John Gordon Ross

A Man for All Reasons

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Geekish

Anyone who works as a freelancer these days has to be at least a bit familiar with techie things. But it isn’t just that. When I was a kid and those vaguely SF puppet shows were on the television and all the other kids wanted to be Greg Gogetem or Steve Savetheuniverse, I wanted to be the guy in a white coat and glasses called Doc or Brains. Here are some technology-related feeds I find useful and/or entertaining.

Mashable » 3 damaged windows on 3 trains raise suspicions in Amtrak crash

Saturday 16 May 23:29:33 UTC 2015

Train-windowsFeed-tw Feed-fbAs investigators continue to search for clues in the Amtrak derailment that killed eight people in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, they are examining whether the engineer's windshield may have been hit by an object shortly before the crash — and looking at two other trains that were in the same area that also had their windows damaged. It's not unusual for … [Link]

Mashable » Cannes review: Woody Allen's 'Irrational Man' taps into a main vein

Saturday 16 May 23:00:52 UTC 2015

Emma.stone_.irrational.man_.cannesFeed-tw Feed-fbCANNES, France — Only Woody Allen can open a film with a quote from Immanuel Kant set to a peppy classic jazz tune and get away with it. And “getting away with it” is what Irrational Man is all about. While he's re-teamed with Emma Stone, this is not another wafer-thin rom-com like last year's Magic in the Moonlight. Set at … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » This Dancing Jar Jar Binks Toy Review Might Be the Best Toy Review Ever [Video]

Saturday 16 May 23:00:29 UTC 2015

Watch this and let the hate flow through you. [ashens] The post This Dancing Jar Jar Binks Toy Review Might Be the Best Toy Review Ever [Video] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology News. [Link]

Slashdot » Ask Slashdot: Best Payloads For Asteroid Diverter/Killer Mission?

Saturday 16 May 22:59:00 UTC 2015

TheRealHocusLocus writes: The Emergency Asteroid Defence Project has launched a crowdfunded IndieGoGo campaign to help produce a set of working blueprints for a two-stage HAIV, or Hypervelocity Asteroid Intercept Vehicle. This HAIV paper (PDF) describes the use of a leading kinetic impactor to make a crater — a following nuclear warhead would detonate in the crater for maximum energy transfer. … [Link]

Mashable » American Pharoah wins Preakness, has a chance at Triple Crown

Saturday 16 May 22:55:39 UTC 2015

AmericanphFeed-tw Feed-fbStormy weather didn't stop Kentucky Derby winner American Pharoah from crossing the muddy finish line first at the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore on Saturday The Preakness favorite now has a chance at a Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes in New York on June 6. The last Triple Crown winner was Affirmed in 1978. See also: American Pharoah wins the 2015 … [Link]

Mashable » Google reportedly wants to put a 'Buy' button in your search results

Saturday 16 May 22:09:02 UTC 2015

Google1Feed-tw Feed-fbIf Google has its way, you could find a 'Buy' button accompanying those search results very soon. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the search giant will introduce buy buttons in search results some time in the next few weeks, citing sources familiar with the rollout. The buttons would appear alongside paid search results on mobile in the "Shop on … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » The Madness Behind the Vehicles in ‘Mad Mad: Fury Road’

Saturday 16 May 22:00:11 UTC 2015

The one thing most people will walk away from Mad Max: Fury Road thinking is “how did they just do that?” From the sets to the outfits to (most importantly) the cars, how did they make such beautiful anarchy come to life? Well, it all started with a very simple mantra from the insane (and awesome) director. “Make it cool … [Link]

Slashdot » FBI Alleges Security Researcher Tampered With a Plane's Flight Control Systems

Saturday 16 May 21:54:00 UTC 2015

Salo2112 writes with a followup to a story from April in which a security researcher was pulled off a plane by FBI agents seemingly over a tweet referencing a security weakness in one of the plane's systems. At the time, the FBI insisted he had actually tampered with core systems on an earlier flight, and now we have details. The … [Link]

Mashable » Oldest medical marijuana collective is crowdfunding to save operation

Saturday 16 May 21:39:19 UTC 2015

MedicalFeed-tw Feed-fbThe Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana a.k.a WAMM has been operating out of Santa Cruz, California for over two decades, but the collective is in danger of closing shop for patients if they don't receive the necessary funding. Founded in 1993, WAMM is America's oldest continuously operating medical cannabis collective, according the the organization's website. They provide low-cost and free medical … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Downtown Disney to Open Indiana Jones-Themed Bar [PICS]

Saturday 16 May 21:00:18 UTC 2015

Indy Bar 2 Shortly after the confirmation of a 4th 5th Indiana Jones movie, Disney has announced an Indiana Jones-themed bar will be opening this fall. The Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar will be part of the renovation and revitalization of Disney Springs, which is part of downtown Disney. Named after Indy’s trusty pilot from Raiders of the Lost Ark, the bar will feature … [Link]

Slashdot » Report: Google To Add 'Buy' Buttons To Mobile Search Results

Saturday 16 May 20:52:00 UTC 2015

An anonymous reader writes: According to a (paywalled) report in the Wall Street Journal, Google is stepping up its efforts to take some of the online marketspace away from Amazon and eBay. Soon, the company will start showing "buy" buttons alongside sponsored search results on mobile devices. So, for example, if you search for a particular pair of pants, and … [Link]

Mashable » Snapchat's CEO on the question he's asked the most: 'Why didn't you sell?'

Saturday 16 May 20:08:37 UTC 2015

SpiegelFeed-tw Feed-fbSnapchat CEO Evan Spiegel came full circle on Friday when he gave the commencement speech at the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business. The 24-year-old entrepreneur dropped out of Stanford University three years ago, just three classes shy of graduating. In his 10-minute talk, Spiegel discussed why he didn't sell Snapchat when Facebook reportedly came knocking. See also: You … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » The Worst (Or Best?) Videogame Ending of All Time [Video]

Saturday 16 May 20:00:06 UTC 2015

The final scene from Mortal Kombat 4 might be the worse videogame ending of all time. [Dmitry Vasiliev | Via] The post The Worst (Or Best?) Videogame Ending of All Time [Video] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology News. [Link]

Slashdot » Wind Turbines With No Blades

Saturday 16 May 19:52:00 UTC 2015

An anonymous reader writes: Wired has a profile of Spanish company Vortex Bladeless and their unusual new wind turbine tech. "Their idea is the Vortex, a bladeless wind turbine that looks like a giant rolled joint shooting into the sky. The Vortex has the same goals as conventional wind turbines: To turn breezes into kinetic energy that can be used … [Link]

Mashable » Amazon VP: 'Anyone working on NFC is focusing on last century's problem'

Saturday 16 May 19:43:23 UTC 2015

Iphone-6-nfc-01Feed-tw Feed-fbPatrick Gauthier has been on the job for only five months, but Amazon's vice president of payments already has a lot to say. Ask him about NFC, the technology used by Apple Pay and Google Wallet to pay by smartphone, and Gauthier launches into a half-hour discussion of how most of the competition is getting payments all wrong See also: Your … [Link]

Mashable » 10 'Pitch Perfect' lines we're still quoting today

Saturday 16 May 19:07:58 UTC 2015

Pitch-perfectFeed-tw Feed-fbSome of you might have avoided Pitch Perfect when it was first released, dismissing it as a cynical attempt to tap into Glee's popularity. But if you did that, then not only were you horrendously wrong with your assumption, but you also missed out on one of the funniest comedies of recent years. You're just lucky that it grossed $113 million, … [Link]

Slashdot » In-Database R Coming To SQL Server 2016

Saturday 16 May 18:49:00 UTC 2015

theodp writes: Wondering what kind of things Microsoft might do with its purchase of Revolution Analytics? Over at the Revolutions blog, David Smith announces that in-database R is coming to SQL Server 2016. "With this update," Smith writes, "data scientists will no longer need to extract data from SQL server via ODBC to analyze it with R. Instead, you will … [Link]

Mashable » Competitive eater destroys 2-pound burrito in 1 minute 44 seconds

Saturday 16 May 18:27:57 UTC 2015

BurittochallengeFeed-tw Feed-fb Some people like to savor their food. Others like to mash it into their gullet as fast as they can while their friend films it New Zealand-based competitive eater and model Nela Zisser participated in the restaurant Mad Mex's Big Burrito Challenge, where customers consume a 1 kg (2.2-pound) burrito for no particularly good reason other than to honor Cinco … [Link]

Popular Science » Energy Consumption Monitoring for Homeowners

Saturday 16 May 18:04:38 UTC 2015

One of our side projects has been to develop a building integrated interface that, through physical interaction, can inform a homeowner as to their energy 'budget' and… [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Shutting Down Your Computer Before Going to Sleep [Comic]

Saturday 16 May 18:00:22 UTC 2015

[Source: According to Devin | Like “According to Devin” on Facebook] The post Shutting Down Your Computer Before Going to Sleep [Comic] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology News. [Link]

Slashdot » The Economic Consequences of Self-Driving Trucks

Saturday 16 May 17:48:00 UTC 2015

An anonymous reader writes: Last week we learned that self-driving big-rig trucks were finally being deployed on public roads in Nevada for testing purposes. Experts consider trucking to be ripe for replacement with AI because of the sheer volume of trucks on the road, and the relative simplicity of their routes. But the eventual replacement of truck drivers with autonomous … [Link]

Mashable » This is what it's like when lightning strikes way too close

Saturday 16 May 17:20:52 UTC 2015

Lightning1Feed-tw Feed-fb Don't mess with Texas. That includes its weather. A new clip from YouTuber OrangeSoda shows a lightning strike that appears to hit just feet away from the person filming in Cotulla, Texas, a small town located approximately an hour-and-a-half drive southwest of San Antonio. "God dammit!" the cameraman screams after the lightning hits. He then heads back inside his car, … [Link]

Mashable » Mad Max Men: If characters from 'Mad Men' were in 'Mad Max'

Saturday 16 May 16:49:12 UTC 2015

Mad_max_menFeed-tw Feed-fbDon Draper is going beyond Thunderdome. AMC's hit TV show Mad Men has a subdued style, but we've all learned over the last seven seasons that the employees at SCDP are full of surprises — and perhaps a few explosions. See also: 11 books in 'Mad Men' that represent each character How would Don, Peggy, Roger and Joan fare in the … [Link]

Slashdot » On the Taxonomy of Sci-Fi Spaceships

Saturday 16 May 16:40:00 UTC 2015

An anonymous reader writes: Jeff Venancio has done some research that's perfect reading for a lazy Saturday afternoon: figuring out a coherent taxonomy for sci-fi spaceships. If you're a sci-fi fan, you've doubtless heard or read references to a particular starship's "class" fairly often. There are flagships and capital ships, cruisers and corvettes, battleships and destroyers. But what does that … [Link]

Mashable » Norm Macdonald gets teary during David Letterman send-off

Saturday 16 May 16:35:10 UTC 2015

NormmacdonaldlettermanFeed-tw Feed-fb Comedian and actor Norm Macdonald is skilled at making people laugh, but now he can add tear-jerker to his résumé. David Letterman will be retiring from The Late Show on Wednesday, so his guests have been delivering heartwarming send-offs, honoring the legendary comedian and talk show host. After his stand-up set on the show on Friday, Macdonald shared his very … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Everyday drugs: The truth about testosterone

Saturday 16 May 16:30:00 UTC 2015

Millions of men take testosterone supplements. But is this the right way to regain youthful strength, vigour and libido? (full text available to subscribers) [Link]

Mashable » Banned Turkish soccer coach watches his team play from a crane

Saturday 16 May 16:24:15 UTC 2015

CoachFeed-tw Feed-fbLeft with no other options, Hamit Işık, the manager for the Turkish soccer club Çorum Belediyespor, was forced to watch his team's playoff game from the comfort of a crane after being banned from the stadium. The Telegraph reports that Işık's 9-month ban was the consequence of a temper tantrum with a referee. Additionally, the entire stadium was shut down for … [Link]

Mashable » The most unforgettable 'Mad Men' fashion moments

Saturday 16 May 16:00:50 UTC 2015

MadmenFeed-tw Feed-fbIn its eight-year run on AMC, Mad Men did more than present a period piece about an advertising firm and its retro culture. It created an entire movement in fashion that became an impetus for American men and women to start dressing better See also: 17 'Mad Men' guest stars we'll never forget Janie Bryant Janie Bryant, costume designer for "Mad Men."Image: Elisabeth … [Link]

Slashdot » Microsoft Confirms It Won't Offer Free Windows 10 Upgrades To Pirates

Saturday 16 May 15:35:00 UTC 2015

An anonymous reader writes: If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. All that talk about pirates getting free Windows 10 upgrades? Not happening. For genuine users, the free upgrade to Windows 10 means receiving "ongoing Windows innovation and security updates for free, for the supported lifetime of that device." Terry Myerson, Microsoft's executive vice president … [Link]

Mashable » 10 honest Facebook notifications we all need

Saturday 16 May 15:30:15 UTC 2015

Facebook-notificationsFeed-tw Feed-fbLong gone are the days when receiving a notification from social media was exciting, especially that little red number on Facebook It seems like day after day, no matter what happens in your real life, Facebook notifications stay the same. They are an endless stream of event invites you'll never go to, birthday reminders for people you don't care about and … [Link]

Mashable » Ukraine's new law calls for demolishing monuments to erase its Soviet past

Saturday 16 May 15:25:31 UTC 2015

Shu_6483Feed-tw Feed-fbAn ideological spring cleaning of sorts is set to begin in Ukraine, after President Petro Poroshenko signed controversial legislation on Friday intended to rid the country of symbols from its Soviet past. The legislation, passed by Parliament on April 9, condemns the communist authorities that governed from 1917 to 1991 as a criminal regime. It also bans all communist symbols and … [Link]

Mashable » Anna Kendrick challenges James Corden to a 'Pitch Perfect' sing-off

Saturday 16 May 14:46:10 UTC 2015

AnnakendrickFeed-tw Feed-fb Nothing settles a dispute like a good, old fashioned sing-off. It's like a musical duel for people who spent way too much time on the Internet as children. Anyways, Anna Kendrick stopped by The Late Late Show on Friday to promote the release of Pitch Perfect 2, and when she got word that James Corden was bragging about his vocal … [Link]

Slashdot » MAME Changing License To Fully Libre One

Saturday 16 May 14:31:00 UTC 2015

jones_supa writes: The source code of MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) has long been freely available, but it's never been completely libre. Instead, it's been available under a modified BSD license that prohibits, among other things, commercial use of the code. MAME engineer Miodrag Milanovic explains that such a license was put in place to deter "misuse of MAME in … [Link]

Mashable » Billboard Awards through the years: The top winners, from 1989 to today

Saturday 16 May 14:30:24 UTC 2015

Bbma-history-thumbFeed-tw Feed-fbThe 2015 Billboard Music Awards have taken place in Las Vegas each year since 1989 — save for a brief hiatus from 2007 to 2010 — to honor the best-selling artists with shiny statues to put alongside their platinum records. The finalists for the 40 chart-specific categories are chosen based on album and digital song sales, radio airplay, streaming, touring and … [Link]

Mashable » Egypt's first freely elected president is sentenced to death

Saturday 16 May 14:06:10 UTC 2015

MorsiFeed-tw Feed-fbCAIRO — An Egyptian court sentenced ousted President Mohammed Morsi and over 100 others to death Saturday over a mass prison break during the 2011 uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak and later brought Islamists to power for the first time in Egypt. As is customary in passing capital punishment, Judge Shaaban el-Shami referred his death sentence on Morsi and others to … [Link]

Slashdot » Russian Rocket Crashes In Siberia

Saturday 16 May 13:28:00 UTC 2015

An anonymous reader writes: A Russian Proton-M rocket carrying a Mexican satellite broke down shortly after launch and crashed in Siberia. Russian space agency Roscosmos is investigating the incident, but the cause is not yet known. In the video, the rocket appeared to sputter and stop providing thrust when the third-stage engine unexpectedly switched off. Communications were lost with the … [Link]

Mashable » Senior ISIS leader killed in U.S. commando raid, Pentagon says

Saturday 16 May 12:54:06 UTC 2015

IsisFeed-tw Feed-fbU.S. Special Operations commandos have killed the Islamic State commander in charge of oil and gas fields and captured his wife during a rare raid in eastern Syria. Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced the raid Saturday, identifying the militant as Abu Sayyaf. Carter called it a “another significant blow" to ISIS Abu Sayyaf headed #IS Economy & Oil ministry; Knew all … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » EXTENDED: Huge T-Shirt Sale – Over 50,000 Geektastic Tees at Just $14 Each!

Saturday 16 May 12:36:20 UTC 2015

Edit: The sale got extended till the end of the weekend! Hey Geeks! Our pals over at TeePublic are currently having a HUGE sale on all their t-shirts! All of their tees are currently going for just $14 each, and we’re talking about over 50,000 designs here. Here’s a selection of some of our favorites, but I won’t list them … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » The OceanMaker [Video]

Saturday 16 May 12:35:07 UTC 2015

After the seas have disappeared, a courageous pilot fights against vicious sky pirates for control of the last remaining source of water: the clouds. The bulk of the film was made using nothing but laptops during a 7-week artist retreat on a small caribbean island. [Mighty Coconut | Via GT] The post The OceanMaker [Video] appeared first on Geeks are … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Amazon Deal of the Day: Save 48% Off on the Amazing iOttie One Touch Smartphone Car Mount (Regular or XL) – $12.99

Saturday 16 May 12:34:53 UTC 2015

For today’s edition of Deal of the Day, Amazon offers the iOttie One Touch Smartphone Car Mount (Regular or XL) for just $12.99. Thyat’s 48% off on the car mount’s regular list price of $24.99. The iOttie One-Touch Windshield Dashboard Car Mounts main focus is functionality. Its easy one-touch system allows for the mounting and releasing of the device with … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Fantastic Bombshell Black Canary Cosplay [Pics]

Saturday 16 May 12:33:43 UTC 2015

I received these awesome photos of Tarah-Rex cosplaying as Bombshell Black Canary a while ago, but I totally forgot about them and they’ve been patiently sitting in my “draft” folder for the past month. Sorry Tarah! Model and costume: Tarah-Rex Cosplay Photos by: The Kaigan, Photosassin, and KanraCakes. The post Fantastic Bombshell Black Canary Cosplay [Pics] appeared first on Geeks … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Hypnotic [Comic]

Saturday 16 May 12:32:23 UTC 2015

[Source: CommitStrip | Like CommitStrip on Facebook] The post Hypnotic [Comic] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology News. [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Top 5 Awesome Games Based On Books

Saturday 16 May 12:31:54 UTC 2015

People don’t often think about it while gaming, but there are some really great games that were based on books. Literature was the premier escapist method before video games, so it makes sense games themselves would borrow from some books that inspired them. Here are five of the best. Oh, and hell yes to Alice being on the list. That … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » INSANE 4D Free-Fly Batman Roller Coaster Goes Live at Six Flags Fiesta Texas [Video]

Saturday 16 May 12:30:06 UTC 2015

A new Batman-themed roller coaster will go live on May 23rd at Six Flags Fiesta in San Antonio, Texas. We’ve posted a CG video of the ride a few months ago, but this is the real deal. BATMAN™: The Ride is a world class 4D Free Fly Coaster that thrusts you into a totally immersive, high-speed Gotham City adventure. You’ll … [Link]

Slashdot » Linino-Enabled Arduino Yun Shrinks In Size and Cost

Saturday 16 May 12:26:00 UTC 2015

DeviceGuru writes: Arduino announced a smaller, cheaper Arduino Yun Mini version of the Arduino Yun SBC at the Bay Area Maker Faire [Friday]. The $60 Arduino Yun Mini SBC sacrifices a number of interfaces in order to reduce size, and gives the OpenWRT Linux based Linino distribution, which is also used by the original Yun, more control over the board's … [Link]

Slashdot » Canadian Prime Minister To Music Lobby: Here's Your Copyright Term Extension

Saturday 16 May 11:40:56 UTC 2015

An anonymous reader writes: The Canadian government's decision to extend the term of copyright for sound recordings in the budget may have taken most copyright observers by surprise, but not the music industry. The extension will reduce competition, increase costs for consumers, and harm access to Canadian Heritage, but apparently all it took was a letter from the music industry … [Link]

Mashable » How early 20th century America played and worked, in color

Saturday 16 May 11:01:52 UTC 2015

American-autochromes-23-thumbFeed-tw Feed-fb1916A Hopi Indian and his burro stand at the edge of a high mesa.Image: Franklin Price Knott/National Geographic Creative/CorbisThese Autochromes – the first commercially available color photographic process – were taken by National Geographic Society photographers. The Society eventually moved on to other slightly more advanced photographic processes and finally to Kodachrome by 1938, but not before amassing a collection of … [Link]

New Scientist – News » I'm building airships to fly over the Amazon

Saturday 16 May 10:30:00 UTC 2015

The rainforests of Brazil offer huge transport challenges, so Marcelo Felippes is developing a retro, greener approach [Link]

Slashdot » European Telecoms May Block Mobile Ads, Spelling Trouble For Google

Saturday 16 May 9:49:00 UTC 2015

Mark Wilson has news that may have a big impact on both advertisers and end-users who use their phones as portals to ad-supported websites. Several European telecom providers are apparently planning to use ad-blocking software at the data-center level, which would mean benefit for users (in the form of less obnoxious advertising, and less data being eaten by it) but … [Link]

Slashdot » How MMO Design Has Improved Bar Trivia

Saturday 16 May 7:04:00 UTC 2015

Polygon.com features a look at how (very) different computer game worlds can meet, in the form of game designer Ralph Koster's Kitchen Disasters-style rescue effort to revive a game quite unlike the ones he's famous for designing, like Ultima Online. Bar-trivia provider Buzztime has been putting electronic trivia games into bars for three decades — and in that time, the … [Link]

Mashable » First U.S. orchestra to play in Cuba since 1999 sells out concert

Saturday 16 May 5:31:27 UTC 2015

CubaFeed-tw Feed-fbThe Minnesota Orchestra played to a sold-out house Friday night in the first performance in Cuba by a full professional U.S. orchestra since 1999, coming just months after the two Cold War rivals announced a thaw in relations. Few of the visiting Americans speak Spanish, but "the universal language of music" was all they needed, said Mele Willis, the orchestra's artistic … [Link]

Mashable » Romney knocked Holyfield to the ground, but it looked really, really fake

Saturday 16 May 5:14:16 UTC 2015

Ap599172703293Feed-tw Feed-fbIs Mitt Romney really the man to knock Evander Holyfield to the ground in the boxing ring? No, but at one point during Friday night's fight he did just that. Holyfield—the brawny boxer who got his ear bitten by Mike Tyson— added in an exaggerated kerplunk for good measure. The fight was for charity after all. Holyfield won the boxing match … [Link]

Mashable » Damn good news: David Lynch is back on board 'Twin Peaks' revival

Saturday 16 May 4:18:38 UTC 2015

Peaks1Feed-tw Feed-fbAll is once again right in the world of Twin Peaks After announcing last month that he was exiting the revival in the works at Showtime, creator David Lynch has announced he's back on board the project, which will move forward as planned on the network Dear Twitter Friends, the rumors are not what they seem ….. It is !!!Happening again#TwinPeaks … [Link]

Slashdot » House Science Committee Approves Changes To Space Law

Saturday 16 May 4:10:00 UTC 2015

schwit1 writes: In a series of party line votes, the House Science Committee has approved a number of changes to the laws that govern the private commercial space industry. Almost all of the changes were advocated by the industry itself, so in general they move to ease the regulatory and liability burdens that have been hampering the industry since the … [Link]

Mashable » 'Firecracker' may be the youngest star cluster about to hatch millions of stars

Saturday 16 May 3:05:57 UTC 2015

FirecrackerFeed-tw Feed-fbThe youngest example of one of the oldest objects in the universe may have been discovered by astronomers, who say it appears ready to hatch millions of stars. The object, which astronomers are calling the "Firecracker," is a dense, massive cloud of molecular gas and may be the youngest example of what's known as a globular cluster. Millions of stars can … [Link]

Mashable » 6 X-Men characters to watch for in the 'New Mutants' spinoff

Saturday 16 May 2:55:55 UTC 2015

20bwhdqFeed-tw Feed-fbAs if Deadpool, Gambit and Wolverine 3 weren't enough for superhero fans to look forward to, another spinoff has just been added to the slate of X-Men films we can expect to see in the coming years. Yesterday it was announced that 20th Century Fox has a New Mutants film in development, which will be directed by The Fault In Our … [Link]

Mashable » 'Chaotic planets' could complicate the hunt for alien life

Saturday 16 May 2:52:33 UTC 2015

ExoplanetFeed-tw Feed-fb“Chaotic planets" that possess wildly unpredictable orbits and climates likely circle distant stars, suggesting that some alien worlds that look habitable might actually be hostile to life for millions of years at a time, a new study reports. In the past two decades or so, astronomers have confirmed the existence of more than 1,800 exoplanets or planets orbiting distant stars. These … [Link]

Mashable » First warm-blooded fish ever found is the size of a car tire

Saturday 16 May 2:32:13 UTC 2015

Moonfish-4Feed-tw Feed-fbThe car tire-sized opah is striking enough thanks to its rotund, silver body. But now, researchers have discovered something surprising about this deep-sea dweller: It's got warm blood. That makes the opah (Lampris guttatus) the first warm-blooded fish ever discovered. Most fish are exotherms, meaning they require heat from the environment to stay toasty. The opah, as an endotherm, keeps its … [Link]

Mashable » Why 'Mad Men' was the greatest history lesson ever

Saturday 16 May 2:20:22 UTC 2015

Roger-peggy-skate-mmFeed-tw Feed-fbTime-shifting may be a common TV habit in the 21st century, but there's a reason why Mad Men is best viewed when it airs, on a Sunday night, and not because that's the way they did things back in the 20th century. It's that a Mad Men Sunday, which happens for the last time this weekend, is the most perfect match … [Link]

Mashable » Man shakes off 400 pounds with the help of a former teacher and Taylor Swift

Saturday 16 May 1:48:59 UTC 2015

TaylorswiftweightlossFeed-tw Feed-fbTwo years ago, Ronnie Brower weighed 675 pounds and was unemployed because he couldn't even leave the house. A doctor predicted he wouldn't live past 35 if he didn't make drastic changes to his lifestyle Syracruse.com reports that Joe Bufano, who taught Brower in high school and had stayed in touch with him, saw a Facebook post his former student made … [Link]

Slashdot » The Solution To Argentina's Banking Problems Is To Go Cashless

Saturday 16 May 1:36:40 UTC 2015

dkatana writes: There is no way back for Argentinian people to trust their own currency. Several governments have used the "Peso/Dollar" exchange to dig into people's savings, reward their friends and limit the freedom of citizens to use other currencies. Short of Dollarizing the economy again, the only solution for the country is going cashless. People are desperate, and they're … [Link]

Mashable » 'Penis Mightier' makes a comeback, this time on the real 'Celebrity Jeopardy!'

Saturday 16 May 1:34:17 UTC 2015

PenismightierFeed-tw Feed-fbA cross-section of '90s Saturday Night Live and current Jeopardy! fans rejoiced Friday night when Alex Trebek introduced the first Double Jeopardy category: "The Pen is Mightier." Sixteen years after Sean Connery, played by Darrell Hammond, thought the category referred to a penis enlarger on SNL's "Celebrity Jeopardy" sketch—perturbing Will Ferrell's always-peeved Trebek—it showed up on the actual show. See also: … [Link]

Slashdot »  Planetary Society Wants To Launch a Crowd-Funded Solar Sail

Saturday 16 May 0:59:00 UTC 2015

jan_jes writes to note that The Planetary Society is attempting to crowdfund its own version of the light-powered space-craft popularized by Carl Saga as a "solar sailer." (YouTube video, with the Society's CEO Bill Nye.) The current model is a CubeSat no bigger than a breadbox with four sails. If the team manages to raise enough money, LightSail will be … [Link]

Mashable » Photos of Palmyra show why this ancient Syrian city must be saved before ISIS destroys it

Saturday 16 May 0:00:44 UTC 2015

Palmyra-thumbnailFeed-tw Feed-fbThe ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra have withstood centuries of conflict in the Syrian desert and are now facing their greatest threat yet: the Islamic State. Officials at the United Nations and the Syrian government have appealed for help in protecting this historic site with "outstanding universal value" ahead of an ISIS offensive in the city north of Damascus … [Link]

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