Tag: Entertainment

Watch an exclusive clip from the CNN’ ‘Space Shuttle Columbia: The Final Flight’ finale (video)

NeRD

Other than the national tragedy of the Apollo 1 command capsule fire that took the lives of astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chafee on Jan. 27, 1967 during a launch rehearsal at Cape Kennedy, NASA’s darkest hour up to that point occurred 19 years later when the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after launch on Jan. 28, 1986, causing the deaths of all seven astronaut aboard.  Then on Feb. 1, 2003 disaster struck once again after the space shuttle Columbia broke apart during its reentry flight over…

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‘Fly Me to the Moon’ trailer mixes real-life Apollo history with moon landing hoax

NeRD

If you are even a casual space history enthusiast, watching the new trailer for the upcoming movie “Fly Me to the Moon” might leave you thinking that it is an entire work of fiction. And for the most part, you would be correct. As the trailer reveals and Columbia Pictures and Apple Original Films’ synopsis reads, “Fly Me to the Moon” is a “comedy-drama set against the high-stakes backdrop of NASA’s historic Apollo 11 moon landing.” Scarlett Johansson plays the fictional Kelly Jones, a marketing maven who is brought in…

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New ‘Star Wars: Unlimited — Spark of Rebellion’ trading card game strikes our galaxy

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One of the best ways to stay immersed in the world of “Star Wars” between offerings of feature films, TV series, novels and comics is to clear off the kitchen table and indulge in one of the many trading card games (TCGs) set in the “Star Wars” universe. Fantasy Flight Games has you covered with the recent release of its “Star Wars: Unlimited TCG Spark of Rebellion,” a swiftly-paced battle pack game easily learned and strategically deep. This table-top diversion features iconic heroes, villains, spaceships, vehicles and exotic planets from…

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Marvel Comics’ new series celebrates Boba Fett’s Mandalorian dad

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Notorious Mandalorian bounty hunter Jango Fett’s stock in the “Star Wars” universe has soared ever since his introduction in “Star Wars: Attack of the Clones” as the DNA donor to the cloned Grand Army of the Republic and proud papa of his unaltered replica, Boba Fett.  Portrayed by Temuera Morrison (“Once Were Warriors,” “The Book of Boba Fett“) Jango’s coolest moment came on the watery world of Kamino in that 2002 film’s “Rumble in the Rain” duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and subsequent spaceship dogfight through an asteroid field.…

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‘3 Body Problem:’ How Netflix’s sci-fi saga employs the famous Wow! SETI signal

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The Wow! signal is one of the great astronomy puzzles of the past 50 years, but it’s not so mysterious in the sci-fi universe of “3 Body Problem.” Netflix’s new eight-episode alien invasion saga “3 Body Problem” uses the famous SETI (search for extraterrestrial intelligence) signal as a prominent plot device in its wild centuries-spanning narrative. The Wow! signal was an intense narrowband radio signal detected on the night of Aug. 15, 1977 by Ohio State University’s Big Ear Radio Observatory and the North American Astrophysical Observatory (NAAPO) during a…

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‘Star Wars’ salutes Women’s History Month with Ahsoka Tano, Mon Mothma and more

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March is the calendar page where we honor and salute Women’s History Month each year and nowhere do the female stars shine brightest than Marvel Comics’ batch of celebratory “Star Wars” variant covers spawned from a galaxy far, far away. Scattered across the full spectrum of iconic “Star Wars” characters, from deadly assassins to leaders of the Rebellion and famed Jedi Knights to key political figures, Marvel is rolling out the red carpet for seven of the franchise’s legendary heroic women for a respectful spotlight event all month long.  The…

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‘3 Body Problem:’ Watch final trailer for Netflix’s alien invasion saga (video)

NeRD

As spring descends upon the Northern Hemisphere later this month, an arrival of another kind will manifest itself. Netflix’s ambitious sci-fi saga “3 Body Problem” drops on March 21, and we’ve got a mystery-fueled final trailer to share that might have you watching the skies. “3 Body Problem” — from “Game of Thrones” creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, along with “True Blood’s” Alexander Woo — is a lavish, eight-episode adaptation of the first book in the “Remembrance of Earth’s Past” novel trilogy by bestselling author Cixin Liu. Ahead of…

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Apollo astronaut’s granddaughter opens immersive ‘Lunar Light’ moonwalk experience in Dallas

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What do you get when you mix an Apollo astronaut’s legacy with a trio of shipping containers, the latest in VR technology, the cousin of a “Star Wars” robot and an escape room like no other? Well, if you are Danielle Roosa, the answer is clear: An immersive experience that can give anyone (10 years of age or older) the chance to explore the moon. Launching on Leap Day (Feb. 29) in Dallas, Texas, “The Lunar Light: Discovery” is the creation of Roosa’s “Back to Space,” a transmedia organization that…

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Watch trailer for ‘Space: The Longest Goodbye,’ new film exploring astronaut mental health (video)

NeRD

Scientists and mission planners are investigating how long-term space travel affects the human mind and body, as they work to get astronauts ready to make the big leap to Mars. The mental aspects — the feelings of loneliness, isolation and solitude that could come with a multiyear space mission — are increasingly coming under the microscope, as an award-winning new documentary shows. That film, “Space: The Longest Goodbye,” delves into the complexities of cerebral concerns to carve a pathway toward identifying and treating long-term mental health issues in space as…

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Neil deGrasse Tyson’s new StarTalk TV streaming channel launches on Pluto TV

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Spreading the universal wit and wisdom of celebrity astrophysicist, author, humorist and TV host Neil deGrasse Tyson, StarTalk is one of the most popular educational podcasts in the world.  First arriving on Earth back in 2009, the internet show features engaging discussions on NASA and international space missions, time travel, physics, astronomy, planetary science, black holes, the search for life, and how these topics intersect with pop culture and comedy. The National Geographic Channel also aired an Emmy-nominated spinoff StarTalk TV series from 2015-2019 encompassing 76 total episodes. Now the…

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