Geek Culture
“StarTalk” Asks the Tough Questions
Hot on the heels of the immensely popular “Cosmos,” Neil deGrasse Tyson continues his quest to make scientific content and philosophical debate accessible to the masses with his new interview show “StarTalk.”
Building on the popularity of the eponymous podcast, National Geographic Channel brings science to the late night talk show circuit. “StarTalk” combines the natural wit and curiosity of host deGrasse Tyson with a clever gaggle of co-hosts, and then adds a guest or two and a live audience into the mix, creating an ideal setting for a hearty and heady debate. Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? In all seriousness, it’s worth a look, though.
DeGrasse-Tyson and his cohorts are witty and erudite in their own right, and thus far, have engaged top-notch minds like Richard Dawkins, Dan Savage, Christopher Nolan, Norman Lear, and ex-Pres Jimmy Carter in discussions about the crucial issues facing science and society in our modern era.
Never afraid to pull punches, the lively chats so far have included the always contentious debate about science and religion with Richard Dawkins, “Star Trek” and it’s morality in modern times with George Takei, and the dangers of an uninformed populace in the Information Age with Arianna Huffington. Other topics include the usual suspects such as politics, pop culture, and general science, as well as his guests’ lives and backgrounds.
And, unlike many popular debate shows of our era like “Politically Correct,” “The Sean Hannity Show,” or “Hardball,” deGrasse Tyson is genuinely interested in having a real discussion (not just a shouting match) and legitimately tries to maintain an open mind to differing points of view. He also selects intelligent guests who are more in tune to spirited debate than they are in regurgitating talking points.
“StarTalk” also differs from traditional late night talk in that he isn’t just on the air to stroke celebrity egos. With a similar motive to his hosting of “Cosmos,” deGrasse Tyson takes to the air not just to entertain, but to educate. So, if you’re tired of the same old nightly chatter, bring your thinking cap, enter the fray, and prepare for laughs and fun with science and friends. You never know, you might actually learn something.
A PS5 firmware update on a cold winter morning is unmatched. The latest PS5 system software update is 23.02–08.40.00 from Sony. Does this one add useful features or just boost system performance?
Though closer to the latter, it’s more than Sony’s favorite patch note. It fixes security issues, improves messages and usability, and boosts system software performance. Official patch notes for this 1.185GB update:
- We updated system software security
- We improved system software stability and performance
- Some screens now have better messages and usability
That’s it. PS5 gets another win to recover from its midweek slump. Do you share our enthusiasm for this firmware update? Comment below. To spice things up, make your comment rhyme.
New World Interactive, the developer of the Insurgency series of tactical first-person shooters, has laid off an unknown number of employees as part of Embracer Group’s comprehensive restructuring plan.
Saber Interactive, which acquired New World in 2020, told Eurogamer that the studio had not closed. However, it confirmed an unknown number of layoffs.
Embracer says it is “actively working to fill existing open roles” with impacted employees and will provide severance packages. “Saber also assures that development will continue on Insurgency: Sandstorm, as well as on unannounced future projects,” it said.
Over 900 employees were laid off in an “agonizing” but “necessary” process. As always, we hope all victims recover.
Sony wants non-console owners to access its content beyond its PlayStation-walled garden. This strategy has been slowly implemented: the company has commissioned TV and movie adaptations of its biggest franchises, ported select software to the PC, and launched a mobile gaming division.
In an interview with Nikkei, head Hideaki Nishino explained how this strategy can boost console sales: We want to use movies and dramas to get non-gamers to try PlayStation games. Sales of The Last of Us increased during the live-action drama.
When HBO’s adaptation aired, our The Last of Us content skyrocketed, so we can understand its impact. As a PlayStation fan site, we support this strategy because we want to reach as many people as possible, so if Sony can appeal to non-console owners, that’s a win-win.
More PlayStation users is better, in our opinion.
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