Gravity Lens Weblog

Archive August 22 - September 29

Friday, September 29

LiveScience rates the most popular myths in science.

SF SIgnal gives us the rules to the SciFi Drinking Game, as well as the Alphabet of Obscure Science Fiction Classics,

Thursday, September 28

Physorg informs us that the robotic suit for paralyzed people is here.

Those who remember The Exo Man and M.A.N.T.I.S. will be pleased.

Wednesday, September 27

Anybody Out There?: Red Orbit looks at proposed sites for a really big radio telescope, while Futurismic links to this Centauri Dreams piece on the possible perils of Active SETI (which has been discussed and criticized in the past).

YouTube gives us one of my favorite Ward Kimball cartoons, from Disney's Mars & Beyond, about what lifeforms might have evolved on the red planet.

Tuesday, September 26

Grow-A-Brain links to this neat page about Kryptonian languages, including the impressive Kryptonese Language Project.

Film Threat is hosting a video of the truncated pilot for the abandoned live-action Justice League of America show.

Red Orbit reports on a surgery scheduled to be performed in zero gravity conditions.

Monday, September 25

Recommended Readin': The BBC has a report on the internet of 2020.

Dwayne A. Day of The Space Frontier explores the social frontiers of spaceflight.

Michael Cassutt at SciFi Weekly looks at the challenges of leading an unrecorded life.

Chris Oakes of Wired asks "What if Bionics were Better?"

The headline reads: "Mucus-riding robot headed to intestines."

Friday, September 22

Grow-A-Brain links to this page about fictional detectives on stamps.

Thursday, September 21

SF Signal links to this Scientific American piece on How to Blow Up a Star.

Wednesday, September 20

I'm back, and I'm glad to report that the world didn't end as some predicted.

While we're on the subject, Charles Q. Choi of LiveScience assures us that, despite rumors, a black hole factory will not destroy earth.

Catching up on a few things:

The headline reads: Antisocial Robots go to Finishing School. (you may get a pitch page)

Wil McCarthy at SciFi Weekly looks at horror movies dealing with modern tech.

Bob Clarebrough of The Space Review proposes using the settling of Hawaii as a template for a manned Mars mission.

The Cartoonist links to this neat illustrated piece about an abandoned plan to build a bridge accross the English Channel.

The Armchair Anarchist at Futurismic ponders the future dynamics of synthetic worlds.

We Make Money Not Art reports on future clothing that will convey your emotions.

Trendhunter informs us of the availability of the Half Suit, marketed at those who do a lot of videoconfrencing.

And this is for those of you who have evey uttered the phrase "like a fish needs a bicycle."

Wednesday, September 13

I nearly forgot: It's been seven years since the moon went out of Earth orbit.

YouTube has the retro-eye-candy-filled trailer for Future by Design, a documentary about Jacque Fresco, designer of The Venus Project.

Monday, September 11

Assorted Items: Five years on Scott Edelman is Still Looking at the World With Alien Eyes.
Michael Huang at The Space Review considers human rights in space.

Popular Science looks at the top-secret warplanes of Area 51. There's a neat photo gallery.

Bit if a personal note: I'll be offline for most of this week and possibly next week. I'm heading down to South Carolina to see my father, who is quite ill. The timeline is still anyone's guess, but I will post when possible, and may do a separate mini-blog about the trip. I'll also pass notes over at the Bar & Grill when connectivity allows.

I want to thank those of you who have sent emails and made posts during what's been a rather hectic and draining time. It means a lot to me.

Friday, September 8

It's the 40th Anniversary of Star Trek, the show that won't die.

Thursday, September 7

Hats off to The Cartoonist for noticing that the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society now has mock postage stamps available, rivaling their excellent collection of downloadable prop documents.

In other Cthulhu news, Mother Hydra's Mythos Rhymes is now available, to be placed on a child's bookshelf next to Baby's First Mythos. Sleep tight.

Wednesday, September 6

The headline reads: Robotic Frisbees of Death.

Voting for the 2006 World Stupidity Awards is open. Awards will be announced Sept. 20.

Tuesday, September 5

Donald Rapp of Space Review says NASA's current plans to mine the moon don't add up.

Meanwhile Aaron Frood of Nature looks at the concept of buying lunar property.

Of course, the main reason for going back is to archive human genetic blueprints.

Monday, September 4

The Guardian reports on the upcoming space elevator competition.

Sunday, September 3

Currently making the rounds: this awesome YouTube video of a 1975 Braniff Airlines spot offering a glimpse at what air travel will be like in the future.

Saturday, September 2

Recommended Readin': Robert Roy Britt of Space.com tells us about a proposed NASA mission called the Solar Sentinels designed to monitor space storms.

Stephen Baxter gives us a primer on alternate histories at The Independant (via SF Signal)

Be aware that we live in a world where a computer can beat humans at crossword puzzles.

Friday, September 1

Metafilter links to Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs, which produces The Lovecraft Collection,
scents inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos.

It is September.

The Molecule of the Month is yummy Hydrogen Peroxide.

The God of the Month is Ariadne, The Lady of the Labyrinth.

Today is also the 44th birthday of your humble blogger. Let's all take a moment to remember the historical importance of my birth.

Thursday, August 31

Leonard David at Space.com updates us on the lunar orbiter set to crash into the moon this weekend.

A moment of silence, followed by a trippy rhythmic solo, for veteran prog drummer Pip Pyle.

Wednesday, August 30

Sean Carroll at Seed Magazine lays down what the universe is all about.

Newsarama reports that Marvel characters will be featured on postage stamps next year, though how Spider Woman made the list is beyond me.

And I have yet to receive any mail with DC stamps on them yet.

Damn Interesting remembers the atomic powered Ford Nucleon.

Tuesday, August 29

Robert Z. Pearlman at Space.com looks at the practical impact of Pluto's reclassification.

It should surprise nobody that the headline reads "Robot store to open in Japan."

Monday, August 28

Recommended Readin': Michael Cassutt at SciFi Weekly has some words about the pros and cons of "expanded editions" of books and movies.

Jeff Foust at The Space Review looks at public perception over the Pluto controversy.

Heather Whipps of LiveScience explores the origins of urban legends.

Sunday, August 27

The Hugo Awards were handed out last night.

Friday, August 25

Heather Whipps of LiveScience tells us about the world's longest-running experiments.

Thursday, August 24

A thing I can't make up: Red Orbit informs us that a cosmonaut will hit a golf ball from the International Space Station on Thanksgiving day to publicize a new line of golf clubs.

PGA.com adds that the ball will orbit for three years.

The ISS is also due for a major expansion soon.

Wednesday, August 23

This 800 pound-sphere studded with cameras and monitors that allow an observer to see "through" it is effectively useless. This does not diminish my intense desire for one.

Modern Robotics: Ray Kurzweil examines the future of robots at Popular Science. There's also a gallery of some up and coming robots.

Technovelgy tells us of a robot that talks with an artificial mouth rather than a sythetic voice.

Mike Adams at Technology News explores ways that a robotic workforce will impact society.

Tuesday, August 22

For a while I've been meaning to put up some pix of the inside of Bad Day Studio, and now I've finally gotten around to it. I was inspired by the great artists' space blog On My Desk, and the photos Colleen Doran posted of her new studio.