New year, new episode of the Gnorb.NET incidental series, Le Linkage, where I collect some of the more interesting links I find through the Web and share them with you people, whom I’ve never met but who I feel the need to entertain and share stuff with. (I’m sure there’s more than one psychological study waiting to happen right there.) This is episode 13 (my favorite number), which I’ve dubbed “The Sci-Fi Edition,” since it features links for sci-fi and links for stuff that might have been sci-fi. Aside from one Star Trek related link, everything else here is original, so don’t expect any Firefly or Star Wars. Anyway, read on and enjoy. Continue reading ‘Le Linkage #13: The Sci-Fi Edition’
Archive for the 'Science Fiction' Category
Page 3 of 6
I just finished watching the first DVD of the first season of Battlestar Galactica. For months now, just about every sci-fi fan I know has been gushing to me about how incredible this new version of the show has turned out to be. Finally, I was able to borrow a copy from a friend, to see what all the commotion was all about.
First impression: after seeing just the opening movie, I’m… not all that impressed. Don’t get me wrong, I totally dig the story line and seriously liked the movie — I certainly plan to add it to my collection — but I guess after everything I heard I sort of expected this to be better. The dangers of being put on too-high a pedestal, I guess.
Side Note: Did anyone else notice the similarities — in both storyline and scenery set up (particularly when it came to the hangar in the Galactica) to the storyline and scenery used in the old show Space, Above and Beyond? (Can I get a show of hands of people who actually remember that show?) What about the officers’ quarters, is it just me, or do they remind anyone else of the officers’ quarters in some of the Star Trek ships? I’m thinking mostly the design of the walls here. Finally, did anyone else notice that the weapons being used by the Cylons consisted mostly of 50-megaton nukes against cities and 50-kiloton nukes against the ships? Didn’t the Russians have missiles in the 200-megaton range in the 1960′s?
While watching this, I started thinking:
- Why isn’t it that we see more of the technologies being developed (or thought about) in real life in sci-fi shows and movies?
- What technologies, if any, would I consider the most likely to come to pass?
I was reading an article today on the whole comic book cross-over bit (you know, where two of your favorite comic book heroes get together for one amazing, action-packed piece of what’s almost always crap, but you want to read it anyway), and saw the following, which, as both a Star Trek and X-Men fan, made me laugh out loud:
I was originally planning to wrap things up by talking about some insane comic book crossovers I’d love to see, but the simple fact is, there’s nothing I could come up with that’d be crazier than what’s already been done. There are very few ideas too stupid or backwards for them to actually put to paper, so it’s nearly impossible to come up with an idea so bizarre that it’s hilarious simply for its inherent unfeasibility. And if something hasn’t been done, and you’ve thought of it, chances are some writer or editor has too, and it’s already in the works.
I mean, look, they did an X-Men/Star Trek crossover ten years ago, and writer Scott Lobdell probably pitched the idea SOLELY because he wanted to write the following scene: “Wouldn’t it be cool if — ?”
Yes, it’s that time of the — well, whatever length of time between Le Linkage postings again. It’s time for another episode of Le Linkage, there. I’ve been trying to think of a good intro this time, but I can’t think of anything good, so just check out the links. At least those are good.
The World’s Biggest Diamond Mine: Originally, this was supposed to be the “world’s biggest hole”, but as it turns out there are a couple of man-made holes larger than this one. (Insert “I used to work for a bigger hole than that” joke here. And no gay jokes, please.) This set of pictures shows exactly how big this thing is: it’s so big, flying over it has been banned because it creates such a powerful and large vortex of air over it. (You can replace “it’s so big” with “your momma’s so fat…”) What’s even more interesting is that this hole — about a mile wide and half a mile deep — is found right in the middle of a town in Russia.
Let’s Complicate Some Issues: Don’t you hate it when some nutty left-winger comes up to you to tell you how wrong your conservative values are, and how obviously right they are because, let’s face it, it’s a simple issue? And what about when some nutty right-winger comes up to you to tell you how wrong your liberal values are, and how obviously right they are, because it’s a simple issues? In this essay, the author talks about the complexity of real life issues and why “the only way either liberals or conservatives can turn them into such exercises in obviousness is to omit big parts of the picture, [which] guarantees that we’re not seeing it accurately.”
Comic Book Foreign Policy (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3): I’ve been following this set of articles for a little while now, and they’re pretty interesting. The author talks about how the comic book industry is making comics a serious ground for political and ethical debate using today’s real-life issues. A must read for anyone who enjoys comics and politics, pro-war and anti-war alike. (As of this writing only three parts have been written. There’s still a fourth one to come.)
//Edit: Part 4 has been published.
Free Older Moves: The title says it all. Movies where the copyright has expired, which are now in the public domain, are made available here for download. (Bittorrent required.) Some greats and greatly bad are here, such as the infamous Plan 9 from Outer Space. I haven’t searched, but I don’t think Manos: The Hands of Fate has quite made it to this list. Yet.
English as a National Language: Does it Require Protection? “The problem isn’t just restricted to schools and papers. There are places in THE US of FREAKIN A that you can go and feel like a feel like you just crossed a border. Not only will English not be the residents first language, you’ll be lucky if it is spoken at all.” With the election-year politics dominating Washington, puff-my-patriotic-chest amendments such as the one making English the official national language of the United States are being brought up (again) by one side or the other in order to get the votes of single-issue voters. But does English really need protection as the National Language? (By the way, if the quote at the beginning sounded good, you’re in good company: it sounded good to all the people who agreed with you back when it was first written — in 1890.)
Chad Vader: What if instead of the Death Star, a dark lord of the Sith was in charge of your local supermarket? This hilarious Chanel101 Web series attempts to find out. Super hilarious!
Carbon Calculator: Interested in living a “Carbon Neutral” life? Let’s face it: unless you’re blinded by politics, you know that human activity is severely affecting the planet’s climate, making creating what’s been dubbed a “climate crisis”. While your government (local or national) may not be doing much to help protect the environment, you can find out how much you’re affecting the environment on a personal basis, and how much it would cost you to invest in technologies to help you be as “carbon neutral” as possible.
So, How Big is Earth Compared To…? If you’ve ever been in an astronomy class (or have ever been in an astronomy-themed conversation), you know that compared to Jupiter and the Sun, the earth is tiny. Do you realize exactly how tiny? The following images from 3D modeling software show how big Earth is compared to every planet from Mercury to Pluto (yes, I still count it as a planet) and the Sun, and how big the Sun is compared to other stars, such as Rigel, Aldelbaran, and Betelgeuse.
An Introduction to Buddhism: When first learning about Buddhism, it’s easy to get confused with terms like “rebirth”, “karma”, “eight-fold path”, “Skandhas”, “noble truths” — you get the drift. But if you’re interested in Buddhism, or just learning what it’s all about, this page offers a number of essays to help you get started. (I recommend starting with the Five Minute Introduction.)
Recent Comments