humanity
The evolution of humanity, from one advancement to the next.
History of Japanese Seppuku
Japanese culture is everywhere in today’s world. However, one particularly grisly aspect has affected our general consciousness—seppuku. You may not get the same sensation when reading it, but the evocative image of a samurai stabbing himself in the gut with a tanto is one you’re not likely to forget. But why did this form of honorable suicide take hold in Japan? What would cause someone to commit Japanese seppuku? Does it still exist today?
By Futurism Staff10 years ago in Futurism
Crops in Space
"The world hunger problem is getting worse rather than better," said a Presidential Commission report on World Hunger from 1980. "A major crisis of global food supply—of even more serious dimensions than the present energy crisis—appears likely... unless steps are taken now... Moral obligation alone would justify giving highest priority to the task of overcoming hunger."
By Futurism Staff10 years ago in Futurism
Campfire Story
The following article was originally published on The Free Advice Man's website here. I am going to tell you a story. Come sit down here by my side, and enjoy the warmth of an imaginary Campfire. The flames light up the darkness around us. The warmth of the crackling embers of burning wood keep us cozy. It is a controlled fire, and one that we started. Unlike the fires that come from above!
By Jean-Pierre Fenyo10 years ago in Futurism
Is Luck Real?
Luck. It blunders in and out of our lives, unbidden, unexpected, sometimes welcome and sometimes not. It is the supreme insult to human reason: You can't ignore it, yet you can’t plan for it. No matter how carefully you design your career, you cannot know how the design will be changed by the workings of random events. You can only know that the events will occur. You can only wait for them, and hope that they're in your favor.
By Futurism Staff10 years ago in Futurism
Meaning of the Moon
What has the moon done for you lately? Have you sailed on the tide? Perhaps you've been a bit loony? Did you feel lycanthropic? Did your moonlighting pay for your moonshine? Did you recite "Jack and Jill"? All these phrases refer to the moon, our natural satellite and, by far, the most noticeable object in the night sky. Its changing shape and brightness have long fascinated watchers. Consequently moon lore, beliefs, and stories regarding the meaning of the moon have greatly enriched our culture.
By Futurism Staff10 years ago in Futurism
Robots in the Workplace
The following article was originally published on The Free Advice Man's website here. The fear of empowering others stems from the fear of the mob. And wealthy people are afraid of a mob of people becoming empowered with the ability to take away that which they own and/or have. And that stems from the fear of being impoverished and poor! Naturally and logically the fear of being poor stems from the fear of being vulnerable to the mob and being at the mercy of the wealthy!
By Jean-Pierre Fenyo10 years ago in Futurism
Where Does Personality Come From?
As his name, so is he. The Talmud expresses a scientific sentiment many prominent empiricists believe to be true. It appears that Jewish law scholars understood a psychological notion thousands of years before psychology. Almost against his will, psychologist Lewis Lipsitt, of Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island, came to believe that nomenclature is destiny. If artificial intelligence is an attempt by mankind to create a better species in its own image, then perhaps the same will hold true of robots, and other automated self functioning forms of AI. A person’s name, or a robot's designation, will influence his, her, or its chosen profession.
By Joshua Samuel Zook10 years ago in Futurism
E.O. Wilson Interview
The publication of E.O. Wilson's Sociobiology in 1975 was to use a cliché—a landmark event in the history of biology. This enormous volume (697 oversize pages) is a truly remarkable compendium of a vast, widely dispersed literature on the relationship between biology and social behavior throughout the animal kingdom. It ranges from Homo sapiens to the social insects (Wilson is by trade an entomologist; his speciality—he calls them his "totem animal"—is ants). He intended it to be a scientifically respectable, thorough review, so it is full of tables and charts and extensively referenced. On the other hand, it is well written and handsomely illustrated.
By Futurism Staff10 years ago in Futurism
Gypsy Moth Invasion
The caterpillars were everywhere—in the pool, on the side of the house, in the eaves, in your hair. Where there were large infestations, you could hear them at night. Their droppings, or frass, sounded like a light rain. Perfectly sane people went about protected beneath umbrellas on sunny days.
By Futurism Staff10 years ago in Futurism
Mysteries of the Maya
Imagine yourself the chief astronomer-priest of an ancient jungle empire. From your studies of records kept by astronomers for centuries before you, you are convinced that an eclipse of the Sun is likely to occur in three days' time. It is essential for you to inform the people of the empire of this event, so they will be prepared if the Sun begins to disappear.
By Futurism Staff10 years ago in Futurism
