David Faith, Author at GeekDad

5 Reasons to Be Excited for the Batman TV prequel

May 9, 2014November 23, 2017David Faith

Fox’s new Batman prequel, Gotham , slated to air next fall, has me excited in a way that no TV show has in a long time. Here’s why.

Man vs. Machine: Ping Pong Champ Wins One for Humanity

March 18, 2014December 16, 2017David Faith

There is heartening news for pro-humanity partisans. In at least one field of endeavor, human beings still reign supreme over our would-be robot overlords. A human ping pong champion has triumphed over an agile robot. But how long will it be before robots surpass us in every field, and what sort of world will that create for our grandkids?

Finding Time for Creative Outlets When You Don’t Have Time for Anything

February 7, 2014November 23, 2017David Faith10

It has been my observation that most people need some form of creative outlet to avoid becoming angst-filled despondent misanthropes. I keep sane by writing science fiction and the occasional GeekDad post. There is something in the human spirit that demands an outlet. We need to create, to imagine, to leave some record of our thoughts and interests, and when we are thwarted in that goal it creates a destructive pressure that comes out in equally destructive ways. But how do you find time to be creative when you’re a working a parent and almost every waking moment of your life (and then some) is accounted for?

Great Geeks in History: Aristotle

January 3, 2014David Faith

Who was history’s first geek? In the first of a series of posts on great geeks in history I argue the title belongs to Aristotle, the man that in many ways invented empirical thought.

Have Superheroes in Pop Culture Become Too Much of a Good Thing?

November 18, 2013November 23, 2017David Faith6

Superheroes are everywhere these days. This is true even in the adult world, but for children they are ubiquitous. You can’t swing a cat in a Baby GAP or Toys”R”Us, without hitting a Batman onesie, Ironman lunch box, or Superman Mr. Potato Head. All of this has led me, a devoted comic book fan since I was old enough to read, to ask a previously unthinkable question. Have superheroes become too big a big a part of the popular culture?

Is Screen Time Bad for Children?

October 29, 2013David Faith17

On October 28, 2013, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued new recommendations calling on parents to severely limit the time their children spend in front of a screen. These recommendations arise from studies that have largely debunked the myth of “educational” media, especially for children under 2 years of age, and show even in older children a correlation between total hours of screen time and childhood obesity, lack of sleep, school problems, aggression and other behavior issues. As a geek that has spent many happy hours in front of various screens, I don’t want to believe that exposing my child to many of the things I love could be harmful. But as a dad I have to seriously consider the possibility.

Kickass 2 Review

August 23, 2013November 24, 2017David Faith3

I watched Kickass 2 last weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it. But at the same time I was genuinely horrified to see that several people brought small children the show. One thing I’ve learned about becoming a geek dad, as opposed to merely a geek, is that you find yourself suddenly ambivalent about things you would never worry about for yourself. So I present to you a somewhat schizophrenic review, in which I take both the pro and the con view.

Is James Bond a Good Role Model?

July 19, 2013November 23, 2017David Faith4

With the recent birth of my son I’ve spent a lot of evenings staying up late with the baby in an effort to give my over-burdened wife a few uninterrupted hours of sleep. I find it virtually impossible to actually concentrate on anything else amidst the effort of soothing and tending to an infant. But I’ve found that I can manage to watch a movie, so long as I make liberal use of the pause feature. Thus it seemed the perfect time to work my way through the complete 50 Years of Bond Blu-ray collection that my wife got me for last birthday. I enjoyed the films as always, but found myself asking for the first time a question that never occurred to me before I became a father. Is James Bond a good role model?

Review: Ender's Game Prequels Earth Unaware, Earth Afire

June 27, 2013November 23, 2017David Faith

Ender’s Game appears on every serious list of the best science fiction novels ever written, and with good reason. It is a deeply personal coming of age story that somehow puts you believably in the mind of a child chosen to be Earth’s greatest hope against a seemingly unstoppable alien menace. With the upcoming Ender’s Game movie I have a renewed interest in the Enderverse, and was excited to pick up Earth Unaware and Earth Afire, the first two books in a prequel trilogy that finally tells the story of the first Formic War. Spoilers follow.

Why Man of Steel Should Not Be Batman With Superpowers

June 11, 2013November 23, 2017David Faith3

Like every comic book geek I know, I am hugely excited for the new Superman movie, Man of Steel. The previews are amazing and it shows every sign of being one of the best superhero movies ever made. But there is one thing that could ruin it. They could try to make Superman into a super-powered Batman.

My Experience With Personal Genetic Testing Through 23andMe

June 1, 2013David Faith1

With the birth of our first child my wife and I thought it might be fun to get our DNA sequenced, both to better understand our son’s heritage and to identify any risks lurking in the recessive recesses of our genetic codes. It turned out to be quite illuminating.