The search for extraterrestrial life is serious science: its methods are precisely documented, its results painstakingly peer-reviewed. But at the same time it�s a field with curious standards when it comes to �advances.�

Researchers with NASA's Icebridge campaign are completing their fourth tour of flights over the polar regions to image ice sheets and glaciers in Antarctica and Greenland. The places they measure and scan are crucial to our understanding of global climate�and forbiddingly hostile as well.

Set the lasers for consume. According to the Living Planet Report, if humans maintain their rate of resource consumption, we’ll need the capacity of two Earths by the year 2030. The report states that human demands on natural resources have doubled in under 50 years, far outpacing what the Earth can provide. In fact, if everyone on Earth today lived ...

Digital mapping is in a state of transition. It hasn’t really had a chance to become a part of the daily squeeze, but it’s at point where the brink of breaking its way into everyday life is a possibility. This presentation by mapping company The Macula demonstrates both the entertainment and technological merits of digital mapping. Displayed using digital mapping ...

Just because you don’t have the money for a car doesn’t mean you can’t ride around your native village in style. Riding a donkey with a stereo system is sort of the third-world equivalent of driving around in a brand new Mercedes, except smellier. And I’m not sure, but I’m pretty confident that cars don’t leave behind little piles of ...

The Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System, also known as Pan-STARRS or even more pithily, PS1, is a 1.4 gigapixel telescopic camera stationed at Mount Haleakala in Hawaii, specially designed to alert us Earthlings to any space objects which might pose a threat to our existence. After only three months in action, PS1 has found one. The 150 feet ...

Fallout 3 replica maker Ryan Palser continues his past work with his A3-21 Plasma Rifle creation, beautifully recreating the iconic weapon from the modern post-apocalyptic RPG classic. In Fallout lore, the A3-21 is one of the only weapons still produced after the Great War. Despite its massive power, the gun can be acquired relatively early in the game. But really, ...

No, really, I’m not making this up. Today is Star Wars Day, and I’m pretty sure the only reason that this is so is so people could say “May the Fourth be with you.” Us geeks are so wacky. Later this month, on May 25th, we have Geek Pride Day coming up. May is an AWESOME month! How will you ...

See, what what George Lucas forgot to tell us was that everything in this galaxy far, far away was actually�miniaturized. The Empire seems a lot less frightening now, doesn’t it? Although I’d still watch out for those lightsabers. They can probably cause some serious burns. In this rare photographic shot of Darth in all of his miniature glory, you can ...

Most of us aren’t blessed enough to build our very own full-sized or even snack-sized movie theater in our home. But thankfully many of us have been able to pony up the dough for an iPhone. With a little imagination and some help from the wonders of arts and crafts (yes, I realize I sounds like Barney the Dinosaur here. ...