Geek Calendar: nerd-a-month pinups in support of English libel law reform

Cory Doctorow 4:58 am Thu Oct 21, 2010

The Geek Calendar is a cavalcade of British nerdery, posed saucily, month after month, with proceeds going to English libel reform. It's part of the response to the chiropractic association's long attempt to shut down science writer Simon Singh with punishing litigation over his writing about the more outre claims made by some chiropractors.

Keat.Looi sez, "Jonathan Ross in costume in his shrine of comics, toys and gadgets; Professor Brian Cox and Gia Milinovich puzzling over how to fix their toaster; TV comic Chris Addison backstage, dreaming of space travel; tech journalist Aleks Krotoski smouldering in a sea of gadgets; writer Simon Singh reading his baby son a bedtime story of particle physics…
These are among the scenes featured in the GEEK CALENDAR. And they are doing it for a very good cause: the reform of English libel laws."

Pictured here: a very winsome Dr Ben "Bad Science" Goldacre.

The Geek Calendar is here!

(Thanks, Keat.Looi, via Submitterator)

Playing video games makes you happy, say scientists working with EA and Nintendo

A paper out of Oxford University, "Video game play is positively correlated with well-being", reports that playing video games makes you happy. The study tracked 518 players of Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville and 2,756 players of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Key findings include: • Actual amount of time spent playing was a small… READ THE REST
Germany's new COVID-19 spot is very clever and funny, stay-at-home couch potatoes are national heroes

"Our couch was the front line and our patience was our weapon." Absolutely amazing coronavirus 'stay at home' spot from the German government, above. You might not think of humor as an effective way to drive home the message that staying at home helps slow the spread of COVID-19. But that's what's most amazing about… READ THE REST
Herzog's new film Fireball, all about meteorites, premieres tomorrow

Fireball: Visitors From Darker Worlds, premiering tomorrow on Apple TV+, is filmmaker Werner Herzog and geoscientist Clive Oppenheimer's new documentary about meteorites, their impact (heh) on culture, and the existential threat that a giant meteor could mean the end of humanity. From The Guardian: Weird things spring up in the blast radius. The shock and awe… READ THE REST
Check out Pre-Black Friday sale prices on air fryers, pressure cookers, and grills

Kitchen appliances and cooking tools are usually among the hottest doorbuster items every Black Friday. Unfortunately, there really aren't many doors to bust this year, due to COVID. However, cooking is eternal; so, despite the changes, deals are still flying fast and furious for a full assortment of air fryers, pressure cookers, and grills, all… READ THE REST
Open a new world of DIY electronics with a handheld game system kids can create themselves

If you know a kid, then that means you might know a kid who wants a PS5 or an Xbox Series X. There's no question that the new next-generation gaming consoles are true marvels, but beyond playing games, there is another side of this activity that could fire up a kid's imagination or personal ingenuity… READ THE REST
Get more 20 wireless earbuds and headphones at Pre-Black Friday prices

Shopping for quality audio earbuds and headphones on a budget is frustrating, to say the least. With so many brands and models out there, it's tough to know which ones are worth your time and money. So before the holiday hype gets put into overdrive, we pulled together a few dozen quality wireless earbuds and… READ THE REST