This anthology invites readers to revisit twelve timeless stories from visionary authors while pondering the scientific advancements they foreshadowed, making it ideal for fans of both science fiction and science.
In Algernon Blackwoods A Victim of Higher Space, the concept of extra spatial dimensions is explored, while Miles J. Breuers The Gostak and the Doshes examines time as a dimension in relativity. Stanley Waterloos Love and a Triangle touches on efforts to communicate with extraterrestrial intelligence, and Max Adelers The Fortunate Island raises questions about humanitys readiness for first contact with alien life. Machine learning and AI feature in Edward L. Sabins The Supersensitive Golf Ball, while Sakis Filboid Studge explores targeted advertisings transformation through AI. Edward Bellamys With the Eyes Shut predicts devices like smartphones and sparks discussions on the future of scientific publishing. G.K. Chestertons The Tremendous Adventures of Major Brown delves into augmented, virtual, and mixed reality technologies. Edgar Wallaces The Black Grippe provides a historical lens on pandemics and communication of scientific uncertainty. J. Arbuthnot Wilsons PAUSODYNE looks at suspended animation and modern cryonics, while Edgar Allan Poes The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar tackles advances in medical technology and definitions of death. Finally, Guy de Maupassants The Horla explores the potential for humanity to be supplanted by new life forms.
Other dimensions of space.- Relativity.- Messaging extraterrestrial
intelligence.- First contact.- Applications of machine learning.- The science
of persuasion.- The future of science publishing.- Realityaugmented,
virtual, and mixed.- Pandemic.- Suspended animation.- Advances in medical
technology.- Humans supplanted.
Following a first-class honours degree in Physics from the University of Bristol and a PhD in Theoretical Physics from the University of Manchester Stephen Webb has worked at a number of UK universities. In addition to shorter works, he has published eleven books one of which won the SETI League award and was shortlisted for the Aventis Prize (now Royal Society Winton Prize) for best science book. He is active in outreach activities, having spoken at numerous international conferences, podcasts and radio shows, and his 2018 TED Talk has been viewed over 6 million times. He has published an undergraduate textbook Measuring the Universe (Springer, 1999) as well as several popular science books, among them New Eyes on the Universe (Springer, 2012) and the second edition of If the Universe Is Teeming with Aliens ... WHERE IS EVERYBODY? (Springer, 2015).