The Most-Pirated TV Show of 2020 Was ‘The Mandalorian’

CNET reveals 2020’s most popular show among video pirates: It probably won’t come as a surprise that Disney Plus smash hit series The Mandalorian has won the (unfortunate) title of most-pirated TV show of 2020 — using popular torrenting site BitTorrent. According to analysis from TorrentFreak (via IndieWire), Game of Thrones was the most-pirated TV show seven years running. But the…

The World’s First DNA ‘Tricorder’ In Your Pocket

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) scientists developed the world’s first mobile genome sequence analyzer, a new iPhone app called iGenomics. By pairing an iPhone with a handheld DNA sequencer, users can create a mobile genetics laboratory, reminiscent of the “tricorder” featured in Star Trek. Phys.Org reports: The iGenomics app runs entirely on the iOS device, reducing the need for laptops or…

Scientists 3D Print Microscopic Star Trek Spaceship That Moves On Its Own

fahrbot-bot shares a report from CNN: A team of physicists at a university in the Netherlands have 3D-printed a microscopic version of the USS Voyager, an Intrepid-class starship from Star Trek. The miniature Voyager, which measures 15 micrometers (0.015 millimeters) long, is part of a project researchers at Leiden University conducted to understand how shape affects the motion and interactions of…

Twitter Hashtag For Far-Right Group Taken Over By Gay Men

“The Proud Boys hashtag, which members of the far-right group have been using, was trending Sunday,” reports CNN, “after gay men on Twitter hijacked it and flooded the feed with photos of their loved ones and families and with memes.” On Thursday 83-year-old George Takei (who’d play Sulu, the helmsman of the starship Enterprise, on the original Star Trek TV series)…

What No Man Has Seen Before: Remastering Deep Space Nine To Maximum Quality

Dputiger writes: After nine months of work, I’ve published workflows, example videos, and screenshots showing how to restore Star Trek: Deep Space Nine from the rather potato quality of its DVDs to something you could plausibly call HD equivalent. These are the results. “With careful processing and good upscaling, it’s possible to give Deep Space Nine a clarity that I think…

CBS Will Celebrate ‘Star Trek’ Day 2020 With an Epic Trek Panel Marathon

Iwastheone shares a report from Space.com: It’s been an incredible 54 years since “Star Trek” first debuted. On Tuesday (Sept. 8), actors from across the multi-decade franchise will celebrate an online “Star Trek” day with panels and discussions, while discussing the series’ emphasis on diversity. More than three hours of free virtual panels will play at the Star Trek Day website…

Star Trek To Welcome First Transgender and Non-Binary Characters

AmiMoJo shares a report from the BBC: Sci-fi franchise Star Trek is set to introduce its first transgender and non-binary characters. The characters are to appear in the third series of Star Trek: Discovery, producers said on Wednesday. The trans character, Gray, will be played by trans actor Ian Alexander, and likewise non-binary Adira will be portrayed by Blu del Barrio….

We are living in the middle of a fantastic Star Trek renaissance

Star Trek, which began in 1966, is experiencing an extraordinary renaissance in the year 2020. Is this a golden age for the show, asks Emily Wilson Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24732982-200-we-are-living-in-the-middle-of-a-fantastic-star-trek-renaissance/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

For U.S. Space Force Ranks, William Shatner Endorses ‘Starfleet Amendment’

America’s House of Representatives proposed a new structure for the U.S. Space Force in what’s being called “the Starfleet amendment”. Space News reports: Before the House passed the so-called “Starfleet” amendment, Space Force officials had been internally debating a new rank structure to set the space branch apart from its parent service the U.S. Air Force. The amendment in the House…

CBS’ Overzealous Copyright Bots HIt Star Trek Virtual Comic-Con Panel

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: San Diego Comic-Con — like just about every large conference, convention, and gathering in 2020 — has had to switch to an online-only virtual format this year due to the continuing pandemic. Media companies that usually have a large presence at events like SDCC worked hard to create streaming alternative content –…