PHOTO BY STEVE SCHOFIELD

Photographer Steve Schofield’s Land of the Free gallery offers a glimpse at British fans of sci-fi, fantasy and Westerns showing off their obsessions in their homes.

Above: some dude with an Emperor’s Royal Guard costume from Star Wars — Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. And his cat. Click on the link or the photo for more!

(Via Neatorama)

The Spanish parliament has voted to extend some human rights to apes.

Yes, apes.

As reported by Reuters, the resolution pledges Spain’s commitment to the Declaration on Great Apes, a 1993 document that demands the protection of our wild genetic relatives’ right to life, individual liberty and freedom from torture.

If it becomes law in Spain, as is expected, it would also mean no apes in circuses, commercials or films.
GREAT APES PROJECT

This is likely the first time a human government has voted to give human rights to nonhumans. Will it be the last?

LUCAS BOOKS IMAGES

If you’re like me and the most recent incarnations of Star Wars seem a bit cartoony for your taste (not that there’s anything wrong with that), you might enjoy the new “Coruscant Nights” series of books from Del Rey and prolific Star Wars novelist Michael Reaves.

Jedi Twilight, Street of Shadows and Patterns of Force will tell the tale of Jax Pavan, a Jedi Knight who survived the betrayal of Emperor Palpatine by melting into the shadows of the Empire’s slums and making his way as a private investigator.

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ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

Put this one down in the “con” column when Big Brother offers to LoJack you for your own protection: Apparently, radio frequency identification (RFID) chips can interfere with vital hospital equipment.

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My teenage son came home from school yesterday with a lava lamp. Yes, a lava lamp. No, he wasn’t reeking of patchouli. He made it himself.

His science class was studying the densities of different liquids.

I dug up a video from About.com that shows how easy it is to do this project at home with your Little Einsteins. All you’ll need is a bottle, vegetable or mineral oil, food coloring, water and Alka Seltzer. And don’t forget to place the finished product near some light for a funky-cool effect. Groovy!

Feel the Force. Feel the burn.

Time was you had to be a scholar and visit Cambridge University to study Charles Darwin’s manuscripts.

Now you can just click your way to them, for free: http://darwin-online.org.uk.

In addition to the naturalist’s notes and books, such as the PDF version of his On the Origin of Species, first edition, you’ll even find his wife’s recipes — perfect for when you need feed your strict creationist friends some humble pie!

The day the site went live it got more than 7 million hits and crashed.

2009 will be the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species and will mark 200 years since Darwin’s birth.

Okay, this is one of those internet rumors that’s been kicking around forever, but it appears like it’s finally coming true: Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. The classic arcade beat-’em-up franchise is crossing over and going toe-to-toe with some of the world’s most recognizable and popular superheroes. Only a handful of characters have been announced. Superman and Batman will represent the DCU, while Sub-Zero and Scorpion will carry the banner for MK. However, with the extensive rosters on both sides, I’m sure we’ll see plenty more favorites included before it hits next-gen consoles this fall. (more…)

Every April 22 is Earth Day, a global observance of our terrestrial home. And at such a time, let us not wonder why so many forces across the galaxy have chosen to pick on our pitiful little planet — the Klingons, the Borg, the Independence Day aliens, the Daleks, the Skrulls, the Terminators, the Egyptian gods … and ourselves.

Let’s just save it.

All you need to be the envy of your cubiclemates is a printer, a sheet of letter-size paper and this URL: http://home.comcast.net/~kymcat3/.

You can print out Cubeecraft paper toy versions of characters like Dr. Venture, a Stormtrooper, Super Mario and Mr. Stay Puft (pictured), just to name a few. There’s even a Super Mario Bros. coin brick.

And the best part? They’re free. But don’t waste time, because some of the downloads are limited edition.