Marvel and DC on the need (or lack thereof) for a Shared Universe

After years of superhero films dominating the box office, this Autumn sees the Hero craze dominate TV, with 6 series coming to our screens. In a new in-depth piece for Variety covering the rise of Superheroic TV, both Marvel and DC have made interesting comments for and against tying TV and the big screen together.…

Here Are the Pets that Won a Star Wars Look Alike Contest

This was the first place winner in Petco Mexico’s Star Wars Contest. It’s pretty good. It’s no small boy and his dog, but it’s pretty good. https://gizmodo.com/the-most-adorable-han-solo-and-chewbacca-are-this-kid-a-1534513890 And we have to agree with Geekologie on this one: the third place dog was the better candidate: Also, I legitimately don’t understand how this came in second…

How Scientists Use CT Scans and 3D Printing to Understand Armored Lizards

In the video below, Dr. Ed Stanley explains why using these technologies is so important for scientists studying these lizards. Also, he holds up a 3D printed skull of one named Smaug giganteus. Yes, it’s named after exactly what you think it is. [Science Today]

Here’s How Marvel’s Shows Stack Up to DC’s

There are a lot of comic-based shows coming to TV, even when you exclude the ones that are just in development. So, because we need to pit Marvel against DC always, let’s ask the questions: Who has more? Who has more leading women? More leading POC? And, does any of this mean anything? https://observationdeck.kinja.com/list-of-dc-comics-coming-to-or-being-developed-for-tv-1635836997

David Fincher’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Would Have Been Bonkers

David Fincher was rumored to be taking on a remake of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, but now he says he just couldn’t do it. Which is a shame, because it sounds like it would have been a totally insane trip. In a recent interview that touched on a bunch of Fincher’s projects, he tossed…

The Greatest Advocates of Trade Aren’t the Rich, But the Poor Countries

A Pew Research poll defies major economic models and social standards by finding that poorer countries were more likely to approve of trade than rich ones. Find out what the world is defying below. Top image: Containers by Jim Bahn/flickr/C.C. by 2.0 https://observationdeck.kinja.com/poor-countries-like-trade-rich-countries-hate-it-1635972032

Is the UK Missing Out on Outlander Because of the Scottish Referendum?

As the UK and Scotland prepare for the results of the Scottish independence referendum, there is one question on all our minds: HOW DOES THE REFERENDUM AFFECT OUTLANDER? Top image via @Outlandish_UK, more at #UKTVNeedsOutlander Earlier today, in advance of the referendum on Scottish independence, Outlander author Diana Gabaldon authored a piece on her opinion…

These Traffic Patterns Caught On Camera Are Truly Wonderful

Sometimes the traffic on roads develops emergent properties, creating beautiful patterns you never realized were there. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, directed by Rob Whitworth, 2012 Rush Hour, by Black Sheep Films, 2014 Air traffic above Changi Airport, Singapore, directed by Milton Tan, 2014 Venice, Italy, directed by Jonathan Heuser, 2012 Midday traffic on State…

Concept Art For Big Hero 6‘s San Fransokyo Is Absolutely Charming

Disney’s upcoming superhero film Big Hero 6 is set in San Fransokyo, a futuristic city with San Francisco’s layout and a bit of Tokyo’s aesthetic. And this delightful concept art from the film gives us a sense of how that mashed-up city came together. Walt Disney World cast member Holly, a.k.a. shining-magically, snapped tons of…

Massive Collection Of Mystery Science Theater 3000 To Debut On Vimeo

Vimeo has just gobbled up 80 episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000, but more importantly this deal includes the rights to FUTURE episodes of MST3K that aren’t already available on iTunes or Hulu! Variety is reporting that you can buy 80 MST3K episodes over at Vimeo for $300 this week (which is apparently a bargain).…

What She Saw in the Sky Couldn’t Have Been a Complete Illusion

The ship and the whale, glimpsed diving through the sunset, were absolutely vivid. She could see the shadows on the whale’s dorsal side, and light glinting off the ship’s sails. Soon, she would have to decide what it was — or, more to the point, what would manifest itself like this. Artem Chebokha is an…

Animator Behind The Video Game In Her Made This Twisted One-Minute Film

Animator David OReilly designed and directed the video game (complete with its twerpy alien child) that Joaquin Phoenix plays in her. In this quickie short, he designs a surreal weapon, a bomb that leaves viewers in suspense until it finally serves its end. OReilly made Bomb in his signature low-poly 3D style for Adult Swim.…

Why Don’t Birds Have Teeth?

Why do birds tend to have sharp beaks instead of a mouth full of teeth? The answer may have to do with the mechanics of flight. Bird extinction and evolution expert, Dr. Helen James who curates the birds collection at the National Museum of Natural History, joined us to answer all our questions about the…

What’s the Most Realistic Movie About the Future of War?

There are a lot of war scenes in science fiction, but most of them emphasize the pew-pew-pew and spaceship CGI over realistic representations of combat. Are there any futuristic movies that actually show us the grim reality of what war might be like in years to come? My pick is the tight action flick Edge…

​Syfy’s High Moon Makes Sharknado Look Like A Serious Docudrama

So it turns out the operative word in Bryan Fuller’s loose adaptation of The Lotus Caves, the TV pilot-turned-TV movie High Moon, is not the word “moon.” It’s “high,” as in “everyone who worked on this show was clearly high.” High Moon is bonkers, and not necessarily in a good way. Somehow — and for…

More Evidence That Early Earth Was Not A Complete Hellhole

The popular image of the early Earth as a magma-drenched ball of despair has taken yet another blow. New research affirms that our planet’s first 500 million years were at times surprisingly similar to the present day — including the presence of oceans, continents, and crustal plates. Image: Don Dixon/Cosmographica.com Up until about 30 years…

Matt Smith To Fight The Undead And Love In Pride & Prejudice & Zombies

Matt Smith is getting back into the genre game and joining up with the very large cast behind Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. The twist: he’s not playing Mr. Darcy. THR is reporting that Smith has signed on to play Mr. Collins, one of Elizabeth Bennet’s suitors. Mr. Collins is a bit of a silly…

A Man Howls At The Woods – And The Woods Howl Back

It’s call and response, coyote-style. And it’s one of the most intense examples of human-animal communication you’ve ever heard. Coyotes are notoriously vocal animals. There’s even research that suggests their howls can convey individually specific information. University of Vermont researcher Brian Mitchell hypothesizes that coyotes might use howls to identify which nearby coyotes they’re familiar…

Possibly the Most Relevant Political Movement for Our Future

In a stunning example of how a political movement can actually change lives, the Strike Debt project has raised over $100 thousand to purchase and abolish student loans for a group of recent grads with a punishing amount of debt. They hope to turn this into a national movement. Strike Debt, which grew out of…

Of all the world’s animals, chimps and humans are some of the only to coordinate attacks on members of the same species. A new study concludes that, for chimpanzees, this kind of lethal aggression is “normal” and common. And by normal, the researchers mean the behavior stems from evolved tendencies, and not a response to…