Wow, thanks for articulating that, it's like you're reading my mind. I liked Sunshine generally but agree totally that action movie conventions dominate our movie culture...I feel that there is a place for that, but I feel it is overrepresented. I mean, a movie version of Rendezvous with Rama would never get made…

This is bound to be an unpopular opinion, and probably betrays my out-of-touch-ness, but I am personally tired of the glut of superhero/comics movies. They seem to swallow up so much talent and resources that, if the market were there, could be directed to other projects and genres. But they remain popular, perhaps…

Awesome. And to think these birds were on the brink of extinction 50 or so years ago. One of the great success stories in conservation and of the Endangered Species Act. Many, many other birds and animals are in jeopardy; they may not be as majestic as the bald eagle but still contribute to biodiversity, underscoring…

Anyone else get a Vitruvian Man vibe from the new image above? And if so, does that mean that the workings of tardigrades...are an analogy for the workings of the universe?

You almost feel that if you poke his doughy little belly button (thorax?), he will chuckle adorably and adjust his cute little chef's hat.

Yes, I love how efficient opening lines can be in conveying the strangeness of other worlds. "I had reached the age of six hundred and fifty miles" is another one, from The Inverted World.

I can understand the apparent disconnect with the science, tech, SF, and comics coverage, but even as someone who is not religious, perhaps there is value in understanding religiosity and trends therein as a way to understand people. We need not share in any faith with any degree of conviction to appreciate that.

Should he call the police? LAPD had become an extension of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since the quarantine. Deport violators and detain enablers. Their new priorities, they said, merely addressed reasonable public concerns for cleanliness. Less prosaically, a new zeal for American "spiritual hygiene"…

Thanks, that helps. I heard about what happened in Toronto and hope you and your family managed OK. Glad it was only 2 days for you, though it must have felt much longer. I have heard of DIY wind turbines, including one made for $150 USD. Maybe I'll take a crack at it, assuming it's worth it. Best of luck with the…

Haha, you might get a kick out of this Onion article if you haven't read it yet:

Terrifying, and I imagine any trees that suffered severe crown damage but didn't keel over from the ice would be vulnerable in future thunderstorms. (And would pose a threat to homeowners and pedestrians.) A real shame for local wildlife and birds.

Interesting, that's actually something that bothers me (a little). A good chunk of SF might be rendered obsolete or unpalatable. It would be a lot more difficult to write stories both with and without aliens; stories with aliens would have to account for the new discovery, and stories without (future humans that have…

A million years from now...

Seems like a noble effort. What struck me first is that adding just 2 passengers to a car ride can really cut emissions per passenger-mile, as indicated in the graph that he linked to. Other forms of transport entail a cost per person, and airports are usually far from city centers. If balancing time, comfort, cost,…

I guess the unspoken assumption here is that you have to be, you know, competent. This is the perfect opportunity to post the Simpsons clip from "Mom and Pop Art" where Homer tries in vain to build a barbecue grill, but I can't do so by phone.

I agree, I was not born or raised a hockey fan but quickly grew to enjoy it more than any other sport. There is a kind of a hypnotic quality about the nearly constant motion, the puck switching hands, and players smoothly gliding even after a whistle—any other sport involves jarring halts to the action. It's like…

I understand, and I do the same thing too. I like the idea of time dilation in science fiction because it combines space travel with time travel—and all the psychological baggage that goes with it.

I know every reaction is subjective, but how could someone roll their eyes at time dilation? That stuff is awesome. That's like someone yawning when Denzel Washington and Cate Blanchett start having tantric sex right in front of you—on the hood of a pink Aston Martin, with a talking eagle—and saying "Whatevs."

Absolutely, and I've always found it amazing how some can thrive in near-boiling soda lakes with a pH up to 12. Such beautiful and resilient birds. There is indeed something poetic about beauty that flourishes where virtually nothing else can survive (and which in fact might require such inhospitable conditions).

Wow, what a legitimately fascinating creative endeavor. I used to spend hours just poring over alternative maps like this, e.g. if Mars had oceans, or if Earth's oceans and landmasses switched places. Also reminds me of Final Fantasy VIII.