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Seen Online
The correct spelling of “Spider-Man” takes a hyphen. Knowing this is why we can’t get dates. — FakeAPStylebook One parsec is the unit of time between using the word “parsec” and having a nerd correct you. — bcompton Ice-dancers are what happens when you feed a ballerina after midnight. — secretsquirrel Giving my kid “A…
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Trivia Thursday
In Asimov’s book Foundation, who develops psychohistory? How many Star Trek – The Original Series actors appeared in Twilight Zone episodes? The main character “burning bright:ln the forest of the night” is Gully Foyle, the protagonist of an escape-from-prison story author Alfred Bester said he modeled on The Count of Monte Cristo. Name the novel.…
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There’s a “Zion’s Friction” Joke in Here Somewhere
Michael Weingrad, director of Judaic Studies at PSU, has an essay up at Jewish Review of Books discussing why he thinks Jewish authors are well-represented in most genera except for fantasy. To put it crudely, if Christianity is a fantasy religion, then Judaism is a science fiction religion. If the former is individualistic, magical, and…
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Glitch
Despite severe misgivings over playing any computer game called Glitch, I have to admit that it sounds intriguing. It’s a browser-based massively-multiplayer game scheduled to launch late this year. What makes it different? For starters, it’s all one big world. Which means everyone is playing the same game and anyone’s actions have the ability to…
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Listen to Reason
The Tree Lobsters site has a lovely list of science/skeptic podcasts for your delectation, along with a short description of the format of each. Really how can you not want to immediately go download a program described as, “Science, skepticism and fart jokes?” Go look! (Also I love the graphic.)
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The Geekiest Thing You’ll See All Day
This is the way to showcase your products. Using nothing but “instruments” available from ThinkGeek, L. Hadron and the Colliders perform a cover of The Who’s Baba O’Riley. Products used are the Bliptronic 5000, Guitar Shirt, Drumkit Shirt, Stylophone, and Otamatone Electronic Instrument. My favorite part is near the end, with the guy wearing the…
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Trivia Thursday
How many arms do the Moties have? In Philip Jose Farmer’s The Lovers, the natives of the planet Ozagen appear to be human but are really what? What is the significance of the town of Bellingham, WA, in Niven and Pournelle’s Footfall? What story title did Joan Vinge borrow from Hans Christian Andersen? What is…
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Heh
This would be an entertaining way to spend an afternoon. (via Epic Win)
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Dork Tower
As the author says, about ten people will get this strip. (If you’re not one of the ten, this might help.) (via BoingBoing)
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The Best of Spirit
The 80 Beats blog at Discover Magazine has a photo gallery of some of the best images taken by Spirit over the past six years. It’s inspiring. Incidentally, for those who found xkcd’s Spirit cartoon depressing (I know I did!), somebody re-captioned it. I like this version much better. Because I am a pollyanna.