http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction The science of futurist technologies—and an excuse to soak in sci-fi TV shows, books, movies, toys, and video games. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:59:37 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en We all know the routine with super powers: a mutated gene, alien origin, or a magic object are required, and usually some cataclysmic family event for motivation. Matt Murdock, better known as Daredevil (and hopefully never again known as Ben Affleck), lost his sight to an accident with a truck ... http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2009/07/02/super-power-built-in-echolocation-among-the-humans/ Welcome back to the Codex Futurius project, this blog’s never-ending quest to explore the ineffable scientific ideas raised by science fiction. In an earlier entry in the Codex, Jill Tarter of SETI talked about whether we and intelligent-alien species X would recognize each other's transmissions as such. Now Kevin Grazier--JPL ... http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2009/06/24/first-contact-how-to-avoid-threatening-to-slap-the-aliens-senseless/ Welcome to another juicy installment of the Codex Futurius project, this blog’s never-ending quest to explore the timeless scientific ideas raised by science fiction. This question about what kind of aliens we may eventually run into goes to Rocco Mancinelli of SETI. Thanks to Dr. Mancinelli for the enlightening contribution ... http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2009/06/19/what-are-alien-species-like-symmetrical-solid-and-seeing-probably/ Put two stars of Battlestar Galactica on stage with an artificial intelligence expert and two leading robotics professors...and you suck the sci-fi out of the room and replace it with reality (sort of). The World Science Festival event "Battlestar Galactica: Cyborgs on the Horizon" drew a large crowd at ... http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2009/06/16/the-world-science-festivals-bsg-panel-the-real-cyborgs-are-coming/ We've just heard that we're going back to Comic Con this summer, with a panel topic and line-up even bigger and better than last year's event. We are teaming up with Jennifer Ouellette and the crew at the Science and Entertainment Exchange to produce a panel on "MAD SCIENCE," i.e. Science ... http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2009/06/10/comic-con-2009-on-like-donkey-kong/ Superheroes, they're just like us! [via Hero Complex] Meta-conspiracy: Does the government want you to believe in UFO's? [via Futurismic] Real-life Terminator robots here, here and here.  [via Technovelgy] Video of low-altitude flight over the lunar surface by the Japanese KAGUYA explorer [via Pink Tentacle] Recently released scenes of the upcoming remake of V ... http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2009/06/05/scinofi-blog-roundup-superheroes-aliens-ufos-robots/ In our vigilant monitoring of the popular media for all things science-related, we've identified an emerging trend: scientists as fashion accessories.  In just the last few weeks both GQ and Louis Vuitton have inserted scientists and/or astronauts into glossy fashion shoots. The GQ layout, "The Rock Stars of Science," introduces a ... http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2009/06/04/trend-watch-scientists-as-fashion-accessories/ Here's another entry in the Codex Futurius project, this blog’s never-ending quest to explore the timeless scientific ideas raised by science fiction. This question about communicating with aliens goes to Jill Tarter of SETI. Thanks again to Jennifer Ouellette, the director the NAS’ Science and Entertainment Exchange (SEEx) program, for ... http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2009/06/02/codex-futurius-will-we-be-able-to-chat-with-intelligent-aliens/ Even on the harsh deserts of Arrakis, the the water recycling capacity of a stillsuit prevent the wearer from would only lose a thimbleful  of water a day.  If you figure a thimble holds about 10 milliliters of water, and an astronaut normally consumes 2.7 liters of water per day through eating ... http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2009/05/26/astronauts-drink-space-pee-can-we-get-that-in-a-stillsuit-please/ It's a constant on SciNoFi that we do one post per episode of a given show. But as we all now know from watching the unexpectedly epic season finale of Fringe last week, constants can change, universes collide, and worlds are as multitudinous as the stars in the sky. And ... http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2009/05/21/fringe-constants-vary-variables-dont/ What's not to like about watching mega-geeks create  effects for the coolest movies on earth? Very little—which leads one to wonder why producers didn't think of it before. Oh wait...they did. But there's plenty of room for a condensed run-through of all the latest technology, from motion capture to the ever-ubiquitous ... http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2009/05/21/science-of-the-movies-you-too-can-blow-up-the-death-star/ The Codex Futurius project, this blog's never-ending quest to explore the timeless scientific questions raised by science fiction, is back—and this time we have reinforcements. The NAS' Science and Entertainment Exchange (SEEx), a group dedicated to bringing real science into entertainment, has agreed to help us find experts who can ... http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2009/05/18/codex-futurius-why-gray-goo-is-a-great-dud/ On last night's episode of Fringe, practically the first thing we see is a gunshot wound victim rolling into the ER, but the nice EMT has a surprise for the doctor: The patient has a robot hand! Yep, erstwhile Massive Dynamic rep Nina Sharp has had her hand hacked off, ... http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2009/05/13/fringe-isnt-she-great-lets-give-nina-sharp-a-hand/ OK, I kind of loved it when, in this week's episode of Fringe, Emmanuel Grayson basically reveals the plot of the Star Trek movie in his spiel. Does this mean that the Star Trek universe and the Fringe universe are the same? Maybe Emmanuel Grayson *is* Spock. Or is it ... http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2009/05/07/fringe-setting-people-on-fire-with-your-brain/ If we're going to wear surgical masks on the subway, make mine an Octopus beard. [via Pink Tentacle] The Internet may be crumbling, but think of the time that would free up! [via Futurismic] "Junk DNA" science may cure HIV, probably won't create race of superhuman mutants.   [via SciFi Scanner] Migrant workers ... http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2009/05/01/scinofi-blog-roundup-glass-half-full-edition/