With just one more week to the dramatic launch of BSG season four, we complete GWC’s epic three-season re-watch with Crossroads, Parts 1 and 2. Highlights: we note how it’s finally sunk in that we get new content next week, hear Audra’s thoughts on hair bashing, love some more on Romo, question why Lee had to ask the last question (instead of leaving it alone), discover that the whole crew loves accents, and throw down some last-minute quarter bets. Don’t miss our live show next week at 10:45 CT April 4th on TalkShoe.com. Check the blog (galacticawatercooler.com) for details!Â
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This week we dive into the penultimate episode of our massive pre-season four re-watch. Highlights: we lament the many shows that died before their time, debate how long it takes to download Cylon(z), comment on Romo Lampkin’s incredible coolness — and note his cat’s name, Lance — love how quickly Adama and Roslin go from not caring about Lampkin to running scared, analyze Lampkin’s thefts, question Anders’ luck in flipping heads over and over. The Starbuck theories continue, and we take a moment to lament the loss of Arthur C. Clarke — and Chuck’s need (physical NEED) for Dark Horse Star Wars trade paperbacks. If you’re in the San Diego area today, don’t miss our meetup tonight. Check the forum at www.galacticawatercooler.com for details.
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Before BSG there was Trek, and with Ron Moore, Trek was good. Now TrekMovie.com is reporting that the Galactica co-creator “wrangled a set visit” to the new Trek flick, and his (very censored) response is… quite positive.
Besides mentioning how much he enjoyed walking around a set with a Federation ship again, he also voiced his approval of J.J. Abrams and the decision to push forward in a different direction. In fact, he draws a parallel to the franchise’s employment of Wrath of Khan writer Harve Bennett, who “had never seen the show,” after which “they started over. They went at the costumes differently, the storytelling, the vibe of it, the style of story that they were going to do. They rescued the whole franchise. Wrath of Khan makes all the subsequent Star Trek projects possible.”
All in all, Trek XI is sounding more fun by the day.
(Thanks, David!)
Ron Moore Visits Star Trek Set [Trekmovie.com]
According to Reuters, Tuesday the SciFi network told advertisers that they’ve approved a two-hour pilot of the BSG prequel series Caprica. While RDM and David Eick’s Caprica has been in the works for two years and production will begin “this spring,” no one’s guessing yet at an airdate. I suspect it won’t be “immediate.”
Either way, I’m stoked about the series, which will take place 50 years before current Galactica events and will purportedly focus on the lives of two families – the Adamas and the Graystones. (Perhaps the Graystones are on Starbuck’s dad’s side.) Wikipedia claims Caprica will depict life in the peaceful Twelve Colonies and the technological breakthrough in robotics that gives rise to…well, you know the rest.
Another set of webisodes and a BSG video game on SciFi’s website are also in the works, according to Reuters. Now we know we’ll have more of the Galactica universe to look forward to even after the show wraps up in 2009. So say we all!
Caprica Pilot Given the Green Light [Reuters]
Caprica TV Series [Wikipedia]
Here’s the new weekly presidential approval poll. Remember — even if you voted last week, you’ll want to vote again on this poll as this is a weekly feature and the results will vary from week to week. Let your opinion be heard (for free)!
Remember: This approval poll applies to the current GWC re-watch schedule, which means you should be voting for your feelings circa Episode 318: “The Son Also Rises.”
Do you approve or disapprove of the way Laura Roslin is handling her job as president?
- Approve: 44% (40 votes)
- Disapprove: 50% (45 votes)
- Unsure: 6% (5 votes)
Total Votes: 90
Here’s the new weekly presidential approval poll. Remember — even if you voted last week, you’ll want to vote again on this poll as this is a weekly feature and the results will vary from week to week. Let your opinion be heard (for free)!
Remember: This approval poll applies to the current GWC re-watch schedule, which means you should be voting for your feelings circa Episode 317: “Maelstrom.”
Do you approve or disapprove of the way Laura Roslin is handling her job as president?
- Approve: 53% (26 votes)
- Disapprove: 43% (21 votes)
- Unsure: 4% (2 votes)
Total Votes: 49
Sometimes I think we’re alone in the universe, and sometimes I think we’re not. In either case the idea is quite staggering. – Arthur C. Clarke
Sir Arthur C. Clarke, science fiction giant and author of over 100 books including Childhood’s End (1953), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Rendezvous with Rama (1972), and The Fountains of Paradise (1979), died today at his home in Sri Lanka at the age of 90.
Clarke’s ideas rippled throughout science, science fiction, and broader popular culture. His concept of the geostationary telecommunications satellite in 1945 predates the creation of modern telecom satellites. And Clarke’s 1979 novel Fountains of Paradise laid the groundwork for what he believed would be his ultimate legacy — the concept of a space elevator that will replace space shuttles.
Clarke’s fiction and nonfiction books, essays, and short stories as well as his work in the arts and sciences earned him numerous honors and namesake discoveries (including a species of dinosaur found in Australia, Serendipaceratops arthurcclarkei). In 1998 he was honored with a knighthood by the Queen of England.
From the biography at the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation:
During the evolution of his discovery, he worked with scientists and engineers in the USA in the development of spacecraft and launch systems, and addressed the United Nations during their deliberations on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space…In 1954, Clarke wrote to Dr. Harry Wexler, then chief of the Scientific Services Division, U.S. Weather Bureau, about satellite applications for weather forecasting. From these communications, a new branch of meteorology was born…
Since 1956 Clarke has lived in Sri Lanka exploring a passion for marine diving, where he said he comes as close as possible to the weightless feeling of space. Having suffered post-polio syndrome and at times been confined to a wheelchair, Clarke once said, “I’m perfectly operational underwater.”
At his 90th birthday party last December, Clarke expressed his wish that one day extraterrestrial beings would “call us or give us a sign…We have no way of guessing when this might happen,” Clarke said; “I hope sooner rather than later.”
It’s time to dig out the ole’ 2001 DVD again. We’ll miss you, Sir Arthur.
Arthur C. Clarke [The Arthur C. Clarke Foundation]
Clarke’s passing [MSNBC.com]
Okay, so there haven’t been any confirmed sightings of a Cylon ship — but as of this year, the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) perched atop Mount Graham in Arizona is the closest we humans have come to being able to see clearly something that far away. At 580 metric tons (double the weight of the previous heavyweight telescope champ) and with ten times the clarity of the Hubble, the LBT can’t see farther than our previous best scopes, but it can see a wider, sharper view of space — and also whatever sexy cyborgs may be hurtling toward an inevitable invasion of Earth.
According to Spaceref.com:
With unparalleled observational capability, astronomers will be able to view planets in distant solar systems, and detect and measure objects dating back to the beginning of time (14 billion years ago)…It uses two massive 8.4-meter (27.6 foot) diameter primary mirrors mounted side-by-side to produce a collecting area equivalent to an 11.8-meter (39 foot) circular aperture.
To be honest, I didn’t know that scientists had quantified the “beginning of time” at 14 billion years ago. I have a pair of jeans at least that old, and something had to come before. Otherwise, who made them?
Academic and astronomy institutions in Germany, Italy, and the U.S. began with conceptual designs twenty years ago and today are undoubtedly popping champagne across the globe. Just keep an eye on the Dradus.
LBT Observatory [Main Site]
The LBT [SpaceRef]
We’re busy re-watchin’ away at GWC. If you’d like to jump in, here’s what we’re currently checking out and discussing:
The Son Also Rises carries us further down our headlong path towards new BSG content April 4th. Trash, of course, has opened up numerous questions here on GWC — and still remains one of my favorite Firefly episodes to date. And Don’t Look Back drags us deeper down the Heroes rabbit hole.
We relate some of our All-Con experiences, then settle down to talk Maelstrom. Highlights: we wonder about Starbuck’s origin (a farm?), see her Starbuck-The-White change in new light, run down numerous “far-out” theories that suddenly seem reasonable, discuss Helo’s need for structure, spill the beans on our Viper sim featured in Popular Science this month, get schooled on X-Men, note Captain America’s need for “W-shaped tights,” and pine for April 4th. Don’t miss this weekend’s San Diego GWC meetup! Check the forum for details.
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You may have missed this morning’s 2:28 a.m. ET launch of the space shuttle — unless you live in Brevard County, Florida. Besides the fact that the shuttle’s three main engines and two SRB’s make enough noise to be clearly heard in Orlando about fifty miles away, the launch is so bright it turns the night sky a light blue. Sadly, night launches are somewhat rare. This is the only the 30th night launch of the shuttle.
So far it appears that everything went off with out a hitch, and the orbiter Endeavour’s crew is currently resting after a busy first day.
I’ve always felt a somewhat personal connection to Endeavour specifically, because when I was touring the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center, Endeavour was sitting inside awaiting its Orbital Maneuvering System pods. (Yes, I’m dating myself. Endeavour was brand-spankin’-new back then.) I walked around it and beneath it — my first close encounter with a still-active spacecraft.
This mission, STS-123, is expected to last seventeen days, and will deliver to the International Space Station the Japanese Kibo laboratory — two small pressurized sections that will increase the station’s research capabilities — as well as Dextre, a “hand” for the station’s robotic arm. According to NASA, Dextre (pictured below) “is capable of sensing forces and movement of objects it is manipulating” and “can automatically compensate for those forces and movements to ensure an object is moved smoothly.”
If you’d like to keep up with the latest on STS-123, take a look at NASA.gov’s space shuttle page. And remember, an online feed of NASA TV is always available free.
Space Shuttle [NASA]
NASA TV [NASA]
Audra and I were lucky enough to catch Aaron Douglas at the Dallas All-Con event today, and greatly enjoyed his Saturday panel. For those of you who haven’t seen Mr. Douglas in person, he’s very fan-accessible, affable, and entertaining. Some interesting (and possibly very slightly spoilericious) facts gleaned from his talk:
- He indicated that BSG will indeed resume shooting March 24th.
- He seemed pretty sure that we won’t see the ten-or-so remaining “season four” episodes until 2009.
- He claims to know who the final Cylon is, but obviously isn’t going to reveal it. (Thankfully no one asked.)
- He also mentioned that he has yet to see scripts for the second half of the season, which combined with the above would seem to indicate that the final Cylon reveal will occur during the ten episode run starting April 4th.
- And for female (and non-hetero male) fans, he rarely wears underwear. Hilarity ensues.
Douglas says he’ll be at the All-Con event through the weekend, so anyone in the Dallas area may want to consider dropping by. The event offers a lot of bang-for-the-buck: one day passes are only $15. Autographs from Douglas are $20, and pictures with him are available by donation (to charity).
Dallas All-Con [Main Site]
GWCers on Flickr
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