November 16, 2009
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15 Inventions Inspired By Science Fiction

Posted in Sci Fi by admin

15) Cell Phones

cell phone

When the first flip phones were produced, many people commented that they looked like the communicators in Star Trek. That’s no coincidence. Martin Cooper, the inventor of the first handheld mobile phone, has credited Captain Kirk’s nifty gadget with inspiring the whole concept of the portable phone.

14) Submarine

submarine

Submarines have been around since the Civil War and even used in combat. However, it wasn’t until Jules Verne published his classic 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea in 1870 that engineers began to envision more advanced submersibles that could probe even deeper into the ocean.

13) Electronic Book Readers

ebook reader

In most science fiction, paper is a thing of the past, and some recent gadgets show a push in that direction. Owners of e-book readers like the Kindle have Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy to thank for first describing a portable, paperless reference book.

12) Powered Exoskeleton

12-exoskeleton

Probably the most famous scene in the second Aliens movie is when Ripley saves a little girl using a hydraulic exoskeleton. Someone in the military seems to have taken notice, since engineers recently unveiled an exoskeleton that helps a person lift 200 pounds like it was nothing at all. One inventor in Japan even went the extra mile and developed a functional suit almost identical to the one in the movie.

11) Home Theaters

home theater

Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 featured very little in the way of high tech gadgetry, with the exception of special “parlours” in people’s homes that would have large television screens on one or more walls complete with surround sound systems. Today, you can find that in your average suburban home, except we call them “home theaters.”

10) Computerized Language Translation (Hitchhiker’s Guide)

translation software

“Babel Fish” wasn’t just a random name AltaVista came up with for their web translation software. This was actually an alien species from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy that could translate any language after being put into a person’s ear.

9) TASER

taser

When Jack Cover developed his first prototype for a less-lethal alternative to guns, he gave it an acronym that stands for “Thomas A. Swift’s Electric Rifle.” Cove chose the name after the hero of a science fiction series he had read as a child, one of which featured an “electric rifle” that was used for hunting.

8 ) Computer Viruses

computer virus

Hey, no one said science fiction only inspires good inventions. When researchers accidentally created the first computer virus in 1975, they described it as a “worm.” The term was taken from John Brunner’s novel, The Shockwave Rider, in which a “tapeworm” begins to infect computers worldwide.

7) Orbiting Satellites

satellite

Author Edward Everett Hale first explored the idea of a satellite in his short story, “The Brick Moon,” but it was famed sci-fi writer Arthur C. Clarke who first proposed satellites as a means for mass communication. He wrote an article in 1945 that described communication devices hovering in orbit to provide high-speed global communication. Seven years later, Sputnik was launched.

6) VCR/DVD Player

dvd player

While most of the world was marveling at the invention of motion pictures in the 1890’s, H.G. Wells was already thinking of ways to make it better. At one point in his novel, When the Sleeper Wakes, a man discovers a machine that seems to store and play individual movies for entertainment.

5) PDA or Pocket Computer

pda

In 1974, when most computers were large enough to fill whole rooms, Larry Niven envisioned a pocket-sized version in The Mote in God’s Eye. The “pocket computers” are mostly used for mathematical calculations and note taking, but with their communication functions, Niven might as well be describing a Blackberry or an iPhone.

4) Robots (R.U.R. by Karel Capek, Metropolis)

robot

The idea of constructing artificial life has been around for centuries, but the term “robot” was first introduced in Karel Capek’s play, R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots). However, it wasn’t until the 1927 film, Metropolis, that people began seeing robots as humanoid machines that could be controlled by a programmer.

3) Space Travel

space travel

Even though his 1865 novel, From the Earth to the Moon, was meant to be a comedy, Jules Verne did some serious calculations to back up his tale of three men trying to travel to the moon using a cannon. Some of his theories and equations turned out to be surprisingly accurate to those used in the Apollo missions, and he even correctly predicted that weightlessness would exist in space.

2) Internet

internet

William Gibson’s book, Neuromancer, simultaneously set the basis for the cyberpunk genre as well as the internet (or more accurately, the World Wide Web). In his dystopian world, almost everyone can access a global computer network using special brain interfaces, which allows everyone on the planet to exchange information instantly. Sound familiar?

1) Atomic Bomb

atom bomb

It’s not hard to imagine a huge explosion, but Robert Cromie envisioned the means to do so that would eventually become reality. In The Crack of Doom, he wrote about a weapon that used the energy of an atom to decimate nearly two square miles of land. Over four decades later, the Manhattan Project was well under way.

November 6, 2009
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100 Incredible Paranormal Activity Blogs

Posted in Paranormal by admin

100 Incredible Paranormal Activity Blogs

Paranormal activity is all around us, in the form of unknown creatures, spirits, and unusual occurrences. Many people have research and experiences to share with others in the paranormal community, and much of this information can be found on blogs. Here, we’ll take a look at 100 blogs that offer an intriguing look into paranormal activity.

General

Stay on top of paranormal reports and the latest research with these blogs.

  1. Area51: Area51 is the secret headquarters for paranormal reports.
  2. Stephen’s Paranormal Phenomena Blog: Stephen Wagner writes this guide to paranormal phenomena.
  3. io9: io9 comes from the future.
  4. Paranormal Magazine: This magazine explores the world of the unexplained.
  5. Paranormal Activities: Check out this blog to see paranormal videos and more.
  6. Unique Nurses: Unique Nurses features ESP and paranormal studies and research.
  7. A State of Mind: A State of Mind explores psychic phenomena.
  8. Truth Seeker Forum: This forum is committed to researching, exploring, and discussing subjects like UFOs, Bigfoot, and more.
  9. Things That Go Bump in the Night: See how this blogger experiences the paranormal.
  10. Your Dark Passenger: Your Dark Passenger is the source for paranormal thoughts.
  11. Mind-Energy: Mind-Energy shares parapsychology articles and more.
  12. The Paranormal Pastor: The Paranormal Pastor takes a look at all things unexplained and paranormal.
  13. Paranormal Encyclopedia: Find reference in the paranormal from this blog.
  14. Unexplained Mysteries: Unexplained Mysteries is your source for the paranormal.
  15. The OddBlog: The OddBlog is all about the unexplained.
  16. In the Shadow of Doubt: Take a look at what’s real in the paranormal realm through this blog.
  17. JJ Lumsden’s Parapsychology Blog: JJ Lumsden is an experimental psychologist and author of The Hidden Whisper.
  18. My Strange Blog: See how strange the universe is by reading this blog.
  19. Strange Days: Strange Days features paranormal stories from the UK and beyond.
  20. Backyard Phenomena: Backyard Phenomena discusses phenomena found in common places.
  21. World Horror Stories: World Horror Stories features the scariest stories, photos, and videos ever.
  22. Prophet666: Find Nostradamus, prophecies, and more on this blog.
  23. Occult Blogger: Occult Blogger is where occult mysteries are explored.
  24. My Life After Near Death Experiences: Learn about amazing experiences after near death.
  25. Pseudo-Occult Media: Explore the occult in this blog.
  26. Occult View: On this blog, you can learn about spirituality outside the mainstream.
  27. Voodoo Who Do: Voodoo Who Do is a blog of weirdness, mayhem, and madness.
  28. Plutonica: Plutonica explores occulture, philosophy, spirituality, and magick.
  29. The Travels of a Dream Walker: See the record of this blogger’s out of body experiences here.
  30. Astral Projection Blog: Read this blog for a journey into the astral realm.
  31. My Astral Projection Journal: Visit this blog to read about the experiences of an astral projector.
  32. Astral Travel Blog: Maria Valdez lives and breathes astral travel.
  33. The Anomalist: The Anomalist is a review of news in anomalies around the world.
  34. Posthuman Blues: Read this blog to find images, video and more in the paranormal
  35. Encounters with the Unexplained: This blog offers a collection of experiences with the paranormal world.
  36. Doctor Fong’s House of Mysteries: On this blog, you’ll find aliens, curios, monsters, oddities, and more.
  37. Paranormal Blog: This blog is a place to discuss, rant, and rave about the paranormal.
  38. The Paranormal Dimension: Read Caitlin MacKenna’s blog about anything and everything paranormal.
  39. Edinburgh’s Dark Side: Take a look into the dark side of Edinburgh on this blog.
  40. Paranormal Knowledge: Paranormal Knowledge has the knowledge to understand the secrets of life.

Aliens

In these blogs, you’ll learn about alien encounters and UFOs.

  1. UFO Mag Blog: This is the official blog of UFO Magazine.
  2. The Paranormal Casebook: Learn about aliens and UFOs in the episodes of this casebook blog.
  3. Inexplicata: Inexplicata is the journal of Hispanic Ufology.
  4. Lights in the Sky: Lights in the Sky is a UFO and alien phenomena discussion and search for the truth.
  5. The Gralien Report: The Gralien Report highlights weird news, anomalies, and exopolitics from beyond the fringe.
  6. UFO Blog: This blog fights against truth decay in UFOs.
  7. Alien Life: Read this blog to explore the possibility of alien life.
  8. The Orange Orb: The Orange Orb shares UFOs, theories, speculations, opinions, cases, and paranormal activities.
  9. Strange State: Strange State highlights paranormal mysteries and more.
  10. UFO Media Matters: UFO Media Matters advocates for respect of UFO witnesses.
  11. Anomaly Blog: The Anomaly Blog shares UFO sightings, alien abductions, and paranormal phenomena.
  12. Theozfiles: Bill Chalker writes about his research, investigations, and more on this blog.
  13. Beyond the Dial: Read Beyond the Dial to learn about paranormal investigation.
  14. Follow the Magic Thread: This blogger is a truth seeker and the International Director of the Mutual UFO Network.
  15. UFOexperiences: This blog is written to inform the public about UFOs.
  16. Billy’s UFOs/Aliens Blog: Billy Booth writes this About.com blog about aliens and UFOs.
  17. UFO News Blog: The UFO News Blog is all about current sightings and the latest news.
  18. Alien, UFO Casebook Fringe: Check out this blog to find paranormal, alien, and UFO daily news.
  19. GRUDGE: GRUDGE is a gathering of UFO-related historical data and other related items.
  20. Extraterrestrial: Extraterrestrial is a companion blog to the National Geographic program Extraterrestrial.
  21. Alien, UFO & Paranormal Times: Here you’ll get alien, UFO and paranormal news daily.
  22. A Different Perspective: Read this blog for commentary on UFOs, paranormal events, and related topics.
  23. UFO Blogger: UFO Blogger uncovers the UFO truth.
  24. Exopolitics: Exopolitics represents the study of the politics of extraterrestrial contact.
  25. Alien, UFO Casebook Frontier: This blog shares daily UFO and alien current events.
  26. Real UFOs: Real UFOs will give you access to the best UFO news and videos.
  27. The Debris Field: The Debris Field has fresh UFO and paranormal news crashing daily.
  28. UFO Sightings Blog: This blog is all about unidentified flying objects.
  29. The UFO Chronicles: The UFO Chronicles shares historic and current UFO news and reports from around the world.

Ghosts

Check out these blogs to learn about hauntings and ghost stories.

  1. Ghost Stories and Paranormal Encounters: Check out this paranormal blog to read true ghost tales submitted by readers.
  2. Amy’s Haunted Blog & Stories: Amy shares her thoughts, comments, and stories about ghosts, hauntings, and the paranormal on this blog.
  3. Haunted Hoax: Patrick Doyle writes this blog about haunted hoaxes.
  4. 6thSensitive: Read 6th Sensitive to learn about ghost experiences in Ireland.
  5. Haunted Real Estate Blog: Mary Pope-Handy discusses real estate with a little something extra.
  6. The Shadow Watchers: The Shadow Watchers keep an eye on ghost stories.
  7. Prairie Specters: Prairie Specters is a place to share your experience or encounter with the paranormal.
  8. Ghost Investigator: Linda Zimmermann is a ghost investigator in New York.
  9. ASSAP: ASSAP discusses paranormal research.
  10. Dark Destinations: Dark Destinations encourages readers to take the road less traveled.
  11. Ghost Hunting Secrets: Ghost Hunting Secrets will teach you about ghost hunting.
  12. Buck’s Ghosts and Hauntings: Buck is a paranormal investigator who shares his visits to interesting sites of haunting phenomena.
  13. Spiritual Visitations: Read about true spirit encounters on this blog.
  14. Wee Ghosties: Wee Ghosties is a beginner’s guide to ghost hunting.
  15. Spooked!: Find snippets of life and the afterlife in this ghost hunter’s blog.
  16. Ghost Stories: Andrea Allison shares the stories of ghost experiences.

Monsters

These monster chasers are on the hunt for Bigfoot, Nessie, and other strange creatures.

  1. Blogsquatcher: Read this blog about issues in bigfooting.
  2. CryPtoReports: Read about Bessie, the Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot and other creatures on this blog.
  3. Beasts of London: Beasts of London writes about strange creatures and out of place animals.
  4. The Sasquatch Experience: Get the latest on the Sasquatch mystery through this audio blog.
  5. Monsters of Kent: Monsters of Kent is devoted to the creatures and monsters of Kent.
  6. Cryptozoology Online: Cryptozoology Online offers daily news from the Centre for Forean Zoology.
  7. Phantoms & Monsters: Look into close encounters, conspiracies, and more in this blog.
  8. ShukerNature: This blog is written by Dr. Karl Shuker, one of the best known cryptozoologists in the world.
  9. Nick Redfern’s “There’s Something in the Woods…”: Here you’ll find the official blog for Nick Redfern’s cryptozoology books.
  10. Crypto Squad USA: This blog is dedicated to delivering the latest news in Cryptozoology.
  11. Crytozoology Online: This blog is the voice of the international cryptozoology community.
  12. Monster!: Monster! is the A-Z of zooform phenomena.
  13. Bigfoot Sightings: Bigfoot Sightings features bigfoot research and sighting reports.
  14. Cryptomundo: Cryptomundo is all about bigfoot, loch ness, and other cryptids.
  15. Centre for Fortean Zoology Australia: Check out this blog to learn about the monster hunters of the Southern Hemisphere.

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