NASA OKs SpaceX's Latest Milestone for ISS Crew Transfers

NASA has approved SpaceX's first push towards launching crews to the International Space Station.  This under the auspices of NASA's  Commercial Crew Transportation Capability  contract.

It May Be Possible That Certain SAPs May Be FTL!

Phys.org reports that in a new paper  accepted  by the journal Astroparticle Physics, written by Robert Ehrlich, a recently retired physicist from George Mason University, claims that the neutrino is very likely a tachyon or faster-than-light particle.

BMU 434 Now On-line

Hey Hey!  Episode 434 of Beam Me Up is on the way....corny I know but it IS the season.....

So to keep is short and sweet:

I play a track from Season Geekings called Winter's Day by John Anealio

Stories this week are -

The Little Helper by Kat Otis is the first for the afternoon
I close with episode 31 of  the Dark Inspectre series.

Talking points:

Review of the live action movie Kite -
The Curiosity rover finds unexpected Methane spikes
I read a listener supplied review of “Future Diary”

Click HERE for newest episode

review: kite (live action)

Kite  Based on Kite by Yasuomi Umetsu
Staring

India Eisley           as Sawa
Callan McAuliffe  as Oburi
Samuel L. Jackson as Karl Aker

Kite takes place in a post-financial collapse corrupt society, follows Sawa who tries to track down her parents killer with help from his ex  police partner. 

Those in the know recognize the main theme as the Kite of anime series and the anime movie.  (though the anime movie Liberator is probably the least "kite like" than any of the others)

As a general reference all three versions share talking points, but it is the live action that diverges the most.  Yes we have a female protagonist that has a sketchy memory at best.  She is a contract killer seemingly under control of a father figure, benevolent or not. The earrings are the reinforcement item and so on.  

What it comes down to is a comparison between the anime series and live action movie.   Having seen the series first I am inclined to consider it to be the benchmark.  Others may consider the movie so.  The truth is though that most found the movie to be very confusing.  Fast paced yes but many found it difficult to follow.  

Having watched the series first, I was able to follow the film for the most part.  That however did not make it a better film.  

The film IS confusing and IS difficult to follow under the best of conditions.

Editing left what I would consider important plot lines on the floor. 

So it is very very difficult to score this outing in the "Kite" series any higher than a 7.  Lots of action, which means lots of killing.......But continuity has be thrown out the window.

 

 

Don't Dismiss Life on Mars Just Yet.

 

NASA's rover Curiosity was sent to Mars to explore Gale's crater, looking for the most part for the chemical markers that could indicate that in Mars' distant past, the Martian environment could have supported life.

Change your DNA With Only Your Thoughts!

CrystalWizard sent is this very interesting piece.

researchers at ETH Zurich have an ongoing research project to construct a gene network that can be controlled by thoughts.

Death Rays Are Here To Stay......

Much as we would like that title to be some sort of weird musical, it isn't.

The Chinese military has a device called the Poly WB-1. It has the ability to concentrate  microwave beams.

Review: Future Diary Anime Series

 Review by Ninthgate_Show

So you're an antisocial, nonathletic, Japanese wallflower with really no ambition besides writing inconsequential sightings in your cell phone diary. No? Well, if you were, you would likely be Yukiteru Amano, the main protagonist in the anime Future Diary/ Mirai Nikki, one of most intense and disturbing sci-fi series in the last couple years.

Comets Not the Source of Earth's Water!

Comets did not bring water to Earth.  This startling piece of news comes from scientists studying data coming back from the ESU's Rosetta.  The data, they feel, points towards asteroids as the watery culprits.  Still, other scientists want more data before ruling out comets completely.

Though the lander Philae's batteries have long since been depleted after it landed on comet  67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, November 12 2014, the "mother ship" Rosetta has continued to study the comet up close.


This historically close look at a comet may well answer the questions of whether it was possible that these primitive bodies brought water to Earth billions of years ago. Data  gathered by Rosetta's two mass spectrometers suggests this may not be the case.

The authors conclude it is more likely that the water came from asteroids, but other scientists say more data is needed before comets can be ruled out.

Since August, the Rosetta probe has been orbiting Comet 67P and on  November 12 Philae, touched down on the comet's surface.

This historically close look at a comet may well answer the questions of whether it was possible that these primitive bodies brought water to Earth billions of years ago.  Data gathered by Rosetta's two mass spectrometers suggests this may not be the case.







Earth's water is very distinctive. The majority on Earth is made up of two hydrogen and one oxygen atoms.  Infrequently one of the hydrogen atoms will be replaced with a deuterium atom - better known as "heavy water". Deutertium however is exceedingly rare.  For every 10,000 water molecules, three deuterium atoms can be found, a very distinctive ratio of light to heavy water, not easily changed and persists for a very long time.

When the team compared the water on Earth to that of Comet 67p, it was discovered that there was far more heavy water on Comet 67P than on Earth, more than three time that found on Earth.

 Complete BBC News online article HERE

BMU ep433 now online

After my opening comments this week (ep:433) I play the closing theme for the anime series "is this a zombie?" FYI this series is a keeper.  Even though it is a fan service/harem series, it will run you through the gamete of emotions which is no mean feat.

Next is part 1 of Sound Effect by Margret Karmazin

From the blog:  I speak about a strange short film called Time Trap, start to finish, you are never sure exactly what is going on.

The anime short HAL is as different from Time Trap as you can get!  A truly poignant slice of life that will flip you on your head.

Kallimus once again joins the fray this week planting his feet firmly on the neck of Adult swim!

Next with tongue firmly planted in cheek, proof that the Earth is flat!

How about the world's largest largest solar power generation facility?

Could new research prove Neanderthals were a distinct species?!

And finally Venus or bust part one

Podcast address     beammeuppodcast.com   

Or Download podcast directly here

Short Film: Time Trap

Now here is a short science fiction film written and directed by Michael Shanks.  For a short piece, it shows an amazing amount of comedy and pathos - both from the 'main character' and the scenes 'he' shows us.

 My ambivalence towards the main character is quite literally not knowing quite who or what it really is.   As you can see from the opening graphics, is that it is humanoid, a robot - maybe, an android - very likely.  In any event, wonderfully broad spectrum and a wildly funny ending.

The film can be found here on YouTube

Vsauce Asks, Is Earth Actually Flat?

I subscribe to Vsauce on Youtube because their science is always provocative and fun.

Here is one that recently was entered asking what seems to be a fairly straightforward question but from there, things get decidedly weird......Is the Earth flat?

Review: HAL

Hal

Here is this initial setup for the movie:

• Kurumi struggles with the loss of her boyfriend, Hal, and shuts herself off from the world. She remains a recluse until an android is made to look like Hal and sent to help her cope.

From this point the audience is treated to an even paced "slice of life" which slowly pulls you in to where you buy into the plot devices completely.  

Hal maintains the premise through most of the movie.  There are the odd moments however when Hal is it would appear, reintroduced to childhood friends who are completely nonpluses when Hal doesn't recall them at all.  Now this would at first blush be expected, however it is the friends reaction that begins to be telling.  Not all is as it seems.  That mixed with an ofttimes melancholy and often tearful happiness.  

The ending moments are hardly a given.  I was privy to the concluding moments and still found myself asking why such and such a development happened.  

The film at times is cute, other times heart breathtakingly sad and through it all is woven a thread of mystery.  

I would give the movie a solid 8, I would take off some for what appears to be deliberate confusion

Adult Sickness returns now

The Heartshe’s Return

            Yeah, the Heart She Holler soap opera is back, and the third season premieres tomorrow Dec. 2^nd on adult swim at 12:30am.

            Look folks, if you know this show, you know what it is. If not, even I am not going to try and explain this sickness. (And yeah, I’ll be right there for it to return too.) I can’t explain it. It’s basically some kind of tucked away valley of southern gothic lunacy.

            Here’s my best explanation. Combine extreme gothic lunacy, crossed with duck kingdom and honey smeg for brains, and have it all done by Ed Woods (Plan nine from Outer Space, amongst other horrors guy) while he was put on a hallucinogenic trip into lah lah land.

            So yeah, it’s a twisted, deviant, perverted disgusting concept of a show, and I love it. There is something wrong with me, seriously. This; Super Jail, and my next review here. No doubt I need committed.

Buy Lots Of Pickles

            Or pay the price for your insolence, I don’t care. But if this dog ever comes around, I’m safe. For those that haven’t gotten this yet, it’s the latest sickness from Adult Swim. The show is titled Mr. Pickles, and is about a cute and loving, if just slightly deviant Border Collie. I watched the entire first season before really saying anything. It’s a cool show, if they’d just stop picking on that poor little puppy. Every week he has to defend himself from horrible people that live in that area. Close to Heartshe Holler I’m guessing. But that is what makes the show good. Watching Mr. Pickles defeat the enemy every week.

Rebels

            Star Wars Rebels, the newest anime in that fiasco of a franchise is pretty easy for me to review. Painful as it is, I will review it. Very short review, as that is all it takes.

            Watch it. That’s it. Just watch it. This from my mouth, about Star Wars Rebels. It caught the magic, and the fun, of the original, and it has some really cool characters in it, which of course is what got me I guess. What can I really say here folks. I was waiting to jump all over that too. I can’t. I actually like it. Check it out folks, it’s worth a half hour a week easily. Still can’t believe I’m saying that. I’ll say this though. They should have went with this kid, and just forgot about that dippy Luke all together. Even at the end, compared to this kid, Luke sucks.

OTHER STUFF

            Librarians is premiering this Sunday, the 7^th on TNT at 8:00pm. This of course is from the movie series of the same name. Looks good to me, we’ll see.

            And now a few questions for all you little geniuses out here.

            First, why does my laptop shut off at random on it’s own after it is closed sometimes, and when it does, it screams at me the first 2 or 3 times I try to restart it. I’m guessing it’s about to die?

            And number 2, which also explains where I have been these past weeks. I need to know if anyone out here has done any work with Aquaponics. What I am wondering is what your best experience was with which type of flow system on it.

            Yeah Paul, got lucky, got materials, and bedroom is finished 7’ up, and the kitchen is joining it now, 7’ overhead. Underneath this is where my aquaponics is going to go, so I figured I’d see if anyone out here has experience over time before I decide on my final flow system. Still here Paul; just busy building and sealing and preparing for the next step. And aquaponics is a science we should all be experimenting with. Once it’s done, months from now I am sure, I’ll film it all and get it up here Paul. The entire system after it is up and running. Maybe by March I’ll have my time again. House husbands should not be this fecking busy.