The Frog Prince

A lovely princess sat by the pool and played with a sculpture of a bear. Suddenly, she dropped it, and it rolled away. She chased it, but it fell into the water. She began to cry. A large, ugly frog asked, “Why are you crying?” After the princess told him, the frog said, “I can get the sculpture. What will you give me
in exchange for the favour?”

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A Nudge in the Right Direction

Freedom, independence, choice-these are all good things, right? Some might even argue that these are basic human rights and that having laws that dictate behaviour clashes with our right to choose for ourselves. 2 But is there such a thing as too much choice? Yes, some say. Being free and independent requires us to make choices, and sometimes those choices can be difficult.

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Star Trek Technology

One of the most successful science fiction programs of all time is Star Trek. The original television series was first broadcast from 1966 to 1969. This sparked the “Trekkie” phenomenon, with a total of six television series and eleven movies as of 2009. A large part of Star Trek’s ongoing popularity with science fiction fans is the futuristic gadgets found in the various episodes. Although transporters, time-travel machines, and the like are not currently feasible, other equipment seems viable and may be developed during our lifetimes. Consider the advanced hologram technology on the ships’ “holodecks,” which allowed characters to create simulated realities. Scientists are working to develop similar technology today and Tele-immersion is one such application. Teleimmersion will create a simulated virtual room that allows people to come together and interact without leaving their own physical location. In fact, many of the Star Trek technologies that seemed dubious or impossible only a few decades ago now are available for use in the real world.

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