STUFF: News, Technology, the cool and the plain weird

[MIKA27]

LOCK STOCK & BARREL 16 YEAR RYE WHISKEY

The whiskey market is flooded with new releases on a regular basis these days. But it's a rarity to find a release as unique as Lock Stock & Barrel 16 Year Rye Whiskey. It's not only a 16-year-old rye — which you'd be hard pressed to find anywhere — but it's also made using a 100 percent rye grain mashbill. It was distilled in copper pot stills, unfiltered, before aging for 16 winters in new, charred American oak. The packaging it just as unique, as each drop of rye whiskey sits in these black glass bottles, complete with a gold embossed label.

 

[MIKA27]

Want To Cool Off The Earth? Easy: Shoot Clouds With Lasers

Scientists from the University of Geneva and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany recently published a study in Science Advances that shows how lasers could soon be used to combat global warming. Their paper, “Laser vaporization of cirrus-like ice particles with secondary ice multiplication,” explains the process of using laser beams to break apart atmospheric ice crystals in order to slow down the greenhouse effect.

The technique is based on the principles of surface area and reflection of sunlight. By breaking apart atmospheric ice into smaller particles, the lasers create a larger surface area of cloud-based ice which can then reflect more sunlight back into space. This is not the first time that lasers have been proposed as a solution to climate change. A 2014 geoengineering conference saw presentations on how lasers could be fired from space to incinerate greenhouse gasses or even “grow” clouds.

An ice crystal being vaporized by a laser in recent laboratory tests.

Despite the success of laboratory-based experiments with this technique and the fact that every video gamer has been dreaming of such an opportunity, the team’s lead researcher says it will still be quite some time before lasers will be blowing up clouds above our heads. Co-author Mary Matthews of the University of Geneva, says the practical application of laser-based climate alteration is still “a long, long, long way in the future.”

What we are hoping for is that the advances in laser technology, which are moving faster and faster all the time, will enable high-powered, mobile lasers.

The announcement of this new process is not without naysayers. Critics argue that any tinkering with the environment could have unintended consequences that could end up being catastrophic for all life on earth. Blowing up ice crystals with lasers actually creates a small burst of plasma, which can release heat. Furthermore, clouds can act as a kind of insulator and trap heat; by blowing them up, that heat might be released into the atmosphere, thereby warming it. There is also the problem of powering the lasers themselves. Any high-powered laser will require a substantial amount of energy to power it, which will necessitate the burning of fossil fuels.

Nevertheless, advances like this one show promise that we might one day be able to curb the disastrous results of our carbon-emitting modern civilization. And come on: who doesn’t want to blow stuff up with lasers?

[MIKA27]

Killer Hippos Are Feeding on Senegal’s Fishermen

They’re one of the darlings of animal parks … relaxing peacefully in a pool with only their nostrils showing, yawning for the cameras to display their massive mouths filled with so few teeth that they don’t seem they could harm a fish, let alone a fisherman … could they? It turns out that the primarily vegetarian hippopotamus may be developing a taste for humans as fishermen in Senegal are refusing to go out in the waters near villages like Gouloumbou, where 25 have been killed and many more mauled in the past ten years. 

These men are struggling to survive due to these attacks. I have written so many letters to the authorities, even the fisheries minister, to make them aware of the problem.

Abdoulaye Barro Watt, chief of the village of Gouloumbou, describes his attempts to get help from the government. Maybe he should send them a subscription to National Geographic. The magazine has listed the “river horse” as the most dangerous mammal in Africa (after “humans” won for so many years that they were no longer allowed to compete for the coveted trophy).

I came with another fisherman to pick up the nets I had left when the hippopotamus upended our boat. My friend got away but it bit into my left leg, then my right.

Fisherman Ali Fall recovering from his hippo attack injuries

Agence France Presse recently interviewed fisherman Ali Fall in his hospital bed where he was just the latest lucky fisherman to escape an attack by a 3,300 pound (1,500 kg) vegetarian. Fall’s fellow fishermen say they haven’t fished in weeks while women in the village admit they never turn their backs on the local tributary of the river Gambia. Sadly, they remember previous times when the villagers and hippos shared the waters in harmony. What happened?

The “official” explanations from local officials blame the fishermen themselves for being out during hippo mating season (what about the rest of the year?), the flimsy wooden fishing boats known as pirogues (they’ve been suitable for hundreds of years) and more people in general using the river (a lack of running water in the village forces people to use it for washing and bathing – something they could fix). While the officials have given the fishermen stronger boats and set up pools where they can fish safely, that doesn’t satisfy them and doesn’t explain the human-hungry hippos.

Fall blames a change in the ancient ways that once allowed the villagers to live with the hippos.

Practicing magic protected people from the river, but now they don’t treat it properly, washing their clothes and dishes.

He also blames a curse placed on the village in 2007 by a fisherman who was upset over fish prices.

Whatever the cause, villagers can’t just kill the hippos because they’re a protected species. Fall says he’s changing jobs and his fellow fishermen are doing the same.

Do animal protection laws prevent reversing curses?

 

[MIKA27]

2017 NISSAN GT-R NISMO

The newly refreshed GT-R was meant to make it more fun to drive on the street. The 2017 Nissan GT-R Nismo makes sure it's ready for the track, too. Tested during development on the challenging Nürburgring, it has a hand-built engine mated to a pair of high-flow turbochargers that bump output to 600 hp, put to the ground via the upgraded all-wheel-drive system and a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox. As demanded by the engine changes, it has an enlarged grille, a reinforced hood that won't deform at high speed, and a carbon fiber front bumper. Yet inside it has all the creature comforts of its updated stablemates, including an Alcantara steering wheel, a drastically improved and simplified center stack with eight-inch touchscreen, and leather Recaro racing seats.

[MIKA27]

Footage of Possible Drone / UFO Near Wright Patterson Called 'Incredible'

 

Video of a UFO hovering above Wright-Patterson Air Force Base has taken the internet by storm, with skeptics and believers alike calling the footage “mind blowing.” The video shows the UFO hovering in the sky above Dayton, Ohio, not far from Wright-Patterson. It was filmed by a local couple watching the sunset from their house. When they spot the UFO, the pair are clearly blown away.

In the video reportedly recorded Wednesday, May 25, you can hear the woman recording the UFO on her phone exclaiming to her partner about what she’s seeing in they sky about Wright-Patterson.

The hovering UFO isn’t a flying saucer or disc. Instead, it’s a mysteriously shaped object or craft with one pointed end, and it appears to be covered with strange marking or writing.

The video of the UFO goes on for a few dozen more seconds, and the camera zooms in on the mysterious object floating above Dayton momentarily, before the UFO fades into the clouds.

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, which is very close to where the UFO footage was recorded, has a long history of UFO sightings dating back decades. As the video above clarifies, Air Force pilots and servicemen have frequently gone on the record about inexplicable goings on at Wright Patterson. Some of the earliest reports of UFO activity near the base were reported back in 1947, around the same time as the Roswell incident.

[MIKA27]

Thor: Ragnarok May Finally Give Fans The Planet Hulk Movie They Have Been Waiting For

Several years ago, rumours began to swirl that Marvel Studios was going to send Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk into space for an adaptation of the popular comic storyline, Planet Hulk. Now that Hulk now going into the cosmos for Thor: Ragnarok, this could be the time.

The usually on point blog Joblo says Ragnarok will feature a version of that story, which found Hulk battling Gladiator-style on a distant planet. How will it happen? Well, this is just a rumour at this point but, in case it’s true, we’ll drop this.

According to the site, when Thor finds Hulk in the movie, he’s fighting in games run by the Grandmaster, played by Jeff Goldblum. They don’t reveal how he got there, if this is by design, or how he and Thor team up, but that’s the report. Beyond that, the site says Hulk will be sporting some version of the one shoulder outfit from the Planet Hulk comics, the first time he’ll have a new look in the MCU. (Apparently, Thor himself may also have a new look in the film, with a partially shaved head.) Then there’s Valkyrie, played by Tessa Thompson, who JoBlo reports will “be wearing war paint on her face, much like a Native American warrior”.

If true, it sounds like this element is just a smaller cog in the larger story of Thor and his minions stopping Ragnarok, which feels like the perfect way to handle it. As much as we’d all love to see Hulk kick arse for two hours, that doesn’t develop story or character. If it’s just dropped in there for a single set piece, you give the fans what they want, and you have a fun jumping-off point for the rest of the film.

Again, since Thor: Ragnarok has yet to start shooting, these are obviously still rumours, but they certainly make sense.

Thor: Raganrok opens in US theatres on 3 November 2017. 

 

[MIKA27]

John Oliver Would Like Someone To Invent These Things

 

John Oliver runs a regular segment called “How Is This Still a Thing?”, but he’s decided to turn it on its head. So “How Is This Not a Thing?” describes the things that Oliver would like see invented — preferably as soon as possible.

Amongst others, Oliver would like a sedative for the part of the day that we have to be awake, bread pants and a search engine that can make sense of the kinds of questions that your parents ask. How are they not things?

 

[MIKA27]

Rod Serling's Thoughts About Children's Imagination Make For A Lovely Animation

 

Thanks to PBS Digital Studios and its series Blank on Blank, we have this beautiful animation of an interview with The Twilight Zone’s Rod Serling. His ideas about science fiction, children and imagination all get expressed in a wonderful way.

The interview is from 1963, with Serling explaining the show on an Australian radio show. In addition to talking about The Twilight Zone and his own childhood, he also talked about why he was glad kids were fans of the show, saying, “The most unfettered imagination belongs to young people. And they don’t walk through life, they fly.”

He also explained that it was this imagination, fuelled by science fiction, that led to the the great leaps in science being made in the ’60s:

And that’s the reason we have astronauts orbiting now. And that’s why we’re planning a trip to the moon. People talk about science fiction being very far out and very wild. I don’t think it’s any of these things.

Everything we see in the way of space travel, space concept, scientific advancement, medical discoveries was already predicted by some good science fiction 25 years ago.

It’s a great thought.

[MIKA27]

KIND FAMILY PROVIDE LOVE AND SHELTER TO ORPHANED BEAR

 

This isn't some elaborate Photoshop prank, that really is married couple Svetlana and Yuriy Panteleenko sitting next to their adopted domesticated bear Stepan. How does one end up with a big fuzzy bear as a flatmate you might ask? The story of Stepan began when he was a very young cub. He was found by hunters in a nearby forest at at the time was a mere 3 months old.

Quite why he was abandoned remains a mystery but he was in very poor health, dehydrated, starving and extremely weak. Touched by his shocking condition, Svetlana and Yuriy nursed him back to health, back from the brink of death.

1 Month turned into 2 months and 2 months into 23 years. Suddenly Stepan was all grown up - a fully functioning domestic bear, adored by his human family.

Just like a dog or cat at home, Stepan loves watching the TV! "We have never been bitten by Stepan. He absolutely loves people and is a really sociable bear – despite what people might think, he is not aggressive at all." explains Svetlana.

So what does a bear do all day?

Apparently he works up quite the appetite by chasing a football around the home, watering the garden and playing with his family. So much so that Stepan powers through an average of 25kg of vegetables, eggs and raw fish every day.

For Svetlana and Yuriy though, it's all in a days work for caring for their adopted fur baby!

[MIKA27]

Say Hello to Goliath, The Newest ‘Monster’ of Myakka, Florida

Florida’s Myakka State Forest has quite a history with its “monsters”. It was once best known — at least as far as monster-hunting circles go — for a series of photos purporting to show a “skunk ape” prowling for apples in one of its nearby residential areas. The origins of the image, submitted anonymously to the Sarasota County Police Department on December 22, 2000, remain inconclusive.

However, now it would appear that there is a new monster in town. On Thursday, May 26, photos and video appeared online showing a gator on the Myakka Pines Golf Club in nearby Englewood that was so big that many viewers likely assumed it was an online hoax.

Nicknamed “Goliath” by the staff at the golf course in question, the monster was initially believed to be between 12 and 13 feet in length. But new estimates of the animal’s size indicate that it may be closer to 14 feet, and weighing in at around 780 pounds.

One year ago, photos of Goliath snacking on what appeared to be a large snapping turtle in one of the course’s many ponds were posted online via the Myakka Pines Golf Club’s Twitter Account. However, the latest images and video, taken by golfers as the gator strolled by a short distance away, help show the true enormousness of this holdover from Earth’s prehistoric past.

Goliath isn’t the only monster gator making headlines in Florida. In April, Okeechobee residents Lee Lightsey and Blake Godwin managed to capture an alligator they found in a cattle pond on their land, which had been making regular meals of the cattle on their farm. The creature was nearly 15-feet-long, and weighed more than 800 pounds.

University of Florida researchers also announced within the last few weeks that wild Nile crocodiles have been discovered living out of captivity in the Sunshine State, which qualifies the beast among the state’s most recent additions to its invasive species list. And if you thought Myakka’s “Goliath” was a whopper, experts warn that Nile crocodiles can grow up to 18 feet in length.

Nile crocodiles are, apart from their massive size, nearly identical to the American variety of the species. Citing an interview with Frank Mazzotti of the Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, Newsweek reported that, “The American crocodile is one of the most gentle species of crocodilian… On the other hand, when Nile crocs are in their native habitat, fully grown adults are much more prone to looking at humans as food.” Mazzotti says that their American cousins don’t eat humans.

[MIKA27]

ANALOG ATARI PONG TABLE

Thanks to the hard work of some guys down in Uruguay, the classic Attari game is being reborn in physical form. Like the world of Tron, this arcade game has made its way back as a striking combination of the analogue and digital worlds.

There is something both ridiculous and undeniably cool about this project. One of the first widely popular video games made an analogue game digital, and now nearly forty years later it’s being made physical once more. Over the past two years, a team of amateur tinkerers and craftsman have come together to incrementally improve on this Table Pong Project in their free time and have finally arrived at a working prototype. Both the paddles and cubed ball move as if not attached to anything, while the surface of the table features the same minimalist black and white design the original did. Who knows what the licensing would look like on something like this – but if this crew ever ends up selling their Pong table, I want one.

 

[MIKA27]

SHADDAI MEGA YACHT

Part observation deck, part watercraft, all luxury. The Shaddai Mega Yacht is named after a Hebrew word meaning God or omnipotent, which you'll most certainly feel as you relax in the owner's cabin infinity pool nearly 125 feet in the air. Down below this private perch are a main deck with another infinity pool, which has a transparent bottom that becomes the roof of the 300 square meter beach club. At 150 meters long, it offers plenty of room for guests while ensuring privacy for the owner, and will undoubtedly be the center of attention wherever you choose to dock it.

 

[MIKA27]

A Solo Mission to Mars Goes Weirdly Awry in Approaching the Unknown

Here’s the first trailer for writer-director Mark Elijah Robinson’s debut feature, Approaching the Unknown. An astronaut (Mark Strong) blasts off for Mars but ends up heading more in the direction of ... well, the title’s kind of a giveaway. When existential weirdness meets space travel, though, anything’s possible.

It certainly looks intriguing. The “one moment of pure wonder” line is a little touchy-feely, but it seems like taking a lonely, one-way mission to another planet would stir up some heavy emotions. And it doesn’t look like anyone will come and rescue this particular Martian at the end of the film. Plus, Strong—who’s usually seen in supporting roles, and often plays villains—is an inspired casting choice. The film opens June 3.

[MIKA27]

The Longest, Deepest Rail Tunnel On Earth Just Opened

After 17 years of construction, the Gotthard Base Tunnel opens today. This feat of engineering is a 56km high-speed rail connection beneath the Swiss Alps, and is now the longest transit tunnel in the world. You better believe that Hyperloop engineers are paying attention.

The Gotthard Base Tunnel is actually several tunnels — about 151km total — burrowing deep below the gargantuan Gotthard range near the Italian border. In addition to two tunnels that allow travel in either direction, there are also a network of tunnels just for ventilation (otherwise temperatures inside could reach 120 degrees Fahrenheit). The terrain required four tunnel boring machines (TBMs) to chew through all that rock, which has been described by geologists as some of the most unpredictable in the world. The project was extremely dangerous, and nine workers have died in the tunnel since construction began.

In addition to being the longest — Japan’s Seikan Tunnel is just a few miles shorter — the tunnel plunges through the mountain range at a steady 502.92m above sea level, which makes it the “deepest” on Earth. But this consistent depth of about 3km below the Alpine peaks also represents another technological achievement that will improve the tunnel’s performance. If the track stays at the same elevation the entire time it’s underground, trains can travel at the same high speed through the tunnel.

The challenge to build a very long, very straight tunnel is the same challenge that Hyperloop’s designers are facing — which is exactly why one Hyperloop startup is partnering with Swiss tunnel designers and collaborating with the Swiss government on a cargo system.

The old “panoramic” rail route in blue largely travels over the mountains, and the new high-speed rail tunnel is in red.

When passenger service begins in December, trains will be able to zip through the tunnel at an astounding 249km/h, which means those travelling from Zurich to Milan will arrive at their destinations in an impressive two-and-a-half hours instead of four.

Right now, passengers face two much slower options. The “panoramic” route uses either a short, 200-year-old rail tunnel or the 16km Gotthard Road Tunnel that was completed in 1980. The hope is that a faster rail connection will entice drivers to leave their cars at home. But the bigger problem, both environmentally and economically, is all the trucks that are carrying goods in either direction. This kind of high-speed rail tunnel will now allow freight to travel much more efficiently to Switzerland and beyond. The plan is to eventually have a single high-speed link connecting ports in Netherlands and Italy.

In addition to the cutting of a large red ribbon at the tunnel’s opening ceremonies, there was a modern dance performance that took place at the tunnel’s entrance today.

Among the Eyes Wide Shut-inspired images from the performance is a topless masked woman flitting around the tunnel with feathery wings.

Surely these men are taking photos of the exquisite infrastructural triumph that will keep Switzerland’s trains running on time.

 

[MIKA27]

OnePlus 3 Is Coming, And This Time You Don't Need An Invite

OnePlus makes exciting smartphones at a great price point, but isn’t exactly great when it comes to simplifying the purchase process. From a complicated invite system, to a ridiculously sexist “ladies first” selfie campaign there have been small windows of opportunity to just buy the damn phone like a regular human buying a regular product.

Want some good news? When the OnePlus 3 launches on 14 June, a simple purchase process won’t just be a small window of opportunity, it will be the norm. But of course, this is OnePlus, so there’s a twist

We loved the OnePlus One and OnePlus Two, even if they were hard to get a hold of.

On 15 June 2:30am AEST, the OnePlus 3 will be launched in a virtual reality experience, called the “Loop”. “Step into the particle lift and enter the Loop, the world’s first global shopping experience in VR,” OnePlus says.

There will also be a peer review launched on the OnePlus site, which applications close for in three days.

“We built OnePlus together,” it reads. “Your feedback and participation help guide everything we do, and it’s time to take that collaboration to the next level. Here in the Lab, we’ll be working directly with the community — to make things better.”

[MIKA27]

Microsoft Announces 'Mixed Reality' Plans With Windows Holographic

Microsoft says that Windows Holographic, the platform that powers Microsoft HoloLens, enables “a world of mixed reality” where devices work together — regardless of whether they are developed for virtual reality, augmented reality, or anything in-between.

This “mixed reality” is a place where devices interact with each other to change the way people work, communicate, learn and play. And now Microsoft has opened the platform for partners to create new experiences.

“With Windows 10, we’ve been on an incredible journey with our partners, and today we usher in the next frontier of computing — mixed reality,” said Terry Myerson, executive vice president, Windows and Devices.

The are over 80 million virtual reality devices expected on the market, per year, by 2020. Clearly the business opportunity for virtual reality is vast. Yet, today’s devices are built with related but differing technologies — ranging from virtual to augmented reality.

These devices and experiences do not work together today, because of different user interfaces, interaction models, input methods, peripherals and applications. Most virtual reality experiences can’t mix real people, objects and environments into the virtual world, making creation and collaboration difficult.

Microsoft says Windows Holographic aims to unites these worlds, enabling innovation across a range of devices. You’ve got a holographic shell and user interface, perception APIs, and Xbox Live services which Microsoft hopes will enable a “familiar experience” across apps and content.

All Universal Windows apps (of which there are almost a thousand) can run on the Windows Holographic platform.

“In a mixed reality world, devices can offer experiences that extend beyond the virtual world,” Microsoft says. “Imagine wearing a VR device and seeing your physical hands as you manipulate an object, working on the scanned 3-D image of a real object, or bringing a real-life holographic representation of another person into your virtual world so you can collaborate.”

“In this world, devices can spatially map your environment wherever you are; manipulating digital content is as easy and natural as it is in the real world.”

Here’s a video from Microsoft to explain how it works:

Microsoft also announced its plans with Intel, Qualcomm, HTC, Acer, ASUS, Dell, Falcon Northwest, HP and Lenovo — among others — to build a hardware ecosystem supporting great virtual reality experiences on Windows 10.

Nick Parker, corporate vice president, OEM division, highlighted how Microsoft works hand-in-hand with PC makers, celebrating innovation in hardware from PCs to gaming to Internet of Things “and beyond”.

 

[MIKA27]

What Would Happen If Humans Disappeared From Earth?

It’s an age old question that we love to entertain because we’re all obsessed with our own mortality and the future of the world: what would happen to the world if humans disappeared? With enough time, the Earth would be able to reset itself and erase any trace of our existence. Mind Warehouse goes deep into answering it by detailing the progression of what would happen when.

Here are some highlights:

• A few hours after humans disappear, most of the lights around the world will shut off because most of the power stations won’t be able to run (hydroelectric stations would still work).
• Ten days later, pets and farm animals would die off while packs of big dogs would form to hunt down other animals.
• A month later, the cooling water in nuclear power stations would have evaporated which would cause Chernobyl-level disasters across the world.
• One year later, our satellites will fall.
• Twenty five years later, vegetation will cover the world with some cities being buried in sand.
• Three hundred years later, metal buildings, bridges and towers will start to break apart because of corrosion.
• Ten thousand years later, the only evidence of our existence will be the things we’ve made with stone: Pyramids, Great Wall of China, Mount Rushmore and so on.

 

[MIKA27]

League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen Is Getting Another Movie

After a 2003 adaptation of Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill’s graphic novel failed to launch a hoped-for franchise — and a 2013 TV series never made it past the pilot stage — 20th Century Fox is once again tackling The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

Perhaps this version will learn from the mistakes of that earlier big-screen effort, which starred Sean Connery in his final role (arguably putting him off making movies forever). At the very least, it could hardly be worse than the first film, which added American agent Tom Sawyer, as US audiences couldn’t be trusted to know or care about such British literary characters as Captain Nemo, Mina Harker and Dr Jekyll. (“The listless movie adaptation of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen has the sweat stains of wasted energy; it’s dreary, yet frantic,” remarked the New York Times.)

As Variety notes:

John Davis on board to produce through his Davis Entertainment banner. Jayson Rothwell has been hired to write “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.” Ira Napoliello and Matt Reilly are overseeing the remake, based on Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill’s graphic novel of the same name, centering on Victorian-era literary characters such as Captain Nemo, the Invisible Man, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde teaming to fight a common enemy.

No director or cast has yet been announced.

[MIKA27]

Nazi Teleprinter From World War II Bought On eBay By Museum For $20

Sometimes you can find a real gem on eBay. The UK’s National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park certainly did: It spotted a Nazi teleprinter used during the war for sale on the site and bought it for just $20.

The BBC reports that volunteers from the museum — which is housed in the buildings where Alan Turing worked during the war — came across the device as they were casually scanning eBay. Staff then travelled to Southend-on-Sea in Essex to see the device, which was listed on the site as a telegram machine.

Closer inspection revealed tell-tale makings confirming its provenance — notably a Swastika and a special Waffen-SS key. The museum offered the owner £10 — or $20 — for the device, which was accepted.

The teleprinter was one part of the Nazi encryption infrastructure. As The Register explains, communications would be entered into the newly found device before being encoded by a Lozenz SZ42 cipher machine (pictured above). The National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park currently owns a Lozenz SZ42 — one of just four thought to remain intact — and it’s hoping to pair the two up.

The museum is now looking for a new motor component for the Lozenz machine, so the two can be made to work together once more.

[MIKA27]

More Details Have Been Revealed About Those Rogue One Reshoots

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story won’t be released for almost seven months, and yet it’s already the talk of fans everywhere. Today, lots of that talk was about a New York Post article saying the film was “in crisis” and needed “expensive reshoots”. A new report now adds some much-needed detail to those claims.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the reshoots are definitely happening. However, the reason is much more specific. “The move is happening after execs screened the movie and felt it was tonally off with what a ‘classic’ Star Wars movie should feel like,” the article says. “The goal of the reshoots will be to lighten the mood, bring some levity into the story and restore a sense of fun to the adventure.”

In addition, the report says “that while [director Gareth] Edwards’ first cut was a solid showing, it didn’t measure up to the bar set in terms of four-quadrant appeal. ‘Anything less than extraordinary won’t do,’ says a studio insider.”

It certainly sounds like, while Rogue One may not exactly be “in crisis”, the Post wasn’t inaccurate in reporting the film has issues. Which it should. If the movie was ready in May, they would have scheduled it for winter. It’s being released in December to give the filmmakers time to get it right. A rough cut this early, warts and all, means Edwards is working hard.

These days, just about every big movie schedules reshoots in the post-production schedule to make tweaks and changes. Some reports say The Force Awakens did reshoots mere weeks before release. Because of that, many believed the Post report was erroneously mixing standard reshoots up with something grander. Now, with this Hollywood Reporter story, it’s certain that’s not the case. If the tone of Edwards’ film didn’t match what Star Wars is all about, that most likely means there’s a problem that needs fixing. And now they can fix it.

Then again, one of the most exciting things about Rogue One was the possibility of a film that didn’t feel like a cookie-cutter Star Wars movie. Audiences want a sense of adventure, sure, but something darker and different could also be welcome. However, as the Hollywood Reporter source points out “This takes place just before A New Hope and leads up to the 10 minutes before that classic films begins. You have to match the tone.”

No matter what the case, it’s certain Rogue One will be better because of these reshoots. The movie isn’t the movie until it’s released.

[MIKA27]

Archaeologist Claims to Have Uncovered Aristotle’s Tomb

After 20 years of excavation at Stagira, Greece, archaeologist made a stunning pronouncement on the 2,400th anniversary of the birth of Aristotle: he has successfully located the famed classical philosopher’s tomb. It’s the discovery of a lifetime, but for one issue; Sismanidis’s findings have been met with a resounding chorus of “um, hold on a minute…” by the archaeological community.

So why is Sismanidis ‘almost certain’ of his discovery? The ancient city of Stagira, which lies in the Greek region of Macedonia, is recognized as the birthplace of Aristotle, sometime around 384 BC. And for two decades archaeologists have been painstakingly excavating the site.

It’s at this site that Sismanidis has uncovered a hastily-constructed vault, which reportedly stands close to the ancient town square, features a marble floor from the Hellenistic period, and has a trove of coins from the period of Alexander the Great (one of Aristotle’s students) and ceramics from royal pottery contained within. There is an altar outside of the vault and the site offers panoramic views of the region.

As Sismanidis explained to The Guardian:

I have no hard proof, but strong indications lead me to almost certainty [that this is the tomb of Aristotle].

Kostas Sismanidis

But archaeologists and classical scholars alike do not appear to share Sismanidis’s level of certainty, and are waiting for him to publish an academic paper on his discovery. The problems with the site, and the circumstances of Aristotle’s death, provide several layers of confusion.

What we do know is that Aristotle died in 322 BC in what was then Chalcis on the island of Euboea, and there’s some debate as to what happened to his remains. Sismanidis cites that the historian Ptolemy, who lived from 90 to 158 AD claimed that Aristotle was cremated and his remains returned to Stagira where they were housed. Within the academic community, there’s dissent as to whether or not this transfer of his remains ever actually happened.

The one thing that could provide real credibility to Sismanidis’s claims would be the presence of an inscription. But, alas, one has not been found. Oddly, a tomb was uncovered in 1892 in Chalcis with an inscription that, according to Forbes, read “IOTH [A]PISTOTELOU – Biote, daughter of Aristotle.” That discovery too has never been credibly identified as Aristotle’s tomb, as there is no record of his having had a daughter.

There is also a significant degree of cynicism over the timing of Sismanidis’s announcement. So is this the tomb of Aristotle, some archaeological wishful thinking or an academic hoax? Time may or may not tell.

[MIKA27]

Newly Discovered Peacock Spiders Behave Like Cats and Dogs

Cute and colorful are not typical descriptors for spiders, but then again, the peacock spider family is remarkably unlike any other. The tiny, vividly-marked jumping spiders–which are native to Australia– have developed quite a following, and the Sydney-based expert who has just discovered seven new species of the arachnid says that their behavior is less spider-like, and more akin to that of cats and dogs.

Jurgen Otto has devoted much of the past 10 years to the study of peacock spiders, and has been responsible for the discovery of many of the roughly 48 species of the Maratus gene now recognized. At between two and half- and five-millimeters long, the creatures are rather hard to find as they leap between leaves and branches in forests and parks. Indeed, Otto first encountered them when he nearly stepped on one.

They are primarily notable for the extraordinary, colorful patterns that adorn the bodies of the males. And it’s believed that the ornamentation is strictly for the purpose of attracting a mate; the male will perform a dance to show off its bright abdomen, and if the female is enamored with the patterns, they’ll mate. If not, she’ll move on.

All in all, the courtship behavior is nothing short of comical. As Otto explains on his Facebook page, “it is like they stepped all out of a Pixar movie.”

But it’s not just their extraordinary markings and wacky dances that make the Peacock Spider unique–underlying aspects of their behavior also set them apart from other arachnids. As Otto explained to The Guardian:

They behave very differently to how people think a spider does … they behave more like cats and dogs, moving around, perceiving and reacting to their environment.

Otto has coauthored a study on the recent discoveries, and has named the most colorful of the newest peacock family members Maratus bubo, as the pattern on the abdomen reminded him of an owl (bubo being the genus name for horned owls).

And Otto hopes that the fascination with the comical, “fairly cute” peacock spiders might help change public perception of our maligned eight-legged friends:

Next time someone sees a spider in their kitchen–even if it is black and scary–I hope that they might stop and think before they step on it.

[MIKA27]

HARLEY-DAVIDSON XG750R FLAT TRACK MOTORCYCLE

Built for racing on dirt ovals, the Harley-Davidson XG750R Flat Track Motorcycle is the company's first all-new flat track race bike in 44 years. It's powered by a fuel-injected, liquid-cooled Harley-Davidson 750cc Revolution X engine, modified for the track by Vance & Hines Motorsports, who also developed the bike's racing frame. Its right side clad in Harley's signature orange and dominated by the huge racing exhaust, while the left side is more subdued and clad almost entirely in black. Built specifically for competition, this is one bike you won't see for sale at your local dealer anytime soon.

[MIKA27]

Celebrate 35 Years of Indiana Jones With This Beautiful New Poster

On June 12, 1981, adventure got a new name: Indiana Jones. Now, 35 years later, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas’ film Raiders of the Lost Ark remains a revered classic and one of the best action films of all time. To begin the anniversary celebration, Lucasfilm has licensed a brand new, limited edition poster everyone can grab.

The Bottleneck Gallery and Acme Archives have teamed up with Lucasfilm to release this new poster for Raiders by famed artist Laurent Durieux. It’s available in three editions, all of which will be available June 2 at noon EST at this link.

First is the regular, timed edition, which will remain on sale through June 5 at 11:59pm EST. They’ll make as many as are sold during that time.

Next is the variant edition, which is limited to 275. Each poster is 24 x 36 inch, 15 color screenprint with metallic inks.

Finally, for the super fans, there are 50 editions printed on wood. The front looks like the regular, but the back looks like this.

Costs are $60, $80 and $275. And yes, as of several years ago, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark is the official title, like it or not.

Durieux’s style is incredibly unique, beautiful and evocative. He creates realistic, iconic images with an almost faded aesthetic. It simultaneously gives the work a vintage and futuristic look. 

[MIKA27]

Samsung's Gear IconX Earbuds And Gear Fit 2 Smartwatch Are The Future Of Fitness

I’ve been waiting a long time for this. Wireless Bluetooth earbuds that sit inside your ear, like something out of a Jason Bourne novel, but that don’t have any annoying fiddly wires or external battery packs. The Samsung IconX earbuds recharge wirelessly in their carry case, too. Paired with a heart-rate and GPS-tracking fitness watch like the new Gear Fit 2, this earbud and smartwatch combo may mean you’re able to easily ditch your smartphone when you’re out running or cycling for the first time ever.

Samsung Gear Fit 2

 

The Gear Fit 2 is the successor to the Gear Fit from 2014, and looks broadly similar while refining the curve of that screen and the integration between wristwatch and strap. We already know how durable the Gear S2 is, so here’s hoping the Fit 2 can live up to that standard as well — it’s IP68 certified, so that’s a very good start.

The Fit 2 uses a 216x432pixel 1.5-inch curved Super AMOLED display, and runs Samsung’s lightweight Tizen operating system on a dual-core 1GHz processor with 512MB RAM, talking with your phone and the S Health partner app through Bluetooth. There’s 4GB of onboard storage for up to 1000 MP3s to be stored, or a bunch of Tizen-compatible partner apps.

The fitness tracker’s 200mAh battery is half that of the Gear S2, but should give it at least a day of battery life with a fair bit of active tracking. Available in large or small, in black or blue or pink, the Gear Fit 2 also displays notifications as well as tracking passive and active workouts through an accelerometer and gyro, GPS, heart-rate monitor and barometer.

The Gear IconX is definitely the more innovative and out-of-left-field of the two new Samsung gadgets. Two completely wireless in-ear earbuds, the IconX connect to a phone or other device with Bluetooth 4.1, but what’s more interesting is the fact that these headphones have their own accelerometer and heart rate monitor to track your workouts and daily motion, as well as capacitive touch panels on the outside to function as play/pause/skip/rewind controls.

Each splash-resistant earbud weighs just 6.3 grams, while the carry case also functions as a wireless charging dock once plugged into microUSB. They’ll be available later this year in white, black and blue, and will last for about 90 minutes when streaming music from a smartphone but will handle 3.5 hours when playing music back from their internal 4GB storage bank. The headphones will block outside noise passively, but can amplify the outside world if you’re running at night or in an area with traffic.

Samsung Australia tells us that both the smartwatch and the earbuds will be coming to Australia, but there’s no firm time-frame on them just yet: “Samsung Gear Fit 2 and IconX will be launching in Australia very soon. Pricing and availability will be shared closer to the local launch dates.” The watch will be out internationally on June 10, and the earbuds will launch — hopefully worldwide — in the third quarter of this year.