Peter Ray Allison

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.

Encryption is one of the core foundations of the internet. It enables the trusted exchange of information between two entities on the web, as well as protecting the identity of those online.

In a recent High Court case regarding the Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act 2014 (DRIPA), judges ruled that the government’s surveillance regime is unlawful. Although this judgement pertains to legislation that is no longer in force, it could have major implications for its successor, the Investigatory Powers Act 2016.

The internet of things (IoT) is a comparatively recent invention. Ten years ago, we only worried about protecting our computers, and it was only five years ago when we needed to protect our smartphones. Now we need to consider protecting our fridges, heating systems and industrial machines in order to safeguard company networks.

Folktales from the Slavic countries (primarily Central and Eastern Europe) form one of the richest and most diverse mythologies in the world. Traditional Western European fairy tales may have become watered down and sanitised over countless retellings and interpretations, but Slavic mythology still retains its bite.

From Star Trek to The Jetsons, one of the hallmarks of an advanced civilisation is seen as the ability to control the weather. More recently, the film Geostorm portrayed a network of satellites designed to prevent catastrophic storms. The idea of tweaking the weather from afar is not as far-fetched as it sounds.

As the UK’s energy infrastructure becomes more network-connected and smart meters are adopted in homes, smart grids are becoming an increasingly viable form of energy infrastructure. But, how secure is this technology?

In 1942, Isaac Asimov published the short story “Runaround”, containing the now-iconic Three Laws of Robotics. Coming in at number one is: “A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.”