Latest news with #sciencefiction
Gizmodo
2 days ago
- Science
- Gizmodo
Nuclear Winter Would Be Even Worse Than We Thought
Despite happening (thankfully) just once in real life, nuclear warfare has long been a staple element of science fiction. Popular depictions of nuclear conflict—from biographic thrillers like Oppenheimer to imagined disasters like The Day After—reflect the understanding that its consequences would be irreversible and catastrophic to modern society. Unsurprisingly, nuclear warfare and its potential repercussions concern scientists as much as fiction writers. In a recent paper published in Environmental Research Letters, researchers at Pennsylvania State University examined how nuclear war might disrupt food security worldwide, focusing specifically on the global production of corn, the most produced grain crop in the world. In the worst-case scenario, nuclear weapons would wreak havoc on our atmospheric systems, gradually cutting our annual corn production by up to 87%, the study warns. For their simulations, the authors considered 38,572 locations for corn production across six different nuclear war scenarios of increasing severity. The simulations took place under nuclear winter conditions, a hypothetical climate scenario following a large-scale nuclear war. During nuclear winters, black carbon from fires triggered by nuclear detonations would fill up the sky, obstructing sunlight. The resulting drop in global temperatures could last for over a decade—long enough to decimate agricultural systems worldwide, according to the scientists. In addition to black carbon, the authors examined the potential UV-B radiation exposure to plants. The Earth's ozone usually blocks this type of radiation, but this protective layer would be weakened in the wake of nuclear war. As UV-B radiation causes DNA damage and obstructs plant photosynthesis, the researchers modeled how overexposure to this energy source could affect the soil-plant-atmosphere system that drives crop growth. The results were disturbing. First, the 'best-case scenario,' a regional nuclear war, would release enough soot into the atmosphere to reduce annual corn production by 7%—which, to be clear, would severely impact the global food system, study lead author and meteorologist Yuning Shi explained in a press release. A global-scale war, on the other hand, would inject a massive 165 million tons of soot into the atmosphere, curbing global corn production by a whopping 80%. That wasn't all; radiation damage 'would peak in years 8 and 9' following the initial detonation of the bomb, causing an additional 7% decrease in corn yields, according to the paper. 'The blast and fireball of atomic explosions produce nitrogen oxides in the stratosphere,' Shi explained. This, in combination with heat-absorbing soot, injects a fiery cycle into the atmosphere that 'rapidly [destroys] ozone, increasing UV-B radiation levels at the Earth's surface.' Thankfully, these are just simulations. They nevertheless 'force us to realize the fragility of the biosphere—the totality of all living things and how they interact with one another and the environment,' Shi said. What's more, the study acts as an early precursor to a more refined, effective response plan for potential disasters, he added. Hopefully, that disaster won't be nuclear—though it could be something like a volcanic eruption, which obstructs sunlight in a similar way and is something we can better prepare for. For example, the paper recommended preparing 'agricultural resilience kits' containing seeds for crops that can grow under cooler conditions. 'These kits would help sustain food production during the unstable years following a nuclear war, while supply chains and infrastructure recover,' said Armen Kemanian, an environmental systems expert and paper senior author, in the same release. But these kits could easily assist food security in areas affected by severe volcanic activity, he added. Natural disasters are beyond our control, save for the preparatory part. A self-inflicted environmental catastrophe and global-scale famine—that's clearly another story. When it comes to nuclear winter, the 'best approach to preventing its devastating effects is to avoid it,' the scientists wrote.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Alien: Earth' Screens Blockbuster First Episode at Comic-Con
The upcoming Alien television series crash landed into Comic-Con with a blockbuster Hall H panel that got thousands of geeks sitting on the edge of their seats to an encroaching otherworldly horror. Alien: Earth, the FX series based on the classic 20th Century Studios science fiction horror movies, saw its first episode play on a giant screen in front of over 6,500 fans ahead of the show's premiere on FX and Hulu on Aug. 12. It was an ear-splitting, body-shaking experience that showcased epic moments, intimate moments and icky moments. More from The Hollywood Reporter 'Rick and Morty' Spinoff 'President Curtis' a Go at Adult Swim 'The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon' Renewed for Fourth and Final Season at AMC "James Fraser Dies" in First 'Outlander' Season 8 Footage 'This is by far the biggest thing I've ever made,' said Noah Hawley, the showrunner who wrote and directed the pilot episode. 'But I made it like I make everything else: By hand, and love for you.' The series is ostensibly about a crashed spacecraft that brings the dreaded Alien xenomorph to Earth. But as expected, in Hawley's hands, there is much more going on. There are themese of humanity's quest for immortality, the greed of corporations (and inter-corporate warfare) and sibling love. Sydney Chandler plays a young woman named Wendy who is a first of her kind hybrid, a humanoid robot infused with human consciousness made by one of the mega-corporations who run the world. When a research starship owned by another mega-corporation crashes in a Southeast Asian metropolis, the childlike Wendy leads a rescue mission in order to find her brother. Unbeknownst to all, a xenomorph is on the ship… and so are a bunch of brand new alien creatures. 'Each hour has to have its horror elements but it has to be a drama,' explained Hawley. 'It has to be a character journey and be themactically rich. You have to worry that I may kill one of these people. I just might.' Timothy Olyphant, who plays a father figure of sorts to Chandler's characters, concurred, adding that by the time audiences gets four episodes in, it will be the character moments they will remember. But let's get back to the new creatures. Hawley said that the idea behind that was creating new feelings of 'genetic revulsion.' 'The one feeling you can't get back is the discovery of the life cycle of this creature (we all know so well now),' he said. 'How every step along the way is worse than the step before.' That said, there is plenty of xenomorph action. And it was mostly practical effects. The xenomorph was a man in a suit, not CG. 'I almost peed,' Chandler said when she saw him on set for the first time. Alien: Earth has a strong presence at Comic-Con as it also has an elaborate activation on the grounds of the convention center and nearby hotel. The interactive site allows guests to visit the crash site of the space ship holding the alien specimens and even allows for 'missions' in the evening as well as giveaways. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Studio': 30 Famous Faces Who Play (a Version of) Themselves in the Hollywood-Based Series 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise Solve the daily Crossword
Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
'Predator: Badlands' fuels a perspective at Comic-Con
The latest movie in the Predator series flips the script to focus on the bad guys who always lose to the humans in the end, director Dan Trachtenberg said. "The predator never wins," Trachtenberg told an audience at San Diego Comic-Con after footage of Predator: Badlands debuted at the convention's Disney panel. This, the Prey director said, inspired him to tell the story from the predator species perspective in Badlands, the seventh in the main movie series, dating back to the 1987 hit starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the ninth across the franchise. It was key, Trachtenberg said, for him to explore a different aspect of the Predator world for this science fiction movie, developed by 20th Century Studios and landing in theatres on November 7. "There are no humans in this film," said cast member Elle Fanning, discussing the challenges of learning the logistics of a completely fictional realm. The biggest challenge was mastering the fictional Yautja language, said Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, who stars as Dek, a young predator on a solo mission in a treacherous land of even bigger predators. He bonds with an android named Thia, played by Fanning. Dek is "ferocious and badass, very much an anti-hero," Trachtenberg said. Before the panel discussion with the director and several cast members, the audience got a glimpse of a Yautja-speaking predator prowling the stage with the signature glowing weaponry as stirring music played.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ryan Gosling Unveils Hilarious Footage of His 'Project Hail Mary' 'Space Caveman' Character at Comic-Con
From directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, 'Project Hail Mary' is in theaters on March 20, 2026 Ryan Gosling is ready to take moviegoers to space. The actor-producer, 44, appeared at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, July 26, to tease his upcoming spacefaring blockbuster Project Hail Mary, a science-fiction comedy based on author Andy Weir's 2021 novel of the same name. The movie sees Gosling as a middle school science teacher named Ryland Grace, tasked with traveling into space 11.9 light-years away in order to determine why dozens of stars — and the sun — are dying, risking extinction of all life on Earth. "It took me places I've never been, it showed me things I had never seen," said Gosling of the film. "It was as heartbreaking as it was funny. ... This story is about a scared guy who has to do something impossible. Now, I was a scared guy who had to do something impossible, just trying to turn this into a movie." Oscar-winning filmmaking duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) directed Project Hail Mary from a script by Drew Goddard, who also adapted author Weir's novel The Martian into the space-faring film that starred Matt Damon. Lord, Miller, Goddard and Weir joined Gosling for the footage-filled Hall H panel, moderated by Josh Horowitz. The crowd was treated to the hilarious first five minutes of the film, depicting Gosling's Grace — who he called "an ordinary person in this extraordinary situation" — waking up from a cryogenic state. "You may have noticed he looks like a space caveman, in this placenta onesie," quipped the Barbie star. A placenta onesie, he added, is a costume "I hope to be seeing at Comic-Con one of these days.' Working closely with Goddard and Weir, Gosling said he "tried to create these different layers to him as he's evolving from a space caveman to a space person that needs to do some really important stuff." "What's so inspiring about him is he reacts to a lot of things like I might or a lot of us might, and he's terrified appropriately of the task at hand," he continued. "He's somebody who on Earth had given up on himself, and has been given this opportunity to believe in himself again." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. A teaser trailer released on June 30 shows Gosling's character spending a significant amount of time alone in space. He also appears to befriend an alien on his mission, which is dubbed the titular "Project Hail Mary" by costar Sandra Hüller. That mineral-like alien, the team revealed, is nicknamed Rocky. 'It's too soon to talk about Rocky," demurred Gosling. "He's not here to speak for himself.' The faceless, five-limbed creature, glimpsed in another scene, will come to life through a mix of computer-generated animation and puppetry courtesy of The Jim Henson Company, the team revealed. "It comes alive in a way where you would die for this character," said Miller, pointing out that strange creatures don't need faces to be beloved. Miller, Lord and their designers worked diligently on nailing the accuracy in Project Hail Mary's math and science, consulting Weir for questions on astronomy. Ultimately, Miller said, "it's a story about connection, it's about hopefulness and about humanity. It's a very emotional story." Lord quipped that the movie "answers the question: 'If the universe depended on it, can adult men make friends in six days?' " Project Hail Mary, costarring Lionel Boyce, Milana Vayntrub and Ken Leung, is in theaters on March 20, 2026. San Diego Comic-Con 2025 runs from July 24 to July 27. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Star Trek' Actress: 'William Shatner Was Interesting, Let's Put It That Way'
'Star Trek' Actress: 'William Shatner Was Interesting, Let's Put It That Way' originally appeared on Parade. The original Star Trek TV series ran for just three seasons between 1966 and 1969 on NBC, though it spawned dozens of TV shows and films that followed. But the original still holds a special place in fans' hearts. The original series starred Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei and as the crew of the USS Enterprise, but it also welcomed many memorable guest stars over its three seasons. One such notable guest star is of Father Knows Best, The Andy Griffith Show and The Odd Couple. She appeared in the season 2 episode "Metamorphosis," in which she played Assistant Federation Commissioner Nancy Hedford on a peacekeeping mission. In the episode, Hedford has contracted Sukaro's disease, which will eventually kill her, but the team discovers a man named Zefram Cochrane (Glenn Corbett) marooned on an unknown planet with an entity made up of electrical energy that restored his youth and keeps him young. In the end, Hedford ends up merging with the entity and remaining with Cochrane on the planet where they can have a life and live out their remaining years together. In a new interview with Woman's World, Donahue, 88, reflects on her memorable Star Trek appearance, including what it was like working with Shatner, with whom she shared most of her scenes. 'I went to a Star Trek convention in Las Vegas a few years ago, and that was quite amazing, although Star Trek certainly became a phenomenon very early on. You could see that that was going to have legs for a long time. And William Shatner was interesting, let's put it that way," said goes on to say that he was "a little tough" on her because she was nervous in the dress rehearsal. "He was a little tough on me in the beginning, because, like I said, I'm not good at rehearsals, I think I scare people or used to scare people in rehearsals, 'cause it always seemed to me as though they thought that I wasn't going to be able to do it right. I guess I kind of pull that out of the fire at the last minute. "He got a little annoyed with me during the table read, and the director said, 'Just leave her alone, will you?' But it was fine. He saw that I was professional about my work and giving my best. That's all you can ask somebody, is to do their best, and it's what I've always tried to do," said also added that she and Shatner "ended up getting along fine." Donahue also reflected on her decades-long career in show business, saying that her life "sounds quite unbelievable" at times. "If I were hearing it from someone, I'd say, 'Oh come on, that can't possibly be true.' But all told, it was all just so magical. Honestly, I've had a lot of fun," said Donahue. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 'Star Trek' Actress: 'William Shatner Was Interesting, Let's Put It That Way' first appeared on Parade on Jul 26, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 26, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
