I love our planet, to the point that I’ll cry if I see man made intrusions on the beautiful natural wonders. One of the things that really gets to me is nuclear waste and the disposal of it. After The earthquake in Fukushima, Japan, I was devastated. Not only had people lost their lives but the power plant was on meltdown mode. What was this going to mean for the people of Japan? Was my home in the middle of the Pacific Ocean still safe?
As of today, the radiation levels in the Pacific Ocean have reached a dangerous level. We have been advised to not eat fresh seafood caught off our coasts. No one has publicly stated not to swim in the water, but I can’t imagine it’s safe if the wildlife is suffering.
I found myself asking constantly if there was a better way to clean up and dispose of nuclear waste. I’m all for using anything except fossil fuels and Nuclear power, but it’s inevitable that these will be used until other forms are more easily accessible. Today I got an answer.
There really is a new and better way to do this. Professor Neil Hyatt of Sheffield University’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering, led a study conducting research on this very real problem we face. The results were amazing.
By combining the plutonium waste with ground granulated blast furnace slag, a byproduct from manufacturing steel and iron. The result is a glass that stabilizes the plutonium so it can be stored safely.
(Nuclear plant glass)
The team used Cerium as a safe alternative to plutonium during the study but the two act similarly. Three parts cerium and one part blast furnace slag were combined and heated to over 1500°C and then cooled at room temperature. This resulted in a 90 percent possible reduction in nuclear waste.
If this can be perfected, we could soon see a new and safer way in disposing of the waste we are already set on creating.
Brian Cox is Professor Who for one night only, and in his new capacity he’s been called upon to help a doctor. But not just any doctor – the Doctor – played by Matt Smith himself…
The new trailer for ‘The Science of Doctor Who’ sees Professor Cox pay a visit to the TARDIS after he is summoned by the Time Lord saying,
“I need five minutes of your time and when I say five minutes I’m lying.”
But Cox is a busy man and attempts to quit the TARDIS to go and give a lecture (silly man). Luckily, the Doctor assures him he’s seen it and it’s “great”, something the science scholar claims is “impossible”. “Naughty word, Brian,” advises our favourite time traveller.
The Science of Doctor Who airs on BBC2 next Thursday 14 November and will see Cox take an audience in the lecture hall of the Royal Institution of Great Britain on a journey into the universe of Doctor Who.
Drawing on the latest theories as well as 200 years of scientific discoveries and the genius of Einstein, the astrophysicist will attempt to answer some of the classic questions raised by the Doctor, such as can we really time travel? Is their extra-terrestrial life in our galaxy? And how would you go about building something as fantastical as the TARDIS?
Take a look at the trailer – starring Brian Cox and Matt Smith – below:
Adventuring through time and space is exciting, dangerous and all wibbly wobbly. At over 900 years old, it is inevitable that our Timelord’s two hearts have been broken, and that he has also broken quite a few. Let’s take a look at those heart-breaking moments that have us quietly snivelling to ourselves hoping that the other people in the room don’t see your complete emotional breakdown.
For the purposes of ease, I am going to stick to new Doctor Who for my choices. I grew up on Who but my memory isn’t great so they only emotional moments I really remember are the ones that left me terrified hiding behind the cushions, usually Dalek related. As this is an article about emotion, I don’t feel it would be right to, well, write about moments that I didn’t actually feel. I hope you don’t mind too much. Let us begin:
Rory decides between his two wives
I’m going to hold my hand up and admit that I’m not a massive fan of Amy. I was never that impressed by the way she treated Rory, she seemed too keen to move to bigger and better things, to believe he was her true love. But Rory on the other hand worshipped Amy, I had no doubt of his love for her and that he would do anything to save her. That is what makes this moment so very sad.
In The Girl Who Waited Amy is trapped in an accelerated time stream separate from The Doctor and Rory. Things happen and it comes down to this – they arrive in Amy’s time stream only to find it is 36 years in her future and she has been trapped her all alone waiting to be rescued. The Doctor decides they can use her to rescue young Amy through some mind syncing shenanigans. Older Amy realises that by rescuing the younger version she will cease to exist so only agrees to help if the Doctor promises to take both Amy’s.
What comes next is some major Doctor douche-baggery at the expense of Rory’s heart. The Doctor knows this cannot happen, space time implosion, can’t happen, so he has lied to save young Amy.
Rory must work with his older version wife to rescue his Amy, the problem being this older hardened Amy is still the woman he loves. It is in the last minutes of this episode I hated The Doctor for he did to Rory.
The best clip I can find for this is in the form of a music video, which I don’t think necessarily portrays the full emotional impact of those closing moments, but you’ll get the idea:
Here’s what you could have won
This moment is towards the end of two part story Human Nature and The Family of Blood. Basically, in order to hide from The Family, nasty aliens looking to consume the mind of a Timelord, The Doctor removes his memory and stores it in a pocket watch. He becomes ‘human’ John Smith and Martha (memory still intact) his ‘maid’ as they settle in 1913 Britain.
With no memory of being an amazing time travelling alien, the quite normal John Smith falls for a widowed nurse. When The Family track them down Martha must persuade John Smith to open the watch and become the Doctor, the only person who can save them. The one thing that is certain, that all fans know, is that the Doctor will never have that long sought after ideal settled life; but when John and his lady friend hold the watch together, they get a glimpse of the life they could have had:
How to break a mother’s heart
This pick is a personal one and I appreciate not everyone may agree, so let me explain. Being a parent changes you and how you feel. Before you were only ever responsible for your own feelings and emotional well-being, but when you become a parent you have a whole human to worry about and protect. Unfortunately in life there are just some things that you can’t protect them from. One day you may have to tell the little innocent person that actually, bad things do happen, really bad things. That, my friend, is hands down is the hardest thing I have had to do as a parent. To watch your child’s heartbreak before you and be able to do nothing more than to comfort them, in that moment you feels hopeless.
From the Christmas special The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe, this mother has the hard task of telling her children their father has died, the thought of spoiling Christmas has delayed this but the emotional impact is understandably taking it’s toll on her. But what the Doctor says next is something very important and encourages us to make the best times we can because reality is, there will be sad times:
Vincent’s legacy
In this episode The Doctor and Amy have an adventure with Van Gogh. Those of you that aren’t historically illiterate will recall that Van Gogh was a tortured soul. Scholars theorise that he probably suffered from bi polar as well as temporal lobe epilepsy, he drank large amounts of absinthe and even had a stint in an asylum, where he produced some of his best work.
Sadly, this all culminated in his suicide at the young age of 37. So, from the outset of the episode, anyone who really knows Doctor Who will already be aware that there will be no saving him from his fate. However, it is Amy and the Doctor’s attempt to do just that, which is so emotional. They take this tortured man and show him that he is in fact, one of the most celebrated and acclaimed artists in history. The nature of mental illness means it isn’t as simple as that, but this bit right here, man, it gets ya right in the feels:
The Longest good bye
When I watched David Tennant announce is departure as the 10th I cried. One of the most popular incarnations, the 10th Doctor was never going to go without some kind of sentimental swansong. I mean just look at that face:
They didn’t disappoint, because what we got was a whole 10 minutes of him saying goodbye to his companions, changing their futures, doing one last good thing for them. I’m going to acknowledge that in those moments one thought did spring to mind, which served to alleviate the sad for a couple of second, when did Martha marry Mickey? I mean how did that happen? But nonetheless it all had impact. In amongst these final minutes is a little comedy relief, particularly when it comes to Captain Jack which is a nice, but then there is Rose.
I’m also tagging on our ten’s final words, this Doctor wanted to stay, I wanted him to stay, but it’s not how it works:
Burning up a sun just to say good bye…
I’m sucker for a love story so the developing relationship between Rose and the Doctor was one of my all time favourite arcs. To me they were perfect, he showed her all of time and space and in return she softened that war heavy heart of his. But, alas, all good things must come to an end and when it was time for Rose to depart, I was struck with one of the most emotional reactions to a TV show I have ever experienced. Seriously, full on sobbing and snot and that awful red blotchy thing that happens to my face. All of this could have been quite embarrassing when you’re watching it with a group of friends, but I didn’t care because, sigh, it’s Rose and The Doctor.
It was bad enough when this happened, Rooooossssseeeeeee!
But then they well and truly finished me off with this:
*Deep breath
There you have it, my top most emotional moments from recent Doctor Who. Researching it has not been easy, to do a proper job I’ve watched these tear inducing moments over again. However, I’m sure people well be annoyed at the moments I have left out and, to be fair, I could have carried on writing this, but it has to end somewhere and so I’ll leave it as this.
If I have made you cry well, I’m not sorry. That is what makes Doctor Who so great and such a success. In amongst the adventuring, the fun and quirkyness, it still manages drama and twists, and those unexpected moments that have in you rummaging around in your pocket for a crumbled up, long forgotten tissue.
Feel free to share your heart breaking moments in the comments below
Whilst he’s not officially confirmed it himself, it’s widely expected that Thor: The Dark World director Alan Taylor will be signing on the dotted line to direct 2015’s Terminator 5. It’s unlikely to be called Terminator 5, but the new movie will be the latest reboot in a franchise that people have spent an awful lot of money on the rights for.
The first casting rumours for the new film have now begun to surface, specifically for the roles of John and Sarah Connor in the new movie.
In the reported running for Sarah Connor? That’d be Margot Robbie (The Wolf Of Wall Street), Brie Larson (21 Jump Street) and Emilia Clarke (Game Of Thrones). As for the role of John? Two names being put forward are Boyd Holbrook (The Host) and Garrett Hedlund (TRON: Legacy).
By the age of the actors being linked, we can presume that we’re going to get relatively young versions of John and Sarah.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is also set to return in the new movie, which is believed to be the starting point for a new trilogy of Terminator films. Mind you, they said that with Terminator: Salvation, and that didn’t quite go to plan.
How do you feel about a new Terminator movie? Are you getting all sweaty under the collar at the potential return of Arnie in the iconic role? Or after Salvation do you think the franchise should be retired? Be sure to let us know in the comments…
Today has been a good day for Whovians. After the seemingly accidental leaking of the first trailer this morning; the BBC have treated us to a second, longer one. Highlights are more of everyone, some 10 and 11 banter and a ‘mine’s better than yours’ sonic off. Why BBC with all these trailers you are spoiling us.
The lead actors for the announced television re-imagining of Terry Gilliam‘s cult film ‘12 Monkeys‘ have been cast.
Aaron Stanford & Amanda Schull
In a press release statement from SyFy it has been confirmed that Aaron Stanford (Pyro of X-Men 2 and X-Men: The Last Stand) alongside Amanda Schull(Katrina Bennett of Suits).
The series does not seem to be a sequel or a prequel to the ’95 cult classic, instead it appears it’ll follow the same basic plot: The journey of a time traveler from the post-apocalyptic future who appears in present day on a mission to locate and eradicate the source of a deadly plague that will eventually decimate the human race
The 60-minute pilot is being produced by Universal Cable Productions and Atlas Entertainment, producer of the original Bruce Willis–Brad Pitt theatrical directed by Terry Gilliam and released by Universal Pictures. Production is slated to begin in December in Detroit.
Terry Gilliam: 12 Monkeys Film Director
Sadly Terry Gilliam, director of the cult classic film has already branded the TV series as ‘a very dumb idea‘. Is he right? Will there be enough content in this one film to stretch into a full-length series? Only time will tell.
Both main pieces of DLC for the early-2013 Metal Gear Solid spin-off, Metal Gear Rising Revengeance, are now available for free, Konami have confirmed. A price cut has also been made, discounting the main game to $29.99.
No, that isn’t a typo. I did mean to put Dollars instead of Sterling as, unfortunately, Konami UK haven’t confirmed whether we’ll be treated to the ‘Jetstream Sam’ and ‘Blade Wolf’ add-ons for free too, and instead are remaining hush on the subject. Indeed, this story originally came out earlier this week, and I waited a few days to see if they’d get their social gears moving. But alas, no announcement as of yet. If there are any updates with this story, expect to see this article updated.
“The lower price point gives new fans the opportunity to experience the game at a reduced price, with the added bonus free DLC packs that lengthen the overall experience,” Konami said. Which is all well and good but, as said, only the damn Yanks have it at the moment.
Obviously Sam wins, just look at those thighs!
Metal Gear Rising originally started as a title being developed by Kojima Productions, but with progress not living up to Hideo Kajima’s expectations, it was offered to Platinum Games, creators of Bayonetta, Vanquish, and the upcoming Bayonetta 2. The game was rewarded with generally positive reviews, most stating that any problems that it does have are easily fixable. Whether we’ll see those fixes implemented in the up-and-coming PC re-release is a different matter however, with the studio giving very little information away. The last we heard, or in this case, saw of the PC version was a tweet from Kojima himself, roughly translating as “Rising PC version looking good, even the shadow looks beautiful.” This tweet can be found here.
Incidentally, this Platinum Games developed game is also currently free on the European Playstation Store, so grab it while you can!
I was all ready to snuggle up on the couch wrapped in my Dalek blanket and settle down for the highly anticipated first trailer for the Doctor Who anniversary special, Day of the Doctor, tonight on the BBC at 8pm. But, the internet being what it is, I awoke this morning to find it has already been leaked. A little disappointing and somewhat annoying, but it doesn’t mean I’m not stoked.
A mere 41 seconds long but packed with so much that one watch is not enough. We see both 10 & 11 Doctors, Rose and of course John Hurt’s mysterious (not) Doctor. We are treated to a glimpse of the comedy banter that 10 & 11 will inevitably have and Rose getting all serious, not forgetting a good dose of explosions and a couple a TARDIS interiors
For those who don’t want to wait until tonight, here you go:
The story all started with bored little Rachel Dickinson looking for something to quench her crafty thirst. She picks up an unused pair of red high heels and starts to pen in a black web design on them. She then ends up making a mess, a big mess with glue, diamanté and glitter. But somehow manages to produce the first Spidey Shoes! With a proud post on Facebook she gets compliments and praise for her days work along with requests for more to be made. And that is when the light bulb flicks on!
Rachel works in a simple but effective work studio surrounded by glitter, diamanté and geek inspiration from 1970’s Star Wars figurines to a huge Marvel poster on the wall. But Ellaroo isn’t just about geekery. There will also be a fashion range for all those ‘none geek’ people out and about, but don’t be fooled to think that the shoes will be normal, they will still have the glitter and diamanté flare that Ellaroo is priding itself on.
Each pair of shoes are hand embellished to the highest standard using the best materials for a great price!
Have a look at their Facebook page for designs and details: Facebook.com/Ellaroo
Or follow them on Twitter: @EllarooShoes for even more updates
Come the 20th of November Improper Books will launch, another silent comic, Knight and Dragon. While it is different, both in terms of the book’s overall tone and the style, from Porcelain A Gothic Fairy Tale and Butterfly Gate, it’s no less entertaining, though it’s more family friendly than the aforementioned comics. The authors will make you work for getting to the end of the story, however, so be prepared to put in just a slight amount of effort when you pick it up.
The people behind this comic are Matt Gibbs (writer), Bevis Musson (illustrator) and Nathan Ahsworth (colourist), who each bring a personal touch to the classic story of the dashing knight, struggling to save an innocent village (with the promise of the “helpless” maiden’s hand in marriage) from the vicious, cruel dragon. As it’s the case with other Improper Books comics, the story is going to take you on unexpected twists and turns, forcing you to stay on your toes at all times. Here is a short description, from the mouth of God:
[quote]Each narrative begins the same, with a beleaguered Knight riding his Horse into a seemingly deserted village, where the majority of the Villagers mistake him for a heroic warrior. Distracted by the beauty of the Maiden, before he really knows what he’s doing, the Knight agrees to fight a Dragon and, much to the Maiden’s evident dismay, the Village Chief offers the Knight her hand in marriage should he succeed. Learning too late from the Villagers that the Dragon is both huge and ferocious, the despondent Knight heads out to meet his fate, and at this point the stories begin to diverge…[/quote]
Remember how I said there is a bit of work involved in properly following the story? Knight and Dragon offers us the choice of one path or another. Each of its paths focuses on a different character and to follow said character’s story within the story, we have to follow that character’s colour, listed at the start of the book. It might sound like it’s complicated, but let me assure you, it’s not the case. It also gives each of us the possibility of choosing from the various endings, depending on the character we chose to focus on: The Knight, The Maiden, The Horse and so on (I really love that horse, who just happens to be the voice of reason among severely unreasonable characters and who really deserved more of a central role to the story).
I mentioned already the comic is silent, which means Bevis Musson had his work cut out for him in making each character different and unique, in order to convey as much as possible through their facial expressions. We do get some helpful thought bubbles, to make us understand the story a little better, so don’t let the lack of words deter you from a great story. Once you get started and immerse yourself in the story, you won’t even notice they aren’t there.
While it seems aimed at a younger audience, it will still keep everyone that picks it up entertained, with a story that’s both funny and intriguing, even if its focus is on the more light-hearted aspects of such a tale, rather than becoming a gore fest, just for the sake of it. All in all? Full marks from me, be sure to pick it up, read it and come back to tell us if you have enjoyed it.
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