BBC: Female Doctor Is Canon

The BBC has issued a formal response to people complaining about the casting of a female actor as the next incarnation of Doctor Who, pointing out that it’s already been established that Time Lords can switch gender.

The comments come as part of the BBC’s formal complaints review process in which it publicly responds on topics that have “generated significant numbers of complaints.” It said:

Complaint:

Some viewers contacted us unhappy that Jodie Whittaker has been cast as the new Doctor.

Response:

Since the first Doctor regenerated back in 1966, the concept of the Doctor as a constantly evolving being has been central to the programme. The continual input of fresh ideas and new voices across the cast and the writing and production teams has been key to the longevity of the series.

The Doctor is an alien from the planet Gallifrey and it has been established in the show that Time Lords can switch gender.

As the Controller of BBC Drama has said, Jodie is not just a talented actor but she has a bold and brilliant vision for her Doctor. She aced it in her audition both technically and with the powerful female life force she brings to the role. She is destined to be an utterly iconic Doctor.

We hope viewers will enjoy what we have in store for the continuation of the story.


Barbie Goes Justice League

Mattel is releasing two new Barbies to tie in with the Justice League movie. They are Wonder Woman and Mera and as you can see, they are specifically in the image of actresses Gal Gadot and Amber Heard. (Insert your own joke about Aquaman being married to a Barbie girl.)

Both figures will be available this fall and sell for $39.95 each.

[Via: Nerdist]

Ron Howard Reveals Lando’s Capes And More

Ron Howard, director of the Han Solo spin-off movie, has shared several images of shooting. Above is a wardrobe shot which he titled “Care to guess whose closet this is?” The consensus is that there’s little mystery and it’s Lando Calrissian’s.

The shot below is of Chewbacca actor Joonas Suotamo reviewing a shot. Look very carefully and you’ll see the on-screen footage appears to show him head-to-head with another wookie. That’s produced a wider range of speculation, though the most popular theory is that it’s the mother of his son Lumpawaroo.

[Via: SyFy]

Kangaroo Bounces Flummox Self-Driving Car

“Kangaroo” by Peter Firminger is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Volvo has confirmed its self-driving car is baffled by kangaroos because they bounce.

The company is working on autonomous vehicles with a planned 2020 release. Because of the markets it plans to target, it’s including a system to detect large animals such as deer and elk, which can be calamitous for animal and driver alike in the event of a collision. That policy began in Volvo’s native Sweden where stray moose pose a risk.

Unfortunately the technology has thrown up some headaches in Australia where detecting kangaroos will be key part of the safety features for drivers, particularly on rural roads.

The big problem is that the system uses the ground as one of the key reference points for judging distance and in turn the anticipated time until a collision, which informs the best cause of evasive action.

Unfortunately, as Volvo Australia’s David Pickett told ABC, kangaroo bounces mess that up. “When it’s in the air, it actually looks like it’s further away, then it lands and it looks closer.”

It’s not a trivial problem as an Australian insurer estimates vehicles collide with kangaroos 16,000  times a year.

Volvo says that although it’s definitely a critical problem, it doesn’t anticipate it delaying a 2020 release.

 

Microwaving An Airbag: Slowmo Video

These days you can’t move for videos attempting to blend unconventional objects or pit them against red hot lava balls. But way back in 2009, Youtuber Jogwheel was microwaving inappropriate objects for (potentially perilous) research. Now the people behind a slow motion video channel have decided to replicate one of his more spectacular experiments…