Russian Doomsday Cult In Cave

Seven members of a Christian cult in Russia have left the cave they had holed up in since Novemeber. Apparently more than two dozen cult members are still inside the cave, located 400 miles southeast of Moscow, waiting for the world to end next month. Part of the cave's roof has already collapsed. According to the BBC News, a priest "specialising in apocalyptic literature" is on the scene talking with them through a ventilation shaft. From the BBC News:

"The seven women (who emerged Saturday) were allowed to leave with cult leader Pyotr Kuznetsov after he was brought to the scene to negotiate...

Kuznetsov, who calls himself Fr Pyotr, declared himself a prophet a number of years ago and has attracted followers in Russia and Belarus.

He is thought to have ordered his followers into the cave but did not join them."

Link via Boing Boing

Botanist Sues To Stop CERN Hurling Earth Into Parallel Universe

A lawsuit has been filed in Hawaii in an attempt to hold up the start of operations by the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) atom-smasher on the French-Swiss border.

A colourful American botanist, teacher, former biologist and sometime physicist says (in outline) that the LHC may rip a hole in the fabric of the space-time continuum and so destroy the Earth. He wants the US government to act now and delay the LHC's startup while a new safety review is carried out.

Link

The 10 Most Prophetic Sci-Fi Movies Ever

When Arthur C. Clarke died last week at the age of 90, science fiction—hell, science in general—lost one of its greatest, most forward-looking masters. In his honor, PM’s resident geek and sci-fi buff analyzes the most eerily predictive, prescient films of the future. They’re not necessarily the best movies—just the ones that got the science right, or will sometime soon.

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Sentient World: War Games On The Grandest Scale

Perhaps your real life is so rich you don't have time for another.

Even so, the US Department of Defense (DOD) may already be creating a copy of you in an alternate reality to see how long you can go without food or water, or how you will respond to televised propaganda.

The DOD is developing a parallel to Planet Earth, with billions of individual "nodes" to reflect every man, woman, and child this side of the dividing line between reality and AR.

Called the Sentient World Simulation (SWS), it will be a "synthetic mirror of the real world with automated continuous calibration with respect to current real-world information", according to a concept paper for the project.

"SWS provides an environment for testing Psychological Operations (PSYOP)," the paper reads, so that military leaders can "develop and test multiple courses of action to anticipate and shape behaviors of adversaries, neutrals, and partners".

SWS also replicates financial institutions, utilities, media outlets, and street corner shops. By applying theories of economics and human psychology, its developers believe they can predict how individuals and mobs will respond to various stressors.

Yank a country's water supply. Stage a military coup. SWS will tell you what happens next.

Link

Clock Counts Down To The End Of The World

Comments from Geekologie:

"Artist Gianni Motti had a dream. A dream of a really long LED timer that displays an approximate countdown to the sun's demise and resulting destruction of the earth. It started in 2005, so we're at about 5 billion years minus a few. But I've got some bad news for you Gianni. The world will end when I say so. And it's going to be a hell of a lot sooner than 5 billion years. That's right, and there's nothing that blue douche Captain Planet and his kiddy companions can do about it either. MUWHAHAHA!! *cough, cough* *chin falls off* Fucking leprosy."

Link via Geekologie

Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes Remake In The Works

When there's no more room in hell... I won't even finish this one. Anyways, just try to get the theme song out of your head, I dare you. Now, where's my drill?

Link (via Ain't It Cool News)

Man Shot By Killer Robot

19Mar08

AN 81-year-old Gold Coast man built, and yesterday used, an intricate suicide machine to remotely shoot himself, after downloading the plans from the internet.

The Burleigh Heads man, who lived alone, left notes of his plans and thoughts as he struggled to come to terms with demands by interstate relatives that he move out his home and into care.

He spent hours searching the internet for a way to kill himself, downloaded what he needed and then built a complex machine that would remotely fire a gun.

He set the device up in his driveway about 7am yesterday, placed himself in front of it and set it in motion.

His notes explained that he chose the driveway as he knew there were tradesmen working next door who would find his body. The plan worked as the workmen heard the gunshots and ran to investigate.

The Gold Coast Bulletin will not reveal how the machine worked, but it was attached to a .22 semi-automatic pistol loaded with four bullets.

It was able to fire multiple shots into the man's head after he activated it.

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Vent Your Atomic Road Rage With Mad Max Reenactments

Spencer sent us this article about Road Warrior re-enactors in the Western US.

Says organizer Karol Bartoszynski:

Basically the media assumed we had "fake machine guns" and looked like we were "attacking" the tanker truck. All we had was [what you can see] in the pics: Roadwarrior-type thing in the truck, a fake crossbow, a pick-axe. People thought the 4-barrel fake gun was a rocket launcher... and we were some kind of militia or terrorists. Most of us spent overnight in jail.
After the post-atomic berzerkers were picked up, the cops realized their weapons were fake, but one cop still decided to bust them for highway obstruction -- even though they had a video proving they drove safely. The charges were thrown out half a year later.

Vehicles usually also include a red pick-up truck, with a snake painted on its side and a gun-wielding maniac riding shotgun. People dress as Wez, with the trademark red mohawk, and as random Bartertown guards. Sometimes there's even a gyrocopter flying above the whole mess.

Thanks Spencer. Link

Scotland Yard wants DNA samples from 5-year-olds in case they grow up to be criminals; Oyster card records to become part of "war on terror"

Robbo sez, "As reported in The Guardian: Gary Pugh, director of forensic sciences at Scotland Yard, says primary school children should be eligible for the DNA database if they exhibit behaviour indicating they may become criminals in later life. Civil liberty groups condemned his comments last night by likening them to an excerpt from a 'science fiction novel'. One teaching union warned that it was a step towards a 'police state'."
Gary Pugh, director of forensic sciences at Scotland Yard and the new DNA spokesman for the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo), said a debate was needed on how far Britain should go in identifying potential offenders, given that some experts believe it is possible to identify future offending traits in children as young as five.
'If we have a primary means of identifying people before they offend, then in the long-term the benefits of targeting younger people are extremely large,' said Pugh. 'You could argue the younger the better. Criminologists say some people will grow out of crime; others won't. We have to find who are possibly going to be the biggest threat to society...'

Concern over the issue of civil liberties will be further amplified by news yesterday that commuters using Oyster smart cards could have their movements around cities secretly monitored under new counter-terrorism powers being sought by the security services.

Link (via Boing Boing)

'Big Dog' Pack Robot Soon To Tire Of Human Masters

It's just a matter of time before this thing gets tired of being kicked around and mounts machine guns to its back. You just wait.

& Teller - Teller (Of Penn &) Survives Zombie Apocalypse

Teller barricades himself in his home after TSHTF, and entertains, and shoots zombies that come near his Las Vegas home.

Link Stolen from Boing Boing.

The Quantum Sleeper is essentially a saferoom built around a bed. It comes packed with all the following features:

1.25" Polycarbonate Bulletproof Plating/Shielding, Bio-Chemical Filtered Ventilation, Rebreather, Control Panel Mode Selection (i.e., Basic System Ops., Intruder Setting, Energy Status, Lock Down, etc.), Cover & Door Actuators w/ Emergency Release, One way see through head cover (reflective mirror on 2 sides and front), Safety Features (Proximity Sensor, O2 Sensor, Smoke Det., Motion Det. Ect,), Emergency Communication system (Cellular, Short-wave Radio, CB etc.), Audio Amplifier (Amplify sound from outside unit), Air/Water Tight Sealing, External Override Key Pad & Remote Control, Battery Backup Power, Toiletry system

How do you get to sleep if you're this paranoid? - James

Link to rest of article, and product page via Geekologie

Thundarr Fights Statue Of Liberty. Harbor Chick Goes Down.

Derek emailed me earlier, reminding me about the first episode of Thundarr The Barbarian, where Thundarr, Ookla the Mok, and teh totally fine Princess Ariel (I've said it before, if she can cross country on a horse bareback, she could pop your head like a zit with those thighs), fight against a sorcerer that uses an animated Statue of Liberty to do his bidding. Shoulda used the Super-Science.

2051 A.D.-Ten Years After World War Four

This movie was suspiciously left out of the Movies That Mangle The Statue Of Liberty article from earlier. What a shame.

All shall feel the wrath of the Fleshy Headed Mutants, 'eh.

Dungeons & Dragons Creator Gary Gygax Passes Away; Interview

According to a post on Troll Lord Games who had published his work, Gary Gygax, creator of Dungeons & Dragons, has passed away. In 2003, on the now defunct kcgeek.com, we ran an interview with Gygax. I have republished it after the jump. Tiamat consume you fully, Gary. You brought untold amount of fun and joy into my life. – Joel
An excerpt:

Q. As far as you know, what was the basic evolution of polyhedral dice? If they existed prior to the creation of Dungeons & Dragons, what were they used for?
To the best of my knowledge I introduced them to gaming, en masse, with D&D in 1974. I found sets of the five platonic solids for sale in a school supply catalog back in 1972, and of course ordered them, used them in creating the D&D game.

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For myself, I can't help but feel that this ends an era for all of us who spent their time deep in this man's incredible body of work. May all the Deities and Demigods welcome you to Valhalla, Gary. - James