Currently Browsing: Sci-Fi/Sci-Fact

Could Kepler Detect Borg Cubes? Why Not.

Could Kepler Detect Borg Cubes? Why Not.
"That's no sunspot." Assuming Star Trek‘s Borg Collective went into overdrive and decided to build a huge cube a few thousand miles wide, then yes, the exoplanet-hunting Kepler space telescope should be able to spot it. But how could Kepler distinguish a cube from a nice spherical...

The Ultimate Paternity Test: Are We Martian?

The Ultimate Paternity Test: Are We Martian?
"Dad?" A scene from War of the Worlds. This rather outlandish, sci-fi notion comes straight from the fertile minds of researchers from MIT, the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University who are proposing a biology experiment that could be sent on a future Mars surface mission....

It’s Official: “2012″ Sucked

It’s Official: “2012″ Sucked
Just in case you didn’t know, Roland Emmerich’s 2012 wasn’t the best of movies. Actually, from a science perspective, it sucked. It sucked in so many ways that I can’t be bothered to list why it sucked (so have a read of my Discovery News review instead). Now, I’m happy...

Life is Grim on the Galactic Rim

Life is Grim on the Galactic Rim
Babylon 5's White Star approaches the Shadow's homeworld of Z'ha'dum on the Galactic Rim. It would appear that scientists have confirmed that the outer edge of the Milky Way is a bad location for life to even think about existing. This research reminded me of the “Galactic Rim” in the 90′s...

#DefyingGravity Eats #FlashForward Dust

#DefyingGravity Eats #FlashForward Dust
Oh dear. Just when I was actually beginning to care about the cast of Defying Gravity, it was cancelled half-way through the first season. I was a little annoyed about this as #DefyingGravity on Twitter was fast becoming a weekly ritual; a group of us die-hard sci-fi viewers scoffing at the science...

The Google Logo, H. G. Wells’ Birthday and the War of the Worlds Invasion Site

The Google Logo, H. G. Wells’ Birthday and the War of the Worlds Invasion Site
UPDATE: For an update, check out my follow-up post: Google Crop Circle Doodle: A Celebration of Vector Graphics and H. G. Wells’ Birthday? OK, so now I’m hooked. This evening, the Google logo changed into a doodle of a crop circle (above). This may seem a little innocuous, after all, Google...

District 9: Grit, Gore and Glorious Science Fiction

District 9: Grit, Gore and Glorious Science Fiction
Wikus (Sharlto Copley) on the run from the MNU (WingNut Films). Astroengine District 9 Review. I managed to watch District 9 last night, and it was awesome. I may as well tell you my conclusion up-front, just in case you don’t want to read on, because I’m not going to be able to avoid mentioning...

From Messier 80 to Messier 45 in 13.111 Seconds

From Messier 80 to Messier 45 in 13.111 Seconds
PussyMagnet 6009 from Mato Atom on Vimeo. On my travels across the space blogosphere, I came across a rather nifty video called “Docking” posted on the Cosmic Variance blog. The impressive CGI was done by a guy called Mato Atom on the video site Vimeo, and it’s certainly not subtle...

Flying Laser Ready to Begin Airborne Weapon Tests

Flying Laser Ready to Begin Airborne Weapon Tests
747 airliner? Check. Huge laser? Check. Huge-flying-missile-melting-laser? Nearly. Actually, I’d want to fly the aircraft remotely, unmanned, and fire the oversized laser pointer at the 747 from a distance. Just to see how long it would take to melt. But that’s just me. Boeing on the other...

“Moon” Movie Trailer Now Online

“Moon” Movie Trailer Now Online
Why didn’t I know about this movie? I have no clue how I didn’t notice this film was in the works, but it would appear I’m not quite as well plugged into the sci-fi pulse as I used to be. Announced last year, “Moon” is set on the lunar surface where a lone contractor is...
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