Artificial Intelligence In Ex Machina's Science Fiction

Susan Sontag, an author of the essay “Imagination Disaster,” explores the world of science fiction as she discusses the tropes in films from the mid-1900s. Throughout her essay, Sontag analyzes why these types of films were created, and basically ties her discussion with humanity. With the growing technological advances, science fiction films state specific things about how science threatens humanity. She also ties her discussion to how sci-fi films tend to serve an attempt at distributing a balance between humanity and the technological world. Sontag claims that science fiction films has suspense, shock, surprises, has an inexorable plot, and how they invite a dispassionate, aesthetic view of destruction and violence.

Over the past few decades the ideas of aliens has morphed into a craze, that one has to ask themselves, “what is an alien?” With “aliens” being in Hollywood movies and roller coaster rides, what do we actually consider to be aliens? Is it a life form that doesn’t live on earth or is it a “little green man”(dictionary.com). The media has totally changed the perspective of what foreign life forms are. Making them almost unbelievable. The term alien no longer has the mystery and excitement and possibility behind it, rather it has become a more colloquial term in regards to disbelieve.

The many elements that make up the science fiction genre make it very unique. One of these elements is the examination of one’s relationship with technology. This relationship is very prevalent in the science fiction genre due to the interesting components it brings to stories. One of these components is technology’s replacement of human interaction. This can be seen in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 and “The Veldt”.

However, as science begins to develop, the possibility of finding answers continues to create a gravitational pull like a planet may. With so many eyes on the field and a lack of scientific proof, literature and movies in the genre of science-fiction, or more commonly known as sci-fi, explores ideas of the future commonly by expressing a widespread fear. These fears can range from a fear of annihilation to fear of loss of control or even simply to a fear of the unknown. The sci-fi movie Europa Report (2013) decided to rise to the challenge of answering the question of what’s out there. In the movie, a crew of 6 brave men and women set out on a mission to Europa, with the fear of the unknown lurking around every unexplored corner.

The first story is “ A Sound of Thunder“ by Ray Bradbury. The first element that it has in it is technology advancements showing how the characters have a time machine where they go to the future or in the past. They try to use the time machine to help with the mission that they are trying to accomplish. They try to see the meaning of what is going on among each of the characters “A Sound of Thunder” is science fiction because of the way they use ordinary things and try to go back to time where there were dinosaurs. The storyline tries to make us to think about what is going in the story.

Mickey Ngobeni Research Question: Is the movie ‘Gravity’, according to Newton’s laws and physics in general, accurate? Introduction: ‘Gravity’ is a sci-fi, techno-thriller movie that has its plot’s setting based in space. Astronauts (main characters: Sandra Bullock as ‘Dr. Ryan Stone’ and George Clooney as ‘Matt Kolwaski’) are sent into space, yet encounter a series of events, most of which is susceptible to occur in outer space (Foogray, 2015). Questions have risen as to how accurate the movie is according to physics and Newton’s law, and many have been answered.

When someone believes that it’s possible to time travel and get abducted by aliens, they clearly have a mental disorder. Kurt Vonnegut’s novel, Slaughterhouse-Five, though it is a fictitious novel, it contains serious and real content. It has its sadistic humor, but it is truly a war story where the outcomes are not good. The protagonist, Billy Pilgrim, is said to be unstuck in time and is abducted by aliens. Though, there is a lot against the reality of that.

This critical response will be comparing, and contrasting both stories by making points such as, how the stories fit into the science fiction genre, the characterization between Eckles and Jeremy, the theme/message of the stories, dialogue, and writing style. The science fiction genre fits into both of the stories because of the technology, settings, and events that take place in the stories. The Sound of Thunder fits into the genre because of the time travel machine, the dinosaurs, the date it takes place, and the chaos theory and paradox concepts. The Nethergrave fits in the genre because of the virtual world controlled and presented by Magus, who seems to know everything. The virtual world also seems to have great “graphics” if not realistic, and how main character physically entered the Nethergrave from his bedroom.

One of the most important functions of Terminator 2 and Blade Runner within their Science Fiction subgenre is their portrayal of ‘The Other’ or the nonhuman. In this particular case, we are talking about the Terminators and the Replicants and how they are presented in the films. The Terminators are classified as cyborgs in Terminator 2, whereas Replicants are androids which are based on Phillip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. The terms android and cyborg are completely relative to how the films present them and have a debated definition within the sci-fi community. However, the Terminators are machines that are made in the likeness of human beings.

In “Some Things We Know About Aliens,” by Istvan Csicsrey, Jr, discusses how science fiction movies depict the other as being an alien, monster, or creature who seems familiar . Furthermore, Istvan Csicsrey states how the “other” refers to people who “belong... to another family, race, nation,

17 Mar. 2016. In the online article, “Evidence of Ancient Aliens?” (2016) created by A&E Television Networks discusses ancient alien theories that believe that thousands of years ago aliens hailed as gods and helped shape human civilization. A&E Television Networks supports this discussion with evidence from ancient religious texts and physical specimens that were created in ancient times. The purpose of this article is to prove that aliens influenced early civilizations, in order to help the public become more aware that aliens are real.

Classics are known as the objects which endure the passages of time, only to passed on again and again while encompassing continuance and a sense of adventure. The War Of the Worlds by H.G. Wells was considered to be the “Father” of the science fiction genre and apply the use of curiosity to employ his readers to discover more about the otherworldly species who have invaded the diverse universe this author has created. Throughout this classic novel you follow an undefined protagonist who must endure the chaos the aliens of Mars had brought upon the unsuspecting world. This novel definitely exceeds the qualifications for the privilege of being considered a Classic with an intellectual protagonist, detailed use of metaphors and foreshadowing

“This is science fiction made real,” said NYU Physics Professor David Grier, one of the paper’s co-authors. “This tractor beam moves objects back to its source, just like those in so many sci-fi movies, but with very small pieces.” The creation builds upon an earlier Grier creation of spiraled beams, which can be used to confine and pull small objects—a couple micrometers in size—over a range of eight micrometers. Contrastingly, the conveyor tractor beam has shown moving particles distances of 30 to 40 micrometers. How exciting is this, to think that the far-out concept of a tractor beam, once a thought dreamed up in science fiction, is something that really exists today. “The field of tractor beams is really in its infancy, there is great potential for advances.” (David Ruffner, an NYU doctoral student and the paper’s other

Science fiction is fascinating because it allows the reader to go on journeys into other worlds. These worlds can be unique and astonishing. Many are very different from one another. For example, Nethergrave and A Sound Of Thunder contrast each other greatly. Nethergrave begins in the real world; the one we are familiar with.

They toy with elements of storytelling to present entertainment that has depth. Each author has a work that is both very similar and very different from one another: Clarke’s Childhood’s End and Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles. Both novels center around the subject of alien encounters, but they mostly focus on how humanity is effected by this discovery. The novels tackle unique interpretations of the aliens and, more interestingly, the humans. Through