Stargate Universe ("SGU") premieres this evening in the US and Canada, on 10/6 in the UK and Ireland and in Australia on 10/9. Billed as "military scifi," the series is reportedly less campy than its predecessors and uses thematic elements which will seem familiar to Battlestar Galactica fans.



For US viewers, Hulu will be streaming the show the day after it airs. Reviews are mixed. Wikipedia.

"There is very sad news today in the Star Trek world. Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, widow of Gene and known to fans as Nurse Chapel, the original Number One, Lwaxana Troi, and of course the voice of just about every Federation computer in every show and movie, has passed away at age 76. She had been fighting leukemia for some years, evidently, and unfortunately died of complications from the disease early this morning in California." She reprised her "computer voice" role in the upcoming J.J. Abrams' Trek movie.

Additional coverage.

A video recap of her roles on the various Star Trek series.

The new Star Trek movie trailer is out. I was planning to link to the one on Apple's website this morning, but the folks at Paramount posted a version yesterday which includes a clip of Leonard Nimoy.



Click here to view in higher quality. (480p, QT required.) There's also a 720p version, and one in 1080p

Summer Glau of Firefly and Serenity has been cast in the new FOX pilot The Sarah Connor Chronicles, which will be a television spinoff of the Terminator movie series.

But what role is she playing? There is speculation at IGN that she'll be playing a Terminator.

Stargate celebrated their 200th episode in style last Friday, with a story that contained dozens of in-jokes as well as subtle and blatant references to other scifi series. In an obvious gift to their fans, they lampooned everything from Farscape, Trek and 24 to Firefly and Team America: World Police, as well as themselves.

The following links contain multiple spoilers:
Wikipedia has a synopsis and breakdown of the episode’s jokes.
elke_tanzer memoried many of her flist’s posts on the episode.
YouTube clips: Invisible Jack, Puppets, Farscape and Wedding.


Best line of the evening: ”I’ll do that if i want to torture the audience on purpose!”

The moral of the story is... don’t try to rob the guy with the shotgun.

Candy as rocket fuel.

McDonalds has put up a sundial billboard in Chicago. A shadow of their logo falls on a different food each hour of the morning.

Seeing is Believing: 700 years of scientific illustrations.

”Honey, I’m just going to be honest with you, OK? I just thought he was cute. I’m 45 years old and I’d just like to meet him again, but I don’t know how to go about doing that without calling 911.”

Tired of credit card offers? src points out a subversive meme.

Fantasybookspot’s archive of conversations with fantasy and sci-fi authors. (from webpetals)

Dandelife

Talent isn’t everything: 7 habits of highly effective junior designers (comments are worth reading, too.)

Cool flash presentation on string theory, other dimensions, and parallel universes. (from yendi)


Politics
Valerie Plame is suing... well, everybody -- Rove, Libby and Cheney included. Two very interesting elements to this case:
1) Cheney may have to appear in court or give testimony on record, even though he’s currently serving in public office. Republicans spent so much time railing about how President Clinton should not be above the law in his own civil lawsuits that they won’t be able to do the opposite for Cheney without losing all credibility.
2) Considering that Plame may have used her influence inappropriately to have her own husband promoted, this lawsuit may backfire on her rather spectacularly.
Plame and Wilson have set up a legal support trust to cover their expenses.

Don’t count your chickens... but the country may get a lot more blue in November.

SCI FI Channel has announced the development of Caprica, a spinoff prequel of its hit Battlestar Galactica. “Caprica would take place more than half a century before the events that play out in Battlestar Galactica. The people of the Twelve Colonies are at peace and living in a society not unlike our own, but where high technology has changed the lives of virtually everyone for the better. But a startling breakthrough in robotics is about to occur, one that will bring to life the age-old dream of marrying artificial intelligence with a mechanical body to create the first living robot: a Cylon.”

The show development details were unveiled during an advertising meeting as part of SCI FI’s future plans. The announcement does not mean Caprica will definitely be produced or picked up, just that the channel’s execs are interested in the project. There is no confirmation whether the prequel would be a movie, mini-series or seasonal show.

More on Caprica from E! Online.

Caprica on BSG probably looks quite familiar to Vancouver residents.... :)

"The US military is experimenting with a defense system that is effective in neutralizing rocket-propelled grenades. The system creates a "force shield" that will protect soldiers and military vehicles. It's likened to the defensive shield seen in the sci-fi "Star Trek" TV series and movies, although this system is strictly for a rocket-propelled grenade attack."

Fox News report here (swf format). The system, called TROPHY, was invented in Israel and is currently being used on their tanks. It's strictly for land based vehicles. It won't protect against IED's or ships against torpedoes. But, TROPHY could eliminate some of the need for heavy armor on tanks. It is also different than the Phalanx system, currently being used on US Navy ships and seems similar to something the Russians have been working on: Arena E.

• Wikipedia.


• Defense Tech has some criticisms


• CNS News: Sci-Fi Generation Invisible 'Shield' Protects Armored Vehicles from Anti-Tank Threats


• Defense Update


• The Free Lance Star (Fredricksburg, VA -- a report about a test of the system 8 days ago at Dahlgren)