Peter Ray Allison

New film Gravity promises to rekindle the debate over how "hard" - or accurate - science fiction should be. Should film-makers adhere to basic scientific principles, or should audiences just feel the magic instead, asks Peter Ray Allison.

A few years ago, it could have been argued that the premise of Person of Interest was pure fancy, but now it is edging closer to reality.

Due to the benefits of improved flexibility and resilience, organisations are increasingly adopting multi-cloud networks. However, migrating to – and managing – a multi-cloud network can be an ongoing complicated process.

Quantum computers have been on the horizon for several years, but recent breakthroughs mean we could expect to see enterprise-level quantum computers within 20 years.

Quantum computers have long been on the horizon, with a rolling estimate that quantum computers would be available “in 20 years”. However, recent breakthroughs have meant we could have enterprise-level quantum computers far sooner than previously estimated.

Wireless functionality has improved workplace efficiency and organisations are no longer restricted by cabling access. Unfortunately, many of these devices are poorly secured and rarely have their firmware updated.

On 23 June 2016, the UK voted, by a narrow margin, to leave the European Union (EU). Nine months later, prime minister Theresa May invoked Article 50 of the Treaty of the European Union, thus commencing formal negotiations for the UK’s departure from the EU.

More and more aspects of home and work applications are moving to an online streaming model. Consequently, wireless internet technology needs to evolve to meet our increasing usage of high-definition 4K streaming and cloud-based services.

All too often, organisations become so focused on securing their networks against hacking that they fail to consider the wider implications of what could happen should an unauthorised person gain physical access to their data.

Until the nineties, roleplaying games were largely the domain of epic fantasy quest or cataclysmic wars across the stars, but 17 years after the first monster was slain in Dungeons & Dragons a new breed of roleplaying game was released. Vampire: The Masquerade was different, and it singlehandedly revolutionised gaming and became one of the greatest unacknowledged forces in recent pop culture.

Travelling to Mars is comparatively easy, as a question of time (approximately seven months) and resources. However, what happens when astronauts arrive there presents a new challenge.

From what we see in our internet search results to deciding how we manage our investments, travel routes and love lives, algorithms have become a ubiquitous part of our society. Algorithms are not just an online phenomenon: they are having an ever-increasing impact on the real-world. Children are being born to couples who were matched by dating site algorithms, whilst the navigation systems for driverless cars are poised to transform our roads.

The science-fiction series The Expanse is set 200 years in the future: humans have established colonies on the Moon and Mars, and have begun colonising the asteroid belt.
There are compelling reasons why we might wish to colonise the asteroid belt, but the predominant one is mining. Unlike the Earth, where precious metals tend to be buried underground, there is an abundance of metals like gold and palladium on the surface of asteroids.