Comments on: Stanley Kubrick’s “2001 A Space Odyssey”

By: Momo

Momo — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 21:58:43 +0000

HAL 9000
was based on a one-letter shift from the name IBM. This has been denied by both Clarke and 2001 director Stanley Kubrick. I thought that by now every intelligent person knew that H-A-L is derived from “Heuristic ALgorithmic”

“Heuristic” is an greek adjective for experience-based techniques that help in problem solving, learning and discovery.

When we speak of AI, Ubiquitous Computing we speak as well of Neuroinformatics. Wich is in charge of the organization of neuroscience data and application of computational models on it. Ruhr Uni Bochum has an Institute for Neuroinformatic.

http://www.neuroinformatik.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/

There goal is: ” Ziel ist es, die Organisationsprinzipien des Nervensystems bis zur informationstechnischen Anwendbarkeit aufzuarbeiten”, which could mean that some day machines will be able to feel/act as human beings. HAL 9000, as a machine, has an almost neurotic character, which is definitely a human characteristic.

By: Ulrike

Ulrike — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:04:59 +0000

Artificial Gravity:

Today many people think, that artificial gravity is possible. They really use the same technique like in the film. But this thoughts and the technique is in the early stages of development. In my oppinion in one day it will be possible to generate gravity and to control it, like they do in the movie.

http://www.zeit.de/2007/21/T-Antigravitation?page=all

http://leifi.physik.uni-muenchen.de/web_ph11/umwelt-technik/07kuenstl_grav/kuenstl_grav.htm

http://209.85.129.132/search?q=cache:dMigqOKnMQgJ:www.drg-gss.org/%3Fpage%3Deasy%26section%3D9895+künstliche+schwerkraft&cd=4&hl=de&ct=clnk&gl=de

By: Ulrike

Ulrike — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:48:02 +0000

A monolith is a geological feature such as a mountain, consisting of a single massive stone or rock, or a single piece of rock placed as, or within, a monument. Erosion usually exposes the geological formations, which are most often made of very hard and solid metamorphic or igneous rock.
The word derives from the Latin word monolithus from the Greek word μονόλιθος (monolithos), derived from μόνος (”one” or “single”) and λίθος (”stone”).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_YfOdRmEQE

By: Sabine

Sabine — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 21:51:52 +0000

Here are a couple links I thought might be interesting to read about “artificial gravity” and the effects of weightlessness in space on the human body.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090722165459.htm

http://mvl.mit.edu/AG/

Also a link about the inventor, Wernher von Braun, of the space station that provides artifical gravity and wich design concepts were used in the movie “2001 A Space Odyssey”.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wernher_von_Braun

By: Christine

Christine — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 21:31:49 +0000

space travel

There are already promotional videos for space travel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58cdGWK9FMA

Perhaps we can spend a night in a space hotel in the year 2012. Then we could fly around the world in 90 minutes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7uZ4oY4z6U

By: Josip

Josip — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:05:53 +0000

artificial gravity

Project to build a large rotating wheel type space station with artificial gracity.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYIo-0qo9FA

By: Nina

Nina — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:30:38 +0000

Monolith
- who was first?
Reading more about Monoliths, I found a german science fiction series from the 60’s, “Perry Rhodan”, which was first released in 1961. The series describes the history of mankind, starting with Perry Rhodan’s landing on the moon in 1971, ending in the year 4934.
There’s a “Monolith Zyklus”, including 6 books, in which Monoliths are found on several planets. They seem to have extraordinary powers and influences.
“2001: A Space Odyssey” is from 1968. “Perry Rhodan” was first released in 1961.

Maybe I missed something out and the Monolith series was released later, I could not find any specific dates. But the subject is so close to Kubrick’s film, it caught my attention.

Everything about “Perry Rhodan”
http://www.perry-rhodan.net/aktuell/updates/index.html

“Perrypedia”
http://www.perrypedia.proc.org/wiki/Perry_Rhodan-Heftserie

the Monoliths in “Perry Rhodan”
http://www.perrypedia.proc.org/wiki/Monolith_%28Zyklus%29

By: Daniel Brems

Daniel Brems — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:28:32 +0000

A Future Flat!

http://www.morgenpost.de/printarchiv/berlin/article204423/So_sieht_die_Wohnung_der_Zukunft_aus.html

By: Nadine

Nadine — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:12:53 +0000

cryogenic hibernation:
Das Advanced Concepts Team der Esa befasst sich mit “Mammalian Hibernation Mechanisms”. Sie vergleichen den Winterschlaf bei Tieren und versuchen es auf den Menschen zu übertragen. Die Hibernation soll helfen, benachbarte Planetensysteme zu erreichen.

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/Germany.html

http://www.erkenntnishorizont.de/raumfahrt/mensch/hibernation.c.php?screen=800

By: nino

nino — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:21:07 +0000

this one is more star- treckish: the voice recognition microwave.

http://www.ohgizmo.com/2006/09/26/daewoo-voice-recognition-microwave-the-lazy-get-lazier/