One of the key revelations of the seminal 1999 sci-film The Matrix was (spoiler alert) that most of humanity was trapped inside an elaborate virtual world. At the time, the scenario seemed far-fetched, if not wholly outside the realm of possibility. But 16 years later, scientists are getting much closer to replicating reality with an increasingly indistinguishable computer-generated copy. Just take a look at the latest advances from the University of Michigan's UM3D Lab, which focuses on research into virtual reality, 3D modeling/printing, motion capture, and other emerging technologies.
Desperate for details as you wait for the next installment in Game of Thrones? You're in luck. In what may be the first mathematics paper to include a spoiler alert, a New Zealand statistician has come up with a model to predict what's coming up in the final two (or three) Song Of Ice And Fire novels.
Star Trek is hardly beginner-friendly. Five television series, 12 movies, and a nerd following that defines nerd followings present a serious obstacle to the casual moviegoer. J.J. Abram's 2009 reboot of the series was an attempt to make Star Trek more accessible, but it's the second movie of the reboot, Into Darkness, where he succeeded. Here's why (spoiler alert for much of what follows):
