Dr. Charles A. Forbin was the chief designer of a secret highly-advanced computer called what? The “Ultimate Computer” in the original Star Trek episode of that title was: A) V’Ger B) Excalibur C) Noah D) M5 E) Daystrom 9 In addition to his famous robots, Isaac Asimov also had a UNIVAC-like computer which showed up…

Celestial Buddies – Adorable plush celestial objects. I take exception to their claim that they are accurately scaled, since the Sun is only about twice as large as the Earth. Anyway, cute. Astronaut Training Party – Deeply awesome theme for a child’s party. Science: How to Fake It – This is too true to be…

The monstrous supercomputer in Harlan Ellison’s “I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream” is known as AM. What did those initials ORIGINALLY stand for? The “evermind,” or controlling intelligence, of the robots in the Legends of Dune series was called: A) Mother B) Edessa C) Omnius D) La’al E) Caliban In Robert A. Heinlein’s…

geeky dad’s daughter is about to turn one, so he made an appropriately geeky growth chart to record her progress. He’s also made the file available for download if you want to print one for your own nascent geek. So Princess Leia is taller than Frodo but not quite as tall as a Dalek. Good…

Scott Adams has an interesting meditation on the economics of privacy. He makes a good point–the less privacy everyone has, the cheaper it is to be “safe.” You wouldn’t need police to catch speeders. Cars would automatically report the speed and location of every driver. That sucks, you say, because you usually speed, and you…

Which TV series was based on the novel Cyborg by Martin Caidin? A) The Questor Tapes B) Battlestar Galactica C) Small Wonder D) Not Quite Human E) The Six Million Dollar Man A colony world has used its powerful technology to recreate Hindu culture, whose elite assume the roles of the gods. The hero first…

Your father wanted you to have this lightsaber. I mean, he was screaming in pain at the time but I’m sure that’s what he meant. -Obi Wan. — DeathStarPR If we are ever invaded by aliens, the first thing we should do is yawn just to see how much we have in common. — YeahImAshley…

I am a complete sucker for faux “artifacts” that evoke mysterious pasts and forgotten history. Assemblages in particular just thrill me: Dodgy-looking parchment, strangely misshapen specimens in jars, and tools which hint at some eldritch purpose…these are a few of my favorite things. Here are some spiffy ones that I’ve run across recently that I’d…

This fan-favorite character from the original Star Wars trilogy debuted, not in the movies, but in the infamous 1978 “Star Wars Holiday Special.” Who is the only actor with credited appearances in all five Star Trek TV series? Which 1955 film concerned an astronaut who turns into an amorphous blob and is finally defeated in…

Goodnight Dune – “Goodnight recruits, goodnight stillsuits….” International Star Wars Posters – A roundup at Buzzfeed. I, Cthulhu – Amusing short story by Neil Gaiman. The Ultimate Photobomb – Yes, it’s ‘shopped, but it’s still funny. 14 Great But Lesser-Known Fantasy Novels for Li’l Nerds – A roundup by Topless Robot. Some great suggestions for…