Via The Mary Sue
Chance of a flat-earth conspiracy lasting this long: zero.
http://phys.org/news/2016-01-equation-large-scale-conspiracies-quickly-reveal.html
Jan
26
Monthly Archives: January 2016
Jan
26
“Fought and Eisenhauer’s research reminds us that it’s not just how the princesses are portrayed.
“Fought and Eisenhauer’s research reminds us that it’s not just how the princesses are portrayed. It’s also important to consider the kinds of worlds these princesses inhabit, who rules these worlds, who has the power — and even who gets to open their mouths. In a large number of cases, the princesses are outspoken by men in their own movies.”
This is largely because, as the article points out, when it comes time to add a minor character with a couple of lines, the default is to make that character male.
Originally shared by Laura Gibbs
You could subtitle my Myth-Folklore class “There’s More to the World than Disney.” Every semester there are quite a few students who connect with the readings for class exactly insofar as they know them from Disney movies (and that includes non-princess movies like Robin Hood and King Arthur and Alice in Wonderland… but the princesses dominate).
quote That’s fine, but are these movies really so great for little girls to watch? When you start to look at this stuff, you have to question that a little bit.
A little bit? Uh…
Jan
26
We SF writers often write about new technologies that work the way they’re supposed to.
We SF writers often write about new technologies that work the way they’re supposed to. That leads to interesting stories – but what about the familiar reality of technology that doesn’t quite work right?
Originally shared by Eduardo Suastegui
The Neurologist Who #Hacked His Brain—And Almost Lost His #Mind #neuroscience
“Neurologist Phil Kennedy set out to build the ultimate brain-computer interface. In the process he almost lost his mind…”
Jan
17
Lindsay Buroker is one of those indie authors who make a steady living writing midlist books.
Lindsay Buroker is one of those indie authors who make a steady living writing midlist books. Is there a “secret formula”? Well, not as such.
Write competently, publish consistently, build an audience, keep new readers coming in, and try things out until one of them clicks.
Jan
16
Modular electronics.
Modular electronics. Something that Sparx, the electromancer from my Auckland Allies series, would definitely be into.
Originally shared by Laston Kirkland
“Last year, says Elmieh, he and his team took apart 600 products released since 2012 and found that 80 percent of them could be built from just 15 common electronic components.”
http://www.wired.com/2016/01/nascent-objects-an-ambitious-plan-to-stop-us-from-wasting-our-gadgets
Jan
14
Orson Scott Card’s book on Characters and Viewpoint is well worthwhile even for the intermediate writer, though it…
Orson Scott Card’s book on Characters and Viewpoint is well worthwhile even for the intermediate writer, though it would also be great for a beginner if you worked through it slowly.
He takes care throughout to relate the techniques to their effect on the reader, and explains them clearly and well, with plenty of examples.
Jan
12
Here’s your flying car. Of course, it’s self-driving as well.
Here’s your flying car. Of course, it’s self-driving as well.
Originally shared by Eduardo Suastegui
The FAA will definitely require you register this #drone… Which might also appear in one of my upcoming stories…
http://nerdist.com/drones-for-people-to-ride-in-ehang-184-ces-2016/
Jan
10
N.
N. K. Jemisin has a new column in the New York Times Sunday Book Review, and here’s the first instalment. I might take a look at the Charlie Jane Anders book; it sounds interesting.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/03/books/review/the-latest-in-science-fiction-and-fantasy.html
Jan
08
To pair with the earlier piece about echo chambers. Via Masha du Toit.
To pair with the earlier piece about echo chambers. Via Masha du Toit.
Originally shared by Jim Tipping
“Proctor had found that the cigarette industry did not want consumers to know the harms of its product, and it spent billions obscuring the facts of the health effects of smoking. This search led him to create a word for the study of deliberate propagation of ignorance: agnotology.
“It comes from agnosis, the neoclassical Greek word for ignorance or ‘not knowing’, and ontology, the branch of metaphysics which deals with the nature of being. Agnotology is the study of wilful acts to spread confusion and deceit, usually to sell a product or win favour.”
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20160105-the-man-who-studies-the-spread-of-ignorance
Jan
07
With my permission, Fantasy Literature (FanLit) is republishing some of my reviews for books that their regular…
With my permission, Fantasy Literature (FanLit) is republishing some of my reviews for books that their regular reviewers haven’t covered. Here’s the latest.
Originally shared by Fantasy Literature (FanLit)
Pratchett’s Women: An interesting perspective on a fantasy legend