It is time once again for another Kickstarter Edition of Around the Web. This time we’ve got some interesting looking comic book projects worth checking out. The projects were chosen based on their art, the uniqueness of the story, the apparent production value, the available rewards and a general estimation of success. All of the projects had not yet been fully funded at the point they were chosen, but may have been in intervening time. Continue reading
Filed under Around the Web, Comics, Weekly
This week saw an amazing first as the European Space Agency’s Rosetta orbiter successfully landed the Philae probe on the surface of an asteroid, 300 millions miles from Earth. Philae is already providing us with some interesting information. Initially the surface of the comet was thought to be lumpy and potato like, but based on images already sent back, there are far more pronounced features including boulders, craters, and cliffs. These features presented a hazard to the probe as the lander bounced twice after landing, ending up in an area that the mission control hasn’t been able to positively identify (they have a rough idea). Aside from the historic nature of the landing, is also provides us with an amazing opportunity to study a previously unexplored celestial body. Some scientists have even theorized that comets are responsible for bringing water to the newly formed Earth.
One of several early images sent back from Rosetta and Philae.
Filed under Weekly, Winning Science
As of yesterday, Star Wars Episode VII has officially wrapped shooting, and what better way to celebrate than by announcing the name for the newest addition to the family? Episode VII will officially be known as The Force Awakens. I’ve made no secret of my love for this particular franchise and I’m pretty pleased with the name. It gives us some inkling of what is to come, while avoiding the something painfully obvious, like Attack of the Clones. I’m not the only one who feels this way either. While I’m a little more forgiving of the name The Phantom Menace than most people, I generally agree with this article. J.J. Abrams is doing the best he can as the director of this project, and I think we’re going to get a great movie out of it. If he handling of Star Trek is any indication, he has both the skills and the creativity to make this happen.
We’ve also recently gotten some indications as to what part of the plot might be, however I will just link it here. I know how people get about spoilers. Continue reading
Filed under Around the Web, Weekly
I don’t think it’s any secret that I love ships and all things ship related. The bigger they are, the better they are and it looks as though “better” is about to be redefined. Allseas’ Pieter Schelte is now in the running for the world’s largest ship. Though shorter than the Maersk Triple-E class container ships, the Pieter Schelte is significantly wider and has a considerably larger displacement than the Triple E class. The ship is designed for laying underwater pipelines as well as moving mobile drilling platforms.
The ship is capable of lifting a 48,000 ton load.
From the biggest to the oldest, scientists have been working to retrieve the oldest known homo sapien DNA ever found, over 45,000 years old. The DNA shows small amounts of Neanderthal DNA, further confirming the cross breeding between the two species. The discovery also provides insights as to when man began to push out from Eurasia and spread over the rest of the planet. Scientists believe this began around 60,000 years ago, when intermingling of the two species first began appearing in the fossil record.
Around 2% of the world’s non-African population has some Neanderthal DNA.
Filed under Weekly, Winning Science
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