As Star Trek celebrates its 50th anniversary, the futuristic tools of Kirk, Spock, Scott, and McCoy continue to come to life. This book merges Star Trek scientific lore—how the science of the time informed the implementation of technology in the series—and the science as it is playing out today. Scientists and engineers have made and continue to develop replicators, teletransporters, tractor beams, and vision restoring visors. This book combines the vision of 1966 science fiction with the latest research in physics, biotechnology, and engineering.
In an era of reboots, restarts and retreads, J.J. Abrams' Star Trek trilogy--featuring new, prequel adventures of Kirk, Spock and the rest of the original series characters, aboard the USS Enterprise--has brought the franchise to a new generation and perfected a process that is increasingly central to entertainment media: reinvigorating the beloved classic. This collection of new essays offers the first in-depth analysis of the new trilogy and the vision of the next generation of Star Trek film-makers. Issues of gender, race, politics, economics, technology and morality--always key themes of the franchise--are explored in the 21st century context of "The Kelvin Timeline."
In an increasingly global and multilingual society, translators have transitioned from unobtrusive stagehands to key intercultural mediators-a development that is reflected in contemporary media. From Coppola's Lost in Translation to television's House M.D., and from live performance to social media, translation is rendered as not only utilitarian, but also performative and communicative. In examining translation as a captivating theme in film, television, commercials, and online content, this multinational collection engages with the problems and limitations faced by translators, as well as the ethical and philosophical aspects of translation and Translation Studies. Contributors examine the role of the translator (as protagonist, agent, negotiator, and double-agent), translation in global communication, the presentation of visual texts, multilingualism in contemporary media, and the role of foreign languages in advertisements. Translation and translators are shown as inseparable parts of a contemporary life that is increasingly multilingual, multiethnic, multinational and socially diverse.
Media narratives inform our ideas of the future - and Games are currently making a significant contribution to this medial reservoir. On the one hand, Games demonstrate a particular propensity for fantastic and futuristic scenarios. On the other hand, they often serve as an experimental field for the latest media technologies. However, while dystopias are part of the standard gaming repertoire, Games feature utopias much less frequently. Why? This anthology examines playful utopias from two perspectives. It investigates utopias in digital Games as well as utopias of the digital game; that is, the role of ludic elements in scenarios of the future.
International Security Studies and Technology applies an interdisciplinary perspective to the study of emerging technologies and issues related to their development, governance, laws, ethics, understanding, and (mis)use, considering their impact on international security and established international norms. Bringing together a diverse collection of experts, Tobias T. Gibson and Kurt W. Jefferson analyse international security and technology through three conceptual frameworks: approaches, assessments, and frontiers.
The Posthuman is the new paradigm of architecture. Encompassing related topics such as the post-Anthropocene, more-than-human, non-human, trans-human, anti-human and meta-human, this AD presents a synthesis of the architectural Posthuman. Proliferating and diversifying, the Posthuman is now as planetary as it is everyday, and as disruptive, contested and contradictory as it is sublime. From the detail to the interplanetary, and from real and fictional designs and spaces to more proleptic universe-building futures, the issue describes and speculates on these spectacular and shocking new species. It envisions the Posthuman through the array of emerging technologies, and features original contributions from academics, professionals, design studios and related disciplines and domains. These new spaces include the full electromagnetic spectrum and present new entanglements of Posthuman theories and technologies. Contributors: Mario Carpo; Paul Dobraszczyk; Alberto Fernandez; Ariane Harrison; Sandra Häuplik-Meusburger and Olga Bannova; Steven Hutt; Xavier de Kestelier, Levent Ozruh and Jonathan Irwan; Sylvia Lavin; Jacopo Leveratto; Tyson Hosmer, Roberto Bottazzi and Mollie Claypool; Colbey Reid and Dennis Weiss; Andrew Witt; and Brent Sherwood. Featured designers and architects: Blue Origin, Christian Rex van Minnen, Harrison Atelier, and Hassell.
In this investigation and celebration of America's fascination with space, Constance Penley, a professor of film studies and women's studies at the University of California, illustrates issues of sex and sexuality in the world of science and technology and examines the widely held prejudices against women in this area. 20 photos.
Be amazed by 25 iconic pieces of tech from the Star Trek canon and the science behind how they function with Treknology. You will not believe how close we are to achieving some of them today. The name Star Trek conjures images of faster-than-light spacecraft, holographic crew members, and phasers set to stun. Some of these incredible devices may still be far from our reach, but others have made the leap from science fiction to science fact—and now you can learn the science and engineering of what makes them tick. Treknology looks at over twenty-five iconic inventions from the complete history of the Star Trek television and film universe. Author Ethan Siegel explores and profiles these dazzling technologies and their role Star Trek, the science behind how they work, and how close we are to achieving them in the real world today. This stunning collection is packed with 150 superbfilm and television stills, prop photography, and scientific diagrams to pull you into another world. Brace yourself for a detailed look at the inner workings of Star Trek’s computing capabilities, communications equipment, medical devices, and awe-inspiring ships. Treknology is one that no fan of Star Trek, or future tech, will want to miss.
The Moral Case for Profit Maximization argues that profit maximization is moral when businessmen seek to maximize profit by creating goods or services that are of objective value. Traditionally, profit maximization has been defended on economic grounds. Profit, economists argue, incentivizes businessmen to produce goods and services. In this view, businessmen do not need to be virtuous as long as they deliver the goods. It challenges the traditional defense of profit maximization, arguing that profit maximization is morally ambitious because it requires businessmen to form normative abstractions and to cultivate a virtuous character. In so doing, the author also challenges the moral basis of corporate social responsibility. Proponents of CSR argue that businessmen can do good while doing well. This book argues that businessmen already do good by maximizing profit, drawing upon the histories of the wheel, the refrigerator, and the shipping container, as well as the biographies of J. P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, and Thomas Edison to demonstrate the role of values in the creation of material goods and the role of the virtues in value creation. The author challenges readers to rethink the relationship between profit, value, and virtue.
