 science fiction novel of the same name, co-written by Edwin Balmer and Phillip Wylie. There is a sequel (I just purchased it and it was great) that, at least in the film, ends with the landing on the planet Zyra and going out of the ark. I want to know what happens next. In the film, a group of astronomers in South Africa discover a rouge star called Bellus on a collision course with Earth. Zyra, a planet that orbits Bellus, could be a place for a precious few humans to find a new home. However, few take the threat seriously, as with the movie Jaws 1975 and Don’t Look Up 2021. The astronomers find two wealthy humanitarians who give enough to start building an ark, and the rest comes from a disgustingly rich, bitter man, […]

Written by JM Strasser The world wide phenomenon is an ambivalent idea to me. It seems logical to start with the meaning of AI or artificial intelligence. The best definition I have found is an umbrella term that describes many different technologies that have the capacity to learn on its own. At this time, AI is being used in automation, medical progression, improved customer service, research, performing repetitive tasks, minimizing errors, unbiased decision making, 24/7 avialiability, cost reduction and data acquisition and analysis. AI can use robots to go into hazardous places to work It certainly sounds good. Who wouldn’t want easier communication with our favorite online stores and more medical treatments for our ailments, but I remember The Terminator and how that independent thinking went awry. In the movie Skynet became aware and immediatly judged humans to be in need of extermination . This is a common theme in modern science fiction and something I believe is simplistic […]

Book and movie review Spoiler Alert: most of the movie and book plot is here.  I recently ran into something that pleased me greatly. When I started reading science fiction, my dad found stories with young heroines.  One of the first books he brought me was “The Door into Summer” by Robert A. Heinlein. Mr. Heinlein is considered the father of science fiction, and this story became my favorite for many years.   The story deals with a young inventor, Daniel Boone Davis, who is double-crossed by his partner, Miles, and Daniel’s fiance, Belle. Daniel feels betrayed and decides to take The Long Sleep with his cat, Pete. Cryogenics has been perfected, and you can jump ahead in time, make a lot of money through compound interest, and generally leave your troubles behind. He only cares about his cat, Pete, and Miles’s step daughter, Ricky. She is the only person who gets along with Pete. Daniel has second thoughts about the sleep and confronts Miles and Belle at Miles’s […]

by JM Strasser The American Heritage Dictionary defines a villain as three things: 1) a wicked or evil person, a scoundrel, 2) a dramatic or fictional character typically at odds with the hero, and 3) Something said to be the cause of particular trouble or an evil. We usually think of the mustached man, grinning and rubbing his hands together. We know he is up to no good. It is what you call a cliché, something that has been used so much that it is seen as uninspired or just plain stale.                        A villain is really the counterpart to our hero, and it can be a person, a situation, or even an inner conflict. Anything that gets in the way of achieving what the hero needs to do. Both the villain and the hero must have an obstacle to overcome; otherwise, it is BORING. You will not succeed as a species if you don’t thrive at a challenge. Evolution is all about whatever works to achieve survival. We are the […]

Review written by JM Strasser SciFi film I attended the showing of They Live 1988, a famous John Carpenter movie and the first entry on my calendar. I had only seen bits of this film before, and I was eager to experience it in a theater with other scifi junkies around me. I appreciate other movies by Carpenter; The Thing 1982, Village of the Damned 1995, and Firestarter 1984, but my favorite is Escape from New York 1981. I enjoyed the experience of seeing They Live, but I found problems that puzzled me. I looked up and read the original story, Eight O’Clock in the Morning, which had some issues, too. However, They Live didn’t seem to live up to the incredible storytelling I had found in Carpenter’s other works.       George Nada, the hero, sees the world as it is. Aliens around him are sending messages that enslave people. These beings give humans subliminal messages, auditory and visual– “consume– marry and breed– conform.” (It is often quoted as […]

by JM Strasser The first celebrated definition of the genre came from Hugo Gernsback, an inventor, and publisher of one of the first science fiction magazines. Even though there are novels before this that have been labeled science fiction, the actual start of the genre that we know happened in the United States in pulp magazines. Pulp literature was popular from the late 1800s to the 1950s. It was called “Pulp” because of the cheaper paper used to print them. At the height of the pulps in the 1930s, there seemed to be a magazine for every interest though now it is mainly remembered for the detective genre and, to many of us, science fiction.      In 1926 Hugo started a magazine called Amazing Stories. He defined science fiction as “a charming romance intermingled with scientific fact and prophetic vision.” The magazine created a following of fans, becoming a movement and social force that continues today, creating one of the […]