Does a new Mayan relic currently being researched confirm the apocalyptic date of December 21, 2012?

The answer: an emphatic “maybe, probably not.”

The ‘Comalcalco Brick’, as the second fragment is known, has been discussed by experts in some online forums.

Many still doubt that it is a definite reference to December 21, 2012 or December 23, 2012, the dates cited by proponents of the theory as the possible end of the world.

‘Some have proposed it as another reference to 2012, but I remain rather unconvinced,’ said David Stuart, a specialist in Mayan epigraphy at the University of Texas at Austin.

What is known is that the carving found at a ruin in Comalcalco, Mexico does make reference to the end of the 13th Baktun, a 394-year period which will come due next year. However, there is not much evidence to suggest that any apocalyptic event will come along with it.

In fact, many scholars are quick to remind worry warts that Mayan culture believed time constantly began and ended cycles without world ending punctuation.

[Daily Mail]

In a first for wild animals (not named primates) researchers have concluded that raven utilize gestures with their wings and beaks to communicate to other ravens. This includes pointing at items.

This is different than domesticated animals like dogs using gestures since the raven behavior is occurring naturally without intervention.

[Live Science]

Netflix has made waves with their original programming pickups like House of Cards and Arrested Development, but either will have the honor of being the first original Netflix programming. Example Show is an avant guard tour de force featuring an unnamed protagonist doing gymnastics, running a model train and most notably giving a violent reading of a monologue from William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.

Just search for “Example Show” in Netflix.

Example Show actually a in-house production done by Netflix staff (presumably shot on campus) to test screen resolutions and streaming capabilities for various levels of audio and video fidelity. It’s also awesome.

We recommend everyone add it to their queue and demand a season two.

SAVE EXAMPLE SHOW!

We’ve posted a poorly screen capped version of Julius Ceasar monologue (capped off by some awesome mouth pops) for those without Netflix. Thanks to Colleen Kelly for tipping us off to this.

Click AFTER THE JUMP to see a massive picture of this dude doing a cartwheel.

(more…)

Wow.

GUEST: Bonnie “The Invisible Wife” Brushwood

Brian and wife Bonnie open up a respectable genetics laboratory only to find out that their mischievous for-hire scientists have concocted a horrific brew that could save the world. Or end it. One of the two. Maybe both. Justin helps dream up all of the ways that 3D printing can revolutionize the way we look at keychains and society. Andrew recounts his recent trip to China complete with dazzling light tunnels and curious acrobats.

Support the show by purchasing Andrew’s new book The Chronological Man: The Monster In The Mist for only 99¢ at Amazon.com by clicking the image below!

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Picks:

Brian-

• Penn & Teller Magic And Mystery Tour

• 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

• Into The Universe with Stephen Hawking

Justin-

• The Muppets

Andrew-

• The Edge

It was announced last week that Think Geek would soon be selling branded breakfast Star Wars breakfast drinks including Dark Side Coffee, Hoth Cocoa and Dagobah Green Tea. But that’s not nearly the weirdest food tie in to the most iconic SciFi franchise of all time.

Yoda Approved Cup Of Noodles

Although not branded specifically, Yoda did hawk the classic boil n’ eat treat loved by stoners world wide in this commercial. What did you think he ate in exile for all those years? It wasn’t like there was a Chick-fil-a around the corner.

Carmel Corn Tubs

The force is with you. And so is that kernel in your teeth that you ate like five hours ago.

Tuna Fish Disco

We are pretty sure this isn’t officially sanctioned by Pope Lucas but it is too awesome not to post. We could have solved this whole galactic rebellion over a nice can of tuna. Disco style.

In 2003, a South African family met curious creature. His name was Rah. He was a goblin.

The little guy became a part of the family. For seven years he fit in like Harry did with the Hendersons. He even spoke two languages! What a charming little fellow.

Until one fateful day in 2009 when he made a very strange request to the matriarch of the family.

“…he woke up and said he was tired of goat meat and as such wanted human flesh.”

When asked whose flesh specifically, he mentioned daughter Sithokozile.

Drawing a line in the sand between hospitality and murdering their children, the family politely declined. This did not please Rah.

“I was not going to sacrifice myself for the goblin and my mother could not do the same. Rah got angry and started beating everyone in the family. We have never head peace since he demanded that I become part of his meal,” she said.

It is said that at times Rah would tie children onto a tree using jerseys and spend the whole day thrashing them with switch.

And so it came to pass, the family fled their home. Rah remains missing, quite possibly looking for a new family to befriend.

The moral of the story? If a bilingual goblin requests residence in your house, kick him out after six years.

[Byo Daily]

What’s that? The muffled whisper in the cool British night?

If you are a metal thief, ripping apart a track so you can sell the scrap for drug money, it’s the sound of justice.

Police are employing “ghost trains” rail cars with the lights dimmed and engine muffled in the dead of night to catch the brigands using infrared technology.

They employ thermal-imaging equipment with a range of 440 yards to scour the sides of the track for criminals, and use torches to inspect cables running above the train for evidence of damage or theft.

The officers are also poised to trigger powerful lamps mounted alongside cameras on the front of the train, positioned to record any suspicious activity ahead.

Still more, authorities have installed motion sensitive cameras in unsuspecting rocks which broadcast live images to the trains so they know where crime needs to be stymied.

[Daily Mail]

Although Bird Flu panics have come and gone since the late 90s, we have always had diligent scientists on the side of humanity, safe guarding us from these outbreaks. But since all has been quiet on the western front for a few years now, it appears as if several of these eggheads have grown bored enough to cook up a super contagious mutation of the virus.

They are now debating if they should release the recipe for such a vile concoction, which they guest-imate could kill half of humanity, to the world. Because that seems like a great idea.

A genetic study showed that the new, dangerous strain had only five mutations compared to the original one, and all of them were earlier seen in the natural environment – just not all at once. Fouchier’s strain is as contagious as the human seasonal flu, which kills tens of thousands of people each year, but is likely to cause many more fatalities if released.

“I can’t think of another pathogenic organism that is as scary as this one,” Paul Keim, a microbial geneticist who has worked on anthrax for many years, told Science Insider. “I don’t think anthrax is scary at all compared to this.”

Some argue that the release of the data would allow for humanity to better prepare for a pandemic of this kind of deadly strain.

[RT]

The above picture is one of the following two items:

A) Proof that an alien landed in Peru and died in a cave. The elongated shape of the skull proves it is not of this earth. Besides it looks like the Crystal Skulls in that Indiana Jones move you’d successfully forgotten about before I reminded you.

B) Evidence of a tribal custom of skull elongation. Infants of a certain social standing would have their heads wrapped tightly in a cloth for up to sixth month, creating a sharp conical point.

Baby skull reshaping? Alien evidence? YOU DECIDE!

[Daily Mail]

Our favorite crazy Swiss aeronaut, Yves Rossy, was at it again. This time flying in formation with two jets. How much more bad ass does it get?

Sources tell us that shortly after he landed, Nick Fury arrived on the scene to recruit him for some special initiative.

A Tale of Scientific Adventure…

It’s 1890 and the citizens of Boston are beginning to go missing in the fog.

The police are confounded. The public is frightened. The city is on the edge of hysteria.

It’s up to the mysterious Smith, inventor and adventurer, to figure out what’s going on with the help of his assistant, April Malone. They’ll have to face off against a secret society, corrupt policemen and a mad psychologist hell-bent on dissecting Smith, in order to solve the mystery of what’s going on and to save the city from an even more sinister threat.

A fast-paced 45,000 word tale of science adventure, this novella is the first story about Smith, a curious man combining elements of Doctor Who, Sherlock Holmes and Tony Stark.

You can have it for only 99¢ on the Amazon Kindle store.

[Chronological Man]

Finally.

This is the show I fell in love with. These are the conflicts caused by the world rotting from the inside out. These are the decisions made by compelling characters with conflicting points of view. This is the genre violence that sets The Walking Dead apart from anything else on television.

If for one moment before a horrific mid-season break, The Walking Dead cashed in on the promise of the first season.

It’s good to be home. Read all about it AFTER THE JUMP… (more…)

I took my six-year-old little brother to see The Muppets. He was excited. Not because he’s ever seen an episode of the original series, or any of the previous feature films or even the Muppet Babies cartoon, which remains memorable to those of us born in the early 80’s.

He was excited because there were furry creatures being silly during commercial breaks of Phineas & Ferb. They might as well have been a new franchise.

He loved it. I loved it.

And despite the disparity in our awareness of the brand we loved it for the same reason: the Muppets are amazing.

Several times, the film jabs at the perception of the Muppets as out dated or culturally irrelevant and writers Jason Siegel and Nicholas Stoller work feverishly to disprove the theory with any weapon they can. In fact, the plot strains at times by a Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back-esqe references to previous works. “Haven’t you seen our first movie?” responds Kermit when asked how he intends to get his band back together.

More successfully, Siegel and Stoller nail the smart without sarcasm, cute short of cloying innocent tone that makes this such a magnificent and, yes, relevant franchise.

The real muscle of the movie is in the songs. Flight of the Conchords’ Bret McKenzie is credited with the best of them. Some bare the wordplay or stylistic hallmarks of his previous work (“Me Party” and “Let’s Talk About Me”) the big production number (“Life’s A Happy Song”) and power ballad (“Man Or A Muppet”) are true triumphs accenting broad emotion with note-perfect Muppetational silliness.

He did not write the Kermit-voiced “Pictures In My Head” which I inexplicably cried during. Because I am, in fact, a Muppet of a man.

The Muppets are relevant based on the content of their unique and versatile tone. They are relevant because Siegel and Stoller and the cast and crew (including a revolving door of cameos) identify with the vision set forth by Jim Hensen and now under watchful eye of Disney.

The Muppets are relevant because we love them.

You only have a few more days, but fans of the koopa shell flinging road derby franchise Mario Kart can see life size constructions of some of the vehicles on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

You only have until the end of this weekend, so you better hurray.

[IGN]

Chinese television news features a man who claims to move objects and shatter glass using only the power of Qi.