A while back Andrea Bellerive, the daughter of a friend of mine, chose me (me!) to focus on for an Authors’ Fair at her school, St. Pius X, here in Regina. I popped by this afternoon to see the finished result, and was quite thrilled. (My apologies for the poor quality of this photo–I only …
I love airships, and I’m not alone. Award-winning children’s author Kenneth Oppel, for example, obviously loves them: his recent novels Airborn and Skybreaker are set in an alternate world where airships, not airplanes, rule the skies. Canadian science fiction writer Karl Schroeder must love them, too: his novels Sun of Suns and Queen of Candesce, …
…though not technically a “new” review, since it’s a review of the hardcover edition. Nevertheless, I missed it until now. It’s by Don D’Ammassa: The only previous work I’ve read by this author was some young adult fantasy, so I was curious about this science fiction novel for more mature audiences. Humanity and an alien …
Here’s an interesting interview on that topic with Dr. Malcom Davis, a lecturer in Defence Studies with the Defence Studies Department of King’s College London. Dr. Davis says current games certainly have some realistic elements, but: I think that consumer military simulations are never going to be totally realistic because ultimately people don’t really die …
“UBC Researchers Find New Superbug Weapon for Near-empty Antibiotics Arsenal“:The team found that a peptide, or chain of amino acids, they have dubbed innate defense regulator peptide (IDR-1), can increase innate immunity without triggering harmful inflammation, and offer protection both before and after infection is present. *** “Antibiotics are now under threat because of the …
I hope it works out. As I like to say (and I don’t think I’m the first), “Wikipedia is a very useful tool. Sometimes it’s even right.” Here’s the nascent rival: Citizendium. It’s Wikipedia with real names…and experts.
…you’re stinking up my wine: Ladybugs may look pretty but they also have a dark side. In some places, the polka-dotted insects have become a nuisance by invading homes and crops, including some vineyards. To make matters worse, the bugs produce a foul-smelling liquid that, besides irritating homeowners, can be inadvertently processed along with grapes …
It’s The Children of Húrin, begun 89 years ago, left unfinished (like so much else) when Tolkien died in 1971, and now painstakingly recreated from Tolkien’s manuscripts and notes by his son, Christopher. This story from The Independent, though, has a terrible title: “Tolkien Jr. completes Lord of the Rings.” The Children of Húrin takes …
Trouble is, it probably won’t show up for about a billion years.
I’ve previously mentioned my enchantment with blimps, zeppelins, and other lighter-than-air airships. Now here’s a really cool one: a concept for a blimp that swims through the air like a fish, using artificial muscles.
…but you’re tired of looking down on everyone, trying looking up instead, via WikiSky. From New Scientist Space Blog: The site features a map of more than half a billion astronomical objects. You can navigate around it easily by clicking and dragging the map and using a zoom-in/zoom-out sidebar. You can also search on specific …
We’ve become accustomed to seeing real and virtual actors (or at least extras) blended with real and virtual sets in the movies. Now it’s being done live on stage: Using new techniques that merge the Internet 2 with traditional stage theatre, the University of Central Florida, Bradley University in Illinois and the University of Waterloo …
