SPECIAL HISTORICAL NOTE: Tuesday, July 16th, will mark the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11’s lift off; Friday, July 19 will be the 50th anniversary of the Lunar Orbit Insertion program and Saturday, July 20th will mark the 50th anniversary of both the successful Lunar landing (20:17:39 GMT) and the first steps on the Moon by a human being (2:56:15 GMT). A detailed time line of Apollo11’s mission can be found here.
SPECIAL SAFETY ANNOUNCEMENT: Do NOT go to Area 51 to “storm the fences”. Not only is it a heavily restricted military base, the flying saucers stored there have extremely effective death rays mounted on them.
SOCIAL
Charlie Chaplin’s Speech from The Great Dictator: (listen to it. all the way through)
ICE Using Facial Recognition Programs
AfroFuture Fest was going to charge white attendees more; artists pulled out
Trump becomes first US President to address anti-LGBT group
The difference between Love and Bigotry
MIT AI can predict breast cancer up to five years in advance
Yes, there WERE POCs in Medieval Europe
80 Year Old Cartoon Nails Government Spending Priorities
Witness to Government Collapses has Dire Warning for US
How to Pray Away the Bad: Interfaith vigil supports abortion clinic
ENTERTAINMENT
Chris Garcia Announces Impending Release of Apollo 11 issue of Journey Planet
Ginjer Buchanan’s I Have No Sleep and I Must a Giggle con report send up
Spider-Man: Far From Home post credit scene “shocking”
Capsule reviews of RAH juvenovels and Heinlein book store has some interesting offerings
Ellison shuts down an (annoying) radio DJ
Is Greed a Universal Constant?
You Don’t F*** with The Jesus! At least not if you want to see this Big Lebowski sequel! (A Big Lebowski sequel? Yes. A Big Lebowski sequel)
High Tech owned by Low Tech: Spear takes out drone
A Predator planting rice – doesn’t look very skilled
Get Your Very Own “Dave Kyle Says You Can’t Sit Here” Throw Pillow (reserve your seat at those pesky crowded panels!)
How to demolish ye olde physics lab
Claymation at its Best: Pingu’s The Thing
Feminist Fright Fest (some folks are just frightened of feminists)
Great Letter to Fan from Isaac Asimov
SF Commentary 99, the 50th Anniversary issue, is now available on Efanzines.com
INDUSTRY
“Hybrid” Vanity Presses Push Back against Writer Beware Warnings (don’t buy the hype)
Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin to air on PBS’ American Masters
Chris Garcia announced as GoH for NASFiC 2020
Walter Koenig talks about working on Ellison’s screenplay for Memo from Purgatory
Best Science Fiction of the Year Cover reveal
HEROINES OF SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY by Sara Light-Waller
Swanwick and Dozois novel The City Under the Stars to be published
Thoughts on a Best Translated Hugo Award
PW SF Feature prioritizes Afrofuture works
Character Back Stories can be Torture
Author of The Martian writes YA graphic novel
An Analysis of Astounding/Analog’s author gender diversity
Science Fiction Author Death Match: RAH vs Andre Norton
Michael Kurland announces the imminent release of a short story collection
Milton Davis announces alternate history Shaka Zulu novel
Free Content for Patreon Supporters of David Gerrold
Huh. There’s Catholic Priests all over my sci fi
William Gibson Thinks Sci Fi Writers Almost Always Get Their Predictions Wrong (well, maybe the “sci fi” writers….)
Art Submissions Wanted for The Art of Planetary Science
SCIENCE
Inspiring Video of Exo Planet Discoveries
Plastic-Eating Mushroom will save us all
Or maybe planting 2.2 million acres with trees will save us all (my money is on the plastic-eating mushroom tree)
If Pet Cemetary had featured pigs…scientists bringing dead (pig) brains back to life
Apollo anniversary lecture series
Do you love but are allergic to cats? This may be the answer
Scientists Trace FRB to its Source
Quantum Schmauntum: Check out entangled Time
Rwanda(!) Launches communications satellite for educational support
Far From Home: Voyager Twins keep on ticking
Is the Gulf of Mexico experiencing environmental collapse?
Saturn V Image to be Projected on the Washington Monument
Transparent Aluminum – coming to a spaceship near you!
