All posts by TopSpacer

Kickstarter: Making a movie of a Harry Harrison novel + Sending your face to space

A reader points me to a couple of space related Kickstarter campaigns.

In this project, the creator of movies Repo Man and Sid & Nancy will direct “a feature comedy based on Harry Harrison’s classic anti-war science fiction novel”: Alex Cox directs BILL THE GALACTIC HERO by Alex Cox — Kickstarter

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And this project says that they “want to launch a picture of your face into space. On a satellite. To scare away the aliens.” : Your Face in Space – A Quest to Save Earth by Ridiculo.us — Kickstarter

Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival – accepting submissions

An announcement from the Philip K. Dick Film Festival:

The Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival Now Accepting
Submissions For Second Annual Event
New York City’s First Official Sci-Fi Film Festival Expands Film Slate For Upcoming Domestic and International Functions

Brooklyn, N.Y. April 15, 2013 – The Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival is gearing up for a second exciting year to honor of its namesake and one of the most celebrated novelists of the 20th century. Expanding its film and panel slate to various sub-genres, multiple venues in Brooklyn and Manhattan will hold screenings and gatherings from December 4-8, 2013 in what is expected to be yet another successful celebration of Philip K. Dick and his legions of fans who continue his legacy by recreating the magic he bestowed on the world of science fiction.

The festival is now accepting submissions in science documentaries, science fiction shorts and features and films inspired or adapted from the works of Dick in themes including cyberpunk, dystopian realities, paranoia, altered states and singularity punk. Panels will include discussions on psychic children and superconscious, the singularity, trans-humanism, media influence, the science of tomorrow, cryonics, borderland sciences and anomalous aerial phenomena (AAP). Other activities include an extensive graphic novel and comic book section to accompany the film screenings and panels and a 48 hour challenge to pick the best Dick-inspired short adaption. The festival will also host a series of independent science fiction screenings at Anthology Filmmakers throughout the summer and fall.

As further details come available in the coming weeks the festival anticipates another successful event, further solidifying the city’s underlying appreciation for Philip K. Dick. Last year’s festival saw record crowds of over 1,000 participants for the exclusive screening of John Alan Simon’s Radio Free Albemuth which was based on Dick’s 1985 novel posthumously published three years after his death. The weekend-long festival also held numerous film screenings and panels with Simon, esteemed professors Ronald Mallet and Enrique Ricardo Miranda, distinguished writers Angela Posada-Swafford, Walter Mosley and Dennis Paoli and science fiction experts Richard Dolan and Peter Robbins. The team behind the annual festivities will also pioneer international events this fall in Lille, France and a spring 2014 cyberpunk festival in Tokyo.

The Second Philip K. Dick International Film Festival of Science, Science Fiction, Fantastic Film and the Supernatural will return bigger than ever. For film submissions please visit http://www.thephilipkdickfilmfestival.com and for more details go to the festival’s Facebook page at https:// www.facebook.com/ThePhilipKDickFilmFestival and follow all the happenings on Twitter at https://twitter.com/PhilipKDickFest.

About The Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival:
The Second Philip K. Dick International Film Festival of Science, Science Fiction, Fantastic Film and the Supernatural and the first of its kind to grace the screens of New York City is organized by filmmakers who understand the difficulties and challenges of telling a unique story in a corporate environment. The year 2013 marks the second year of the festival which will expand it’s genres of films, panels and venues throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan. Guest speakers and writers that best represent the goals of the festival will attend the opening ceremonies. We look for original voices and visions in works submitted. Lastly, this is a festival by filmmakers for filmmakers.

About Philip K. Dick:
“Reality is whatever refuses to go away when I stop believing in it.” – Philip K. Dick Philip K. Dick (1928-1982) was one of the 20th century’s most profound novelists and writers within the science fiction community. His exploration, analysis and beliefs led to the publishings of 44 novels and 121 short stories. Dick’s enormous library of works led to several film developments including Blade Runner (1982), Total Recall (1990), Minority Report (2002), Paycheck (2003) and most recently Radio Free Albemuth (2010), The Adjustment Bureau (2011) and the successful remake of Total Recall (2012). The film industry is also awaiting the release of King of the Elves in 2014, which will surely be yet another prosperous depiction of Dick’s literary contribution to science fiction. Dick’s enormously effective views comprised of fictional universes, virtual realities and human mutation foresaw an exaggerated version of the current state of government and contemporary life. Though he is gone in the physical form his philosophies live on in the techniques applied to modern stories and films and generate large displays of appreciation and understanding.

Silicon Valley Astronomy Lectures available on line

An announcement from Andrew Fraknoi, chairman of the Astronomy program at Foothill College:

Popular Astronomy Lectures Can Now Be Seen on YouTube

We are happy to announce that the Silicon Valley Astronomy Lectures, featuring noted scientists giving nontechnical illustrated lectures on recent developments in astronomy, are now available on their own YouTube Channel, at:  http://www.youtube.com/SVAstronomyLectures/

The talks include:

  • Frank Drake discussing his modern view of the Drake Equation,
  • Michael Brown explaining how his discovery of Eris led to the demotion of Pluto,
  • Alex Filippenko talking about the latest ideas and observations of black holes,
  • Natalie Batalha sharing the latest planet discoveries from the Kepler mission,
  •   nthony Aguirre discussing how it is possible to have multiple universes, and
  • Chris McKay updating the Cassini discoveries about Saturn’s moon Titan.

The lectures are taped at Foothill College near San Francisco, and co-sponsored by NASA’s Ames Research Center, the SETI Institute, and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.

Note that the top page of the channel shows the lectures in the order they happened to be uploaded to YouTube.  If you want to see them in chronological order, select the Playlist option.

Both new and older talks in the series will be added to the channel as time goes by.  Many noted astronomers have given talks in this series since its founding in 1999; recent lectures are being recorded so that people around the world can “tune in.”

We appreciate your sharing this information with colleagues, students, and interested astronomy enthusiasts.

KLM contest offers space trip prize

KLM Airline has opened a contest for a ride on the XCOR Lynx suborbital spaceplane: KLM – Claim Your Place in Space

On April 22nd 2013, KLM will give you a chance to win the ultimate journey of inspiration — a flight into space.

In an exclusive competition, KLM will be launching a high altitude balloon in the Nevada desert. All you have to do is simply predict how high the balloon will reach before it pops!

The winner will receive a ticket aboard the zero gravity SXC Lynx Spacecraft. A true once in a lifetime experience!

Visit http://space.klm.com/ for a chance to claim your place in space.

AMSAT and ISS amateur radio news

Go to AMSAT News for the latest headlines about developments in amateur and student satellites and for updates about amateur radio on the ISS.

ANS 104 Weekly AMSAT Bulletin – April 13, 2013:
* AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Nominations Solicited
* 7330.6 km Contact Made Via FO-29
* GS3PYE/p Satellite Operation Planned From Inner Herbrides Islands
* STEREO Space Weather Beacons Now Using AMSAT-DL Turbo Code
* AMSAT Awards
* Applications for Teachers Institute, ETP Grants Due in May
* Ken Pulfer, VE3PU, SK
* Cubesat Launches This Week
* April 17 Antares Launch Includes Three PhoneSat Cubesats
* PhoneSat Tracking Help Requested
* STRaND-1 signal reports requested
* Merritt Island High School Mission Selected for NASA Cubesat
Launch Initiative
* ARISS News
* Schedule of AMSAT Activities at Dayton Hamvention
* Satellite Shorts From All Over