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Edutainment that’s not very edutaining For about as long as I’ve been alive, Walt Disney World has been my family’s go-to vacation destination. We’ve reliably visited the four-park resort in Florida every couple of years for around two decades. I have a real fondness for the parks. But I’ve always been a little unsure of EPCOT. EPCOT, the “Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow” (named for an intentional community that Walt Disney thought up shortly before his death), is a weird beast. It’s an edutainment park, which…

Researchers survey why some people hold strong attitudes to science whilst others are more neutral.Survey of over 2,000 adults in the UK identifies potential pitfalls of science communication.Why do people hold highly variable attitudes towards well-evidenced science? For many years researchers focused on what people know about science, thinking that “to know science is to love it.” But do people who think they know science actually know science? A new study published on January 24th in the open access journal PLOS…

The fantasy world is mired in controversy at the moment, as numerous properties reel from fan backlash. Harry Potter continues to be a uniquely polarizing topic, as longtime fans cling to their childhood memories while traversing the complex minefield that is J.K. Rowling’s shift into trans-exclusionary radical feminism. The stars of the film series have largely managed to stay out of fallout regarding the matter, but Rupert Grint’s recent revelation that he would return to the role of Ron Weasley could bring…

The Tesla Cybertruck, after multiple delays, will finally be entering mass production in 2024. As reported by Engadget, on the latest earnings call for Tesla, CEO Elon Musk confirmed that the Cybertruck won’t be entering mass production until next year. Musk said that the truck should begin production at some point this summer but that customers can’t expect many to roll off the production line this year. He still expects manufacturing to kick off “sometime this summer,” but warned that output would be…

via Marvel Studios Filmmaker Scott Derrickson is not hiding his disappointment with the nominees for the 2023 Academy Awards. The Doctor Strange director took to Twitter to criticize the Academy of Motion Picture Awards and Sciences for its tendency to overlook some truly outstanding films. The only interesting thing about the Oscars is how dumfoundingly wrong they typically are in retrospect.— N O S ⋊ Ɔ I ᴚ ᴚ Ǝ ᗡ ⊥ ⊥ O Ɔ S (@scottderrickson) January 25, 2023 Derrickson was tweeting in response to a statement…

LOGAN, Ohio—The Columbus Washboard Co., founded before the first electric washing machines put a new spin on laundering in the early 1900s, has dodged extinction for 128 years.As America’s last washboard-maker, the company controls the market, holding a monopoly with a steely grip and so far clean of antitrust scrutiny. Four employees churn out roughly 11,000 washboards a year in the basement of a former G.C. Murphy discount variety store. A popular pail-size model sells for $27.49. “The market is small, but if we can…

Elon to Tesla Investors: Twitter is your friend.Photo: Christian Marquardt - Pool (Getty Images)Tesla CEO Elon Musk tried to convince investors that his chaotic ownership of Twitter was actually good for the electric carmaker, despite the fact that Tesla shareholders have seen their stock price plummet since Musk decided to buy the blue bird app on a whim last year. In an earnings call on Wednesday, Musk was asked how he planned to protect Tesla’s brand and reputation from any backlash over his Twitter acquisition and his…

It’s not a Beyoncé comeback if it doesn’t “cause all this conversation”, and the musician’s first concert in more than four years has been no exception. Over the weekend, Beyoncé was paid a reported $24m to perform at the unofficial opening of luxury Dubai hotel Atlantis the Royal, in front of an invitation-only audience of celebrities, influencers and journalists. But this choice of location for Beyoncé’s return to live performance – her first since the release of last year’s widely acclaimed Renaissance, although none…

Plastic pollution is out of control. Each year, more than 8 million tonnes of synthetic polymers enter the ocean, and while some sinks to the floor, returns to the shore, or collects in the middle of nowhere, a significant portion isn't so easily accounted for.All that missing plastic is a mystery, but some researchers suspect hungry microbes are partly responsible.Experiments in the lab have now shown that a species of marine bacterium, known as Rhodococcus ruber, can slowly break down and digest plastic made from…

Photo via Pen Studios After taking the award for Best Original Song at the Golden Globes, RRR has also been nominated in the same category at this year’s Academy Awards. This is the first time a truly homegrown Indian movie song has been nominated for Best Original Song at the Oscars, but for some fans, it isn’t enough. The song, “Naatu Naatu” apparently was so infectious it made Academy members “want to put on their dancing shoes” according to Variety, which is no surprise given the global fame this song has…