pop-culture

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Dr. Strange Will Kill Us All

It is with much trepidation that I send this blog to you via Morse Code from Mystery Island. I'm terribly concerned that scientific genius Dr. Strange is running amok with his Projector Beam Ray. Strange is intent on world domination, and if his awesome cape is any indication of his power, I pray for all of us. Below, I bring you an important video demonstrating the Projector Beam Ray weapon and its effects on Mystery Island. Fortunately our heroes, flying above the island in their aircraft Nimbus,... READ ON

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Is Science Good or is it Whack?

Here's a fun clip from the vault. Here's Ali G (Sacha Baron Cohen's character) interviewing a panel of science experts about science. The discussion begins: "Yo. Science. What is it all about? Techmology. What is that all about? Is it good or is it whack?" The panel consists of Dr. Jeremiah Baumann (Public Interest Research Group), Dr. Joseph Coates (Futorologist), Graham Molitor (President, Public Policy Forecasting), and Dr. Kent Hovind (Creationist). While I'll admit there's virtually zero... READ ON

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The Origins of Video Game Character Names

Today's awesome geekery: It's a Secret to Everybody, an amazingly extensive article on the origins of various video game character names. Ever wondered where the name Zelda (from The Legend of Zelda) came from? How about Link? How about Mario, Luigi, Bowser (aka Koopa), Toad, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Sonic the Hedgehog, and many, many more? Read this article to find out. Some choice snippets: The [Legend of Zelda] series hero, Link, deserves a bit of onomastic speculation too. His name isn’t... READ ON

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Live, Breaking News: Steve Wiebe Tries to Recapture Donkey Kong Record

Steve Wiebe, the hapless hero of the video game documentary King of Kong, is trying once again to beat Billy Mitchell's record on Donkey Kong. Why is this news? (After all, he's been going back and forth with Mitchell for years.) Well, it's news because Wiebe is doing it right now (mid-day Tuesday, June 2, 2009). You can watch Wiebe play Donkey Kong live right now! This morning, his first attempt ended at a respectable (but not record-breaking) 923,400 points. Reports suggest that we will make two... READ ON

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Rules for Time Travelers

Discover Magazine's Cosmic Variance blog brings us Rules for Time Travelers, a set of eleven rules that help to explain (or contradict) various time-travel scenarios in pop culture. And believe me, time travel is the new romantic comedy -- with Star Trek, Lost, and Fringe all getting in on some form of time travel/alternate universe action, there's enough grandfather paradoxes and time loops to last you all year. Or...wait...if you started reading the theories now, but then built a time machine, could... READ ON

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Levitating Frogs May Destroy Everything*

So let's say you've got a high-energy magnetic field. You could do a lot with it -- erase a hard drive, stick some fridge magnets to it, dramatically conclude the fifth season of Lost (ahem) -- but no, researchers in the Netherlands used their terrifying magnetic power to levitate a frog in mid-air. Here it is: A NewScientist article explains: The levitation trick works because giant magnetic fields slightly distort the orbits of electrons in the frog's atoms. The resulting electric current... READ ON

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John Hodgman on His Daughter, Hodgmina

Author/minor celebrity/hobothusiast John Hodgman is a man of many talents. He's an author, actor, and even Resident Expert on The Daily Show. I'll admit, I'm kind of a fan. Today I'd like to share Hodgman's essay Hodgmina from 2003, about his then-just-born daughter. "Hodgmina" is of course a pseudonym he uses to protect her true identity; Hodgman explains: "I would like her to have some semblance of a childhood before she inevitably becomes a famous public personality like her father; so to protect... READ ON

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Andy Warhol Paints Debbie Harry on an Amiga Computer

So this is nerdy. Here's a video from 1985 in which Andy Warhol digitally paints over a photo of Debbie Harry, at an Amiga computer launch. When they show the Amiga's screen, check out the amazing lifelike graphics! See also: Picasso's "Think Different" Mac ad (though no actual computers are involved). (Via... READ ON

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Winston Churchill Getting Funky

In 1941, Winston Churchill delivered his "Great Declaration," a famous speech about the Nazi threat. He said (in part, and with emphasis added): What tragedies, what horrors, what crimes has Hitler and all that Hitler stands for brought upon Europe and the world! The ruins of Warsaw, of Rotterdam, of Belgrade are monuments which will long recall to future generations the outrage of unopposed air bombing applied with calculated scientific cruelty to helpless populations. Here in London and throughout... READ ON