Greetings from the icy tundra of Minnesota, where the temperatures are so bitter this week that even my coffee has given up on staying warm.

As I sit here wrapped in enough blankets to outfit a small village, my thoughts naturally turned to the future—specifically, the kinds of technologies that are quietly being developed while the rest of us are busy scraping ice off our windshields. Because, let’s face it, when you’re living in a state where your eyelashes can freeze together, you start dreaming of what humanity could accomplish if we weren’t all so distracted by frostbite.

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This week, I’ve been pondering two technologies that seem tailor-made for the world of science fiction: quantum networking and neuromorphic computing. Both sound like they’ve been borrowed from the script of the latest blockbuster about a dystopian techno-future, but they’re not as far-fetched as you might think. Quantum networking promises unhackable communication by using the mind-bending principles of entanglement. Neuromorphic computing, meanwhile, is an attempt to make computers think like us—though hopefully without inheriting our tendency to panic when the Wi-Fi drops.

What’s fascinating about these technologies is how they’ve already been imagined in fiction. Think about the ansible from Ender’s Game or HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey. These ideas didn’t just foreshadow the science; they inspired it. And now, as these concepts inch closer to reality, they offer a treasure trove of fresh material for writers looking to explore the next big “what if?”

So, as the winds howl outside and the thermostat groans in protest, I’m diving into this frosty rabbit hole of futuristic speculation. Whether you’re a fellow author or just someone who likes imagining what’s next, I hope you’ll enjoy this deep dive into quantum networks, brainy computers, and how they might shape the stories we tell. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go check if my Wi-Fi router has been entangled with my neighbor’s…again. Stay warm out there!

About Leif J. Erickson

Leif J. Erickson is a science fiction and fantasy author from a small farming community in west central Minnesota. Using his time wisely when he was a farmer, Leif developed many ideas, characters, and storylines to create over fifty unique first drafts and outlines for stories. From his start in a small town school, to college at North Dakota State University, back to his family farm, then to the bright lights of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and back to his small farming town, Leif has always had a love of writing.

When Leif isn’t writing he can be found with his wife hiking in state parks, canoeing local lakes and rivers, exploring local and regional ghost towns, experiencing museums, or simply reading or hanging out with friends and family. Leif draws on the local nature and ecology to find inspiration for his writing while he also asks what’s possible for technology and the human race, weaving them together for amazing stories that will stay with the reader for years to come. Leif looks forward to having many novel and story releases in the years to come.

You can see all of Leif’s Books here: Leif’s Amazon Author Page