Life size Gundam in Japan
Mood:  cool
Topic: Futurism

 So, way back in 2008 the story  "Gundam cartoon academy to turn fiction into reality in Japan" was making its way around the web.  The first whisperings of real gigantic human piloted robots is the mostly imobile and just for show Giant Gundam that is currently in Japan (on Danny Choo).  

Don't scientists watch animated movies? Do they not know what they're getting into?
Mood:  happy
Topic: Futurism

 

Being the nerd that I am, when I read the story about  Mice engineered with gene for human speech(io9) I immediately thought of The Secret of Nimh.  If I am remembering correctly The Secret of Nimh revolved around a group of mice and rats who had escaped their lab imprisonment where they were made extra smart and given the capacity for speech and planning as they battled each other over the rats' idea that humans should be taken out.  

So scientists today have engineered transgenetic mice with the gene for human speech.  They have made the first step in a chain of events that is going to take away Mrs. Brisby's home and put her children in danger!  Not to mention that if the outnumbered and well meaning among the small animal world don't succeed, the rat's are going to rise up, steal our electricity and murder us all!  How can we let some lab coat buffoons put us all in danger like this without censuring them?  Is anyone keeping tabs on these crazy scientific advancements?

 

Previously:

Anime beats real life again

Sci Fi Movie Reality

What anime hath fortold

Electronic Face Masks and Animated Prophesy

I love me some futuristic architecture

Successful Arm Transplants and a Murderers Hands

Lasers in the Sky:  life from the movies

 

Like diamond hatpins on the earth's face
Mood:  cheeky
Topic: Futurism

You know, a good many of the posts I do with references elsewhere, I write so that I'll remember them too.  I sure hope you like shiny  new architecture designs as much as I do, because I could not help but show you these.  Read like a book, they are:  Carlos Marreiros'  giant Rabbit building for the Macau Pavillion at the Shanghai World Expo 2010(Neatorama), Aeolus Airship designed by Christopher Ottersbach  (Inhabitat), Milano Santa Monica (Inhabitat),Herzog and de Meuron  (Inhabitat),Daniel Libeskind recently unveiled a soaring green skyscraper for New York (Inhabitat), a new city in South Korea, Gwanggyo(io9), Shanghai Tower (Inhabitat)

Articles for more beautiful buildings:

Buildings that look like spaceships you've never seen at io9

Top ten green architecture projects of 2008 on Inhabitat

15 Bizzare houses on Neatorama

 Previously on the Bean:

Shiny Buildings and Historical Space Programs

I love me some futuristic architecture

Buildings of the New.  Again.

City of Silk Rail Network tower to rival Burj Dubai

Our Wonderful Future

On top of the Sea

Ever Expanding Dubai

Shiny buildings and historical space programs
Mood:  happy
Topic: Futurism

So the new news of the Gundam cartoon acadamy to turn fiction to reality(io9) by building real life robotic fighting machines for humans to pilot might not be the newest news, but the advances made everyday to augment the human body with mechanical and computer components are pretty scary cool.  Giant robotic suits, however, might not be as beautiful as some of the building designs that architects with a mind on the future are coming up with.  Above and/or on the right:  Steven Holl's Copenhagen Bridge (inhabitat), and on the left and/or bottom:  Alexander Asadov's Floating Aerohotel (inhabitat).  Have we talked about my covetousness before?  --about how I live in a city primarily built in the 70s on sandy ground and therefore all of the buildings are ugly beyond words.  Even the new buildings going up seem to be designed with the goal to fit in, rather than invigorate.  Oh woa is me!

A little while ago I was wondering about worldwide space exploration and lo and behold, I've found some new amazing things happening.  India's Chandrayaan probe just made its moon landing (global voices online). This is a historic mission for India as it is their first moon landing of anysort.  Congratulations! 

Previously on the Bean:

I love me some futuristic architecture

Buildings of the New.  Again.

City of Silk Rail Network tower to rival Burj Dubai

Our Wonderful Future

On top of the Sea

Ever Expanding Dubai

Apocalypse and the things that are labeled concept art
Mood:  chatty
Topic: Futurism

I love apocalyptic stories.  I used to haunt the literature section of my nearest corporate chain bookstore for hours looking for the appropriately depressing fiction futures I needed to feed upon.  So, now, it's no wonder that I love artwork that depicts these same grimy futures.  Though I think its funny that everyone refers to them as concept art.  Isn't all art concept art?  

Anyway, the first is from B. Börkur Eiríksson of CCP Whitewolf (io9)-- I love the slightly unfocused quality of the impressionistic painting.  It makes it seem as if the picture was taken through layers of smog.  The second is from a series of images depicting Tokyo falling to nature by Tokyo Genso of the blog Tokyo Fantasy(io9)--this would be my favorite way to depict aftermath of thriving civilization with the earth just swallowing everything back up again.  And finally,  Fred Einaudi's(Coilhouse) paintings are haunting and unsettling. 

 

Though, if you would rather some futuristic concept art that isn't wholly depressing for mankind then perhaps you could take a look at Chris Thunig's work(Boing Boing Gadgets).  After that big shpiel about apocalyptic images, I think maybe I just like art depicting larger than life futures, hopeful or depressing.  But I did spend hours in the lit. section looking for apocalyptic future books, I really did.

Sci Fi movie reality
Mood:  chillin'
Now Playing: "Do you Want to" -- Franz Ferdinand
Topic: Futurism

Its time for another post on the Nostradamus that is our SciFi lit and movie world.  Fresh from io9 are a couple of stories that smack of 20th century celluloid.  Scientists have recently found a way to implant memories. Mad Science: utrasound can give you memories of learning things in college is almost the dream I have had about waking up knowing how to play the guitar.  Yeah, I'm working on it the hard way, but I think I have a mental block where learning the instrument is concerned.  Of course, this whole implanted memory thing was done in Total Recall already.  

So, if scientists can make memories that would fit within the confines of the human mind, its only fitting that they can create a  Computer program modeled to be a purely evil human personality in order to help them study the intricacies of human morality.  My first reaction to this is that they don't need any virtual evil to study that particular subject, but oh well, if it worked for Virtuosity, then it will work for our intrepid laboratory conquistadors.  Too bad the virtual evil they created doesn't look anything like Russel Crow.  But let us all take a lesson from the movie and not let the Martian colony building robot ants or any future robot building bugs to get anywhere near the program.  

Newsworthy as well are some ground breaking real world court rulings on virtual crime.  Perhaps the Virtual Murderer jailed was convicted more on her breaking and entering and computer hacking, but, I bet, the Teens convicted of virtual theft just opened the door for more countries to follow China in taxing virtual property.  The web was already alive with this possibility in the U.States two years ago:  IRS taxation of online game virtual assets [was] inevitable.

previously:

What anime hath fortold

Electronic Face Masks and Animated Prophesy

I love me some futuristic architecture

Successful Arm Transplants and a Murderers Hands

Lasers in the Sky:  life from the movies

 

What anime hath fortold
Mood:  cheeky
Topic: Futurism

By now all of you know that I watch and have watched a lot of anime and I read io9.  So, if you have not yet seen the awesome prophetic powers of anime let me educate you!

First, an aside.  I have come under the impression that an adult affinity for anime is kind of like a dirty secret amongst upstanding intellectual people.  Perhaps because it is animated, or because it is imported entertainment, it is not always worthy of being admired.  Or perhaps many people who were willing to give it a chance were tired out by some of the first imported shows that are, in my opinion, far from the best pickings out there.  It is in anime's disfavor in the end.  I've found awesome stuff and the awesome stuff I've found has traces of prophetic emergent technology the way sci-fi literature did during the golden age of Science Fiction, which of course makes me squeal in the geekiest way possible (yeah, I like it when I get the symbolism in a historical novel too). 

Anyway, i09 writes about an aparatus that transmitts commands from the brain to paralyzed limbs externally, and you know by my previous ramblings that this already happened in an anime.  Angelic Layer is the story of girl who's natural talent as a rookie in a combat doll game propells her through competitions.  It is positively brimming with melodrama, and you already know about my love of melodramatic anime.  But we were talking about the correlation between the amazing device that externally transmits brain commands to paralyzed limbs, right?  Well it just so happens that the combat dolls in Angelic Layer are a kind of prototype for an external device to relay brain commands to paralyzed limbs!   So, anime has done it again, just like it did in, Denno Coil (Electronic Face Masks and Animated Prophesy), and Wandaba Style (I love me some futuristic architecture).

for your information addiction: 

The Golden Age of Science Fiction on Encylopedia Britannica

 

I love me some futuristic architecture
Mood:  happy
Topic: Futurism
Someday I'll have to pick out some older architecture that I love to give ya'll a comparison.  I do not only have eyes for concept or futuristic (which, I guess is right now) architecture.  I do not have eyes for the 70s (possible 60s--I'll have to research) to 90s stuff that proliferates my landscapes.  I like to dream of living in a place where the objects and structures are beautiful as well as useful and inventive.  Since that's not going to happen any time soon, at least outside the walls of my home where I'm working on it, this is for dreaming.  There are some awesome building designs out there and they are as good looking as they are amazingly taking advantage of our technology to solve problems and streamline life like building never did before.

From left to right down and repeat:  EDITT Tower (Ecological Design in the Tropics) in Singapore (Inhabitat), Herzog and De Meuron pyramid building in Paris (io9), Generali tower designed by Valode & Pistre in Paris (Inhabitat), Designs for a Verticle Farm Project by Despommier and graduate students at Columbia University (Apartment Therapy),  Meraas's Jumeira Gardens to add more to the inconcievable development of Dubai (Inhabitat).

A space elevator might not being a building, but it would sure dominate the landscape like one.  And whether the Japan Space Elevator Associated plans for an elevator to the stars (io9) have any meat to them, I can't help thinking of the anime Wandaba style (amazon).  Partially about a producer assembled pop group struggling to make it big, and partially about a scientist desperately trying to reach the moon without resorting to ecologically damaging rocket fuel to get there.  Yeah, there are giant rubberbands, and giant bottles of carbonated soda, high altitude balloons, and I'm sure (though I can't remember really) there is something that might look a little like a space elevator.  It was a damn funny anime by the way--I suggest you check it out if you are so inclined.

Previously on the Bean:

Buildings of the New.  Again.

City of Silk Rail Network tower to rival Burj Dubai

Our Wonderful Future

On top of the Sea

Ever Expanding Dubai

 

Buildings of the new. Again.
Mood:  cool
Topic: Futurism

You know, I keep looking for the beautiful, shining, cold, and curving examples that we no longer live in a cinder block world, but all the buildings were I live are hopelessly out of date.  Almost forty years out of date now.  I really hate 70s architecture.  And though I sometimes find it hard to balance a love of history in city architecture:  buildings that have seen ages past and a need to knock down the architectural ugliness that permeates newer cities--like ones that boomed mainly in the 70s, I want new buildings.  Even if they are only selling a fantasy.

So, this first example isn't really futuristic architecture, but it is a fantasy future concept.  We need more creativity in our daily lives, yeah!  The Echo Park Time Travel Mart in Los Angelos was created/is operated by 826LA, a non profit organization helping kids with creative writing.  (via Neatorama)

The planned Songjiang Hotel built within an old quarry.  (via Apartment Therapy) and a planned Twisty Glass Manhattan building (via io9 via curbed)

Or, if futuristic construction means more smart materials than shiny looking (which I find equally alluring), then Brad Kittel's tiny houses in Texas might be for you. (via Apartment Therapy)

Previously on the Bean:

City of Silk Rail Network tower to rival Burj Dubai

Our Wonderful Future

On top of the Sea

More:

The Force is with Design on io9

In depth futuristic architecture post on SkyScraperLife

Athens Today - Athens 21st Century

Architecture on Tomorrowland

 

Large Hadron Collider fired up today!
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: Futurism

After more than 10 years in the making the Large Hadron Collider in Europe was turned on today.  I am expecting a deluge of articles on how we were wrong or right on the creation and make-up of the universe!  This is big stuff people--go learn about it.

On National Geographic.

City of Silk Rail Network tower to rival Burj Dubai
Mood:  don't ask
Topic: Futurism

Burj Dubai is nearing completion and is the tallest skyscraper in the world.  Can any one building really hold that title for long?  The Burj Mubarak al-Kabir is designed to top the Burj Dubai by 200 meters.  It will be the center tower of a massively planned City of Silk in Subiya, Kuwait.  Part of the plan for the City of Silk construction will be to provide a rail line that will link major cities in the Middle East and China (link to Inhabitat's article). 

Of course there's got to be a plan in reserve for an even bigger tower.  If London's Megatower ever gets approved, it will be the next up to top the Burg Mubarak al-Kabir's record (previously on the Bean).  

 

Have a little knowlege on me:   Encyclopedia Britannica article on skyscrapers .

 

Almost real - the quest to humanize our tech and creep ourselves out
Mood:  cool
Now Playing: "Love Pattern" - Scandal
Topic: Futurism

"The pattern of human reaction to human-like things has already been noticed by Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori.  The closer that approximations to human appearance get to their goal--the more humans find them creepy and unapproachable(previously on Bean)." 

The robot below is Julio, created by David Hanson to imitate the emotive and expressive qualities of a singer.  Julio sings with the voice of David Byrne, and Byrne says this project stemmed from his interest in Masahiro Mori’s theory of the “uncanny valley."  (via io9) Yes, I find Julio creepy.

 

 

I tend to agree with Tokyo Mango on the creepiness of this android woman in the bug commercial.  I think all would've been ok if they didn't do the close up at the end.  And I certainly hope the bugs of the future aren't hearty and hungry enough to attack computers and computer generated images.  (originally at Boing Boing)

 

 

The team that produced the animation for Grand Theft Auto created this sequence of an employee talking.  Its super realistic.  (Link to the Times Online article, Link to Neatorama coverage)

Electric car goodness
Mood:  chatty
Topic: Futurism

Inhabitat's got an awesome Transportation Tuesday feature.   If you want to keep up on the latest news about an electric car future, here are the latest models:

Meet the Lumeneo Smera, You already know the Smart Car--now meet the Electric Smart Car, Same goes for our other beloved mini import the Mini--he has transformed into the Electric Mini,  

 

The Liberator(via i09) looks more like something built in the early eighties, and perhaps they've been working on it for that long, but I kinda like the idea of car that can convert and use a monorail system to both speed travel and increase safety of said speedy travel.  This would require a country willing to install rails--and we know that won't happen.

Electric cars previously on the Bean. 

Robot companion goodness
Mood:  energetic
Topic: Futurism

 

 

Because robotic  innovation will probably make the largest strides where there is money to pay for it, lets celebrate now what our personal buying power can get us!  Boing Boing Gadgets introduced me to Yume Hamusutaa, the robot hamster, and to the Genji-bot, programmed to recite Murasaki Shikibu's manuscript Tale of Genji.  

Previous robots on the Bean.

Our Wonderful Future
Mood:  chillin'
Topic: Futurism

Mega tower designed to buffer population growth in London (via io9).  It is designed to hold 100,000 people and serve there every need from shops and schools to theaters and governmental offices.  It would even pull fresh water from the clouds that it reached up to.  But I wonder, if the mega tower planned in Japan could cause some earthquakes, what would this one do? 

Lilypad floating city for climate refugees (via Inhabitat).  So, if we're prepared for the flooding of the earth, we could do it much more fashionably than what was shown in Waterworld.

Flooded London by Squint/Opera at the London Festival of Architecture 2008(via Inhabitat) gives a little better idea of what we might be dealing with if the seas did rise.  I wonder though, how London's mega tower will deal with this. 

I've been amazed by the ingenuity behind the Echo Park Time Travel Mart since I first heard about it.  These time travel vacation posters are too great to properly discribe, and the 826LA nonprofit creative writing program behind it all is inspired! (via io9). 

Federation Island, just one man-made island Covered by Life in the Fast Lane (via Neatorama).  Considering that a lot of the man-made islands in planning and in process are built up from the sea level, mightn't they get flooded along with London? 

Modular Moonbase plans for eventual planting by Ares in the next decade (via io9) 

Something a little closer in time:  the Oasis mammoth cruise ship will be launched next year by Royal Carribean Cruise Ships (via Neatorama) 

And finally, a little wearable futurism.  The TX54 concept watch sticker at Timex 2154 competition.  Hopefully it will come to be before 2154.   (via Popgadget)