BBC News - Homeio9
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Try to get through this video on the science of yawning without yawning [Video] May 20th 2012 20:00
This video, by vsauce, not only explains why yawning is contagious, but also lays out the physiology of yawning, reveals that you're less likely to yawn when your brain is cool, and gives us some delightful clips of parakeets yawning. More »
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Adorable character designs for Futurama: The Next Generation [Futurama] May 20th 2012 19:30
A few weeks ago, Becca Jones stole our hearts with her illustrations of Fry and Leela's imaginary kids. Now she's working her way through all the Futurama pairings (and three-person joinings), coming up with a full cast of kiddie characters. More »
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Crowdfund an Ursula Le Guin stage show, mathematics-themed manga, and a new game from the makers of Space Quest [Video] May 20th 2012 19:00
Projects big and small are looking for your crowdfunding dollars this week, including a small-budget original film series, a play based on an Ursula K. Le Guin novel, a comic series that teaches math while it entertains, and a new scifi video game from the makers of Space Quest. More »
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A lotus-shaped oasis blooms over the London skyline [Video] May 20th 2012 18:00
Some concept designs are just so surprising and gorgeous that all you can do is sigh over the fact that they'll likely never be real. These aerial gardens might not be the best fit for London, but they would look lovely glittering over some future city. More »
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Why time travel enthusiasts are the world's most patient protestors [Goofballery] May 20th 2012 17:30
Folks who demand that we invent time travel know where their priorities lie. But where do you want time travel, sir? More »
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164 years later, researchers map Phineas Gage's pierced brain [Video] May 20th 2012 17:00
In 1845, an iron rod pierced railroad construction foreman Phineas Gage's brain, changing neuroscience forever. Now, more than 150 years later, neuroscientists have created a diagram of Gage's brain, figuring out just which connections were changed by his accident. More »
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Someone please make this: HP Lovecraft and Nikola Tesla, Paranormal Investigators [Concept Art] May 20th 2012 16:30
Sadly, this isn't the cover to some delightful comic in which author HP Lovecraft and inventor Nikola Tesla team up as steampunk ghostbusters. But Travis Pitts' imaginary print ad is wonderful in its own right. More »
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DC plans to bring a prominent character out of the closet [Dc Comics] May 20th 2012 16:00
DC Comics' New 52 has brought plenty of changes to its superpowered characters, but the publisher's policy has been not to change the sexual orientations of any existing characters. That's about to change, however, as DC co-publisher Dan DiDio announces plans to reintroduce an established character as gay. More »
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The end of Harry Potter leaves hundreds of pet owls homeless [Harry Potter] May 20th 2012 15:30
When Harry Potter first appeared in books and on screen alongside his loyal owl Hedwig, many folks were so charmed that they ran out and bought pet owls of their very own. But know that the books and movies have run their course, the magic of owning a nocturnal bird has worn off, and hundreds of owls are landing in animal shelters. More »
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Avengers concept art takes a closer look at Loki's staff and Hawkeye's arrows [Avengers] May 20th 2012 15:00
Concept artist Fabian Lacey designed many of the props for The Avengers, including Hawkeye's bow and arrows, Loki's sceptre and staff, and Tony Stark's bracelets. And Lacey has kindly released several of his concept designs for the film. More »
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Congrats to the 2011 Nebula Award Winners! [Nebula Awards] May 20th 2012 14:30
Last night, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America announced the winners of the 2011 Nebula Awards. There were plenty of outstanding candidates in the nomination pool, and here are the folks who took home the glittering spiral trophies: More »
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The Eleventh Doctor has turned into a puppet, but he doesn't seem to mind [Video] May 20th 2012 14:00
The Doctor's still not ginger, but he has gone puppet, which is quite an interesting change from his usual form. And the doll-shaped Doctor has been having a pleasant adventure in New York City, with hot dogs, ferris wheels, and a surprising lack of aliens. More »
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Best of the Week: May 12-May 18, 2012 [Best Of Week] May 20th 2012 02:00
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Do we worry too much about keeping astronauts safe? [Video] May 20th 2012 00:00
Sixteen years ago, aerospace engineer Robert Zubrin wrote The Case for Mars, outlining his plan for a manned mission to Mars. Since then, we haven't put a human on the Red Planet or returned to the moon, and Zubrin argues that one reason is that we are too obsessed with the safety of astronauts. More »
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World's first vegetarian shark spurns meat for celery sticks [Video] May 19th 2012 23:30
Fish no longer have any reason to fear Florence, a six-foot tropical nurse shark living at Birmingham's National Sea Life Centre. Ever since she survived an out-of-water surgery, the picky shark has lost all interest in eating meat, opting for a vegan diet. More »
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Eerie photographs taken with a camera made from a human skull [Graveyard Life] May 19th 2012 23:00
These sepia-hued photographs look like something out of a dream, but the camera that took them is somewhat nightmarish. Instead of a camera made out of metal and plastic, these photos were taken with a camera made from a human skull. More »
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Which literary character is most frequently portrayed on screen? [Sherlock] May 19th 2012 22:30
Having appeared 254 times in film and television, Sherlock Holmes is, according to the Guinness World Records, the most frequently portrayed human literary character. But he's not the most frequently portrayed of all literary characters; the one who holds the top slot isn't human. More »
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Jackie Chan's last action movie looks like the most fun he's been in years [Video] May 19th 2012 22:00
Chinese Zodiac is Jackie Chan's 100th movie, and it's one of his biggest — a single fight scene in this movie reportedly is costing more than $10 million to shoot. And it might be his final action movie, since he's said he wants to retire from doing action films. At the very least, it's reportedly his last big action movie. More »
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Before the aliens arrive, we'll have to clean up the bachelor pad Earth [Afternoon Reading] May 19th 2012 21:30
It would be kind of embarrassing if aliens from a more advanced civilization showed up tomorrow and found the mess of disease, war, and poverty we still haven't gotten around to cleaning up. Zach Weiner's illustrated short story "The Bachelor" describes humanity's frantic effort to make the planet presentable before our alien houseguests arrive. More »
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Yes, that really is an eagle wielding a knife [Holy Crap Wtf] May 19th 2012 21:00
Alfred Hitchcock was right about the evils of birds, and now at least one flying raptor has decided to arm itself. This golden eagle stole a knife from a nature photographer, and nearly made off with its newfound weapon. More »
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Watch Neil Gaiman's inspiring commencement speech about succeeding in the arts [Video] May 19th 2012 20:30
For all the art students about to enter the working world without a roadmap, author Neil Gaiman offers his advice on making great art, honing your skills, and keeping in mind that friendliness and punctuality can be as important to your career as talent. More »
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Supernatural ends the season with a bangy whimper [Video] May 19th 2012 20:24
Last night's season finale of Supernatural brought to a conclusion the often-murky battle to stop the Leviathans, and especially their corporate overlord Dick. We've had some outstanding episodes this season, but we've also had a lot of disappointments — especially when it came to exploring all the Leviathan conspiracies, all of which went nowhere. The same could be said about the season finale, "Survival of the Fittest." We got some good closure, and a few crisp, funny scenes, but we also got some frustrating randomness too. More »
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Dancing Darth Maul: Not Sorry For Party Rockin'. [Video] May 19th 2012 20:00
Whenever there's a big Star Wars event, the main thing to look forward to is the dance-offs. A few years ago, it was Darth Vader tearing up the the stage to M.C. Hammer. Now it's Darth Maul jamming to Flo Rida, "Good Feeling," at the Walt Disney World's Star Wars Weekend event, "Dance-Off With the Star Wars Stars." More »
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Frank Frazetta's Lord of the Rings illustrations brought barbarian armor to Middle Earth [Lord Of The Rings] May 19th 2012 19:30
Frank Frazetta's bare-legged babes and barbarian fashions might seem an odd fit for JRR Tolkien's asexual, Anglon-Saxon epic, but in 1975, Frazetta did indeed collect a portfolio of Lord of the Rings illustrations, putting his own dark fantasy spin on characters like Gollum, Eowyn, and the Witch-King. More »
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Concept Art Writing Prompt: A Shopping Trip at the Body Parts Store [Open Channel] May 19th 2012 19:00
Transhumanism meets commerce in today's Concept Art Writing Prompt. What happens when you can shop for feet the same way you used to shop for shoes? Come up with your very own flash fiction piece and share it in the comments. More »
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SpaceX's first bid at cab service to ISS is a bust [Space] May 19th 2012 18:30
The first attempt to send a commercial spacecraft to the International Space Station was aborted less than a second before liftoff this morning, after an onboard computer detected a problem in one of its launch vehicle's nine engines. More »
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Photographs of video games acted out in the real world [Photography] May 19th 2012 18:00
Patrick Runte's photographs don't just imagine what old video games might look like in the real world — with blocky characters translated into three dimensions. They also imagine how those games might be played in our world — and they look like a good deal of fun. More »
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Coors Light goes down slightly better than a Prometheus alien larva [Video] May 19th 2012 17:30
Why would you use an Alien universe movie to market anything you would ingest? Coors Light has taken the chance that you might associate its beer with edible alien larvae with this co-branded Prometheus TV spot. More »
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The only evidence left of a mystery tribe is bodies in jars [Secret History] May 19th 2012 17:00
A long lost Cambodian tribe has left only one trace behind, but it's a significant one. Human remains have been found in jars. The latest have been found about one hundred and sixty feet up a cliff. More »
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See Pixar characters cosplay as the Avengers [Avengers] May 19th 2012 16:30
What do you dress up as when you're already a superhero or a giant fuzzy monster? How about a crew of box office-busting superpowered movie stars? See several Pixar characters recast as members of the Avengers. More »
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Dan Harmon fired from Community. Not cool, not cool. [Video] May 19th 2012 16:00
Community is getting its fourth season, but it probably won't be the show we've grown to know and adore. Sony has fired Dan Harmon from his show runner role. We're channeling Abed here and making unhappy noises. More »
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Sacred Heart is a webcomic tale of punks and murder, without adult supervision [Comics Review] May 19th 2012 15:30
High schoolers on primetime TV shows never seem to have parents. Adults are often relegated to the background, occasionally trotted out to dispense discipline, emotional abuse, or words of network television wisdom. The webcomic Sacred Heart takes parental absence to a new level, placing high schoolers in a mysterious town with no visible adults — a town where the kids die sudden, violent deaths. More »
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The Most Successful Self-Published Sci-Fi and Fantasy Authors [Books] May 19th 2012 15:00
Everybody wants to be successful. And if you've ever told anyone that you're writing a novel (or screenplay, short story, comic book, rondel, etc.) you'll find out that most people you know are writing or planning on writing or want to write something too. This means there are a lot of people who want to be successful writers out there. More »
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In a new Brave clip, King Fergus relates his battle with the demon bear [Video] May 19th 2012 14:30
Everyone has a story they love to tell again and again, and Brave's King Fergus has a doozy. In this new clip, he tells the story about the demon bear who took his leg, although one of his children delights in spoiling his storytelling fun. More »
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Thor mocks Spider-Man's costume & obscure DC heroes moonwalk! [Video] May 19th 2012 14:00
This week, a serial hugger is loose on Adventure Time! Also, Marvel continues to pop in some amazing guest stars on Ultimate Spider-man and The Avengers: EHM, a forgotten DC hero moonwalks in a DC Nation Short, and we get a sneak preview of Tron: Uprising! More »
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Now that, people, is how you end a freakin TV season — with a conspiracygasm! [Video] May 19th 2012 02:36
Last night's season ender of Person of Interest confirmed that this show is one of the few places you'll find action-packed, thoughtful science fiction on television. And this finale — what an amazing payoff. All season, POI kept multiple, interlocking conspiracies in play, and last night managed to bring them all together in a shivering house of cards whose structure made perfect sense even as it collapsed. Characters, including the Machine, developed in fascinating ways; and we got a seriously cool new Big Bad to kick our asses across the yawning cliffhanger known as summer. More »
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Behold ORBIS, a Google Maps for the Roman Empire [Video] May 19th 2012 01:00
Have you ever wondered how much it would cost to travel from Londinium to Jerusalem in February during the heyday of the Roman Empire? Thanks to a project helmed by historian Walter Scheidel and developer Elijah Meeks of Stanford University, all of your pressing queries about Roman roadways can be answered! This is ORBIS, an online simulation (and thoroughly brainy time sink) that allows you to chart a route through the Roman Empire circa 200 AD. As the developers explain: More »
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How alcohol is formed naturally in space [Space] May 19th 2012 00:20
The Sagittarius B2 cloud has ten billion, billion, billion liters of alcohol floating in it. Most of it is undrinkable, but there are some of them are ethanol, which is drinkable by humans. Scientists still don't know for sure why the booze is out there, but they have a theory. More »
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The Victorian Hugos: 1891 [Victorian Hugos] May 18th 2012 23:00
The Hugo Awards are given to the best science fiction or fantasy works of the previous year. Unfortunately, they've only been awarded since 1953. That's where this column comes in - Jess Nevins will be awarding honorary Hugo Awards to the best novels of the Victorian era... and beyond. More »
