Annalee Newitz

“Millions of nerdy kids who grew up in the 1980s could only find the components they needed at local Radio Shacks, and the stores were like a lifeline to a better world where everybody understood computers.”

“Humans have obviously contributed a great deal of carbon to the atmosphere. So we are warming the planet up.”

“'Interstellar' is a thematic sequel to Christopher Nolan's last original film, 'Inception'. It drops us into a dark future full of otherworldly landscapes and time distortions.”

“'The Red' delivers intense action, leavened by a genuinely sympathetic portrait of soldiers caught up in battles they never chose.”

“RSS, as a format and an idea, grew directly out of an internet culture that many people online today know nothing about: Usenet.”

“Turning a zombie pandemic into a generic disaster movie robs the zombies of their dirty, nasty edginess and robs the disaster of its epic scope.”

“How many times had Paladin looked into this human face, its features animated by neurological impulse alone? He did not know. Even if he were to sort through his video memories and count them up one by one, he still didn't think he would have the right answer. But after today's mission, human faces would always look different to him. They would remind him of what it felt like to suffer, and to be relieved of suffering.”

“I think a lot of us responded intensely to 'True Detective' because it was so incredibly earnest. That's what made it heartbreaking and involving.”

“A group of scientists wanted to find the most effective mosquito repellents. So they tested 10 different substances, including campout standbys like DEET, as well as a random choice: Victoria's Secret perfume Bombshell. Turns out the perfume is almost as good as DEET.”

“Suddenly, all the giant Hollywood franchises are being driven by alternative filmmakers.”

“There can be problems with extended families, and it can get a little close for comfort. But for the younger generations, it's clear that this option is becoming almost as appealing as living alone.”

“People who gentrify are usually new transplants to a city, changing it to suit their particular cultural needs and whims.”

“Science fiction is exciting because it promises to show the world and the universe from perspectives radically unlike what we've seen before.”

“To share a story is in part to take ownership of it, especially because you are often able to comment on a story that you are sharing on social media.”

“The myth that young people should leave the nest at 18, never to return, started with iconic American Benjamin Franklin.”

“Gentrification is a form of immigration, though almost nobody calls it that.”

“In the 1970s, as historians became enchanted with microhistories, economists were expanding the reach of their discipline. Nations, states and cities began to plan for the future by consulting with economists whose prognostications were shaped by investment cycles rather than historical ones.”

“'The Red' is the first book in a trilogy that gained a big following as a self-published e-book, and is now out in paper from Saga. It introduces us to reluctant hero Shelley, a former anti-war activist who chooses to join the military rather than serve jail time after being arrested at a protest.”