To Tell The Truth was a popular American game show in the 1970′s. Contestants were presented with a moderately well-known but seldom-seen celebrity and two imposters. The goal was to identify the real McCoy (no pun intended) by asking a series of open-ended questions within a short amount of time. Above is Gene Roddenberry‘s appearance on the show.

If you’re reading this, we assume you spotted him right off the bat.

Greetings, programs.

The guys at Parker Brothers Choppers have built a full-scale, working replica of the famous Tron light cycle. As you can see in the video above, it’s just about the coolest thing ever. We want one.

Don’t be too proud of this technological terror you’ve constructed.

On second thought, be very, very proud.

Iomedes has assembled this amazing, 43,000-piece Venator-Class Star Destroyer out of LEGO. It weights 82 kg and is 2.44m long. It’s an exact replica of one built by Erik Varszegi a few years ago. Unlike Erik’s model, Iomedes’ uses no glue or screws. It’s 100% LEGO.

Fantastic work, Iomedes. You’ll find a full gallery of detailed photos here and a video after the break.

[Via Geekosystem]

[Via Graph Jam]

Epic.

Well this freaked me out.

Malgusto has published 40 rare, incredible photos from the making of the original Star Wars movies. I’m a geek, yet even I haven’t seen these images before. Some are funny (Kenny Baker in Vader’s helmet is pretty great), some are sweet and some…well, let’s just say we see why Lando was taken with Leia.

It’s an impressive collection. Check them out.

Great Scott!

Earlier this week, Nike teased the new Air Mag sneakers, modeled after those worn by Marty McFly in Back To The Future II. Now Nike has made good on its promise — the shoes are availbe today.

Michael J. Fox appeared on Late Night with David Letterman last night to reveal the details and show off the shoes in person. The short of it: 1,500 will be auctioned off, and proceeds will benefit the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. It gets better: Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, will match all funds raised between now and December 31, 2012, up to $50 million.

The shoes are nearly identical to those worn by Fox’s character in the movie, and represent the “…first pair of rechargeable sneakers from Nike.” There is a bit of bad news, however. Contrary to initial reports, the real-life Air Mags do not lace themselves. According to the promo video above, we’ll have to wait “…until 2015″ for that.

As for the auction, it has already begun. The first batch of shoes were released on Sept. 8, at 11:30 p.m. EDT. Nike will auction off 150 shoes per day for 10 days. As of this writing, prices are very high; the “cheapest” I’ve found was around $4,000. It looks like serious collectors will grab most of the Air Mags. Of course, it’s for a very worthy cause.

To keep the 80′s theme going, I’ll quote Ferris Bueller: “If you have the means, do pick one up.” It’s just about the coolest 80′s collectable you’re going to find and the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research is a deserving cause. Good luck!

You’ll find lots of photos and an additional video after the break.

Source: Back4TheFuture.com

To celebrate Star Trek’s 45th anniversary, Darla at Bakingdom has created the best-looking Star Trek cookies we’ve ever seen. Heck, these are the best-looking COOKIES we’ve ever seen. Just look at McCoy’s smarmy expression.*

For a step-by-step gallery of the process as well as close-up shots of each cookie, visit Bakingdom.

Well done, Darla.

*That’s the first I’ve ever described a cookie as “smarmy.”

Mr. Potato Head + Dr. Zoidberg = Dr. Spudberg. Brilliant.

I was prepared to make fun of this, but damn. I can’t.

A “learning bike” is a pedal-free variation that’s typically a child’s first two-wheeler. Many kids have one, but not like this.

The Tron-inspired Light Cycle learning bike by Ryan Callahan, an industrial designer at Trek, is freaking phenomenal and makes me wish I was a 4-year-old again, kicking my way through the slate sidewalks of Scranton, PA on the sweetest little trike anyone has ever seen.

These types of promotions make me feel good, awkward and sad, all at the same time. Years ago, a contest was held to promote The Empire Strikes Back. An adorable 8-year-old won, and his prize was to “visit” Luke Skywalker himself on Dagobah. They had a picnic, met R2, used words like “hyperspace” and engaged in other Star Wars-y things.

On one hand, there’s little Daniel. The kid is clearly wide-eyed while talking to Luke himself. How exciting! It’s impossible not to feel his anxious glee. At the same time, he’s nearly at a loss for words and poor Mark Hammil must fight for every mono-syllabic response he receives.

Ah, Mark. You know the guy would rather be home, rolling in his pile of Star Wars cash. Yet he’s got to film this soul-crushing promo.

Finally, did Chewie imply that the eats little girls?

Enjoy this sweet and creepy piece of Star Wars history.

[Via Ain't It Cool News]

This is really cool. NASA has released new photos of the Apollo lunar landing sites. These images show several landing sites, and offer the sharpest pictures yet of evidence of human kind’s visits to the moon.

The lunar soil is thin, and therefore tracks made by vehicles and even walking astronauts can be seen clearly. In fact, it’s easy to distinguish the parallel tire tracks vs. footprints. Not only are the photos compelling, they offer useful information to scientists.  Mark Robinson, an Arizona State University, Tempe scientist, explains:

“From a science standpoint, [the images] are important for two reasons. They tell us something about the photometric properties of the moon – why are they darker? Scientists are working to investigate that question. In a more practical sense, it allows us to find the exact spot where samples were collected.”

You can see more images and read additional details at Space.com. One interesting note: it seems the flags that those early pioneers planted are still there.

Monday is Labor Day here in the United States, a holiday where workers kick back, grill some burgers and enjoy the last huzzah of the summer. This wonderfully candid shot comes from the private collection of Leonard Nimoy who posed it via Twitter a while back. Great to see these friends and co-workers enjoying themselves out of context.

Here’s what happens when a Trekkie builds a scratching post for his/her cat. We love it.

If this little Duck Tape company had had the $$$ to run this TRON inspired commercial during the Super Bowl, it would have easily come away with the prize for best ad. All we can hear is “I want him in the games until he dies taping!” Nicely played guys.

[Via Spock is Not Impressed]

Japanese sushi chef Okitsugu Kado has created some of the most amazing culinary presentations we’ve ever seen. I mean, just look at veggie Yoda above. You’ll find a lot more at Obvious Winner.

Not a Star Wars fan? No problem. Check out chef Kado’s Battlestar Galactica creations in the video after the break.

The South Pacific island state of Niue is set to issue new coins to its citizens, in collaboration with the New Zealand Mint. One side of the coins will feature an image of Queen Elizabeth II, while the reverse will depict one of several Star Wars characters.

What are they worth? Here’s where it gets interesting. As legal tender, they’ll have a face value of NZ$2 (£1). However, the coins will be struck with an ounce of silver, bringing their value to about $382 (as of this writing).

Clearly meant for collectors, the coins are actually legal tender. I’d like to meet the guy who buys a Coke with one of these.

[Via Nerd Approved]

Now this is just cool. The Lego minifigs pictured above are currently traveling to Jupiter aboard NASA’s Juno spacecraft. They depict the Roman god Jupiter, Juno, the goddess of Rome and Galileo, the astronomer. They’re a part of the Bricks in Space project, a joint venture between NASA and Lego meant to “…inspire children to explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.”

The specially-made figures are scheduled to arrive at Jupiter in July of 2016 and orbit the gas giant for one year (33 revolutions) before Juno de-orbits and crashes into the planet. Good luck, little fellas! May you boldly go.

Beautiful. By *wyv1 on deviantART.

This line is the latest in a series of re-imagined Star Wars figures that Sillof has made. Others include Samauri Wars, West Wars and the stellar World Wars.

Well done, Sillof. These are super.

[Via Neatorama]

This post does NOT contain any major spoilers. I talk about the characters and series in general, but I don’t reveal any secrets that makes the series so fun. Fear not, read on!

When it premiered on ABC in April of 1990, Twin Peaks captured audience’s imaginations and set off a wave of “Peaksmania” across the country. The show centered on the murder of a high school girl named Laura Palmer in the sleepy north-western town of Twin Peaks. Amidst this on-going murder investigation by Special Agent Dale Cooper, played brilliantly by Kyle MacLachlan, the minutiae and seedy underbelly of its many denizens is revealed. Both audiences and critics have hailed Twin Peaks for over two decades as one of the best television series of all time. Thanks to its recent release on Netflix streaming, I decided to take a trip to the strange destination that is Twin Peaks.

I admit that when the series first aired, I too got caught up in this strange, quirky TV show. Although written as a cross between a crime drama and soap opera, Twin Peaks refused to yield to stereotypical depictions of either. The writers often infused stories with elements of horror, the supernatural and black comedy that helped give the series its distinctly unique style. Twin Peaks’ creepy vibe was further augmented by the extensive use of location shooting, a haunting soundtrack from composer Angelo Badalamenti and the focus on Agent Cooper’s unorthodox investigative techniques.

When the series became available on DVD in 2001 I quickly purchased it, but due to rights ownership disputes between the publisher and creator, David Lynch, the DVD box set did not contain the critical pilot episode that was vital to understanding the basics of everything that followed. Add to that the DVDs were plagued by formatting errors that often rendered them unwatchable and you had an entire forest full of angry Twin Peaks fans, I among them. My copy of Twin Peaks on DVD sat on my shelf, unwatched for over ten years until I discovered it anew online a short time ago.

Now, thanks to the miracle of on-demand streaming from Netflix, I’m once again enjoying a visit to the quirky town of Twin Peaks. A place where no one is who they seem, the coffee is as black as midnight and the cherry pie will just kill ‘ya. The pilot episode is packed with all of the things that fans love about the series and sets up the mystery of Laura Palmer’s murder in delightful fashion.

Fans agree that the entire first season of Twin Peaks is a tour de force of TV storytelling, absolutely not to be missed. Near the end of season one, executives at ABC became concerned that Frost and Lynch were never going to reveal Laura’s killer and pressed the pair for a resolution. In reality, Frost had always intended the series should reveal the killer, but Lynch disagreed. He believed that Laura’s murder was basically a MacGuffin and that the real focus of Twin Peaks was the town, its inhabitants and their interactions. As ratings sagged at the start of season 2, Lynch finally capitulated and the mystery was solved.

The series never recovered however and ratings continued to sink until ABC cancelled Twin Peaks at the end of the second season. Despite it’s eventual decline, Twin Peaks is immanently worth watching for a number of reasons but mostly because it’s just good TV. The show was the blueprint for many of the most successful TV dramas that followed including Lost and The Sopranos. Its intricate, twisting plot, unusual treatment of characters and a compelling use of “place” to tell a story all add up to a viewing experience you won’t soon forget. I highly recommend Twin Peaks to anyone who loves a good mystery or compelling characters, at least up until the point in the series when Laura’s killer is finally revealed. You won’t regret it, my log said so.

PS – Don’t miss this awesome Japanese Twin Peaks coffee commercial Lynch directed at the hight of the series. Damn fine ad!

Yesterday I said this Boba Fett craft was the best thing you’ll see all day. I was wrong. It’s Gollum handing over “the ring” during a wedding.

This stunt was staged by contestants on Australian reality show Four Weddings. I don’t know what’s more shocking: how much the actor sounds like Andy Serkis or the guests who have no idea who Gollum is.

In any case, we loves it. My precious.

This is the greatest thing you’ll see all day.

Don’t panic! An official Hitchhiker’s Guide app is finally coming out for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, with the full blessing of the Adams estate. It gets better: the app will be narrated by the original Arthur Dent himself: Simon Jones.

According to WIRED, the app will be a guide to things in the books, like the Babel Fish or the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal. Expect it to be interactive, but not exactly a game. Instead, it will be as close to the real thing as possible: a portable guide to everything and anything in Adams’ universe.

There’s no release date just yet, but you can watch the official website. In the meantime, check out more screenshots and WIRED’s podcast interview with Simon Jones and grab Louie Mantia’s “Don’t Panic” wallpaper or iPad and iPhone.

Screenshot copyright by Hothead Games.

Pyramid/Triad – Battlestar Galactica

Pyramid is a close-quarters ball game played by two teams or two individuals on a pyramid-shaped court. Points are scored by getting the ball into the top of one of several triangular goals along the court’s edge. Full contact is allowed (unless a player is in one of three designated “neutral zones”), and any player holding the ball can only take “three paces” without shooting, passing or grabbing a rebound.

In the re-imagined series, Starbuck and Sam Anders often played pickup games of Pyramid aboard the Galactica (they’re playing on Caprica above*). Before the second Cylon War, Anders played Pyramid professionally with the Caprica Buckaneers. Other pro teams included the Picon Panthers (Adama’s favorite team) and the Tauron Bulls.

Ties to the original series

In the original Battlestar Galatica, Pyramid referred to a card game that was popular among Viper pilots, while Triad was a televised professional sport, similar to the Ron Moore-era Pyramid (though much less interesting, as you’ll see in the brief clip below).

It’s a cool game, combining basketball, rugby and hockey. Plus the C-Bucks logo is sweet.

Podracing – Star Wars

The only watchable scene in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace is the podrace. Podracing is a super fast, extremely dangerous take on drag racing. Competitors from around the Star Wars galaxy design and build their own racers with enormous engines, small cockpits and little regard for safety. Huge crowds gather on Tatooine and elsewhere to bet on their favorite racers, who navigate an enormous course at incredible speeds.

The races offer a real sense of danger, unlike every other scene in The Phantom Menace. The animation team at Lucasarts did a fantastic job; the vehicles seem heavy and ready to fly apart on a moment’s notice. I especially like the Tusken Raiders who position themselves on the course’s edge and take pot shots at the racers, just for fun.

Alas, there’s nothing as fast or exciting here on Earth. We’ll just have to settle for Steve McQueen in Bullitt.

Quidditch – Harry Potter

Polo on flying brooms. How could you go wrong? Quiddich is a semi-contact sport enjoyed by Harry and his wizarding buddies at Hogwarts. It’s mentioned in all but one book, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire even featured The Quidditch World Cup (the stadium is pictured below).

The rules are extensive for a fictional game. Matches are played over an oval field, or “pitch,” measuring 500 feet long by 180 feet wide. Three hooped goals stand at each end at varying heights. A player in the seeker position is tasked with capturing flying ball, or Snitch. Doing so scores 150 points.

It goes on from there, but this post is already unwieldy. Several real-world “Muggle Quidditch” leagues play an Earth-bound version of the game, which is regulated by the International Quidditch Association. Yes, really.

The Galactic Football League – The Rookie

The Rookie by Scott Sigler features a football league 700 years in the future. It’s much like our own NFL, with the addition of hyper-aggressive aliens and cannibalistic linebackers. Organized crime runs the sport, games are fixed and assassinations are not unheard of.

And we thought Vince McMahon was crazy.

The Galactic Football League wasn’t cut from whole cloth, but it is an extreme variation on a very popular, real-world game.

Parrises Squares - Star Trek

Parrises squares is a violent game played in the Star Trek universe which requires flattering blue jumpsuits and disturbingly cylindrical duffel bags. It was referenced in several episodes of Next Generation and Voyager. There’s a ramp, an ion hammer and a lot of running around. Doctor Crusher often admonishes Riker for playing the game as if he were still a young man.

Parrises Squares is typically played by humans, though some Klingons (like Worf and M’Kota R’Cho) have also played.

Anbo-jyutsu – Star Trek

Anbo-jyutsu is a martial art created to let William Riker beat up his dad. Mr. Riker calls it the “ultimate evolution of martial arts,” though I couldn’t figure out much of what was going on. Both competitors lower their blast shields over their eyes and mis-pronounce Japanese-sounding words while whacking each other with sticks. As if that’s not humiliating enough, look at the outfit Will’s got on.

There’s a proximity sensor on one end of the stick which alerts each combatant to the location of his opponent. A high Midi-chlorian count helps, too. Reach out with your feelings, Will!

Honorable mention

In the Firefly episode Bushwhacked, the gang is playing a strange variant of basketball aboard the Serenity. I’ve got no idea what’s going on here, and I suspect the crew was making it up as they went along. Life gets boring on spaceships, so why not?

So there you have it, six examples of sports in science fiction. Now, what did game(s) did I miss?

*As an aside, just look at the muscles in Starbuck’s arms. Godsdamn! 

Potential buyers beware however. These playsets may look like official LEGO products, but they definitely are not. If you were planning on rocking them out with the latest Batman or Indiana Jones LEGO adventures, you’re in for disappointment. Prices can also be a bit steep so be sure to save up some coppers before placing your pre-orders which can be done today from BigBadToyStore.com

Time of the Angels Mini Set
Dalek Factory Set
Complete Doctor Who Toy Line

[via @Talosman]

How could we not include this stinker from SyFy? Actors Stephen Baldwin (playing David) and Vanessa Johansson (playing Laura) venture to Venice, Italy to search for David’s father, who disappeared unexpectedly. While floating through the canals on a boat, David sees a large dorsal fin. Of course, he and an Italian man named Rossi (which must be Italian for “Red shirt”) enter the canals in wet suits. The shark re-appears, bites David and devours his doomed Italian companion.

From there, the plot borrows heavily from several Indiana Jones movies. David escape to a cave, evades traps and finds treasure. He then makes his way to a hospital but is then sent back to the cave for more looting.

Of course, you watch a movie like Sharks in Venice to see sharks.

The colossal behemoth who terrorizes “Venice”* is all teeth and bad attitude. He’s also a bit of an enigma. For example, if there’s one gigantic shark in Venice, one must assume there’s a breeding population of monster sharks nearby. You’d think the local fisherman would have noticed such a thing. Also, you get the feeling that he’s not really there during he attacks. For example, check out the combination of stock shark attack footage, onlooker reaction shots and plastic dorsal fins that comprise this scene:

Fantastic, no? Nearly everyone who has seen Sharks in Venice pans it, but we’ve noted something amazing: It makes a guy in a Brooks Brothers suit and a shark mask seems scary.

*I’m using quotes because the movie was shot in Bulgaria. In fact, director  Danny Lerner wanted to call it “Shark in Bulgaria.”