“Lebedenko Tank”, or Tzar tank (after tsar Nikolaj, who helped finance it) was also called “Netopyr” – vampire bat. Its history starts in 1914 with the engineer N. Lebedenko, who came up with the idea of a 40-ton battle machine, running on one small and two very large spoked wheels, almost 9 meter in diameter. The designers hoped that this configuration would make it possible for the vehicle to cross practically all obstacles. However on the initial trial run the small wheel got stuck in a ditch, and the weak engines did not help either.
Day: March 4, 2007
The Top 10 Sentences From Third-Rate SF Stories
I’ll give you number 10:
10> As he was led to die in an arcane alien ritual, Tank McPhoton tried one last time to apologize. How was he to know that what he took to be an extended hand of friendship which he gripped firmly and shook vigorously was actually the Supreme Ruler’s private parts?
(via SF Signal)
Uncomfortable Questions: Was the Death Star Attack an Inside Job?
Important questions that have yet to be answered:
We’ve all heard the “official conspiracy theory” of the Death Star attack. We all know about Luke Skywalker and his ragtag bunch of rebels, how they mounted a foolhardy attack on the most powerful, well-defended battle station ever built. And we’ve all seen the video over, and over, and over, of the one-in-a-million shot that resulted in a massive chain reaction that not just damaged, but completely obliterated that massive technological wonder.
Like many Americans, I was fed this story when I was growing up. But as I watched the video, I began to realize that all was not as it seemed. And the more I questioned the official story, the deeper into the rabbit hole I went.
Presented here are some of the results of my soul-searching regarding this painful event. Like many citizens, I have many questions that I would like answered: was the mighty Imperial government really too incompetent to prevent a handful of untrained nerf-herders from destroying one of their most prized assets? Or are they hiding something from us? Who was really behind the attack? Why did they want the Death Star destroyed? No matter what the answers, we have a problem.
245 Countries in 10 Minutes
On the heels of the 50 States in 10 Minutes game comes this.
You have 10 minutes to remember as many of the 245 countries in the world as you can.
After 10 minutes, the correct answers will appear in this space so you can see which ones you’ve missed.
Books on MP3
LoudLit has a nice collection of free audio books.
(via Metafilter)
And LibriVox has a free unabridged audio version of Origin of Species.
(via Boing Boing)