Saturday 31 March 2012

The ships of Battlestar Galactica, immortalized in thousands of LEGO bricks [Battlestar Galactica]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/io9/vip/~3/Vy2hlL6q5mk/the-ships-of-battlestar-galactica-immortalized-in-thousands-of-lego-bricks

Obsidian to help inXile develop Wasteland 2

Well I guess there's a slightly better chance of it not sucking now.

Obsidian to help inXile develop Wasteland 2: Fallout New Vegas developer signs agreement with inXile Entertainment for Wasteland 2

Silicon Knights "confused" by Canadian government withholding funding

So do we believe the Canadian government, or the man who's sueing Epic because "ZOMG! Unreal sucks. LOL".

Silicon Knights "confused" by Canadian government withholding funding: Both Dyack and Ontario have spoken up about the money that has yet to be granted to the studio

Friday 30 March 2012

Local politician promises that his 9-foot-tall alien mother will not affect his civic duties [Holy Crap Wtf]

Local politician promises that his 9-foot-tall alien mother will not affect his civic duties [Holy Crap Wtf]:
Local politician promises that his 9-foot-tall alien mother will not affect his civic dutiesWhen Simon Parkes was elected to the town council in Whitby, England last month, nobody was aware of his lifelong conviction that his real mother is actually a nine-foot-tall, eight-fingered space alien with a kite-shaped face.
Which is rather odd, given that he's incredibly forthcoming about his extraterrestrial parentage. It was just last year that he spent hours detailing his hundreds of alien encounters with Greys and Reptilians on YouTube. Says the newly minted Labour councillor:
The reason extraterrestrials are interested in me is not because of my physical body, but because of what is inside me. My soul.
Now that the election's over, the rest of the Whitby Town Council are only now becoming aware that Parkes' cosmic mother has the power to relay telepathic messages through his optic nerves. To Parkes' credit, he's incredibly humble about being the golden child of a clandestine intergalactic cabal:
It's a personal matter and it doesn't affect my work. I'm more interested in fixing someone's leaking roof or potholes. People don't want me to talk about aliens.
I get more common sense out of the aliens than out of Scarborough Town Hall. The aliens are far more aware of stuff. People in the Town Hall seem not to be aware of the needs of Whitby.
Local politician promises that his 9-foot-tall alien mother will not affect his civic dutiesIn fact, Parkes is a smidge aggrieved that other religious beliefs get a free pass, whereas his encounter with an eight-foot-tall alien doctor dressed as a waiter (who cured his childhood chicken pox) apparently disqualifies him from public office. Hey, I wager there are more than a few lapsed Unarians who'd happily intern for his reelection campaign.
Via The Northern Echo. Hat tip to Hatman.

Welcome to Mleeta, Hezbollah's premier tourist trap [Modern Ruins]

Welcome to Mleeta, Hezbollah's premier tourist trap [Modern Ruins]:
Welcome to Mleeta, Hezbollah's premier tourist trapHassan Nasrallah would like to welcome you to Mleeta, one of Lebanon's more unusual tourist destinations. The unsmiling face of Hezbollah's leader greets visitors in a slickly produced 10-minute video shown in a modern theater, telling them: "I'm honored to be with you in this tourist landmark."
Located in southern Lebanon in an area that was once hotly contested between Hezbollah's forces and the Israeli military, Mleeta, which was opened in 2010, covers some 60,000 square meters of undulating outdoor paths and wooded areas, and another 5,000 square meters in buildings. Part war-trophy museum, featuring captured Israeli equipment, and part military showcase, displaying Hezbollah's own weaponry, Mleeta attracts a mix of curious foreigners, dedicated Hezbollah followers and families looking to admire the scenic views.
Although sanctioned by Lebanon's Ministry of Tourism, getting there still requires going through a series of military checkpoints, and many taxi drivers from Beirut are hesitant to drive to Mleeta, given the country's continuing sectarian issues.
It's odd to think of Hezbollah, a group labeled a terrorist organization by the United States, creating a tourist attraction, but that's exactly what it's done. Set amid a picturesque mountain top, the rough terrain once housed a series of fortified hideouts for some of Hezbollah's most hardcore fighters, including a unit of "martyrdom seekers," essentially a suicide brigade that acts on direct orders from the group's leadership.
Now, the terrain is well groomed and features a fountain, exhibit buildings, and artfully arranged outdoor displays. Carefully planned and elaborately constructed, the museum doesn't identify its funders, but the modern buildings and stylized exhibits clearly required major financial backing. Billed as a "resistance tourist landmark," Mleeta is a carefully constructed showpiece for Hezbollah, which combines a militant philosophy with social services intended to win support among the local population. The museum and accompanying exhibits feature both these tenants, highlighting examples of Hezbollah's war prowess with a repeated theme of civilian protection.
"All wars end in tourism," says author Tom Vanderbilt, but Mleeta proves perhaps a slightly more nuanced axiom about the nature of armed conflict and sightseeing. Mleeta is about encouraging the Lebanese civilian population to continue support for an ongoing conflict, which for Hezbollah won't end until Israel is destroyed.
Welcome to Mleeta, Hezbollah's premier tourist trapMoney Bomb

Subtlety is not the museum's strong point. The sign tells visitors that if "you support, you resist." The donation box is shaped like a rifle round. The exact source of funding for Mleeta, like that of Hezbollah, is unclear.
Welcome to Mleeta, Hezbollah's premier tourist trapThe Abyss

The centerpiece of the museum is an area called the Abyss, which is described as "structural scenic art" to symbolize what Hezbollah believes it the defeat of Israeli forces. The collection consists of Israeli weaponry captured between 1982 and 2006.
Welcome to Mleeta, Hezbollah's premier tourist trapBeholders' Eyes

"This is a very odd war," said Mark Malloch Brown, the United Nations Deputy Secretary General, noting that both sides thought they were winning the 2006 war. A large collection of captured Israeli helmets is used to emphasize Hezbollah's version of events, which it claims as a decisive victory. But the group sustained heavy losses and Israel arguably achieved some of its strategic objectives. Israel did, however, lose over 100 soldiers in fighting, and the conflict prompted the government to rethink its military strategy.
Welcome to Mleeta, Hezbollah's premier tourist trapPretzel Tank

The cannon of a Merkava tank twisted like a pretzel. The Merkava is Israel's main battle tank, making it the ultimate prize for Hezbollah's collection of war trophies.
Welcome to Mleeta, Hezbollah's premier tourist trapCarnage, Carefully Arranged

Even military detritus is carefully arranged as part of the exhibits. The museum emphasizes its artistic sensibilities, boasting of five years of planning that went into the concept and architectural design of the buildings and exhibits.
Welcome to Mleeta, Hezbollah's premier tourist trapFaux Foxhole

Recreation of an insurgent stronghold that was used to launch attacks against Israeli positions. A recurring theme at Mleeta is Hezbollah's martyrdom culture, which glorifies fighters' willingness to give their lives through suicide operations.
Welcome to Mleeta, Hezbollah's premier tourist trapBattle Bike

Hezbollah fighters built a series of fortifications and bunkers, and then used motorcycles to travel between hideouts, transporting weapons and supplies.
Welcome to Mleeta, Hezbollah's premier tourist trapLebanon Underground

Hezbollah boasts that it took 1,000 men three years to excavate the underground complex, which was used as a command and control center and as a barracks for fighters.
Welcome to Mleeta, Hezbollah's premier tourist trapWar Room

This Hezbollah operations center, hidden deep within a mountainous bunker complex. Over the years, this complex was equipped with electricity and running water.
Welcome to Mleeta, Hezbollah's premier tourist trapFake Rock, Real Bomb

A museum worker was particularly proud of this fiberglass rock, which is designed to hide improvised explosive devices or mines used against the Israeli military. In the 2006 war, Hezbollah's roadside bombs proved particularly effective against the Israeli Merkava tank.
Welcome to Mleeta, Hezbollah's premier tourist trapHurt Locker

Captured Israeli explosive ordnance disposal gear. The suit is stored in a building filled with captured Israeli equipment.
Welcome to Mleeta, Hezbollah's premier tourist trapOfficial Destination

The museum is supposedly run by a private group, dedicated to "reviving Lebanon's tradition of resistance and martyrdom." But the Beirut government backs the place as well. Official support includes the imprimatur of Lebanon's Ministry of Tourism.
Welcome to Mleeta, Hezbollah's premier tourist trapBird of Prey

The symbol of Mleeta, seen on multiple displays, looks at first like a dove, the international sign of peace. In fact, the bird is a sparrowhawk, a predator that according to Mleeta's website "does not accept defeat or withdrawal." The website also notes that the sparrowhawk's flesh is "bitter and inedible."
Welcome to Mleeta, Hezbollah's premier tourist trapRocket Reign

The museum features different units of Hezbollah, including its missile unit. Hezbollah's increasing rocket and missile capabilities were some of the defining features of the 2006 war and continues to attract attention. In 2010, then Secretary of Defense Robert Gates accused Iran and Syria of equipping Hezbollah with advanced weaponry. "We are at a point now where Hezbollah has far more rockets and missiles than most governments in the world and this is obviously destabilizing for the whole region," he said.
Welcome to Mleeta, Hezbollah's premier tourist trapLittle Shop of Terrors

The museum's gift shop features coffee mugs featuring the image of Secretary General of Hezbollah Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, inspirational DVDs and other branded knick-knacks.
Welcome to Mleeta, Hezbollah's premier tourist trapFrom Martyrdom to Marriage

The museum's architecture is Hezbollah's vision of Islamic modernism that combines religious imagery with the simplicity and angular construction reminiscent of Louis I. Kahn. This building is designed for weddings and other celebrations.
Welcome to Mleeta, Hezbollah's premier tourist trapRomance and Resistance

Despite its hard-core political message, Mleeta bills itself as a family-oriented outing and is a popular place for couples to visit. The museum also keeps on hand a supply of wheelchairs for the elderly and disabled, and strollers for young children.
All photos: Sharon Weinberger
Welcome to Mleeta, Hezbollah's premier tourist trapThis post originally appeared on Wired's Danger Room. Wired.com has been expanding the hive mind with technology, science and geek culture news since 1995.

Eating chocolate could actually help you lose weight [Biology]

Eating chocolate could actually help you lose weight [Biology]:
Eating chocolate could actually help you lose weightChocolate, like any other candy, makes you fat. That's such a basic and well-known fact that it's easily taken for granted... but it could be wrong. New research reveals that people who regularly eat chocolate are thinner than those who don't.
Top image: Shutterstock.com
That's the finding of UC San Diego researchers Beatrice Golomb, Sabrina Koperski, and Halbert White, who reported their findings in today's issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. Their findings go against everything we think we know about chocolate — in part, because of the way chocolate has typically been consumed since Europeans first came into contact with it.
While indigenous Americans such as the Maya and Aztecs didn't add much to the cacao plant when harvesting it as chocolate, Europeans added sugar and milk - two items unknown in the Americas - to overcome the food's natural bitter taste and make it palatable. In doing so, what had been a staple part of the American diet for 2,500 years became a dessert for Europeans. Sweet chocolate — which includes both the dark and white varieties — has been seen as a fattening dessert ever since.
The thing is, there were good reasons why the original chocolate crop cacao had become such a vital part of diets of various ancient American cultures. It's connected with a bunch of potential health benefits — primarily as an antioxidant, thanks to the presence of a substance known as epicatechin. Chocolate's status as an antioxidant means it can help work against certain molecular chain reactions in the body's cells that, if unchecked, can cause cell decay and death.
Chocolate is also linked to modest reductions in blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, cholesterol, and other key metabolic functions. The problem with all this, naturally enough, is whether these potential health benefits are useful enough to make up for the weight gain associated with eating even modest amounts of chocolate. That's why this new study is so intriguing — that association between chocolate and weight gain may be a popular one, but it isn't necessarily a scientific one.
The UC San Diego researchers realized that body mass index (BMI) is affected by metabolism just as much as blood pressure or cholesterol levels are. As such, it was possible that chocolate consumption could help reduce the deposition of fat, effectively canceling out the very calories added when eating the chocolate in the first place. It may sound a bit like the logical equivalent of Möbius strip, or possibly a bit of nutritional ouroboros, but their data suggests that this is exactly what is happening.
The researchers enlisted 1018 men and women between the ages of 20 and 85 from the San Diego area, none of whom had any known history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or high cholesterol. They were asked how many times a week they consumed chocolate and their BMI was measured. They were also asked to list the frequency of other foods they ate and how often they exercised.
All the raw data suggested that the chocolate eaters should have the heftier BMI. They showed higher calorie intake, ate more saturated fats, and they didn't exercise any more than their non-chocolate counterparts. And yet, no matter how the researchers sliced or adjusted the data to account for potentially confounding variables like age, gender, physical activity, or anything else, chocolate consumption was always linked to a lower BMI. The people who ate chocolate were thinner than those who didn't.
The researchers write that it probably isn't simply the amount of calories that determines weight, but the character of those calories. We think of chocolate as full of empty calories, but they seem to have a serious impact on our bodies' metabolic functions, and those can be enough to offset the addition of all those calories in the first place.
That said, it should definitely be pointed out that this is hardly a universal law. The researchers are quick to point out that this effect may not hold true for all types of chocolate, all the ways in which people eat chocolate, or indeed all chocolate eaters. Not everyone is guaranteed these health benefits from eating chocolates, and for some it may really just be a quick road to weight gain.
Still, as lead researcher Beatrice Golomb puts it, this is "good news – both for those who have a regular chocolate habit, and those who may wish to start one." You know, I've never been less happy about the fact that I really don't like chocolate that much. Now, when scientists come out with the health benefits of Sweet Tarts, then we'll be talking.
Via Archives of Internal Medicine. Image by avs, via Shutterstock. For more on chocolate's health benefits, check out this previous post.

The last mammoths died out just 3600 years ago...but they should have survived [Paleontology]

The last mammoths died out just 3600 years ago...but they should have survived [Paleontology]:
The last mammoths died out just 3600 years ago...but they should have survivedWe usually think of woolly mammoths as purely Ice Age creatures. But while most did indeed die out 10,000 years ago, one tiny population endured on isolated Wrangel Island until 1650 BCE. So why did they finally go extinct?
Wrangel Island is an uninhabited scrap of land off the northern coast of far eastern Siberia. It's 37 miles from the nearest island and 87 miles from the Russian mainland. It's 2,900 square miles, making it roughly the size of Delaware. And until about 4,000 years ago, it supported the world's last mammoth population. For 6,000 years, a steady population of 500 to 1,000 mammoths endured while their counterparts on the mainland disappeared.
It's truly remarkable just how recent 1650 BCE really is. By then, the Egyptian pharaohs were about halfway through their 3000-year reign, and the Great Pyramids of Giza were already 1000 years old. Sumer, the first great civilization of Mesopotamia, had been conquered some 500 years before. The Indus Valley Civilization was similarly five centuries past its peak, and Stonehenge was anywhere from 400 to 1500 years old. And through all that, with all of humanity in total ignorance of their existence, the mammoths lived on off the coast of Siberia.
So then, what finally killed off the mammoths? That's been the subject of a four-year research project by British and Swedish researchers, and they now believe that the final extinction of the mammoths was not inevitable, that they could have survived indefinitely if a couple circumstances had worked out differently. Co-author Love Dalen explained to BBC News:
"We wanted to find out why these mammoths became extinct. Wrangel Island is not that big and it was initially thought that such a small population could have suffered problems of inbreeding and a lack of genetic diversity. But the problem is mammoths don't display that much genetic variation - especially towards the end of their line. The DNA investigations found there was a 30% loss in genetic diversity as the population levels dropped - but that was to be expected. But when we examined the samples from the island, there reached a point when this reached a plateau and there was no more loss. This stage continued until the creatures became extinct. This therefore rejects the inbreeding theory. The mammoths on the island were isolated for nearly 6,000 years but yet managed to maintain a stable population."
Instead, Dalen and the rest of the team believes some drastic change must have occurred on Wrangel Island to kill off the mammoths, and there are two likely culprits: humans and climate. Archaeological evidence suggests that humans reached Wrangel Island at roughly the same time the last mammoths vanished, but there's no evidence yet to indicate that they ever hunted the mammoths. The more likely answer is climate change, which as a side effect might well have made it easier for humans to reach the island to serve as witnesses to the mammoths' final days.
Whatever the exact cause of the mammoth extinction, the fact that they did not succumb to inbreeding is very good news for conservation. According to the Dalen, this means that a small population of even a large animal can maintain genetic diversity and survive indefinitely on a small piece of land. And hey, if anyone ever does figure out how to clone a mammoth, I've got a very good idea where we should put their nature preserve.
Molecular Ecology via BBC News. Image by Catmando, via Shutterstock.

Dino Might: Orion Gets A Release Date, Trailer | Rock, Paper, Shotgun

Dino Might: Orion Gets A Release Date, Trailer | Rock, Paper, Shotgun

Thursday 29 March 2012

Thatgamecompany producer leaves for Tiny Speck

Exodus now their Sony deal's over?

Thatgamecompany producer leaves for Tiny Speck: Robin Hunicke becomes second departure in same day for Thatgamecompany

THQ announces 100+ new layoffs with Warhammer 40K "refocus"

Fuck :( bad news for the developers, although at least it means it's not all wasted. Also maybe that means I'm effectively getting Space Marine 2 which is what I wanted in the first place :)

THQ announces 100+ new layoffs with Warhammer 40K "refocus": Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium will be a single-player game, not an MMO

Now this is the trailer Disney should have used to market John Carter [Video]

Now this is the trailer Disney should have used to market John Carter [Video]:




We've poked and prodded at the baffling marketing campaign for Disney's John Carter, which did little to tout the rich history and alien setting behind Andrew Stanton's movie. The team at the John Carter Files goes several steps further, creating a fan-cut trailer that explains just why anyone should care about this movie.
I can't tell you how many times I've been asked in the last few months, "Who is John Carter?" This trailer does what so much of the movie's marketing failed to do: answer that one simple question. It also gives a much richer sense of the film's visuals, taking us beyond the Tatooine color palette found in all of the official trailers. It's a pity someone didn't tap these guys to market the film. Disney might have had better luck at the box office.
[The John Carter Files via reddit]

Wednesday 28 March 2012

SimCity To Be Crippled By Always-On: Let’s Change This

Fuck this. Can I go make games in 1995 please?

SimCity To Be Crippled By Always-On: Let’s Change This:
Scenes in my head as I read the news.
Some good news and some bad news about the forthcoming SimCity reboot. Good news: you won’t have to buy it through Origin, meaning there can be pricing competition. Bad news: you will have to play it through Origin, with a permanent online connection all the time. That’s some fairly bloody enormous bad news. But there is time to convince EA that while there are many merits to having your game online, there are also some vastly more dreadful downsides, and failing to recognise that would be a terrible shame.
(more…)