Book Review: Revelation Space
The main trilogy forming the Revelation Space universe (Revelation Space, Redemption Ark and Absolution Gap) are Alastair Reynolds’ fictional answer to the Fermi Paradox: if, as predicted, the emergence of intelligent life in the universe is very likely, then why are we unable to find any evidence of the existence of these alien civilisations? E.T. read more?»
Book Review: Chasm City
Chasm City, Alastair Reynold’s stand alone “Revelation Space” novel, is a tense, interstellar roller coaster.
Tanner Mirabel is a man with a mission: the assassination of Argent Reivich, the aristocrat responsible for the murder of both Tanner’s boss, the arms dealer Cauhella, and his boss’ innocent wife. Obsessively, Tanner follows Reivich across light-years of empty space, from the planet Sky’s Edge orbiting 61 Cygni to Yellowstone, in the Epsilon Eridani system. What once was the greatest, most technologically advanced city in settled space, Yellowstone’s Chasm City is, by the time our villain and antihero arrive, reduced to a sickly impoverished shadow of its former glory. The Melding Plague, an alien nano-machine based disease, has corrupted the advanced technology of the city’s buildings and the inhabitants’ implants alike. Up, up, and away!»
Light Speed
How a terrible 80s pop-rock hit forces me to rant about the speed of light.
As a skeptic I believe that our obsession with 80s music is a prime example of confirmation bias: we tend to remember the few songs that were actually good and forget how utterly crap all the rest of the music was. But for some arcane reason the radio in the laboratory was tuned to an all 80s station today. My poor ears caught parts of the lyrics of Europe’s The Final Countdown and something just didn’t make sense… besides the über-cheesy synthesizer melody. Prepare for a jump to hyperspace»
Book Review: Boneshaker
In which my steam-powered opener opens a can of worms and I disagree with nearly the entire steampunk-loving world.
Set in a late 19th century America where, due to increased advances of technology, the civil war is still raging, Boneshaker paints a contrasting steampunk world removed from the Victorian frills of other novels in the same genre. Dirigibles away! »
Baby Boomers
An open letter from the Boomers to their children: “…We realized like no other generation that the purpose of politics is to line our own pockets. Yes, most of that has been at your expense, kids. Sorry about that…”
Aside & Bitesized
This has to be the most realistic side-scrolling platform game in the world: Dan the Man!
Yet another case of Haggard’s Law: right-winged, bigoted Baptist minister is going on a vacation and takes with him… a rent boy!
Dear Music Industry, please stop hurting your own sales by fighting “pirates”.
For people wondering why I don’t go out to St. Mary Street, take a look at these photos. After many months, these snapshots are creating a political storm, too.
Is this a case of W. W. J. D.? Pastor found doing the immoral-atheist-killing-neighbours routine on a bunch of forums. Whatever happened to thou shalt not bear false witness?
Christopher Hitchens chips in on the recent UN anti-blasphemy resolution.
It seems that my native land is receiving some well-deserved attention from the always compassionate and meek Phelps Family! Hooray!
Saudi Arabia, pearl of True Islam™ where it is nigh impossible for women to buy undergarments. Allah doesn’t like under-thingies.
Nigerian police arrested an armed robber, who happened to transform into a goat!
31 Days to Darwin Day… Doonesbury, comic, here.
32 Days to Darwin Day… and here is a great collection of easy to understand resources on evolution, from Berkeley University.
33 Days to Darwin Day… and here are some more of those “evolution textbook” (and other) disclaimer stickers for you to chuckle over.
34 Days to Darwin Day… and I bring you my book review of Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body by Neil Shubin.
35 Days to Darwin Day… and here’s Darwin’s dangerous idea: Top 10 evolution articles at New Scientist.
36 Days to Darwin Day… and here are a bunch of long, interesting lectures on Darwin’s legacy.
37 Days to Darwin Day… and in an ideal world, when ignoramuses show up, this should be all we need to say.
38 Days to Darwin Day… and here’s a New Orleans style human evolution shirt from Dirty Coast.
39 Days to Darwin Day… and here’s episode 1 of PBS’s series on Evolution: Darwin’s Dangerous Idea, part 1 and part 2.
40 Days to Darwin Day… and evolutionists flock to a Darwin apparition in the form of a wall stain. “[P]ilgrims claim the image fills them with an overwhelming feeling of logic.”
41 Days to Darwin Day… Fold your own paper Carl Sagan, Albert Einstein, or Charled Darwin, including the iconic beard.