Every 8 or so minutes a portal will form between the Earth and the Sun and tons of high energy particles will flow through it. Is it just me, or is that really fucking cool?! An actual portal. Amazing. It even has a wicked-cool sci fi name – a ‘Flux-Transfer Event.’
Scientists didn’t think they existed until 10 years ago, but now they know there is probably one happening above your head right now.
Particles in Earth’s magnetosphere that were first thought to travel to Earth via solar wind are now known to arrive through these portals.
Even in our boring patch on the Universe, something amazing is happening, right now. LINK (NASA)
In the greatest giant robot news news ever, Japan has started a Gundam Academy. And no, its not a club for cosplayers, rather a thinktank that has been charged with making Gundam a reality. I think I just wet myself with joy. The best minds in all scientific areas of Japan really are putting their efforts into mecha. Amazing. Shinya Hashizume, a professor of urban planning and architecture at Osaka Prefectural University, said:
“Gundam presents the reader with many challenges that we will encounter. It is vital to begin conducting research into these. Scientific research in Japan desperately needs a flow of new ideas.”
I’m glad Urotsukidoji didn’t have so much cultural impact. Although a Naughty Tentacle Academy filled with Japanese sailor suit girls might be kinda cool.
The Cone Snail is this week’s horror ov nature. When I think of snails, I think slow moving creatures who only pose a threat to vegtable patches. I don’t think of a creature that..
hunt and immobilize prey using a modified radular tooth along with a poison gland containing neurotoxins; this is launched out of its mouth in a harpoon-like action.
Yes, Electric Spectre was at the geekiest of gigs. Because that’s how we roll. For those not in the know on cult geek rock artists, Jonathan Coulton is probably the worlds foremost slightly folky introspective nerd singer-songwriter. He’s responsible for such masterworks as ‘Re. Your Brains’ – a memo from a zombie office worker in anthemic indie rock, ‘Code Monkey’ – an upbeat lament of a lovelorn software engineer, and ‘Still Alive’ – the closing song from best video game ever (except Solar Jetman) – Portal. I know this because I spend a lot of time on the internet, and saw Coulton on his first UK gig in Dingwalls last year.
Paul & Storm – I know very little about. I’d heard the name, but not much more.
So – Paul & Storm. Despite looking like a pair of highly enthusiastic drama teachers, they had some funny, cool songs. Not quite as catchy or deep as JoCo, but with enough dick and fart jokes and vocal prowess – especially on Nun Fight – to make them ace in their own way.
Next – JoCo. Complaint out of the way at the start – it wasn’t as good as the Dingwalls gig. But that had nothing to do with the performance. The venue was too big. Acoustic gigs should be intimate affairs, with little by way of boundary between artist and audience, and the Empire can’t do that. But hey – it was still fantastic. With Paul and Storm providing backup the songs sounded ace and its great to see JoCo getting a bigger following. Next time Hammersmith Apollo with a full band? I hope so!
For people at the gig -it wasn’t a DS. It was an iPhone in a case. That was me. I think JoCo loses some nerd points for that blunder!
