NASA Catches the Flash of an Exploding Star for the First Time
Spotting the initial flash of an exploding supernova is extremely rare, to the point that NASA has only just managed to do it for the first time.
Known as a "shock breakout," NASA used the Kepler space telescope to capture and analyze the light of 500 distant galaxies every 30 minutes for 3 years. The international team behind the discovery observed two red supergiants in an attempt to catch the beginnings of a supernova. The first, KSN 2011a, which is 300 times the size of our sun, didn't present the desired shock breakout, while KSN 2011d, a supergiant about 500 times larger that the sun, did.
New to Netflix for April 2016
Netflix in April means more original shows (Kimmy Schmidt returns, The Ranch debuts, AJIN marks the streaming giant's first original anime, etc) along with a nice assortment of movie offerings. A better list than some of the more recent months, which have felt a bit slim following the uptick in original programming.
There are two classic Kubrick films, The Princess Bride, Scrooged, V for Vendetta, Boogie Nights, a new Patton Oswalt special, and more. Plus, on the TV front, Bob's Burgers, How to Get Away with Murder, Girl Meets World, and Lost Girl.
All Title Dates are Subject to Change
Netflix U.S. Release Dates Only
Biggest GoT Action Sequence Ever Coming in S6
Just when you thought a battle couldn't get more epic than Hardhome in Game of Thrones, writer-producer Bryan Cogman is promising something even bigger in Season 6.
Speaking with EW, Cogman teased "the biggest
" for Game of Thrones in the upcoming season. “We’ve always wanted to get to a place — story-wise and budget-wise and time-wise and resource-wise — where we would be able to do a proper battle, with one army on one side, one army on another side."
While Cogman couldn't delve into specifics of the clash, he did reveal that Hardhome director Miguel Sapochnik is returning to helm the battle-heavy episode. In fact, principal photography for the epic confrontation took roughly a month.
Fallout 4 Survival Mode Now in Beta on PC
UPDATE: Bethesda confirmed today that the overhauled Survival Mode is now on beta on PC and will come to consoles next month. Survival adds "additional challenges including no fast travel, saving only when you sleep, increased lethality, diseases, fatigue, danger and more."
Original story follows:
Fallout 4's overhauled Survival mode will enter Steam beta on PC "soon," according to Bethesda. Although no other specifics were given, we've reached out for an official date and will update if we hear anything back.
Bethesda provided the release window on Twitter in response to a fan.
Wonder Woman Joins Hot Toys’ Batman v Superman Toy Lineup
HotToys revealed a figure of Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman, in preparation for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
As a member of DC's so-called "trinity," Wonder Woman is joining the film as an extra factor while Batman and Superman trade super-punches. The 1/6 scale figure is roughly 29cm tall, with six interchangeable hands for different poses and accessories like her sword, shield, and Lasso of Truth.
Hot Toys Wonder Woman 1/6 Scale Figure, Striking a Pose
Check Out This Stunning The Jungle Book Photoshoot
Disney's remake of The Jungle Book is coming out on April 15th, and the latest set of promo photos feature the film's stars getting to know their characters.
The promotional photos see the cast hang back and relax with their CGI counterparts, including Scarlett Johansson petting a gigantic Kaa, Lupita Nyong'o cuddling with Raksha the wolf, and Idris Elba chilling right against Shere Khan.
If these pictures haven't whet your appetite sufficiently, be sure to keep an eye out for IGN's interviews with Favreau and young star Neel Sethi from our visit to the set.
Wrestling Wrap Up: Is this Undertaker’s Final WrestleMania?
Hey, y'all. Thanks for putting up with my absence last week. I know it's a monumental challenge to get through the week without my lazy regurgitation of cat .gifs and the dankest of memes. I went down to SXSW last Tuesday and attended Lucha Underground's Austin Warfare show and it was amazing so everyone can go to hell right now. Sorry, that sentence got out of control in ways I didn't anticipate. But the messaging here is that it was an amazing night and I regret nothing.
Vote Now: Straw Hat Pirates vs. The Sinister Six
Round 1 of IGN's Super Team Tournament 2016 is officially behind us, and boy was it a doozy. It's clear that love for teams like Foxhound, The Justice League, and The Z Fighters are strong with the IGN audience. But as much as we want to linger on our fallen comrades (rest in peace, Greendale 7), it's time to focus on the matter at hand: Round 2!
Take a look at bracket as it stands today, and be sure to cast your votes for this round before 5:00 AM PT this Thursday, March 24:
Click for a high-res view!
Where the Agents of SHIELD Side in Marvel’s Civil War
The battle lines are drawn in the world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As the release date for Captain America: Civil War ticks closer, fans are going to have to choose: are they Team Captain America, or Team Iron Man?
That's the question we put to the stars of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD during a recent group visit to the series' set. Like all Marvel movies, showrunner Jed Whedon promises Civil War will have an impact on the ABC drama.
"It will definitely have a ripple effect," he said. "I mean, it is one world. So if there’s a giant event, it will definitely have a ripple effect in our world."
With the dividing lines set, here's where the stars of Agents of SHIELD would land if they and their characters were forced to pick a side.
The Rise and Fall of StarCraft II as an eSport
When the history books of esports are written, they will refer with reverence to the Roman Empire of gaming that was StarCraft. Released in 1998, the original StarCraft developed an unprecedented following in South Korea, where, for over a decade, complex leagues with ever-burgeoning prize pools increased the game’s profile and popularity. Poised to capitalize on that momentum and usher in a new era of competitive real-time strategy, StarCraft II launched in 2010 to universal critical acclaim. As the successor to the then most cherished competitive field of all time, SC2 had big shoes to fill - and, for a while, it did.