Convexity can be seen as explosive success that grows exponentially, rather than linearly. This is why a popstar’s new album will sell far more albums than a different artist or less fame but arguably greater talent. Success, in terms of the number of sales, or number of fans, is not a consequence of great talent but popularity. The bad news is that popularity can often be attributed to randomness; the exact causes for why one brand, or design, is far preferred over another is not precisely known. There is also a great tendency for humans to stick with known or “trusted” brands, which explains why certain brands can continue to grow even with bad products. The good news is that the rise of the internet and digital media is now far easier for anyone to promote themselves.
Monthly Archives: October 2013
Travelling Faster-Than-Light
Faster Than Light (FTL) travel is thought to be impossible yet it is a staple of any space-faring sci-fi story. It is a necessity given the vastness of space yet this begs the question: is there any scientific basis for FTL? Yes as there is one important difference between most of what we see in sci-fi (apparent FTL) and actual FTL. Whether it is used as a plot device or as decoration, most of the FTL concepts in science fiction could actually be possible, we just don’t know yet. So these fantastical stories may not necessarily break physics but rather they are exploring the untested and unknown areas of what is possible. This is exactly what sci-fi is designed to do: to ignite our imagination and provoke our minds to consider “what if”. What makes FTL possible in either our real universe or a sci-fi universe is that General Relativity doesn’t rule out the possibility of “folding space” in order to travel between two points at a speed which is apparently faster than the speed of light.