— Germany grapples with future of aging architectural treasures

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 10:46)

Tourists flock to Germany, in part for its old architecture. But as the buildings age, Germany continues to be faced with a difficult question: rebuild them just as they were, or put something new in their place.

— Politicians could learn from Beethoven, says festival head Ilona Schmiel

   (Monday, 06 September 2010 09:17)

Utopia, freedom and international exchange are at the core of this year's Beethovenfest. Beethoven has a particular power that brings people together, says the festival's Director Ilona Schmiel.

— Czechs recognize German-speaking legacy

   (Monday, 06 September 2010 08:43)

Gustav Mahler, Sigmund Freud and Rainer Maria Rilke may have spoken German, but were born in what is now the Czech Republic. The Czechs haven't viewed them as fellow countrymen - until recently.

— Surfers hit the waves in Munich's first summer of legal river surfing

   (Sunday, 05 September 2010 03:46)

Riding waves in the middle of the city? A river in Munich's English Garden has hosted surfers and curious spectators alike for 30 years. Although long forbidden, experienced surfers can now ride the waves legally.

— Berlin dance festival explores human rights

   (Friday, 03 September 2010 10:15)

At Berlin's international dance festival, choreographers tackled issues like the Islamic veil and the failures of the international community in upholding human rights. The result wasn't necessarily comfortable.

— In celebration of the Berlin corner shop - and creative integrity

   (Friday, 03 September 2010 03:29)

A low-budget film released in Germany this week takes a look at that quintessentially Berlin phenomenon, the late-night corner shop known as the "Spaeti."

— As the fog lifted

   (Wednesday, 08 September 2010 00:20)

In the twenty years since the fall of communism, literature has been lifting the fog that had settled over the expanses of eastern central Europe. A survey of the post-'89 wave of eastern European literature by Suhrkamp editor Katharina Raabe. [Estonian version added]

— The many, messy histories

   (Wednesday, 08 September 2010 00:20)

"New Humanist" sees no humanitarian solutions to political crises; "Fronesis" asks who the People are; "Osteuropa" examines the gaffe-prone politics of European identity; "Dilema veche" says leaving Romania is the most effective form of protest; "L'Homme" revisits 19th-century arguments for the abolition of prostitution; "Arena" questions the impact of the Swedish Sex Purchase Act; "Le Monde diplomatique" (Oslo) avoids another story of western selflessnes; and "Studija" welcomes a timely exhibition of Soviet-era painting.

— Culturalism: Culture as political ideology

   (Wednesday, 08 September 2010 00:20)

The multiculturalism debate has changed the political fronts. The Left defends minority cultures while the Right stands guard over national culture. Both are variants of a culturalist ideology, argue Jens-Martin Eriksen and Frederik Stjernfelt. [Polish version added]

— The populist radical Right: A pathological normalcy

   (Wednesday, 08 September 2010 00:20)

According to the conventional view, the far-Right in Europe is antithetical to the values of liberal democracy. New research showing that far-Right ideology is a radicalization of mainstream values has a major impact on how rightwing populism is understood, writes Cas Mudde.

— Loving the enemy: Al-Qaeda's vision of the West

   (Wednesday, 08 September 2010 00:20)

9/11 organizer Khalid Sheikh Mohammed exploited his trial to remind the court of its human rights obligations, while Osama bin Laden's statements include appeals to religious pluralism. Al-Qaeda's use of liberal categories is central to its rhetoric, writes Faisal Devji. [German version added]

— Aid wars

   (Wednesday, 08 September 2010 00:20)

Humanitarian activists' refusal of politics, combined with their willingness to identify with politics, elicits doubt and even scorn from human-rights critics. Susie Linfield evaluates the controversial debate on the future of humanitarianism.

— Art and science: An interdisciplinary approach

   (Wednesday, 08 September 2010 00:20)

Not only artists but also scientists work with images, symbols and metaphors, draw on their intuition and make use of coincidence. How the humanities can inform a non-classical and non-reductionist approach to cancer research and living systems as a whole.

— Great pretender

   (Wednesday, 08 September 2010 00:20)

Feminist icon, anti-Catholic fabrication – or just a woman battling in a man's world? The German film "Die Päpstin" has already been written off by the Italian Bishops' Conference as a hoax. Sally Feldman explores reasons for the power and tenacity of the myth of Pope Joan.

— Trust: Money, markets and society

   (Wednesday, 08 September 2010 00:20)

When financial and economic systems fail, trust in the state and its institutions pays the price, writes Geoffrey Hosking. After the economic crisis and its exposure of the irresponsibility of global capitalism, the first step to restoring social trust is to understand what went wrong.

— Look at my dress

   (Wednesday, 08 September 2010 00:20)

When I was 22 I wanted to find a different way of writing about being a man, says Norwegian novelist Geir Gulliksen. It should be possible to be as gentle as a boy or as reckless as a girl. But gender stereotypes have not changed as radically as we think.

— On the post-city

   (Wednesday, 08 September 2010 00:20)

As the ideological frenzy of modernism gives way to "content management systems", and as global megacities render obsolete the urban grid and its certainties, societies of discipline become societies of control. Daniel Miller cracks open the password protected "post-city". [Polish version added]

— The depths of the Golden Age

   (Wednesday, 08 September 2010 00:20)

The memory of socialism in Georgia is a contradictory one. Some romanticize it as a golden age of stability, others construe it as foreign rule. The textbook has become the link between politics, pedagogy and history. How the past is construed is in flux.

— Performative biographism

   (Wednesday, 08 September 2010 00:20)

"Passage" finds contemporary Danish literature is all about me, me, me; "Vikerkaar" offers a perspective on contemporary European literature; "Mittelweg 36" asks who is authorized to speak about rape; "Revista Crítica" argues that trafficking laws omit the crucial factor of citizenship; "Gegenworte" observes art and science converge in the study of living systems; "Res Publica Nowa" takes a dispassionate approach to political debate; "Springerin" sees artists failing to respond to Right culture; and "Dilema veche" explains why in Romania only the mad refuse a bribe.

— Cultivated mixture

   (Wednesday, 08 September 2010 00:20)

The attraction of opera -- the sanctuary of bourgeois culture -- to critical artists has to do with its formal strictures, argues Diedrich Diederichsen. Opera's high degree of "definition" provides a counterpoint to the variety of non-European-white-heteromasculine perspectives.

— Literary perspectives: Estonia

   (Wednesday, 08 September 2010 00:20)

While the Great Estonian Novel has yet to be written, the range of fiction in Estonia is wide enough to serve as an indicator of the post-communist country's hopes and fears, anxieties and obsessions. writes the editor of "Vikerkaar". [Russian version added]

— Are newspapers still relevant?

   (Wednesday, 08 September 2010 00:20)

It is not the Internet that is responsible for the "crisis of the press", but subordination of journalism to the market, writes the political editor of the "Süddeutsche Zeitung". For the first time since 1945, German journalism risks becoming trivialized. [Polish version added]

— Literary perspectives: The Netherlands

   (Wednesday, 08 September 2010 00:20)

While the work of novelists Jan Siebelink and Arnon Grunberg reflect the new need for security in the Netherlands, a parallel strand of contemporary Dutch literature sidesteps such concerns: writers with migrant backgrounds are introducing new styles into the Dutch literary repertoire. [Estonian version added]

— A Christmas Carol | Theatre review

   (Tuesday, 15 December 2009 17:05)

Sherman Cymru, Cardiff

The Sherman's festive shows are always a treat, but Gary Owen's new version of A Christmas Carol is an impressive adaptation for our times. Best of all, the modern touches – references to MPs' expenses, hedge funds and the war in Afghanistan – are subtly done in a production that streamlines and updates the original for a younger audience while keeping its moral core intact.

This is a rousing family show, with belly laughs and cheering songs, yet it also presents the dark side of Dickens's tale with tremendous boldness. The depiction of Christmas...

— Win tickets to a Soulmates screening

   (Wednesday, 12 August 2009 12:10)

Win tickets to a Soulmates (500) Days of Summer screening

— And that's a wrap...

   (Monday, 25 June 2007 07:47)

The Guardian Unlimited Music team is home or on its way home. For a round-up of the weekend, visit our Glastonbury special report. For all the reviews from this weekend - the Who and the Kaiser Chiefs have been added, with more to come - click here. And for all the music blog posts - new ones by Jack Penate and the Rakes have been added - visit the music blog.

Oh, and here's editor Alan Rusbridger's Flickr set of the National Youth Orchestra. Everyone pitches in during Glastonbury here.

— 'Good Samaritan' survey shows charitable giving trends

   (Wednesday, 08 September 2010 01:00)

Survey found that a third of the world's population had given money to charity in the last month, and 45% had helped a stranger

A third of the world's population has given money to charity in the past month, the largest study ever carried out into global social conscience reveals today.

The "World Giving Index" used Gallup surveys of 195,000 people in 153 nations and asked people whether they had volunteered or given money or help in the last month. It also asked respondents to rank how happy they are with life.

It found that a fifth of...

— The health goal that is a dirty word

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 20:00)

The UN summit on the Millennium Development Goals takes place in New York in just under two weeks. WaterAid and its supporters argue that the unnecessary deaths of children will not stop until the neglected issue of sanitation is addressed

Reports are coming thick and fast from NGOs marking the slow progress towards the Millennium Development Goals, ahead of the UN summit in New York in less than two weeks' time - Unicef yesterday and Save the Children the day before, for instance. But none of them can match, for shock value, the verdict...

— Suicides on the rail network rose last year, say Samaritans

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 19:06)

Number of deaths and attempted deaths on the railways rose from 236 in 2009 to 2010, compared to 215 in the previous 12 months, say Network Rail

Suicides and suspected suicides on the national rail network increased by 10% last year, according to figures released to coincide with a new, five-year Samaritans campaign to reduce male suicide across the UK.

Launched today, the Men on the Ropes campaign specifically targets working-class men in their 30s to 50s, the group most likely of all men to die by suicide.

"Our research into this target group found that...

— BBC World Service broadcasts in Burma face axe

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 16:07)

BBC has been warned by Foreign Office that cuts could force pullout from several countries

The BBC is locked in talks with the government over drastic cuts to the World Service budget which could force it to withdraw from Burma and several other countries.

The Foreign Office, which funds the World Service through an annual £272m grant, has told executives to prepare for a possible budget cut of 25% from April 2011 as part of the public sector cutbacks.

The BBC service in Burma is one of those identified by the government as under threat, according to a...

— Government spending cuts plan see no settlements

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 15:54)

No indication of any department reaching deal with Treasury as London mayor warns consensus on cutting deficit breaking down

David Cameron today returned to work after his paternity leave to chair a cabinet meeting looking at progress being made in government departments' plans to cut spending by 25% over the next four years.

The chief secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, took cabinet colleagues through the proposals. Although the Treasury has praised some departments for coming forward with detailed and credible spending cuts in August, there was no indication that any department has reached a settlement.

Ministers who...

— Pakistan floods: Reza Khan finally gets his milk after readers respond

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 15:46)

A story highlighting the plight of the two-year-old and his displaced Afghan family led to worldwide donations

• In pictures: Reza Khan and the refugee camp in Azakhel

Fatima beamed broadly as she knelt in the mud outside her tent and filled two-year-old Reza Khan's baby bottle with milk. "Look, he's not crying any more," she said, as he sucked down the liquid. It had been a month since the little boy had tasted milk.

The mother of eight kept an eye on her son as she lifted the lid on a blackened aluminium...

— Call for more obesity surgery to cut benefits and NHS bills

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 15:42)

Report urges increase in gastric bypass ops as tens of thousands of patients 'missing out'

The extremely low availability of surgery to correct obesity is leading over the long term to the expenditure of hundreds of millions of pounds in benefit payments and costs to the NHS, a report says.

Not offering a gastric bypass or gastric band surgery to people who are extremely overweight means that large sums are having to be spent on unemployment and other social security benefits, hospital treatment and prescriptions, claims the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

This rising cost could...

— Leylandii: the tree at the centre of suburban warfare

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 15:00)

The case of the 10m leylandii trees dividing neighbours in Plymouth is the latest in a long history of disputes involving the species

A fresh dispatch from the great leylandii war was noted this week, with news of yet another epic neighbourly dispute being triggered by the fast-growing, controversial cypress.

David Alvand, a civil engineer living in Plymouth, is battling with his neighbours over some leylandii he planted in his front garden in 1991, which have now topped 10m. The trees are reaching over on to his neighbour's roof and guttering, as...

— Defence budget? I prefer to call it expensive showing off | Simon Jenkins

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 15:00)

The armed forces chiefs don't like it up 'em – but at last a government is putting their gargantuan spending to the sword

For the first time since the end of the cold war Britain's defenders are on the spot. This is exhilarating and long overdue. But for the armed forces and their gargantuan overheads, it has produced the most awesome display of bleeding stumps ever.

Brave heroes, according to the Sunday Times, are being thrown on the scrapheap. Food convoys are being left defenceless, mujahideen are jeering, pirates and drug lords are rampaging, and...

— Connaught appoints administrators after failing to secure new funding

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 14:46)

Connaught, the social housing maintenance firm, faces two FSA inquiries

Connaught, the stricken social housing maintenance firm, has appointed administrators after failing in a last-ditch attempt to secure further funding from its banks.

The company has faced a deepening crisis since a shock announcement in late June that its business would take a hit as councils deferred projects to upgrade their stock of social housing ahead of government spending cuts.

Confidence in the business has rapidly melted away as questions were asked about the aggressive nature of Connaught's accounting policies. Its senior executives were replaced and it breached...

— Health and safety concerns are restricting children's school playtime

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 14:27)

Survey shows children brought up 'in cotton wool', when they need boisterous play, say experts

A generation of "cotton wool" children are growing up without being exposed to risky play, experts have warned, as new research finds that parents are increasingly concerned about the health and safety culture in schools.

In a survey of more than 2,000 parents of primary school children commissioned by Play England and the British Toy and Hobby Association, almost three-quarters said they felt schools were too concerned with health and safety during playtime. The survey found the average child got just...

— Poll: Should some street lights be dimmed?

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 11:51)

Councils are turning off some of their street lights in an effort to save money. Opponents say the move will increase the number of accidents. Supporters welcome the relief from nocturnal light pollution. Would you turn them off?

— Spending cuts will have 'devastating impact' on Northern Ireland, says Peter Robinson

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 11:37)

• Cuts of up to 25% in public sector will take £2bn out of economy
• Northern Ireland first minister calls on power-sharing executive to unite to protect jobs

Northern Ireland's economy will be devastated by George Osborne's cost-cutting programme, the first minister predicted today.

Peter Robinson's grim warning comes as an estimated £2bn is to be taken out of the local economy after cuts of between 20 and 25% in the public sector.

Robinson, the Democratic Unionist leader, said that local devolved ministers were going to have to make difficult decisions over the next few months.

He predicted that...

— The General Social Care Council must be saved

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 11:05)

The agency was created to place greater value on the people who work with the vulnerable. It should not be lost because of a wobbly beginning, says Nick Johnson

When new governments begin to rationalise the structures of their forebears, quangos are always top of the list. This usually precedes a point where the administration realises it cannot cope without a specialist body to deliver some aspect of policy, giving birth to its own crop of quangos. Some are political creations, hardly recognised in life and hardly noticed as they disappear.

The General Social Care Council (GSCC)...

— We must keep the services that girls desperately need

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 11:00)

Cuts must be made sensibly. I have witnessed the detrimental impact that poor service provision can have on vulnerable young women

Cuts: the C word that has stirred up tensions across the country, and caused an uneasy knot in my stomach over recent months. The Fawcett Society has filed papers with the high court seeking a judicial review of the government's emergency budget, which it claims shows that 72% of cuts will be taken from women's incomes. Most recently, the Equality and Human Rights Commission has waded into the row, threatening to take action against the...

— Craigslist isn't now free of sex – you just can't pay for it | Jennifer Abel

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 09:38)

Why should sex, alone among all forms of human interaction, be thought to spawn malignant magic when money changes hands?

Power corrupts. Even the high ethical standards of prostitutes would probably plunge down to near-politician levels if they wielded legal authority over their fellow citizens. Since politicos actually do, they turn the mighty power of the state not just on legitimate threats to the commonweal, but anything they find annoying or distasteful.

Which is why, if you visit the Craigslist website, you'll find the links to their "adult services" section gone, replaced by the word...

— Mencap photography winners announced

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 09:30)

Snap! is Mencap's annual photography competition. All of the photographs are taken by or feature people with learning disabilities. The resulting exhibition will tour the UK.

— In India the granaries are full but the poor are hungry

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 08:59)

Bureaucracy and corruption in India's distribution system mean that subsidised stocks of grain have been left to rot instead of reaching families suffering from malnutrition

India's grain warehouses are bursting at the seams and sacks of rice and wheat lie rotting in the open for lack of storage space. These government-managed stocks are for offsetting a fall in agricultural production in the event of drought or floods, but are also meant for sale to the poorest segment of the population at subsidised prices.

But because the public distribution system (PDS) is undermined by bureaucracy and corruption, 60m...

— Mali battles over women's rights

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 08:59)

Even educated women have only a limited view of the possibility of extended human rights and opportunities

Deep in the vast, burnt-orange Malian desert in the town of Gao, 17-year-old Zina is getting ready for school. One of the luckier Malian women, she is among the 33% who can read and write. "I hope to be a doctor when I finish my studies," she says, through wide eyes framed by her vivid blue veil. "I'm not sure if I'll get married before my studies or afterwards," she adds "but inshallah, I'll find a good husband."

While the...

— You too can be a medical* practitioner | Julia Wilson

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 07:56)

Simply register with the School of Old Wives' Traditional Medicine and we'll give you a big impressive certificate

*no medical training required

Do you remember the traditional way to treat burns? Or what would happen to your face if the wind changed? If you think you can answer these questions, why not become a registered practitioner of Old Wives' Traditional Medicine?

Tomorrow at 11.30am outside the Department of Health in London, a new professional registration scheme for practitioners in the medical tradition of Old Wives' Tales will be launched. A group of junior medics and...

— Society daily: 07.09.10

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 07:06)

Scientists warn that risky sexual behaviour among young gay men could be fuelling an HIV epidemic

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Today's top Society stories

Young gay men fuelling HIV epidemic

Substance abuse, not mental illness, causes violent crime, says study

Benefit health tests unjust, say charities

Social housing firm "on brink of collapse"

Gove's free schools to teach etiquette and fine dining

Stephen Burke: social care and the importance of good advice

Alan...

— Are you a man who has suffered from postnatal depression?

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 07:02)

If you have experienced depression following the birth of your child, G2 would like to hear your story

New research released this week has revealed that one in five men suffer from depression after becoming fathers. The study, which was funded by the Medical Research Council, suggestes that 21% of fathers experience depression at least once before their child is 12.

If you are male and have suffered from depression following the birth of your child, G2, the Guardian's daily features section, would be interested in interviewing you. Please email your full name, details about...

— From the archive, 7 September 1974: Equality for the sexes

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 05:43)

Originally published in the Guardian on 7 September 1974

Mr Jenkins's White Paper on Equality for Women is the right move in the right direction. Its timing, of course, is a political matter. White Papers published on the eves of elections always are political matters; but this one has merits of its own which ought not to be lost in the jeering. In the first place, as Mr Jenkins said yesterday, the title "Equality for Women" also implies equality for men. Its aim is not to exalt women into a privileged world of their own but...

— Connaught on brink of collapse as lenders walk away

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 04:59)

Social housing firm Connaught could be placed in administration today after a funding crisis blamed on government spending cuts

Social housing firm Connaught looked to be on the brink of collapse today after lenders refused to offer additional support to the stricken company.

The Exeter-based repair and maintenance specialist has been in turmoil since its June warning that government spending cuts could blow a £200m hole in revenues over this year and next.

Amid speculation that it could be placed into administration as early as today, Connaught requested the suspension of trading in its shares and said a...

— Women and poor will bear budget burden, says Diane Abbott

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 04:20)

Labour leadership contender says £5.8bn of £8bn to be raised from cuts and taxes will come from women

The Labour leadership contender Diane Abbott yesterday said the coalition government's budget would "bear most heavily" on women and the poor.

Abbott used a Commons debate to accuse the chancellor, George Osborne, of delivering an "unfair and aggressive" budget that would hit women through its package of welfare and public spending cuts.

The equalities minister, Lynne Featherstone, insisted the government's tax and spending plans were fair and included protection for the most vulnerable in society.

Abbott, the MP for Hackney North...

— Mayor Daley leaves behind a cultural capital, but what happens to the arts now? - Chicago Tribune (blog)

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 20:17)

Mayor Daley leaves behind a cultural capital, but what happens to the arts now? Chicago Tribune (blog) There have been failures and, predictably, over-budget boondoggles, but Daley has gambled much of his legacy on the restoration of urban culture. ... and more »

— My Name is Mina, By David Almond - Independent

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 19:01)

My Name is Mina, By David Almond Independent Her passion for nature and skill at writing may sit uneasily in an urban culture given over to screen entertainment, but is it necessarily the worse for ...

— HACK.ART.LAB's You Complete Me Opens At Urban Culture Project Space, Opens 9/17 - Broadway World

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 16:01)

HACK.ART.LAB's You Complete Me Opens At Urban Culture Project Space, Opens 9/17 Broadway World Hack.Art.Lab and special guests, the Computer Cowtown Congress (CCCKC) hacker space, will teach visitors about the technical side of their projects through ...

— Public art that charms us, amuses and makes us think - Xinhua

   (Sunday, 05 September 2010 20:31)

Xinhua

Public art that charms us, amuses and makes us think Xinhua "Unlike urban European culture, Shanghai urban culture has overlapping colonial, revolutionary, and new modern culture," he says. and more »

— A New Era in Urban Bicycling - Daily Beast (blog)

   (Saturday, 04 September 2010 21:06)

A New Era in Urban Bicycling Daily Beast (blog) As a result, city governments are paying attention and urban culture is being redefined. City officials, and advocates across the country have rallied for ...

— HUNDREDS OF YOUNGSTERS TURN OUT FOR URBAN FESTIVAL - Community Newswire

   (Thursday, 02 September 2010 11:56)

HUNDREDS OF YOUNGSTERS TURN OUT FOR URBAN FESTIVAL Community Newswire "The afternoon injected plenty of urban culture into the town and it was great to see young people from the local community enjoying themselves. ...

— KANSA CITTA PUEBLITA Opens at Urban Culture Project, 9/17 - Broadway World

   (Wednesday, 01 September 2010 22:06)

KANSA CITTA PUEBLITA Opens at Urban Culture Project, 9/17 Broadway World In this solo show, opening at the Urban Culture Project Space on Friday, September 17, 2010, 6pm, Calderon presents the community of Kansas City as a pueblo ...

— Rap emerges as an added form of Muslim expression and mobilization - Daily Star - Lebanon

   (Sunday, 29 August 2010 16:58)

Rap emerges as an added form of Muslim expression and mobilization Daily Star - Lebanon Young South Asian Muslims throughout the United Kingdom have widely adopted and thoroughly adapted symbols and styles of African-American urban culture. ... and more »

— Suspected dogfighting ring found in SE - Washington Post (blog)

   (Friday, 20 August 2010 09:23)

Suspected dogfighting ring found in SE Washington Post (blog) Want to blame someone for the perception of this being part of hip hop/urban culture then blame Mike Vick. He is the face of dogfighting to most people. ...

— Charlotte Street Foundation's Urban Culture Project Presents THINGS TO BE NEXT TO - Broadway World

   (Monday, 16 August 2010 17:25)

Charlotte Street Foundation's Urban Culture Project Presents THINGS TO BE NEXT TO Broadway World Charlotte Street Foundation's Urban Culture Project is pleased to present Things to be Next To, an exhibition collaboration with threewalls, Chicago. ...

— Trailer: Kids Aren’t All Right in Dystopian Never Let Me Go

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 21:00)

"Special" students at a cloistered British boarding house face a dismal future in Never Let Me Go, an upcoming science fiction movie with a bit of a Gattaca vibe.

— Exclusive: Tera Melos Frees Patagonian Rats From ‘Frozen Zoo’

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 18:21)

See "Frozen Zoo," the new video from experimental pop band Tera Melos. The weird visuals by director Behn Fannin explore the bizarro intersection of surrealism and drugs.

— Recession Psychedelia Rules Raunchy Red Light Properties

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 18:04)

The so-called Great Recession seriously sucks. But it’s even worse for the domestic misfits trying to exorcise Florida’s foreclosure-wrecked property market of paranormal squatters in Dan Goldman’s hilarious online comic Red Light Properties. The last chapter of Goldman’s self-described “tropical horror” series went live Tuesday, and he was cool enough to exclusively share the best of [...]

— Last Days of American Crime Pairs Sci-Fi Premise With Heist-Movie Grit

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 16:51)

In a last-ditch effort to fight crime and domestic terrorism, the United States has found a solution worthy of Philip K. Dick: The government will broadcast a radio signal that makes it impossible for anyone within its range to break the law. The feds can’t take such drastic measures without encountering massive resistance, so they’ve distracted [...]

— William Gibson Talks Zero History, Paranoia and the Awesome Power of Twitter

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 14:26)

From recession-proof military contractors cool-hunting secret, weaponized brands to “gear queers,” viral iPhones and Twitter darknets, William Gibson’s new novel Zero History examines the 21st century’s techno-cultural fetishes with a deceptively simple directive: The future is now. Gone is the sci-fi pretense of an imagined future, and for good reason. “All we really have when we pretend [...]

— Read an Excerpt From William Gibson’s New Novel, Zero History

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 14:20)

This is an excerpt from Zero History, William Gibson’s latest novel, which was released Tuesday. Chapter 10, “Eigenblich” Milgrim woke, took his medication, showered, shaved, brushed his teeth, dressed, and left the Neo charging but turned on. The U.K. plug-adaptor was larger than the phone’s charger. Keeping the dressmaker’s dummy out of his field of vision, he [...]

— Star Trek 365 Book Sets Phasers on Stunning

   (Tuesday, 07 September 2010 07:00)

Even the most obsessive Trekker will likely uncover fresh details in this new book, which examines in microscopic detail each of the 79 episodes of Gene Roddenberry's original sci-fi series. Get a first look at the book and enter to win a copy.

— What, We Worry? New Mad Toon Skewers Pop-Cult, Sci-Fi

   (Monday, 06 September 2010 12:22)

The satire mag is gearing up for a new decade of transgressive skewering, this time as an animated sketch-comedy series. From grossly rude goofs on Transformers and Avatar to toons from Mad lifers like Sergio Aragones, the new show, premiering Monday on Cartoon Network, pulls zero punches in the name of taste, decency or honor.

— Moon Lands Hugo Award for Best Sci-Fi Movie

   (Sunday, 05 September 2010 12:14)

Moon, Duncan Jones’ poignant and thought-provoking psychodrama about a lonely lunar miner, won the 2010 Hugo Award for best sci-fi movie. The award, technically titled “best dramatic presentation, long form,” honored screenplay writer Nathan Parker as well as Jones, who came up with the story and directed the movie. The indie movie, Jones’ feature debut, bested [...]

— NASA Footage Sets Scene for Quantum Quest Movie

   (Friday, 03 September 2010 16:15)

Footage from seven ongoing NASA space missions provide hyper-realistic scenery for the 3-D animated film, while the voices of multiple Captain Kirks and Darth Vaders play the parts of space explorers.

— One Ring Zero Reboots Holst’s Planets, Keeps Pluto in Mix

   (Friday, 03 September 2010 12:41)

Brooklyn brain-popper One Ring Zero’s latest album Planets is a reboot of Gustav Holst’s legendary orchestral suite The Planets for the 21st century. But its view on Pluto’s demotion from planetary status is purely 20th century. “Pluto will always be a planet to me,” One Ring Zero multi-instrumentalist Michael Hearst told Wired.com in an e-mail interview. [...]

— Best Exploitation Flicks: Machete’s Over-the-Top Ancestors

   (Friday, 03 September 2010 08:00)

Machete strikes a bloody blow Friday when Robert Rodriguez unveils his gore fest for Labor Day Weekend moviegoers. To celebrate the new season of low-brow cinema, Wired.com is giving away two humongous DVD collections. Courtesy of Shout Factory, each prize consists of 15 DVDs from the Roger Corman’s Cult Classics/cite> series encompassing cheap genre thrillers like Slumber Party Massacre and Big Fat Momma.

— Alt Text: Make a Nasty World Nice With Virtual Rewards

   (Friday, 03 September 2010 07:00)

MTV and foursquare are teaming up to provide a virtual reward for people who get tested for sexually transmitted diseases — a little “Get Yourself Tested” achievement badge that tells the world you enjoy both disease-free nethers and little green circles. If being certain you don’t have a potentially life-threatening illness that you could pass on [...]

— Video: Museum Teases Battlestar Galactica Exhibit

   (Thursday, 02 September 2010 18:25)

To hype Battlestar Galactica: The Exhibition, opening in Seattle on Oct. 23, organizers have rolled out a video featuring prime assets from the show: the spaceships. Three full-size prop spaceships — a Viper Mark II, a Viper Mark VII and a Cylon Raider — will be featured at the Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum along [...]

— Video Artist Transforms YouTube’s TOS Into a Paranoid Nightmare

   (Thursday, 02 September 2010 17:59)

This extremely odd video, titled “Iterating My Way Into Oblivion,” features a guy listening to a computer voice reading YouTube’s terms of service. It slowly drives him insane. It’s actually an ongoing, auto-generative piece of digital art. According to the artist, Carlo Zanni, the basic narrative is filmed, and whenever YouTube changes its terms of service, [...]

— Earth One Reboots Superman’s Roots for the iGeneration

   (Thursday, 02 September 2010 13:00)

Superman is a surly noob searching for reality in the digital age in DC Comics’ latest reboot of the superhero’s origin story. Who knew he’d miss the musty Daily Planet more than the rest of us? Writer J. Michael Straczynski and artist Shane Davis’ upcoming graphic novel Superman: Earth One, arriving Oct. 27, irons the obsolete [...]

— A Syllabus and Book List for Novice Students of Science Fiction Literature

   (Wednesday, 01 September 2010 18:52)

Want to start reading some science fiction, but aren't sure where to begin? This introductory sci-fi literature syllabus is just for you.

— Life in a Day Movie-in-Progress Goes Live on YouTube

   (Wednesday, 01 September 2010 17:40)

The world’s longest rough cut starts unspooling this week on YouTube as producer Ridley Scott presents a sampling of 80,000 video diaries recorded July 24 by DIY filmmakers across the globe. The pieces are being scrutinized by director Kevin MacDonald and editor Joe Walker, who will stitch together select bits into a 90-minute documentary slated [...]

— Futurama’s Comic Cosmonauts Recall Best Bits From First 100 Episodes

   (Wednesday, 01 September 2010 16:20)

The sci-fi cartoon's milestone 100th episode arrives Thursday, but the warm, weird remembrances of the show's creative team have come in early. Executive producer David X. Cohen and voice actors Billy West, Lauren Tom and David Herman share some of their favorite moments.

— Sci-Fi Spoof Videos: Terminator 2: The Opera and RoboCop: The Musical

   (Wednesday, 01 September 2010 15:39)

An Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonator sings about the travails of being a Terminator in the extremely moving song “To Kill Someone Again” from Terminator 2: The Opera. It’s not the only classic sci-fi movie spoofed by Jon and Al Kaplan: Check out the “Murphy, It’s You” remix from RoboCop: The Musical below. [via GameAxis] Follow us on Twitter: [...]

— Italy’s New Driving Laws: Go Faster, Just Don’t Drink

   (Wednesday, 04 August 2010 18:35)

The Italian government recently passed a series of strict new driving laws that will affect locals and tourists on the roads in the Bel Paese. A few of the new rules to keep in mind: DUIs. No more jail time for drivers with a blood alcohol level (BAC) of 0.08 to 0.05 (already stricter than [...]

— Italians Study High-Tech Referee Help for Soccer

   (Wednesday, 30 June 2010 21:52)

It won’t be able to change the contested calls in the World Cup, but scientists at Italy’s National Research  Council are working on a host of non-invasive solutions that would help referees judge games. In Bari, at the Institute of Intelligent Systems for Automation (Issia), researchers are perfecting a prototype system that has already been [...]

— Video: Italian Hand Speak

   (Wednesday, 16 June 2010 21:45)

Inspired by Sara Rosso’s video of Italians dancing with their hands, I took my Flip HD out to Milan’s Piazza Duomo to capture a bit of hand jive for practice. A couple of random observations: most of the pairs, for as much as they vary in age, sex, etc., have one person doing the talking [...]

— Extra Virgin Olive Oil? Italians Use Laser to Combat Counterfeits

   (Wednesday, 02 June 2010 19:55)

To combat food fraud, Italians have developed new laser techniques to determine whether that extra virgin olive oil is really as pure as the label says. Researchers at Florence’s Institute of Applied Physics teamed up with the photonics researchers at Vrije Universiteit Brussel to devise a series of high-tech tools that can also be applied [...]

— Complex Legal System? Italy’s Justice Minister Finds There’s an App for That

   (Thursday, 06 May 2010 11:18)

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCU0RcoxKxE Italy’s Justice Minister used an iPhone to cite a wiretapping law during a prime-time talk show. Minister Angelino Alfano, best known outside Italy for a controversial immunity law meant to save the bacon of beleaguered Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, pulled out a iPhone clad in a patriotic tricolor sticker to consult an app called [...]