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

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Creepshow Debuts a New Poster For New Anthology Series

Creepshow is coming back, and we could not be more excited. Shudder is bringing the anthology series back in 2019, with executive producer and director Greg Nicotero (The Walking Dead, lots of other things)in the drivers seat. He will be in attendance at the Shudder panel at this weekend’s New York Comic Con (for those going, Thursday at 4:15 EST in room 1A10). Ahead of that, Shudder released an awesome poster on Entertainment Weekly by artist Tim Bradstreet for the show that will also be available at their booth as a giveaway

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“Creepshow is a project very close to my heart!” said Nicotero, who met his makeup effects mentor Tom Savini while visiting the set of the film and later collaborated with Romero on the zombie movies Day of the Dead and Land of the Dead, among other projects. “It is one of those titles that embraces the true spirit of horror… thrills and chills celebrated in one of its truest art forms, the comic book come to life! I’m honored to continue the tradition in the ‘spirit’ which it was created.”

The original Creepshow film was released in 1982 and was directed by the late horror icon George A. Romero. The screenplay was written by Stephen King, who also had a role in the film. It is an homage to the old EC and DC Comics horror stories of the 1950’s and is one of the more beloved horror anthology films ever made. It is a little crazy that it took so long for this to come together, but it has the potential to be really, really special.

If you are heading to NYCC and want a copy of this poster, they will be giving out 500 of them at the Shudder booth. Some of them will be signed by Nicotero himself, given at random.

Creepshow debuts on Shudder in 2019.

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The Live-Action Star Wars TV Show Is Called The Mandalorian

Jon Favreau took to his Instagram this morning to reveal the name and plot synopsis of the first live-action Star Wars TV show coming to Disney’s untitled streaming service.

It’s called The Mandalorian.

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After the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior emerges in the Star Wars universe. The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order. We follow the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far rom the authority of the New Republic....

Now, if you’ve been following rumours and speculation surrounding Favreau’s show, you probably aren’t all that surprised by this. The prevailing thought about the show was that it was about Mandalorians. Plus, Favreau himself revealed this is when the show would be set. But, any time we get actual official confirmation from something Star Wars, it’s nice to finally put all rumours to bed.

The show began filming in recent days so it makes sense that Favreau would finally come out with this info. But now that we have it, a million more questions arise. Who is this lone, Mandalorian gunfighter? Does this person know the Fett’s mentioned? What about Sabine Wren, another prominent Mandalorian who has a pretty significant mission of her own in this exact time period?

We don’t have answers to any of those questions but damned if it isn’t exciting to ask them.

We’ll have much, much more on The Mandalorian as soon as it’s dug up.

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See Christian Bale's Deeply Unsettling Transformation Into Dick Cheney in the New Trailer for Vice

Featuring Sam Rockwell as Bush and Steve Carrell as Donald Rumsfeld.

Everybody has a favorite Christian Bale. There's his Batman with a million abs. There's the dad bod of The Big Short. Maybe you're kind of a sicko and are into his trim American Psycho look or his emaciated Machinist physique. Bale is known for transforming his body—in extreme, often sickening ways—for every role he takes.

But his most baffling transformation yet is the 44-year-old English actor becoming an overweight American warmonger. Bale shaved his head, bleached his eyebrows, gained 40 pounds, and also reportedly did exercises to thicken his neck to become Dick Cheney, the notorious former vice president who happily dragged the United States into an ill-advised war, spied on Americans, and helped instigate waterboarding as a torture technique during the Bush administration.

“What Christian Bale really does is he psychologically breaks someone apart and puts them back together again,” McKay told Deadline. “I’ve never seen someone work so hard at it, and it is hard on him, but really amazing to watch. The second I thought of doing the movie, I knew right away, the most exciting person to play him is Christian.”

Bale once again reunites with director Adam McKay for the Cheney biopic Vice, which also includes his regular co-stars Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney and Steve Carell as Donald Rumsfeld. Sam Rockwell will play Bush, Bill Pullman as Nelson Rockefeller and Tyler Perry as Colin Powell.

The first trailer for Vice looks like another one of McKay's satirical dramas, with Bale's Cheney as a sadistic and manipulative force in the shadows pulling the puppet strings of Rockwell's bumbling and dim Bush. So, in other words, an accurate portrayal of reality.

The movie is due out on Christmas. 

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MERCEDES’ EQ SILVER ARROW BLENDS CLASSIC DESIGN WITH ELECTRIC SUPERPOWERS

The Mercedes-Benz Vision EQ Silver Arrow. That’s the name Mercedes has given to its latest breathtaking concept car, which the company actually deems a “show car” because it’s meant as an homage to the historic 1937 W125 Silver Arrow as well as an exciting teaser for electric supercars to come. So nothing here is imminently coming to an electrified Mercedes near you, and yet, the mere sight of the EQ Silver Arrow is a celebration in itself. Flamboyant, exaggerated, elongated, seamless, and smoothed and polished to a fine sheen, this car is the sort of thing we all daydreamed about in our youth.

Needless to say, this electric Silver Arrow pays no heed to practical considerations. The original car was silver because painting its aluminum body would have added to its weight, whereas this one is all about its aesthetics and has multiple layers of “alubeam silver” applied to give it that liquid metal look. I suppose you can afford a bit of flair when you switch aluminum out for a carbon fiber frame. In terms of performance, though, Mercedes claims 750 horsepower and estimates an acceleration of 0 to 60 mph in under two seconds. And the EQ Silver Arrow is functional and can be driven; it’s not just a pretty shell with bombastic promises.

At the front, the aggressively styled headlights are framed by a blue monobrow of LED lighting, and additional blue lighting accents adorn the side skirts of the car. There’s a similar single-band taillight at the rear that sits beneath a split wing. Rose gold can be found on the sides and on the half-covered wheels. (This color will be a signature theme for Mercedes-Benz’s EQ series. The company is also proudly featuring it in its upcoming EQC SUV.) The blue, on the other hand, seems to be a broadly accepted color for indicating that the car is electric; it was also featured prominently on BMW’s i3 and i8.

Aside from the enthusiastic use of LED lights to glam up this new Silver Arrow, Mercedes also reaches into its future tech bag for the display in front of the driver, which is said to be a curved panoramic screen with back projection. Mercedes envisions this panel projecting a 3D image of the road ahead, with the option to engage in a so-called virtual race wherein a racetrack is superimposed on the road. I’m guessing it would be only the look, not the actual layout of a racetrack that the driver gets to see, though there would also be ghost cars that you can compete against. It’s not the most thought-out idea I’ve ever heard for a concept, but Mercedes outdoes itself by also building a touchscreen into the steering wheel. Because the company’s vision for some far-future racecar includes drivers precise and patient enough to operate a touchscreen.

The 2018 Silver Arrow’s seat and steering wheel are clad in a classy tan leather, the interior of the cockpit is dressed in a mix of polished aluminum and gray suede, and the floor is a pinstriped walnut. Mercedes defines this aesthetic as “progressive luxury.”

Ultimately, I’m left a little dumbfounded by some of the choices Mercedes made with this show car, but I don’t suppose practicality and logic were high on the priority list with the new Silver Arrow. The point was to be eyebrow-raising and attention-grabbing, and the Vision EQ Silver Arrow certainly achieves that.

 

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Captain´s Dinner 

Captain´s Dinner is a book about life on the sea and authentic recipes from real fishermen. Author and photographer Paul Pfluger braved wind and weather to accompany 27 fishermen at work on European seas, observing their daily routine over several months. Capturing life at sea through engaging photographs, compelling stories, and authentic fishermans recipes, this characterful volume is a one-of-a-kind companion for all sea lovers with a sense of adventure and appetite, and features more than 50 delicious, simple seafood recipes. 

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TAP WEARABLE KEYBOARD & MOUSE

Giving "touch typing" a whole new meaning, the Tap Wearable Keyboard & Mouse is a novel new input device. It consists of a series of rings worn over the thumb and fingers that register your hand movements, letting you type and control a cursor on nearly any surface, including your opposite arm. It connects via Bluetooth and is compatible with nearly every major operating system, and while you can use it for a variety of applications, its form factor and design make it extremely well-suited to VR. $179.00

 

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How The Japanese Government Might Kill Arcades

Internationally famous Japanese arcades like Mikado (pictured) hopefully will be ok. Lesser known ones might not. 

On October 1, 2019 consumption tax in Japan will increase from 8 per cent to ten. According to Jiji, the tax will not apply to food and drinks served in restaurants. It will be applied to arcade games.

For decades, arcades have been built around a single coin experience, either the 50 yen coin or the 100 yen one.

Because that is so entrenched into Japanese arcade gaming, owners have a difficult time asking players to shell out 108 yen per play as well as increasing it to 110 yen per play starting next year.

“This industry might vanish,” a 47-year-old arcade owner in Yokohama told Sankei Business. “We cannot raise the price of a 100 yen game to 110 yen. The only choice is for the arcade to absorb the tax increase.”

That cuts into an already shrinking bottom line.

Japan’s arcade industry has been facing challenges in the past decade. In 2006, there were 24,000 arcades in Japan. By 2016, however, that number had decreased by nearly half to 14,000.

However, the number of arcades that accept digital money has increased, which could help ease the tax burden. Mum-and-pop arcades might not have the capital to invest in digital money readers.

Another unnamed man who ran an arcade in Kawasaki that was closed this summer told the Sankei, “It’s good not envisioning how things will turn out. Seeing one’s fate is a heart-breaking thing.”

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Researchers Identify Hundreds Of 'Selfie Deaths' From Media Reports

Next time you’re tempted to take a risk to get that perfect selfie, maybe think twice about it. A new study by medical researchers from New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences has identified hundreds of people who suffocated in bodies of water, were struck by vehicles, plummeted off high surfaces, suffered lethal burn injuries, or otherwise met tragic demises while snapping a selfie, according to the Washington Post.

According to the study, which was published in the Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, between October 2011 and November 2017 there were English-language media reports of at least 259 separate “selfie deaths” in 137 separate incidents. The leading cause of death identified from the reports was drowning, but there were also numerous incidents involving transportation (including being struck by trains), falls, and fires. Less common causes of self-related deaths included electrocution, firearms, and animals.

Ways people have died while taking selfies

The researchers wrote:

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Drowning, transport, and fall form the topmost three reasons for deaths caused by selfies. The most common drowning incidents include washed away by waves on beach, capsizing of boats while rowing, clicking selfies on shore while not knowing how to swim, or ignoring warnings. Similarly, for transport, it is majorly the accidents due to clicking in front of a running train. Among all the reasons for death, drowning and fire have the highest deaths/incident ratio. Also, most of the selfie-related deaths because of firearms occurred in the United States.

While the researchers identified 142 of the deaths as involving some kind of risky behaviour, they also identified 69 incidents in which the person who died did not appear to have taken an unnecessary risk to get the shot:

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For example, getting to a slippery edge of a cliff to click selfie has been marked risky while getting hit by a sea wave on a calm sea and drowning has been marked non-risky. In case of ambiguity (for example, slipping from stairs and getting injured and finally succumbing), a survey was conducted with 15 respondents and majority vote was taken to classify into one of the classes. Risky behaviour caused more deaths and incidents due to selfies than non-risky behaviour.

Additionally, the study identified just 17 selfie-related deaths of individuals aged 40 or over. The vast majority of the deaths involved those aged 10-29. It also noted that roughly three-fourths of the incidents involved males, whose tendency towards stereotypically masculine risky behaviour is well-documented, and that “There has been an exponential increase in the number of selfie deaths from 2014–2015 to 2016–2017.”

A chart illustrating the number of risky vs. non-risky “selfiecides” broken down according to sex.

India had the highest number of deaths, followed by Russia, the United States, and Pakistan.

The researchers want to be clear this could happen to anyone momentarily seduced by the possibility of snapping a good one.

“The selfie deaths have become a major public health problem,” lead author Agam Bansal told the Post. “...If you’re just standing, simply taking it with a celebrity or something, that’s not harmful. But if that selfie is accompanied with risky behaviour then that’s what makes the selfies dangerous.”

Bansal added that the deaths were preventable, telling the paper, “Taking a toll on these many numbers just because you want a perfect selfie because you want a lot of likes, shares on Facebook, Twitter or other social media, I don’t think this is worth compromising a life for such a thing.”

A prior study published in the International Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion in 2017 identified 75 deaths in 52 countries “while attempting selfie” over the period of 2014 to mid-2016. One of the researchers involved in that study, orthopaedic surgeon Mohit Jain, told the Post “It’s like a man-made disaster. It’s not a natural disaster.”

One possible solution to the string of deaths is implementing no-selfie zones, though as the Guardian noted in 2016, if no one is around to enforce the restrictions many people may simply ignore signs warning them of the risks. Other steps could include new rules, controlling access with fences, or building safety features like railings near particular selfie-related death hotspots like the Catskills’ Kaaterskill Falls.

But there are nearly infinite places where it is ill-advised to take a selfie, and as the researchers noted in the study, the number of deaths they identified from media reports is almost certainly an undercount. So, now that you’re armed with clear evidence that this could happen to anyone, and for your own good and that of your loved ones, maybe take this as an opportunity to implement your own personal no-selfie zone around something dangerous.

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Renault's New Luxury Robo-Vehicle Concept Is Gorgeous Vaporware

Renault took the covers off of this extremely French concept car at the Paris Motor Show today, and it’s claiming the ideas behind this car will revolutionise ride sharing for upscale clients. The EZ-ULTIMO is the third in a trilogy of concepts—after the EZ-GO and EZ-PRO. It is billed as an autonomous, electric, connected, and shared mobility service solution. Renault thinks that this sleek and slinky mobile hipster bar will be deployable as an on-demand shuttle for the wealthy to use for a single trip, rent by the hour, or by the day. None of that will ever happen, but to Renault’s credit, this thing is strikingly beautiful.

The interior is designed around a personal lounge for relaxing or professional connectivity. Renault is calling the interior an Augmented Editorial Experience, combining premium entertainment, multi-media experience, and mobility. None of that really makes any sense. The interior does look like a cool place to hang out for a few hours.

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“As consumer trends change and people are enjoying ride-hailing services more and more, a new paradigm for mobility will emerge. Embodying this revolution, EZ-ULTIMO offers a unique luxurious experience aboard a robo-vehicle that can be adapted depending on the service provider,” said Laurens van den Acker, SVP Corporate Design. “Inspired by contemporary architecture, and completely integrated in future smart cities, EZ-ULTIMO will provide an exclusive experience for all. With autonomous, electric and connected cars, we are entering a new exciting era in automotive design.”

While I know that this car, especially with level four autonomy, isn’t going to come to market; At least, not any time soon. That doesn’t mean this concept isn’t totally badass. Concept cars have not been this strikingly cool since the 1990s, and it’s nice to see a relatively mainstream manufacturer take a wild approach when it comes to automotive design. Both the exterior and interior of the EZ-ULTIMO are out-of-this-world wild, and that’s refreshing. The French work best when they think outside the box.

More than anything, though, this concept reminds me of the autonomous car from the movie Upgrade—which may have been the most underrated movie of 2018 so far, by the way.

I hope that this concept is a preview of future Renault design, because it would translate well to a large conventional sedan, I think. Especially an electric luxury barge.

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The World's Most Expensive Bottle of Whisky Just Sold for $1.1 Million

Back in the '80s, an Italian artist named Valerio Adami designed and signed the label on twelve bottles of Macallan 1926. Today, those bottles are worth more than just a pretty penny: $1.1 million dollars, to be exact.

The bottle was put up for auction by Bonhams in Edinburgh, Scotland, setting the world record for the most valuable bottle of whisky ever sold, according to a press release. In spite of the record-breaking achievement, the unnamed buyer couldn't even be bothered to show up—the private collector called in the winning bid by phone.

Distilled in 1926 and kept in a cask until bottling in 1986, only 24 bottles were ever produced, and no one is sure how many still exist. The reason for their insane value isn't about the whisky inside, but the collector value of the labels: Adami was commissioned for twelve, and the other dozen were designed by British artist Peter Blake, who co-created the album cover for The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

The record may not last long. Sotheby's is set to auction off a Peter Blake-signed bottle in New York on October 13th, and it's expected to push that record to $1.2 million.

And for those of us who paid rent this week, here's a reminder that Aldi's $17 whisky was recently named the best in the world. Bottoms up.

 

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‘The Mule’ Official Trailer

Damn this LOOKS SOOOO Good!

Clint Eastwood, a real legend IMHO.

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OAK & EDEN IN-BOTTLE FINISHED WHISKEY

Wood infuses most of the taste in our whiskey, making the barrel aging process essential. Oak & Eden has taken this process one step further, building on the flavor by adding a hand-placed, seasoned and toasted spire of wood into each bottle. The spire imparts a unique and aromatic finish for a deeper, richer taste. Their Bourbon and Rye Whiskey are offered at 90 proof and finished with Oak & Eden's patented spire and innovative in-bottle finishing technique for a truly unique spirit.

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Mexico’s Game of Bones

After more than 10 years, and with yet another mass grave containing 168 bodies newly uncovered, there’s still no end in sight for Mexico’s disastrous Drug War.

The Mexican drug war is now well over a decade old. It began in December of 2006, when then-President Felipe Calderón sent some 6,500 soldiers into the western state of Michoacán to quell cartel violence. After more than 10 years—and billions of U.S. dollars spent—the conflict continues to spread throughout the country.

Authorities estimate some 200,000 people have been killed so far, with another 30,000 missing. And it’s getting worse. From 2016 to 2017 the number of drug war deaths jumped by almost 30 percent. So far 2018 is on pace to eclipse that grim tally. In September a burial pit was discovered in Veracruz containing the remains of 168 people. Sadly, that’s no longer uncommon. Another recently uncovered mass grave held 250 bodies.

Resort towns once thought to be immune to the violence, like Cancun and Los Cabos, are now cartel battlegrounds. A generation ago, Acapulco was Mexico’s answer to Las Vegas. Today Acapulco is one of the deadliest cities in the hemisphere, and a magnet for child prostitution.

Even Mexico City—long considered a safe zone—is no longer exempt. Firefights in the heart of the City of Hope are increasingly common. Just weeks ago hitmen disguised as Mariachi musicians shot up a popular tourist district, killing six and wounding nine more.

So why is it so hard to win the Drug War? Critics point to a failure of both strategy and tactics on the part of U.S. and Mexican authorities. The prevailing approach thus far has been the so-called “Kingpin Strategy,” which targets the cartels’ top commanders. But the demand for narcotics in the U.S. is so high, the trade so lucrative, that there are always other would-be kingpins waiting in the wings.   

Notorious drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán is now imprisoned, and his once-dominant Sinaloa syndicate has balkanized into warring factions. But powerful upstarts like the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) have already arisen to take Chapo’s place on top. And new groups like the CJNG tend to be more brutal than their predecessors, precisely because they must out-compete so many new rivals and splinter groups.

Tactically, the Mexican armed forces are engaged in a stalemate with what experts now call a “criminal insurgency.” There are no great battles to win. No objectives to take. And the enemy can blend seamlessly into the general population. So troops and federales often just roam aimlessly around the countryside, making little contact with their foes unless they happen to get ambushed.

Another pivotal factor is rampant poverty and corruption. The lack of education and economic opportunities for much of Mexico’s population guarantees an endless supply of sicarios (hitmen) who prefer a short life of glorious criminality to slow starvation and hardship. Dirty cops are such a problem that entire precincts have been disarmed by the military for being in league with organized crime.  

And what of Michoacán, where it all began? Both it and neighboring Guerrero state are still among the most dangerous regions in the country, labeled off limits by the U.S. State Department. They are at risk of becoming failed states, places where the government no longer owns a monopoly on power despite—or because of—a decade of conflict in these territories.

All of which prompts a question: If nothing changes, and the failed and worsening drug war rages on—what will Mexico look like another 10 years from now?

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Here's How Engineers Dream Of Stopping Tsunamis

The tsunami that struck Indonesia's Sulawesi island and killed at least 1400 people sadly won't be the last. Human populations will continue to live along coastlines in tectonically active parts of the world, tsunamis will continue to occur, and people will continue to die.

That doesn't mean we should just sit back and do nothing about it. As it turns out, there are ways in which we can physically shield ourselves from these fearsome natural outbursts. Here are a just handful, from those that already exist to ideas currently within the realm of science fiction.

Build a wall

Tsunamis — massive waves propagate horizontally through the ocean — are triggered by anything that can displace a large volume of water, from certain types of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions to landslides.

Sea walls, which have been around since at least the time of Ancient Rome, are a popular low-tech option for shielding coastal residents from their destructive power.

For some time, Japan's tsunami-prone eastern coastline had several small breakwaters along it — barriers designed to protect coastlines from strong waves — as well as similar scale sea walls. Unfortunately, these defences proved ineffective during the 2011 Tōhoku tsunami, which killed around 18,000 people.

Many have since been replaced with a 395km long, 12.5m high series of concrete walls at the cost of nearly $US13 ($18) billion.

The 2011 tsunami, which reached heights of 39m in some areas, would still easily go over that new wall. But in deflecting part of the tsunami's energy, the wall offers some degree of protection.

Ultimately any physical barrier can be overtopped, leaving coastal residents in at risk. As Katsu Goda, an associate professor and Canada Research Chair in Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment at Western University put it, "if the occupants are below the tsunami wave heights, then their lives will be in significant danger."

Kill it at sea

Tad Murty, adjunct professor at the University of Ottawa and vice president of the International Tsunami Society, also emphasised that walls only offer partial protection. To achieve total protection, a new idea is emerging in the field.

"You have to kill the tsunami when it's still in the ocean," he told Gizmodo.

The Rama Setu strait off southeastern India

Tsunamis race horizontally towards the shore like Slinky toys. If that Slinky can be cut up into pieces as it's moving, it will weaken and dissipate before it arrives. This, it turns out, can be achieved with well-placed islands.

For a natural example of how this can work, take the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. While this event killed hundreds of thousands of people across a wide region, surprisingly few deaths occurred in Kanyakumari in southern India. There, various islands and coral reefs, including the Rama Setu strait, deflected the incoming wave. "They broke the tsunami into pieces," Murty said.

As China has demonstrated in recent years, building artificial islands isn't too difficult if you have the resources. Each coastline is different, and you would need laboratory experiments and computer simulations to work out the precise placement of islands needed to interrupt an incoming tsunami.

But in theory, it could work — although the idea has yet to be put into practice.

Murty said there's some talk of using all the plastic waste in the oceans to build these artificial islands, thereby killing two very different birds with one stone.

A very large gun

Artificial islands may not be the only tsunami killers we'll have available in the future. A rather eye-catching 2017 Heliyon paper by Usama Kadri, a lecturer in applied mathematics at Cardiff University, suggested that anti-tsunami cannons could also one day be a reality.

It's all about acoustic-gravity waves. These ultra-low frequency sound waves are generated naturally by things like earthquakes, and it's already been suggested they could act as early warning signals for the tsunamis.

Kadri's calculations suggest that we could use acoustic-gravity waves to disrupt tsunamis. By firing strong acoustic-gravity waves back at an incoming wave, we could potentially change its shape, spreading its total energy out over a larger area and reducing its impact on the shore. In theory, these cannons could keep firing until a tsunami is completely dispersed.

This isn't possible just yet. A huge amount of energy would be needed to generate necessarily powerful acoustic-gravity waves, and those waves would need to be finely tuned at a moment's notice. Describing it as "a great engineering challenge," Kadri told Gizmodo that laboratory experiments are in progress that aim to provide a proof-of-concept design.

Vertical and floating shelters

It will be a long time before coastal populations are able to live free of the fear of a tsunami crashing into them. That means shelters are of vital importance, but certain countries are keener to deploy them than others. Their designs also vary considerably, ranging from hardened, waterproof bunkers to shelters placed on high ground that can keep people inside alive for days or weeks.

Murty explained that on much of the Indian coast, thousands of "extremely well built," tropical cyclone shelters sit high above the flood line, preventing them from being overwhelmed by surge. Able to accommodate several hundred people, they are used not just for shelter, but as schools, community centres, makeshift hospitals, and more.

The United States' Pacific seaboard, which will one day be hit by a colossal tsunami, doesn't really have a shelter system like this in place, but things are gradually changing. In 2014, the nation's first purpose-built tsunami shelter was built into the school in Washington.

The building was reinforced with concrete and steel, and the gym was lifted to the second story, where it can shield 1000 people from a potent tsunami passing below.

A pod by Survival Capsule, which is developing floating tsunami shelters.

This vertical shielding can be seen elsewhere in the world. The Nishiki Tower in Taiki, Japan features a haven on the top floor that will keep 250 people from getting swept up in a tsunami. Post-2011, along parts of country's eastern coastline, buildings must now be elevated to similar heights.

Private companies are building prototypes of shelters, too. One, STATIM — Storm, Tornado and Tsunami Interconnected Modules — has patented a design for a sheter that's essentially a smaller version of India's cyclone bunkers featuring easy and cheap construction. A key difference here is that although tethered to the ground, these shelters can float and would allow the people inside to literally ride out the waves.

Experts all agree that there's far more to saving lives than physical shields and shelters, all of which are only possible if the country has the resources to construct them. Up-to-date, extensive early warning systems, as well as the education of the public, are also vital.
And since we can't conquer tsunamis yet, so are effective evacuation measures, which Goda called "overall best solution we have to save many people."

"What I know is that any physical defence could fail," he said.

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Man Discovers His Doorstop Actually A Meteorite Worth $140,000

A Michigan man recently learned that this 10kg rock he used for decades as a doorstop on his farm was in fact a meteorite worth over $US100,000 ($141,700).

According to a Central Michigan University press release:

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The man, who asked to remain anonymous, obtained the meteorite in 1988 when he bought a farm in Edmore, Michigan, about 30 miles [48km] southwest of Mount Pleasant.

As the farmer was showing him around the property, they went out to a shed. The man asked about the large, odd-looking rock that was holding the door open.

“A meteorite,” the farmer said matter-of-factly. He went on to say that in the 1930s he and his father saw it come down at night on their property “and it made a heck of a noise when it hit.” In the morning they found the crater and dug it out. It was still warm.

The farmer told the man that as it was part of the property, he could have it.

 

The man brought the rock into Central Michigan University geologist Mona Sirbescu earlier this year. She analysed a slice of the rock and performed an X-ray analysis. Its composition, 88 per cent iron and 12 per cent nickel, proved it authentic, and an analysis at the Smithsonian verified the conclusion.

A recent Michigan meteor event drove the man to the university to evaluate his rock’s worth.

You might remember that a widely documented fireball lit the winter sky over the state back in January. Hordes of meteorite hunters flocked to the state in search of a bit of the space gold (technically iron and nickel).

Meteorites can apparently go for anywhere from 50 cents ($0.71) to $US5 ($7) per gram, or more for ones containing rarer elements. The estimated $US100,000 ($141,700) price tag puts the Michigan man’s 10kg rock at $US10 ($14) per gram.

Both the Smithsonian and a Maine museum are considering purchasing the rock, according to Sirbescu.

Does this mean you should start digging through your old rock collection for potentially valuable meteorites? Probably not — Sirbescu said almost all of the rocks that people bring to her for inspection are not from space. But then again, isn’t the Earth itself just a big space rock? What is “value?” What are we?

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George R.R. Martin's Nightflyers Makes Its Terrifying Mission Clear In The Latest Trailer

“Our mission was clear,” intones the new trailer for Syfy’s upcoming adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s sci-fi horror novella, Nightflyers. “Make contact. Bring back solutions for our dying planet.” You ain’t fooling us, Nightflyers — we can tell that your real mission is to scare the hell out of everyone.

It’s a lot shorter than the trailer we saw back in July at San Diego Comic-Con, but it definitely goes right for that fright-induced adrenaline jolt.

We also learned today that Nightflyers, which consists of 10 episodes total, will have a fairly unusual release strategy. Similar to how the network rolled out 12 Monkeys recently, the US premiere of Nightflyers will be Sunday, December 2, followed by a new episode every night through Thursday, December 6. The remaining episodes will then air Sunday, December 9 through Thursday, December 13. Syfy will also air weekend marathons on all its platforms for fans who prefer more binge-oriented viewing experience.

There's been no word on whether this release strategy will influence the show's Australian Netflix arrival.

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Ukraine Found The Perfect Use For The Radioactive Land Of Chernobyl

Chernobyl is producing power again — though not the kind that triggered a nuclear meltdown 32 years ago. Ukraine is now turning to solar power, and in the process, making good use of land that won’t be habitable to humans for another 24,000 years.

A modest one-megawatt plant, located just 100m from the infamous Chernobyl nuclear power plant, was launched earlier today by Ukranian authorities, AFP reports. The photovoltaic cells of this €1 million ($1.6 million) solar station take up four acres (1.6 hectares) of land and produce enough energy to power about 2000 households.

The new solar plant is located inside what is called the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.

On 26 April 1986, the Number Four reactor of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant experienced a catastrophic meltdown, sending radioactive plumes into the atmosphere. Up to three-quarters of Europe was contaminated, primarily Ukraine, Russia and Belarus (all within the Soviet Union at the time).

At least 30 workers were killed in the immediate aftermath, and an untold number of people suffered from the effects of radiation. Hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated from a territory measuring 2600km2 in size, an area now known as the Exclusion Zone.

Public access to this area is restricted, as the land remains radioactive. It won’t be safe for human habitation for another 24,000 years (plutonium has a 24,000-year half-life). In 2016, Ukrainian authorities installed a $US1.6 billion ($2.3 billion) sarcophagus around the plant to prevent further radioactive waste from leaking out of the damaged reactor.

The new solar plant, though currently limited in its power production, could eventually become something far grander. With sufficient funding, Ukraine envisions a 6200-acre (2500-hectare) plant capable of generating 100 megawatts of energy, AFP reports.

The country is currently seeking investors to make it happen. Ukraine is hoping that the cheap land and plant’s direct connection to the power grid will make it an appealing prospect to some investors.

This radioactive land can’t be used for real estate or farming, so a solar power plant makes perfect sense. But it also serves another purpose, namely Ukraine’s ongoing efforts to diversify its electricity generation. Relations aren’t good with Russia, and Ukraine is no longer buying its natural gas.

This plant, in addition to reconstituting abandoned land, will help to make Ukraine more energy self-sufficient.

[MIKA27]

The Vast New Aquaman Trailer Teases An All Out Undersea War

Aquaman, also starring Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, Djimon Hounsou, Dolph Lundgren and Willem Dafoe, hits cinemas December 26.

[MIKA27]

The Walking Dead’s Scott Wilson Has Passed Away

This is one of those absolutely heart breaking stories we share with you, readers, about the passing of The Walking Dead favorite Scott Wilson. Wilson played Hershel Greene, farmer, survivor, and father on the AMC series for 2/5 seasons.

It turns out also, as announced by AMC during their New York Comic-Con (NYCC) panel on Saturday night, that Wilson’s Hershel (as well as Sonique Martin Greene‘s Sasha) would be returning to the series in the coming season.

Members of the cast have been largely silent on the passing of Wilson, no doubt in shock. Scott Wilson was 76 years old, and no further details about his passing have been released at this time.

Our deepest sympathies to his friends, family, and fans.

The Walking Dead is scheduled to return for a ninth season on October 7th 2018, and Fear the Walking Dead will return in 2019 for a fifth season.

[MIKA27]

The Untold Story of the Real Person Who Inspired Halloween's Michael Myers

It involves a Kentucky college student, a mental institution, and a 12-year-old boy with "evil" eyes.

Michael Myers has been terrifying teen babysitters since the first Halloween film debuted in 1978. The masked killer stalks and knifes (and strangles, and drowns, and hangs and beats to death) residents of the fictional town of Haddonfield, Illinois, especially targeting high school students.

This month, the iconic character returns to the big screen in Halloween, a direct sequel to the original film of the same name and the eleventh installment in the Halloween franchise. 

Myers has become one of the most recognizable masked killers in horror history, alongside villains like Ghostface in Scream, who was inspired by the real-life serial killer the "Gainesville Ripper," and Leatherface in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, who was supposedly based on the "Butcher of Plainfield."

But is Myers's character similarly rooted in reality?

The original film's director and co-writer John Carpenter (who also co-wrote 1981's Halloween II with his writing and producing partner Debra Hill) says a creepy encounter he had while attending Western Kentucky University served as inspiration for the fictional serial killer.

"I had a class—psychology or something—and we visited a mental institution," he says in A Cut Above the Rest, a documentary on Halloween included on the Divimax DVD from 2003. "We visited the most serious, mentally ill patients. And there was this kid, he must have been 12 or 13 and he literally had this look." The look, says Carpenter, is best described by the lines he gave to Donald Pleasence, who played Myers's psychiatrist Dr. Sam Loomis in Halloween and four of its sequels, to describe Myers in the first film, below: 

Quote

"This blank, pale emotionless face. Blackest eyes. The devil’s eyes. I spent eight years trying to reach him and then another seven trying to keep him locked up, because I realized what was living behind that boys’ eyes was purely and simply evil."

When Carpenter was approached by film producer Irwin Yablans with the idea to create a horror movie set on Halloween night "about babysitters stalked by this psychotic killer,” he thought back to the boy at the institution with the "real evil stare," Carpenter says in A Cut Above the Rest. "It was unsettling to me, it was like the creepiest thing I’d ever seen as a stranger.

"It was completely insane."

John Carpenter on the set of Halloween.

Multiple Halloween fan sites claim Myers could also, in part, be based on Stanley Stiers, who went on a killing spree in Iowa in the 1920s, even murdering his entire family on Halloween. But Esquire.com finds no evidence that Stiers actually existed.

Carpenter makes no mention of Stiers in In A Cut Above the Rest. He credits Yul Brynner's portrayal as a "killer robot that couldn't be killed" in the original 1973 Westworld film as additional inspiration for raising Michael Myers from just a character "to a mythic status."

"Make him human, yes, but almost like a force...that will never stop. That can’t be denied," Carpenter says in A Cut Above the Rest. 

Carpenter says he and Yablans fleshed out the character over tuna fish sandwiches one day. They chose the name "Michael Myers" in honor of the European distributor of Carpenter's previous film, Assault on Precinct 13.

They agreed on a $320,000 budget and recruited young, then-unknown actress Jamie Lee Curtis—daughter of Psycho star Janet Leigh—to play high school student Laurie Strode.

Myers is portrayed by Nick Castle for most of the film, with Tony Moran and Tommy Lee Wallace taking over in some of the final scenes.

The film went on to gross $47,000,000 at the U.S. box office (today, takings are estimated to be over $150 million, per IMDb) and spawned a 10-film franchise. The 11th installment, directed by David Gordon Green and co-written by Eastbound and Down star Danny McBride, will hit theaters on October 19. The new film sees Curtis reprising her role as Laurie Strode, and it is a direct sequel to the original movie, bypassing the several sequels (including the three in which Curtis starred: 1981's Halloween II, 1998's Halloween: H20, and 2002's Halloween: Resurrection).

Carpenter has never revealed additional information on the boy he encountered in Kentucky all those years ago, but it didn't matter for the infamous character he inspired.

“Michael Myers hasn’t evolved as a character in any way, shape or form [since 1978]; he’s the essence of evil,” David Gordon Green told the L.A. Times. “He has no character. He has no personality. He has no interests. He never has. He’s someone that is moving forward and reacting to the world around him, but not with any sort of conscious objective. And how the world around him reacts to his behavior is where our story comes to life.”

[MIKA27]

BELL & ROSS BR-X1 MILITARY WATCH

Despite taking inspiration from stealth fighter jets, this limited edition BR-X1 Military watch from French horologists Bell & Ross doesn’t necessarily fly under the radar — and there’s nothing wrong with that. The 45mm square case is constructed from khaki-colored High-Resistance Titanium (HRT) with hints of black ceramic and rubber inserts that compliment the ultra-luminous green display. It’s powered by an automatic mechanical movement, calibre BR-CAL.313, with 56 jewels and 28,800 Vph. The dial features metal applique Superluminova C3-filled indices with metal skeletonized Superluminova C3-filled hour and minute hands.

The company’s tradition of aircraft instrument-influenced design wasn’t lost on the BR-X1 Military, which is apparent in the skeletonized date window, 30-minute chronograph timer at 9 o’clock, and crosshair-style small seconds, hours, and minutes at 3 o’clock. The military look is made complete with the perforated black rubber strap, black PVD coated steel buckle, and water resistance of 100 meters. One of the 250 high-end skeleton chronographs from their experimental line could be yours for a cool $26,000.

[MIKA27]

WOODFORD RESERVE BACCARAT EDITION WHISKEY

American Whiskey is as popular as it's ever been, and now it's even standing alongside the likes of high-end Scotch and Cognac. That's due to this release from Woodford Reserve, who are taking their legendary bourbon and finishing it in ex-XO cognac casks for a special bottling. The whiskey is being bottled in a crystal decanter that was created by French luxury crystal producer Baccarat. Presented in a Baccarat red box, the whiskey will be available initially at duty free stores starting next May.

[MIKA27]

PORSCHE WRITING DESK

Crafted by 3 GJB 17, a design firm that specializes in creating custom furniture and objects out of vehicle parts, the Porsche Writing Desk is a highly unusual piece. The base is made from American walnut and is topped by an original Porsche 911 rear-end panel, painted an iconic Arctic Silver. Open the hatch to reveal a handsome wood surface, with a drawer on the side for holding keys, pens, or raceway passes.

 

[MIKA27]

We Have A Decade To Prevent A Total Climate Disaster

By 2030, we as a collective 7 billion humans will know our fate, or at the very least, the fate of the most vulnerable among us. A landmark report released on Sunday sets the clock ticking for humanity and its quest to keep global warming to within 1.5 degrees Celsius of pre-industrial levels.

The report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change outlines what a world warmed by 1.5 degree Celsius would look like compared with the 2 degree Celsius warmer world enshrined in the Paris Agreement, and the pathways to get there. It shows that a 1.5 degree warmer world is much less brutal than a 2 degree warmer one, and that we have a lot of work to do in a very limited time in order to achieve it.

If we fail, the poorest among us will suffer the most.

Our world has already warmed about 1 degree Celsius since the start of our carbon pollution bender. Based this observation and physics, scientists have crafted a carbon budget for meeting the 1.5 degree Celsius goal. In the new report, they lay out the pathways to get there.

In the most hopeful scenario, innovations in efficiency and technology spur huge drops in energy demand, speeding along decarbonization of the energy system and obviating the need for unproven carbon capture technology. In another, nations harmoniously comes together and we shift to a more sustainable lifestyle and buy less tchotchke. We need a little carbon capture to help do some mop up, but with the kumbaya spirit, anything is possible.

If technological innovation or emissions continue on their current trajectory, though, efforts to cap warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius become dicier. We’ll need more carbon capture, more reforestation and more converting crops to biofuels that sequester carbon. In one scenario, the world would have to convert slightly less than the equivalent of the entire U.S. into a biofuel sacrifice zone.

All scenarios that limit warming to 1.5 degrees require massive global investments: on the order of $US2.4 ($3) trillion annually from 2016-2035. For comparison, the world spent roughly $US280 ($397) billion installing renewable energy last year. We’re talking an order of magnitude more commitment on top of rejiggering the entire global economy, though one that could come with massive financial upside.

“These systems transitions are unprecedented in terms of scale, but not necessarily in terms of speed, and imply deep emissions reductions in all sectors,” the report states.

But the scientists who wrote the report are undeterred. In fact, the granular nature of the report, which looked at over 6,000 studies, white papers, and policy documents, is a helpful way to think about the various levers we have at our disposal to address carbon pollution.

“There’s a perspective that somehow there’s one solution to climate change. There’s not,” Kristie Ebi, a University of Washington scientist and lead author the summary for policymakers of the new report, told Earther. “There’s a million solutions. When you look at each one of these, they can be relatively small. It’s when you put them together that become large and powerful.”

The report also makes a powerful moral argument for reducing emissions, as well as the inevitable adaptation efforts that will be necessary. Page after page, it lays out how the poor will disproportionately suffer from global warming and how much of a difference a half a degree could make. The report’s authors note that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees “could reduce the number of people both exposed to climate-related risks and susceptible to poverty by up to several hundred million by 2050.”

We often talk about 2 degrees of warming as “safe.” But what 2 degrees really means is that we lose coral, see massive ecological upheaval, ocean acidification, and multiple feet of sea level rise. It’s a few threads away from the complete unravelling of a planetary fabric that’s allowed humans to thrive.

Limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius will still result in planet-wide suffering. Instead of losing all coral with 2 degrees Celsius, the report shows we’ll lose 70-90 per cent of them. Most low-lying islands will become uninhabitable. Both scenarios call for courage and hard work to avert the worst while still preparing to deal with some awful things.

And we’ll know if we’re on track in 12 years time. To keep the planet from warming more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, emissions will have to drop roughly 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030. All of us can make some lifestyle choices to start to bend the curve. But it’s largely government policies and actions to address the larger economic system today that’ll set the course for humanity.

“The world 50 years ago was different from today,” Natalie Mahowald, another lead author of the report from Cornell University, said. “In 50 years, it’s going to be very different. This is our chance to decide what that world will look like.”

Unfortunately, good decision making has been in short supply at this crucial juncture. The Trump administration—which heads the world’s largest historical emitter—is using the argument that a million actions are needed to address climate change to justify precisely the opposite as well as its intent to pull out of the Paris Agreement. Speaking of, most countries aren’t on track to meet their wholly inadequate pledges to the agreement. Current policies will result in a world that’s up to 3.7 degree Celsius (a devilish 6.66 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer by 2100, upping the risk that we’ll have to put more eggs in the carbon capture basket or the even more disconcerting reflecting sunlight back into space to cool the planet basket. Kumbaya feels a long ways away.

The new report comes two months before the next major international climate conference will be held in Poland. That conference is meant to outline how governments will ramp up actions to address climate change. While I’m not naive enough to think a single report alone will change the course of history, I’m glad that world leaders will have a reminder of the stakes of their actions.

[MIKA27]

James Gunn Is Moving To DC And Is In Talks To Write The Next Suicide Squad Film

Warner Bros. has just confirmed to us that James Gunn is in discussions to write, with an eye to direct, the next instalment of the Suicide Squad franchise. He’ll have a completely new take on the property.

This is huge news for a few reasons.

First and foremost is the fact Gunn, who was fired from Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, has gone to that studio’s direct rival, Warner Bros. It feels like a very calculated reaction to what many felt was an unwarranted decision and creates a whole new chapter in the epic struggle between Marvel Studios and DC Entertainment.

Second is the movie at hand. Gunn is reportedly taking a totally new approach to the property, so this isn’t exactly a sequel to David Ayer’s Suicide Squad. What does that mean? We do not know.

But obviously, from the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, Gunn has proven his ability to make movies with multiple strong personalities work in a comic book setting. Really, who better to tackle a new Suicide Squad movie?

And though, right now, he’s only writing the film, if he ends up directing too, it’s going to become one of the most highly anticipated comic book movies in quite some time (and there are a lot in the works).

The new Suicide Squad movie is being produced by Peter Safran and does not yet have a release date.