GeekSugar

Sci-Fi Meet Reality: One Sonic Screwdriver Coming Up

Kelly Schwarze — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:11:30 PDT

First there's news of a real-life Star Trek Tricorder, and now our science fiction fantasies continue to become reality with word that scientists in Scotland have created their own version of Doctor Who's sonic screwdriver, the device he uses to scan alien beings to check their universal origins and get out of his infamously sticky situations.

Researchers from Dundee University created a machine that uses an ultrasound transmitter to rotate an object rather than just push it, similar in theory to how the Doctor's screwdriver uses sonic waves to manipulate objects. Scientists have long believed ultrasound beams could be used to lift an object but just had to find a way to bring the physics theory to life. The abilities to twist the waves used in medical ultrasound activities could make the science more effective, changing the course of surgical procedures.

The scientists hope the new discoveries in ultrasound beams will be used towards noninvasive ultrasound surgery and manipulation of cells; while Doctor Who fans like myself just want to one day pick up a sonic screwdriver at a store and move along with saving the universe.

Photo Source: Doctor Who Facebook

Geeky Inspiration For Your Wedding Vows and Readings

Kelly Schwarze — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 03:16:02 PDT

We draw a lot of inspiration from TV and film for our real-life events - hello, Battlestar Galactica party! -so if you and your betrothed are passionate about a certain show (or it was something that brought you together in the first place), there's no reason to leave it out of your wedding day. Don't want to go all-out for a themed wedding? Consider incorporating these words of love into your wedding vows or readings for a subtle touch of geekery.

The Hunger Games and 13 Other Frequently Challenged Sci-Fi Books

Kelly Schwarze — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:14:16 PDT

This month the American Library Association updated its list of frequently challenged books for the 2011 year, and one wildly popular novel is making its way up the rankings of this infamous list. The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, which first appeared at number five of Top 10 Most Frequently Challenged Books in 2010, is now third on the list for attempts to remove its contents from school curriculum and library bookshelves. The complaints against the books include text that is anti-ethnic and anti-family, insensitivity, offensive language, occult scenes, and violence.

Despite First Amendment protection, banning or attempting to challenge books has a long history, with many cases even making it to the US Supreme Court. As the American Library Association explains: "books usually are challenged with the best intentions-to protect others, frequently children, from difficult ideas and information." Science fiction and fantasy books often contain these themes that some find questionable, whether it's alien life forms, magical powers, or mystical worlds. In honor of Banned Books week, we're rounding up the most challenged science fiction and fantasy books according to the ALA. Browse the list below!

Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling - The stories of the wizarding world are seen by challengers to have occult and violent themes.
Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer - Its movie stars may provoke pandemonium, but critics of the book say it's too sexually explicit.
His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman - The series beginning with The Golden Compass is often decried for its anti-religious viewpoints.
The Giver by Lois Lowry - Despite the book's message of freedom of choice, criticisms are made for the fictional dystopia's bleak family outlook.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley - Offensive language, racism, and insensitivity are often cited in challenges to the future dystopian novel.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury - The tale of a future world where the printed word is banned and systemically burned was criticized for offensive language.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle - Children's search through space and time for their vanished father is often challenged for the inclusion of supposed witches.

Follow the break for more challenged books of the last 20 years.

7 Glasses Straight Out of Science Fiction

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 13:54:06 PDT

Google unveiled its Project Glass specs last week, which brings your virtual life into the real world (sort of), thanks to augmented reality. If you think these glasses look like they've jumped right out of a futuristic flick, you're not alone. We hunted down a few other sci-fi specs that we might like to wear and a few we hope never come to pass.

10 Movies We Want to See in 3D

GeekSugar — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 06:11:01 PDT

Ever wish you could go back and watch your favorite movies in 3D? Lucky for Titanic fans, the epic 90s film is being rereleased in 3D this week! You will soon be able to relive your Leonardo DiCaprio crush in three dimensions!

Of course, we're of the camp that says you shouldn't convert films to 3D just for the sake of jumping on the bandwagon. It needs to serve a purpose. But there are a few films that were released before the trend went mainstream that we wish we could see in a third dimension. Click through the gallery and see our picks, then tell us - are there any movies you'd like to see in 3D?

A Few of NASA's Top Planetary Picks For Extraterrestrial Life

Kristy Korcz — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 08:49:31 PDT

NASA has discovered yet another planet in our solar system that contains water. Saturns brightest moon, Enceladus, has been found to contain stress fractures on its icy surface that expand and contract as it circles Saturn. Such a flexible surface can only mean one thing - a planet covered in water. What's more, the water below the frozen surface could be hot, and with hot water comes biological growth.

Not surprisingly, Enceladus isn't the only planet that NASA has its eyes on for extraterrestrial life in and out of our solar system. Check out three more planets that could contain life, or have all the fixings for alien life in the future.

Source: NASA

It's Here! Doctor Who Season 7 Preview

Kelly Schwarze — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 11:19:40 PDT

Fans at the weekend's Doctor Who Convention were the first to get a look at the trailer for series seven, and thankfully now we can all share in the sci-fi magic. Watch as The Doctor winds up in an American-style Western complete with a sheriff badge, a pistol-wielding Amy Pond, and yes, even a Stetson-clad Timelord. Watch a preview of what appears to be the most explosive Doctor Who episode yet below!

Like Hunger Games? Add These Sci-Fi Classics to Your Bookshelf

Kelly Schwarze — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 03:12:47 PDT

If you're like us and read the entire Hunger Games trilogy in a week, you're ready for more novels set within a dystopian future where citizens are nothing but pawns for a totalitarian ruler. Round out your science-fiction collection with these four tales of a frightening fate. Read these books and make sure the future is nothing like what the author warns us about.

Of course, we might like it if the Hunger Games technology came through for us.

Photo courtesy of Lionsgate

9 Oscar-Nominated Films For Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Space Geeks

Kristy Korcz — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 11:10:20 PST

The Oscars are this weekend, and while the sci-fi and fantasy genres are generally absent from the best picture category, that doesn't mean there haven't been some amazing nominees in the past. Though not all of them actually took home the big best picture prize, queue up these geektastic films this weekend for a totally Oscar-worthy night in.

The Astronomical Cost of a Death Star

Kelly Schwarze — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 05:12:12 PST

Want to a Death Star to call your own and to preside over galactic domination? That'll be a cool $852,000,000,000,000,000. According to a group of Lehigh University economics students who calculated the total, that's 13,000 times the world's entire gross domestic product.

The student team researched all necessary business practicalities in determining the real-world cost of the Empire's famous weapon. The Death Star's size and mass was compared to a modern-day battleship since they would both be built of steel. A planet-sized weapon like the Death Star is estimated to be much, much larger than a naval ship on Earth. Plentiful raw material is crucial for Death Star fabrication - however, finding enough steel on this planet is unlikely. According to the Lehigh students, at today's steel production rate, it would take over 833,000 years to produce enough to steel to start the project.

Thankfully, for those on the side of the Rebel Alliance, the Death Star remains a work of fiction.

Picture Source: Etsy User Harshness