In 2013, former National Security Agency (NSA) employee and whistleblower Edward Snowden shocked the world when he revealed that the government knew more than...
Hyde Park, London, is alive tonight. The stars are out and a breeze rustles through the trees. Couples sit on benches holding hands, friends stroll around in groups chatting about the latest gossip, strangers meet underneath gas lamps to flirt, and a fox and a young Victorian woman clad in black lipstick play a friendly game of chess. Wait — a furry fox and a 19th century woman playing chess?
It often starts with peer pressure. All your friends are doing it, they talk about it all the time, they do it in front of you, and eventually they drop hints about you joining them. Maybe you're strong enough to resist, or maybe you're not - and you sign yourself up for an MMORPG.
For the past year or so now we've heard about this "change" thing floating about. But I propose that we've borne witness to a change even more drastic and far-reaching than anything else before: the integration of the nerd culture into the mainstream. But when did this happen? And how could such a revolutionary change go unnoticed? There are many factors, but I tend to believe that it all started in 1997. It was in this year that Square released "Final Fantasy VII."
