This Week in Geekdom

Happy weekend and Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there! Let's get right down to This Week in Geekdom.

A most excellent Father's Day to all!

Science/Technology

Days ago, the US Supreme Court officially ruled that naturally occurring genes cannot be patented. What implications does this ruling have? National Geographic put together this excellent summary.

Swiss researchers announced this week that, with the help of a relatively small but very powerful telescope, they were able to isolate and identify an entirely new class of stars. Check out the beautiful images that were part of this study.

While you're in a cosmos state of mind, take a look at the first 3D rendering of the known universe, an interactive video illustration that made its international debut on Friday.

Get your Turing tests ready. Using a series of extraordinarily complex models (they needed more than four dimensions in which to function kinda complex), physicists laid out potential scenarios in which future quantum computers would be able to self-correct.

In an effort to extend internet service to especially remote locales, Google has started launching small inflatable aircraft that beam wifi. The balloons, which bear a strong resemblance to giant jellyfish, were hefted into the stratosphere over New Zealand earlier today.

Comics

In celebration of this week's release of Man of Steel, here's an all-Superman comics section.

Speaking of which, have you been looking for a decent review of the movie? How's about one from DC alumnus Mark Waid?

Here are 10 science-based factoids about your favorite Kryptonian.

Movies

It's been a little while since we've had a new round of rumors about Star Wars: Episode VII. This week, we got a potential doozy. Turns out that the upcoming film might not exclude the Expanded Universe after all. Alleged casting calls for 17-year-old sets of male-female twins set the interwebs aflame with conjecture that the new trilogy just might feature Jaina and Jacen Solo. (that sound you hear would be me smothering excited SQUEEs)

General Awesomeness

Classic arcade games have been getting quite a bit of attention as of late. Aside from the Museum of Modern Art's new installation, the Neville Public Museum has opened this nostalgia-inducing exhibit for the remainder of the summer. Anyone got a quarter?

Yep, made entirely in Excel

Think Excel is only good for budgets and the occasional macro? This 73-year-old Japanese retiree has been using the program as his personal palette and canvas. See some examples of his incredible work here.

As always, best wishes for an excellent week ahead!