Alexa in space? Why free-floating AI friends are in our interplanetary future

[NelsonG]

This post is part of Science of Sci-Fi, Mashable's ongoing series dissecting the science (or lack of science) in our favorite sci-fi movies, TV shows, and books.

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Not many American nerds these days know about a golden age sci-fi writer called Edmond Hamilton. If they do, it's because of his Star Wars connections: Hamilton was the husband of Leigh Brackett, space opera queen and author of the first draft of The Empire Strikes Back; he also happened to be the first guy to use a "laser sword" anywhere in fiction. 

But German nerds tend to remember Hamilton for something completely different, and the future may do, too. Because he didn't just invent lightsabers. He also invented free-floating space brains. And in so doing, inspired a futuristic kind of Alexa built along those lines — an intelligent assistant that recently had its first orbital test run, and now seems poised to join our nonfiction interplanetary travels.  Read more...

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