TWS212: Balancing On The Laser’s Edge
CQ: Okay, so Star Trek’s communicator and cyberpunk’s wearable computer because the modern cell phone. Pick another science fiction (or fantasy) genre invention and project what it will become, practically speaking. Will jetpacks become personal ski-lifts? Will robots become uplifted dogs with speech?
Bumper: Zzipp ‘n’ co Podcast Show (zzipp.podomatic.com)
On the show this week:
- Front Page
- It’s The Fuzz!
- Life Until Death
- Liminal Criminals
- Extras
Full list of 50 articles after the jump!
- Front Page:
- Sympathetic magic lives on in the modern world.: Orange – Testicle pie is Valentine’s treat
- NOW WE’RE TALKING PROPER MAGIC! BRING ME SOME!: Metro – Caffeine inhalers created by professor for those with active lifestyles
- Forget the cold war: it’s the plastic mold war!: RT – Iran sent pink drone to Obama
- No, it’s more like an inaudible, electromagnetic version of the sounds from the sky phenomenon..: Cambridge News – The mysterious case of village with its own Bermuda Triangle
- The first of these that I’ve heard of accompanied by any visuals.. But is it a fake?: Gather – Strange Sounds and Triangle UFO Filmed Over Dublin (Video)
- So, are we just lumping all mysterious, space-borne sounds together, or are at least some of these connected?: Western Telegraph – Milford noise is a booming mystery
- Another form of unearthly sound..: BBC – Choral work seeks record-breaking bass singer
- Only included because it is so pretty: like Simon Says In Space!: Gather.com – UFO News: Same OVNI Caught on Tape Twice Over Tijuana (Video)
- Not so flashy, but very remote. But does remote matter any more, when the whole world is connected?: Gather.com – UFO Witnesses Interviewed on Russian TV (Video)
- One wonders if a super-earth would lead to super-people, or how we would have developed with so many tracts of land..: The Huffington Post – Alien Planet ‘Super-Earth’ Called Best Candidate To Support Life (VIDEO)
- Perhaps the oddest prediction device ever! But: is that merely a magical fetish, with the real power residing within the mage?: Gizmodo – This Lady Just Predicted the Future-Or at Least the Weather-with Asparagus
- It’s The Fuzz!:
- Dumbing it down, brilliant satire, or just getting ready to cover the election puppet show?: San Francisco Chronicle/AP – TV station covers Ohio bribery trial with puppets
- As far as godheads go, at least Elmo’s message was peaceful..: Yahoo!/AFP – Taiwan man held in ‘holy’ Elmo muppet scam
- (EXTRA) Dammit! It was right here yesterday! : The UK Daily Mail – Atlantis disappears again … but this time it’s all thanks to Google
- Don’t be ridiculous! Of *course* its to each *other*!: Orange – Zoo to ‘marry’ sheep and deer
- Well, aside from it got a little carried away in its blueberry jam..: AccuWeather – No Explanation for Pennsylvania’s Purple Squirrel
- It might just be called “Fuzzy Mammoth”, for now..: The Sun – ‘Woolly mammoth’ spotted in Siberia
- (EXTRA) We should be so lucky to contribute to evolution like that!: The Sun – ‘Mutant’ spider fears at nuclear waste lab
- They’ll tend to do that. They’re territorial.: Orange – Mermaids scare off reservoir workers
- Life Until Death:
- Can they really be called “identical” when they’re very different?: Orange – Identical twins are uniquely different
- (EXTRA) Celebrate the variety of human life, in all its forms..: Metro – ‘Werewolf’ sisters affected by rare genetic mutation
- Insert joke about Rolling Stones here..: io9 – Zombie musician rises from the dead in South Africa
- (EXTRA) Wait.. there were *more* humanoid races than Neanderthals and Homo Sampiens? Were any almond-eyed, grey and alien?: Phenomenica/IANS – Entire genome of Denisovan decoded from finger bone
- This goes way beyond continuous meowing and pawing at furniture.. (To be fair, it’s not the cat who’s doing it..): The Atlantic – How Your Cat Is Making You Crazy
- First thought: “what kind of illness is ‘mystery teen’?” 🙂: MSNBC – Mystery teen illness grows in upstate NY, more cases reported
- … Is this a f**king trick question?: The UK Daily Mail – Did chemical spill from 1970 train crash cause high school Tourette’s-like outbreak?
- Wait? Is it time to be ridiculously scared of something again? Are we to be controlled again? (In all seriousness, this could really be serious.): The UK Daily Mail – Flesh-eating bug that you can catch on the bus or train is spreading in the UK
- (EXTRA) We can rebuild him. We have the technology.: BBC – Transplant jaw made by 3D printer claimed as first
- (EXTRA) In the end, we all die alone. Well, except for those who were piloting planes at the time..: The UK Daily Mail – Man’s body lays undiscovered in home for FOUR YEARS after suicide – and is only discovered by realtor who came to repossess house
- (EXTRA) Funny, I think they left the name “Snake Plissken” off the names of the past scientists..: The UK Daily Mail – Triumph! After two decades of drilling in most inhospitable place on Earth, Russian scientists return home with barrelful of water from “alien” lake untouched for 20 million years
- Only when voting.: BBC – Do the dead outnumber the living?
- (EXTRA) Love — just in time for Valentine’s Day! (Bet it’s not chocolate hearts for these two..): The UK Daily Mail – Cannibal who ate head of former lover proposes to Satan-worshipping vampire girlfriend behind bars of psychiatric unit
- Well, it *was* karaoke, which means “I’m going to sing until you shoot me” in Japanese..: The UK Daily Mail – Father shoots his karaoke singing son because he didn’t like his country music song
- (EXTRA) Sure, it was tragic, but the guy ends up with an award-winning eulogy, and fifteen minutes of post-life fame..: The UK Daily Mail – Shopfitter died after falling from giant bucket of mayonnaise and stabbing himself in the heart with electric drill
- Liminal Criminals:
- (EXTRA) Well, he *was* a suspicious character, slinking around in a trenchcoat and snooping around..: The UK Telegraph – CCTV police officer ‘chased himself’ after being mistaken for burglar
- (EXTRA) Someone lost a bet.. (I hope!): KeysNet – Man with shorts on head, not covering face, tries to rob bank
- (EXTRA) This may explain so much..: Discover Magazine – “Here, Listen to My Underpants”: The Robot Psychics of India
- (EXTRA) Repentance comes in many forms.. Many, *disturbing* forms..: The UK Daily Mail – Supermarket burglar found naked and covered in peanut butter and chocolate
- (EXTRA) Well, it *might* be a recycling strategy..: The UK Daily Mail – I’m addicted to eating plastic: Meet the teenage girl who snacks on water bottles, CD cases and even TV remotes
- (EXTRA) There are definitely people with too much time on their hands..: BBC – Naked pedalo pair abandon third Atlantic crossing bid
- (EXTRA) Ok, now the criminals aren’t even trying..: ABC – Man caught stuffing stolen spiders in his pants
- (EXTRA) It’s either that, or they get divorced to save their marriage..: Orange – Judge sends man on date with wife
- (EXTRA) Yep, he’s goin’ to hell for that one!: BBC – ‘Jewish Indiana Jones’ admits Torah fraud
- (EXTRA) So, I guess the large metal balls hanging from chains (from a week or two ago) didn’t work, then?: Orange – Putrid goo to combat roof riders
- (EXTRA) The only thing criminal is that they feel the need to do this; but then again, I will always applaud people learning physical discipline and ninjitsu. Go, ninja, go, ninja, GO!: The Huffington Post – Ninja Training: 3,500 Women In Iran Kick Butt, Social Mores
- (EXTRA) It’s always good when kindness overwhelms politics.. Too bad the government offices aren’t also open at night to the less fortunate..: Orange – Brothel opens its doors to homeless
- Extras:
- (EXTRA) No, they just play them for the challenge. And the bananas.: BBC – Ape versus machine: Do primates enjoy computer games?
- (EXTRA) It may be DNA, or it may be sparkly fishes, or maybe a plant.. Or the SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE! BWAHAHAHAHA!: Gizmodo – These Are the Earliest Human Paintings Ever
- (EXTRA) I bet she has some big ideas, and stands tall for her ideals.: The Huffington Post – World’s Smallest Woman Jyoti Amge Goes Big With Right Wing Party In India
- (EXTRA) The video was missing. I blame Nessie.: Iceland Review – Video: Iceland ‘Lake Monster’ Captured on Film?
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