Category Archives: Newspace

‘Oumuamua back in the news: do aliens approach? And what will NASA be announcing today?

Astronomers identified Oumuamua, the cigar-shaped extrasolar object passing through our solar system, back in October. More recently, it has made the news because its unusual qualities make for cool sensationalist headlines. Stephen Hawking, et al have not actually said the thing is an alien craft, and probably aren’t betting it is, but its unusual shape and nature mean that scientists have to check all possibilities.

It’s more likely just an unusually-shaped asteroid from another system.

Or a space whale. It could totally be a space whale, right?

In an unrelated development, NASA will make an announcement later today regarding the Kepler Space Telescope and its ongoing scanning of the galaxy for signs of inhabited planets.

UPDATE: With Google-based “machine intelligence” helping to analyse the Kepler data, NASA confirms an eighth planet in the Kepler-90 system, making it the first to tie our system in the number of known planets.
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Future Franchise Deals and Discussions with Disney

If you haven’t already heard, Rian Johnson will be overseeing an entirely new Star Wars trilogy, set in some other corner of a galaxy far, far away. Buzz holds that it might not even shoehorn in connections to every existing character.

Talks have stalled, but Disney and Fox continue to discuss a deal that would bring Marvel properties such as the X-Men and the Fantastic Four back under the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s control.

If this happens, should the mutants and heroes rejoin? Or stay in their own universes? And will we finally get a good FF film?

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Harassment Allegations hit Superheroes

A wave of allegations of sexual harassment and impropriety sweeps Hollywood, and they now include at least three men related to comix and superhero movies:

After years of harassment and assault allegations, DC has suspended editor Eddie Berganza. Update: Okay, DC has fired Berganza.

Andrew Kreisberg, showrunner for The Flash, who also works on Supergirl, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow, has been suspended over allegations of inappropriate touching and comments.

Gal Gadot has announced she will only continue as Wonder Woman if Warner removes Brett Ratner’s company from the next sequel. Ratner faces some of the more serious allegations of sexual assault and misconduct among those recently accused.

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Newspace

This is my video of the ComiCon local to me, which occurred this weekend. As a bonus, the cosplayer in the introduction turns it into a Countdown to Halloween video as well.

Below: the International Mars Society Convention, some NASA news, and where to watch Star Trek: Discovery

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Newspace

San Diego Comic-Con starts this week, but it’s not the only thing happening of interest to nerds. Click for news (and signals) from space, an update on the prehistoric Tyrannosaur, and modern tech used to save a turtle’s life.

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Newspace

This week we lost Adam West, the actor best-known for his deliberately wooden, comic turn as Batman in the 1960s. While many bat-fans find the series an embarrassment, its runaway success helped revitalize the superhero comic, and demonstrated that superheroes could work in mainstream media. Only Superman, really, had achieved that status beforehand, on radio and television.1

The Harry Potter Festival organized for Goderich, Ontario, has had to move to nearby Blyth. Those who booked accommodations in scenic Goderich will receive shuttlebus service. The festival will see the small town transformed into some Harry Potter-verse equivalent over the three-day festival, which has attracted ticket-buyers from around the world.

Japan’s Softbank is buying Boston Dynamics, Google’s robot company:

SpaceX update and a couple of Cons, below:

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Bill Nye and Doctor Who among those who joined pro-science rallies:

April 22 was Earth Day, and many people took the opportunity to address the broader issues of science which is actively under attack in many political quarters. The London March’s guests included Peter Capaldi, the current Doctor Who, astronaut Garrett Reisman joined the crowds in LA in an electric hummer, and Bill Nye addressed protesters in the Washington:

Other Newspace below, including alien-seeming Terran lifeforms, John Glenn, and Cosplay:

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Happy Newspace!

We live in interesting times, but as 2016 finally comes to its conclusion, I’m hoping for a happier future. Enjoy whatever you might be doing this evening and, before I head out, I have gathered, with the Bureau’s help, a few Newspace stories for ya:

NASA’s Jeff Williams has posted this amazing video of earth from space. It seems like a good way to end the year, so take a good, long look:

And, below:

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