Sci-Fi Fuel #12
Moon Problems + A.I. George Carlin + Nikki Giovanni & More!
— This is a longer post than usual, so if you’re reading this via email, you might want to hop on over the the web version here to read the full thing! —
In This Newsletter:
Welcome to Sci-Fi Fuel #12
A.I. George Carlin + quick analysis!
Weird science/tech news + jokes!
TV/film/video/podcast recommendations
Sci-phoria (Sci-Fi Moment Of Zen)
They had a lot of fun on the Galaxy Quest set.
Welcome to Sci-Fi Fuel #12! —
— an Alternate Timeline series highlighting news from the realms of science, tech, history, and pop culture to help fuel your imagination.
I usually send these on Sunday, but have been a little busy with my birthday on the 13th and the launch of my new podcast You Are The Genre!
Writer/filmmaker Eliza Cossio kicks off the first episode to talk about how science fiction and magical realism influenced her creative voice:
Know what I’ve been thinking about a lot this month? THE MOON!
People aren’t talking about the modern moon race nearly as much as they should. America and China are eager to place a human there soon, but there have been some surprising interruptions on the American end of things.
Last week, the Peregrine lunar lander was launched in collaboration with NASA and the private company Astrorobotics Technology. That stood out to me because I’m used to hearing SpaceX and Blue Origin as NASA’s go-to sugar daddies.
But the plot thickened…
A fuel leak caused them to abandon the mission, and the Peregrine is actually set to burn in the atmosphere right about now as it returns to Earth. It should also be mentioned that the Peregrine lander contains HUMAN REMAINS, which the Navajo Nation has strongly objected to, and has inspired a story I’m writing for you all set to release at the end of February:
Meanwhile, NASA’s Artimis III mission to land men and women on the moon has been delayed a year until September 2026, while China says their manned mission is still on track.
And all of this has turned me into Agent Mulder. I WANT TO BELIEVE THERE IS SOMETHING MORE GOING ON HERE! It’s all just too weird.
But why are we doing all of this, really? I think it’s because of the moon’s symbolic power. The moon is an important part of our collective sci-fi imagination. It connects to our fears of night and serves as the literal light a the end of its tunnel.
One of the most famous sci-fi images is of the 1902 French film, A Trip To The Moon:
And because its so tethered to both fiction and science, it can be utilized for comedic and profound effect.
Look no further than Gil-Scott Heron’s spoken word track “Whitey On the Moon,” in which he compared the moon landing to the woes of his Earthly, Black life:
A rat done bit my sister Nell.
(with Whitey on the moon)
Her face and arms began to swell.
(and Whitey's on the moon)I can't pay no doctor bill.
(but Whitey's on the moon)
Ten years from now I'll be payin' still.
(while Whitey's on the moon)…
The modern moon race is picking up steam because things are changing fast down here, and nations wants to prove that they’re the best at adapting to it. On top of the whole, global warming thing.
How will modern manned mission to the moon compare previous landings? NASAs partnerships with private companies seems like a glaring difference. Imagine us all, watching in awe as a Coca-Cola branded rocket shoots off to the stars.
One small sip for man. One giant gulp for mankind.
- Tim
Okay, NOW… let’s dive in!
Find past Alternate Timeline stories here.
QUANTUM QUOTE:
Artificial Intelligence is evolving fast and gets weirder with each update.
Last week, a YouTube account called Dudesy released an audio “comedy special” utilizing the artificial voice of deceased comedy legend George Carlin to tell A.I. written jokes.
Watch/listen to it here if you dare:
As much as I don’t want to give the video more views, it does feel like an important warning of things to come.
And that’s why this week’s QUANTUM QUOTE comes from George Carlin’s daughter, Kelly Carlin, who wrote this about the video on Jan 10, 2024 via Twitter (LINK)⚡:
My dad spent a lifetime perfecting his craft from his very human life, brain and imagination. No machine will ever replace his genius. These AI generated products are clever attempts at trying to recreate a mind that will never exist again. Let’s let the artist’s work speak for itself. Humans are so afraid of the void that we can’t let what has fallen into it stay there.
Here’s a screenshot of her full quote:
SCI-FI ANALYSIS:
Two sentences stick out to me:
“These AI generated products are clever attempts at trying to recreate a mind that will never exist again.”
And…
“Humans are so afraid of the void that we can’t let what has fallen into it stay there.”
Boiling those two down, it seems Kelly is suggesting that projects like the A.I. special is attempts at conjuring spirits due to our intrinsic fear of death’s permanence. But Kelly also asserts that we’re only actually conjuring false ghosts. Approximations of something that can never truly return. Plastic fruit made to look so real that party guests might actually try and take a bite.
I toyed around with these ideas on my short story Data Collector. And it seems like a good chunk of our lives will be centered around an assessment of our willingness to believe in the authenticity of such ghosts.
It makes me wonder about the future of posthumous works. Brian Herbert has kept his father’s Dune world alive in prequel and sequel books within the universe. But what if someone comes along and offers him the chance to collaborate with an A.I. approximation of his father, Frank Herbert, instead of his real-life human collaborator Kevin J. Anderson?
Or stranger…
What if Brian Herbert gets muscled out of the situation entirely?
The New York Times has a piece about from December 11, 2023 called Using A.I. to Talk to the Dead (LINK)
So much of this isn’t far from our everyday reality. But it surprises me that things like A.I. comedy specials grab the most attention.
Through TikTok filters, Facebook games, A.I. Photoshop generators, social media posts and texts — we are all training technology to make realistic approximations of ourselves.
What frightens me more than the concept of someone communicating with an approximation of myself after my death, is the idea of myself communicating with an approximation of myself while I’m alive.
How’s that for Sci-Fi Fuel?
— This is a large post, so if you’re reading this via email, you might want to hop on over the the web version here to read the full thing! —
ATTACK OF THE JOKES:
A few weird science/tech news items made it into my daily joke series over at Letters from African America last week:
Due to a propulsion system malfunction, the first NASA-financed commercial mission to send a robotic spacecraft to the surface of the moon will likely be unable able to make it there. NASA has expressed its regrets for painting that massive “MADE IN AMERICA” logo onto the ship in addition to the even larger “SUCK IT, OTHER COUNTRIES!”
New satellite images show that the East Coast is sinking faster than we thought — prompting the question: “How much do those NYPD robots weigh exactly?"
Apple Vision Pro goggles go on sale Feb 2 for $3,500. Baristas everywhere are bracing for complaints about latte prices from customers wearing expensive digital scuba gear.
Walmart is enhancing customers’ experiences with more drone deliveries and A.I. powered search tools. But to keep things true to the brand, drones now come equipped with live footage of an elderly greeter. “Hey, sonny… here are your boxers and novelty Poop Emoji Cake Pans… What was that?!… What was that?! No, I can’t accept tips with this thing… What was that?!”
Authors keep finding what appear to be AI-generated imitations and summaries of their books on Amazon. Publishers have released a list of derivative A.I. generated books to avoid, including:
You Know Why The Bird Cage Yodels by Mayan Calandrelou
The Meme-O-Morpheus by France Cofvefe
Fahrenheit 7/11 Jay Raspberry
Mopey Dicks by Bonham John
White Guy on a Sand Planet by Jorge Lucas
Researchers found a massive number of plastic particles in bottled water — giving credence to the once fringe theory that we are Barbie girls in a Barbie world.
George Carlin’s daughter is speaking out against an AI-generated comedy special featuring a simulation of the deceased comic’s voice. And he’d be proud to know that in the process, she developed seven new words that you can’t say on TV.
Google laid off hundreds of employees across its business as it marshals resources for artificial intelligence. To make matters worse, they were notified via TikTok’s A.I. voice:
In an extremely rare natural phenomenon, two different cicada broods will explode from the ground at the same time this year. Experts call it the Republican National Convention.
So… did ya laugh? Mash that comment button if you’d like to tell me which was your favorite.
INCOMING TRANSMISSIONS:
ARTICLE: I Found David Lynch’s Lost Dune II Script (LINK)
DOCUMENTARY: Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project | HBO
ARTICLE: Andor director Toby Haynes is making a new Star Trek movie (LINK)
SCI-PHORIA (Sci-Fi Moment Of Zen)
They had a lot of fun on the Spider-Man 2 set.
I’ll see you the week after that with more…