The former House speaker has long been known for his boyish enthusiasm for subjects like dinosaurs, zoos and outer space. And in his 1996 book “To Renew America” he even devoted a short chapter to proposals that are, in some cases, directly inspired by p

Newt Gingrich ’s promise to put a colony on the moon is only the latest in a long history of space-related ideas from the former House speaker. Since childhood, Gingrich has been obsessed with space and space travel. He’s said the science fiction of Issa

Actor Sam Neill, as Dr Alan Grant, encounters a group of velociraptors in Jurassic Park III. (Photo: AP) Newt Gingrich said Wednesday that there would be a permanent American base on the moon by the end of his second term. This should not come as a surpr

During World War II, Wernher von Braun had a lot on his mind. The German rocket scientist was busy running Adolf Hitler’s V-1 and V-2 programs, which sent more than 10,000 rockets into England in 1944 and 1945. But beneath Von Braun’s famously exacting m

I've always been fascinated by the idea of ghosts - I can remember distinctly asking my mother what ghosts were at roughly the age of three as she tucked me in for the night and thus began a lifetime spent being just that little bit on edge most of the t

Walter Isaacson: Steve Jobs I have just begun reading it, and while sad knowing the end for SJ, it puts many a smile on the face, seeing how fascinated my kids are by a man they never knew (but whose products they love), and recollecting the last book th

"It's been a fraught and bloody process winnowing the nominees down to shortlists of just five, involving passionate fan-rants, general geekery, some very silly jokes and occasional outbreaks of threatened violence between the judges. I have a profession

1. Sir Arthur C. Clarke, Science Fiction Writer 2. Nadine Gordimer, Nobel Laureate in Literature 3. Professor Isaac Asimov, Author and Biochemist 4. Arthur Miller, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Playwright 5. Wole Soyinka, Nobel Laureate in Literature 6. Gore Vi

The Double Helix opens with the words: "I have never seen Francis Crick in a modest mood." I have never seen James D Watson in a modest mood, either. He is not an innately modest person. In his later years he would consent to press briefings – usually on

Walter Isaacson: Steve Jobs I have just begun reading it, and while sad knowing the end for SJ, it puts many a smile on the face, seeing how fascinated my kids are by a man they never knew (but whose products they love), and recollecting the last book th

My one-man campaign against fear started on a chilly evening in San Francisco. I was discussing the future and technology as part of a book tour, and I only had time to answer one more question. From the stage, I called on a guy in his 50s. When he start

For the month of January I’m bringing you a great lecture every weekday. This week we covered science, math, space, and physics…in what’s hopefully a fun way. In case you missed one, here’s a review of the lectures posted this week. In 1960, University o

Singer-songwriter Patti Smith canceled her concert at the Hotel Chelsea after receiving backlash from some of the New York City landmark's long-time residents.Tenants had called her a sell-out to management in a fight that has gone on between the new own

Don't be surprised if Morgan Freeman bursts into song when the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. calls him to the stage Sunday at the Golden Globes, to accept the org's Cecil B. DeMille Award for his "contributions to the world of entertainment." Especially

Keir Dullea's character is forcing his way back into the Discovery spaceship after the computer HAL has tried to kill him by locking him outside. "Just what do you think you're doing, Dave?" Dave does not reply, but he's

Sir Arthur C. Clarke is among the most revered science fiction writers the genre has ever known — responsible for some of the most iconic stories and essential technology of the modern world. Some sci-fi storytellers are content to merely predict, but Si

We’ve come a long way since the days of the first Macintosh and the introduction of graphical user interfaces, going from monochrome colors to millions, from estranged mice to intuitive touchscreens, from scroll bars to pinch, zoom, flick and pan. But wh

It's 2012, which means you'll be hearing more than your fair share of apocalyptic and gloomy scenarios soon. To help counteract the tide of misery, Tau Zero Foundation founder Marc Millis writes an optimistic future history of the next four decades. "If

We were honored to have Leonard Nimoy, best known as Star Trek’s Mr. Spock, as one of our speakers last night. VentureBeat and DEMO produced the event, which was hosted by Fusion-io, a leader in efficient server technology. As we gathered to discuss lar