Declassified Memos Reveal Debate Over Naming the Shuttle “Enterprise”

NASA had initially planned to name the first Space Shuttle Constitution. Now, declassified White House documents reveal what convinced President Gerald Ford to overrule that decision and thrill Star Trek fans by calling it Enterprise. (Photo: NASA) On September 3, 1976, William Gorog, a senior economic adviser to Ford, sent the president a decision memorandum:…

I’m Not Sure How to Feel About this Neko Case Video About Geeks

Awesome singer-songwriter Neko Case got together with Kelly Hogan to make the song “These Aren’t the Droids” for the 2776 comedy/music benefit project. A lot of the sight gags are great, but the “geek stuff is for boys” message is a little … outdated. It’s hard to tell exactly what Case and Hogan are trying…

Everything You Never Knew About The Making Of Last Starfighter

For a whole generation of video-game-playing kids, The Last Starfighter represents a special kind of wish-fulfillment: a down-on-his-luck kid becomes a video-game champ, only to find himself recruited to fight in an interplanetary war. How did something so perfect get made? Here’s the whole, fascinating story. In The Last Starfighter, Alex is stuck in his…

Europe’s $1.6 Billion Human Brain Project Is On The Verge Of Collapse

The highly ambitious Human Brain Project — an effort to simulate the human brain in a supercomputer — is drawing fire from neuroscientists who say the initiative is unfeasible, unfocused, and unaccountable. Europe’s Human Brain Project was launched early last year — an effort to develop better tools to study how the brain works. As…

The Grand Canyon Faces Gravest Threat in the Park’s 95-Year History

Developers want to put gondolas, hotels and shops in and around the Grand Canyon, in what the National Park Service has called the “most serious threat the park has faced in its 95-year history.” Above: A panorama of the Grand Canyon from the South Rim, from which proposed developments would be visible | Photo Credit:…

A Field Guide To Unusual (And Hilarious) Harry Potter Patronuses

Not everyone can have a Patronus that’s steeped in romance or a longing for the father they never knew. Some wizards have Patronuses that are steeped in pop culture, awesomely frightening, or just plain silly. Artist Alicia Braumberger came up with this guid to rare and unusual Patronuses, and the Dementors should beware of some…

​13 Tips For Surviving A Night In A Cabin In The Woods

So you’ve decided to spend a night in a cabin in the woods! You fool. You might as well sacrifice yourself to Satan and save yourself some time and effort. But if you and your friends feel you have to embark on this most deadly of vacations, here are 13 tips that might just keep…

The Same Insecticide That’s Killing Bees Is Also Killing Birds

A class of pesticides linked to colony collapse disorder in bee colonies has now been linked to a dramatic decline in insectivorous bird populations. Disturbingly, this could also mean that other animals along the food chain are at risk as well. Earlier this year, scientists presented some of the most compelling evidence yet that neonicotinoids,…

Preppers Explain Why They Joined The Organic Food Movement

Activists championing organic foods have found support among preppers. They’re sympathetic to the “government is a conspiracy and corporations are evil” idea. But what really made preppers into anti-GMO food activists is their desire to have a healthy post-apocalyptic lifestyle. (Photo: Destination America) Yes, the preppers, have gone green. You can get all sorts of…

People Think Their Dogs Are A Lot Smarter Than They Really Are

We love to brag about the intelligence of our canine companions. But a recent survey suggests that many of us are grossly overestimating the cognitive capacities of our dogs — and that our emotional attachment to them has a lot to do with it. Realizing that few studies have examined people’s perceptions of specific cognitive…

Stunning New Close-Ups Of The Largest Crater On Mars

The European Space Agency has released new images of the Hellas basin, which formed around four billion years ago when a small asteroid crashed into the Red Planet, creating an impact crater 1,400 miles wide and 26,465 feet deep. The images, taken by the high-resolution stereo camera on the ESA’s Mars Express, feature a portion…

What Is An Ionocraft And How Dangerous Is It To Make One?

You may have heard about “lifters” or “ionocrafts,” in science fiction stories discussing fake worlds, or on message boards discussing the real world. They exist in both worlds, but they’re only really practical in one. How An Ionocraft Works Electrons are slippery little things, but most of the time the atoms in the air have…

Is A Burrito A Sandwich?

Sure, a burrito is delicious and filling — but is it a sandwich? NPR’s All Tech Considered is asking the tough questions today about just where on the food spectrum the burrito falls and, it turns out, it’s not simply a question of taste. If a burrito is a sandwich, it’s subject to the rules…

The D&D Starter Set is a Great Way to Introduce Newbies to RPGs

The relaunch of Dungeons & Dragons begins this week with the release of the D&D Starter Set, a $20 box designed to be the perfect introduction to tabletop fantasy role-playing games. I tested it out with a group of neophyte gamers, and we had a blast. Wizards of the Coast has been steadily demolishing my…

Gus Van Sant May Direct The American Death Note Movie

While it hasn’t been confirmed, The Tracking Board is reporting that Gus Van Sant has been chosen to direct the live-action U.S. adaptation of the hit anime/manga Death Note, stepping in after previously named director Shane Black left for the new Predator movie. Beyond the surprising news that someone is still trying to make a…

Is Star Wars Revisiting Another Original Trilogy Location?

Kevin Smith shoots down those fake Batman v. Superman script rumors. More news from the Daredevil series, including some possible dialogue. Guillermo del Toro addresses The Strain poster controversy. Powers gets a director. Plus, a Once Upon Time character returns! Top image: Gotham Star Wars A Bad Robot tweet shows a) what looks like Tatooine…

Katniss is poised to be among the most popular name for babies born in 2014. According to Nameberry, which has kept track of the most viewed names so far this year, Katniss is at 14, with The Fault In Our Stars’ Hazel in 13th place, and Khaleesi at 18. We’ll see if searches correspond to…

Discworld Covers From France Are Breathtaking

While Paul Kidby’s work has (rightly) been synonymous with Discworld for years, these new French covers by Marc Simonetti makes you reconsider.

Flashback Wigs: The Best And Worst Of “This Is The Past” Hair

When TV shows and movies do flashbacks, they face a dilemma: They can cast a younger actor that looks like their star, sacrificing easy recognition, OR they can just slap a wig on their actor. They usually go with the latter, with… mixed results. Here are the best and worst of flashback wigs. Seriously, using…

This Japanese Doctor Who Video Is Surreal, Perfect

Some nights, you just want to watch the Doctor and a dalek wrestle in the woods until he pulls out his Sonic Screw Sword and plays it like a flute. No, that’s not a euphemism. According to Dave Hill’s blog entry on this video, the explanation is that it’s a “modern parody of both “Doctor…