flow

Tired of learning about U.S. foreign policy the long way, try this one. A brilliant, concise, truthful, encompassing illustration by Andy Singer.

two suns riseth

NASA reported on Thursday the discovery of Kepler 16b, a planet with two suns that evokes images of Luke Skywalker's home planet, Tatooine, from the "Star Wars" franchise.

The planet, which is 200 light years away and roughly the size of Saturn, is the first circumbinary planet -- meaning that it orbits two suns -- ever discovered, according to NASA.

"[T]oday science fiction has become science fact, and that galaxy far, far away has become our own galaxy. A whole new kind of planetary system has been shown to exist and -- like Luke in the story -- the adventure is just getting started," remarked Dr. Laurance Doyle of the SETI Institute.  

the medusa stare

What do Madonna and Medusa have in common? You cannot stare at them lest you be transformed into stone.

In a Toronto International Film Festival press conference, Madonna has specifically asked that festival volunteers to look away when she walks down the hallway. One volunteer told the Globe they all dutifully stood with their backs to her as she passed.