Contact by Daft Punk supposedly "
contains audio from the Apollo 17 mission used by courtesy of NASA and Capt. Eugene Cernan". The sample says: "Hey Bob, I'm looking at what Jack was talking about and it's definitely not a particle that's nearby. It is a bright object and it's obviously rotating because it's flashing, it's way out in the distance, certainly rotating in a very rhythmic fashion because the flashes come around almost on time. As we look back at the Earth it's up at about 11 o'clock, about maybe ten or twelve diame...Earth diameters. I don't know whether that does you any good, but there's something out there."
When I Google this I find only Daft Punk references. Is it a genuine soundbite from the Apollo 17 mission or did those wacky French robots make it up?
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94
on May 21, 2013 -
7 answers
A new age-y community in the Alps based around/obsessed with spirals or some kind of spiral mechanisms? Did I dream this?
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posted by Bektashi
on Apr 20, 2013 -
5 answers
On a recent rewatch of the original Alien and Aliens films, I realized something puzzling.
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posted by orrnyereg
on Feb 23, 2013 -
11 answers
Just finished watching the Alien series (again). I've always been curious, what did they live on for sustenance? Their awesome power and quickness suggests a significant need of caloric intake, but how this was handled was never clear.
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posted by psmealey
on Feb 12, 2013 -
15 answers
In any of the Alf media (the live action sitcom, the cartoon, or any supplementary materials), is it ever explained how cats have come to be on both Melmac and Earth?
Here, it says that it is unknown if Melmac cats and Earth cats are even the same species (presumably they coud be doing a kind of Allosaurus/T-Rex convergent-evolution thing), but perhaps someone out there with greater Alf knowledge can shed more light on this.
posted by Greg Nog
on Sep 21, 2012 -
7 answers
Among narratives about visitations by the
"Grey" aliens, are there any that talk about what cats do during the alien encounter? Do they just chill all cool-style? Do they FREAK OUT. Do they meow a lot or do they hiss or do they go hide someplace? Do they even try to bite the aliens (would be v. brave, imo). For the purposes of this question, let's allow both ostensibly fictional narratives and ostensibly real ones.
posted by Greg Nog
on Aug 5, 2012 -
10 answers
Help me find more great sci-fi about ancient aliens / ancient technologies for my favorite 14-year-old avid reader.
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posted by wintersonata9
on Jul 25, 2012 -
30 answers
If an alien located on a planet 100 light years from here was to switch on a big, multi-frequency radio receiver, and record all the noises coming from outer space for the
next hundred years, on all frequencies, how many soap operas, advertisements and new broadcasts would they pick up from Earth? Would a mass-market radio, similar to our Earthly equivalents, pick up anything? Over time, as the number of Earth transmissions increases exponentially, would the alien pick up a cacophony or a damp fizzle?
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posted by 0bvious
on Feb 23, 2012 -
10 answers
I remember a science fiction movie (or maybe a TV show?) that took place... in a space ship or very futuristic setting. There were aliens (I think, or man-created approximations of human beings?) that, when parts of their bodies were cut off, they would not only regenerate the limb but the spare limbs would regenerate BODIES. The atmosphere of the movie was very... orange? Dark? The details are all very fuzzy. I believe I saw it on cable TV, and I was definitely older than five but younger than twelve. So, 1989 to 1996. It scared the crap out of me when I was a kid and gave me nightmares for years. Help!
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posted by two lights above the sea
on Feb 13, 2012 -
7 answers
Suppose an astronomer was sitting on a mirror of Earth less than 50 light years away and it was about 50 years in the future. On this mirror earth technology is similar to Earth's modern technology. What is the likelihood that their astronomers would have discovered Sol given its size and distance. How difficult would it be for a project the scale of the SETI array to listen to a 10K watt analog Earth radio station? Other details welcome.
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posted by humanfont
on Jan 24, 2012 -
7 answers
I'm trying to find a specific old comic which details the history of an alien humanoid civilization.
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posted by brownbat
on Nov 19, 2011 -
3 answers
Bookfilter: Books where protagonists are transformed into animals/aliens/etc for extended periods?
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posted by solarion
on Nov 10, 2011 -
29 answers
Book ID: Trying to find a sci-fi trilogy or series I started in the 90s. Set on earth, there was a black plague that had something to do with an alien race. The pyramids were involved. I think a pyramid may have been on the cover. Very vague I know, but that is about all I can remember. Thanks!
posted by meta87
on May 30, 2011 -
3 answers
Help me find movies that pit a medieval civilization against scary aliens from outer space.
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posted by mysterpigg
on May 20, 2011 -
21 answers
Can you help me identify this SF novel? Female protagonist is employed overseeing the construction of a transportation network into deep space. She has to deal with the ship's AI who is trying to turn her son (also a crew member) against her. They run into a very strange intelligent creature and try to figure out how to keep from destroying it with their gateway network, while also carefully monitoring the amount of time that she spends outside of suspended animation.
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posted by penduluum
on Apr 13, 2011 -
6 answers
A few years ago, I heard a segment on NPR/Seattle Public Radio about two men who claimed to have been abducted by aliens some number of years ago. I'm not sure if it was a This American Life story (but I don't think it was based on what I found of the show archives), a NPR story, or a Seattle Public Radio story. I am trying to find a recording of that piece now and/or more information about the story it covered.
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posted by wansac
on Apr 8, 2011 -
3 answers
I'm trying to remember a science-fiction (?) short story that I read about 10-15 years ago. Basically, a bunch of prominent citizens of Earth (including Miss Universe) are summoned to Mars to be harangued by a sarcastic alien who tells them they're all doomed.
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posted by Johnny Assay
on Nov 28, 2010 -
4 answers
I'm trying to identify a scary TV programme/film I saw as a child with goblins/aliens. Possibly Australian.
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posted by distorte
on Nov 16, 2010 -
3 answers
Anyone know good examples of stories with nonhuman points of view? Bonus points for having no human characters at all.
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posted by vienaragis
on Sep 22, 2010 -
55 answers
Television movie from the mid to late 80's. Probably on Nickelodeon.a About a kid that gets kidnapped by aliens.
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posted by iamck
on Sep 19, 2010 -
2 answers
About a month ago I heard a partial interview with a short story author (male) and one of the stories was about aliens who come to Earth to experience emotions by inhabiting our bodies. They vacation here because our life span is very short compared to theirs. They were very,very tall on their planet. This story has been stuck in my mind. I emailed NPR and they couldn't figure it out either. Help!
posted by wennagain
on Jul 2, 2010 -
9 answers
What is the name of this really disturbing science fiction short story? (potentially NSFW description)
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posted by brundlefly
on Jun 25, 2010 -
14 answers
Help me identify a anime from my childhood about a superhero alien with boob death lasers.
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posted by spamguy
on Oct 19, 2009 -
2 answers
In your opinion, who are the best
alien super-villains? Difficulty: I'm only interested in those that originated from comic books.
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posted by np312
on Jul 23, 2009 -
25 answers
Looking for reports of UFO sightings and alien encounters in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
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posted by little_c
on Jun 2, 2009 -
4 answers
James Cameron's Aliens + Screening Party + [Your suggestions for Aliens themed foods] = AWESOMENESS!! Help me out.
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posted by Spyder's Game
on Jan 17, 2009 -
17 answers
Help me identify the name of this science fiction short story or novel about a human child of an interplanetary diplomat.
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posted by shadytrees
on Dec 11, 2008 -
9 answers
For a friend: So there's this music video clip [they] used to see in the last 10 years or so on Rage, can't really remember if it was 90's or early 00's. It was a dance track of some kind, possibly techno. It was in the style of a monster B movie. I think it was black and white.
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posted by krisjohn
on Dec 5, 2008 -
2 answers
Another "ID this SF story" question...a man wakes up in the night to discover (so he thinks) that all the metal in his house is gone.
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posted by attercoppe
on Nov 21, 2008 -
3 answers
Pequeninos, Thranx, Fithp, Psychlos, Aalaag, Hani, Mahendo'sat, Kif, etc.
Do you recall if any of these science fiction aliens (or any other sf aliens) have their own creation myth? At first glance it seemed a easy research assignment. I have no trouble in coming up with creation myths for real cultures, but I'm coming up with 0 in imaginary cultures.
posted by francesca too
on Oct 5, 2008 -
17 answers
Looking for old animated film of aliens. I saw this on t.v. in the late 70's or maybe the 80's. Aliens that kind of looked like people were in animation and sometimes they would sit like they were meditating and then a big bubble would float above them, and you could not figure out if their soul was in the bubble, or if they were somehow procreating with others by doing this. I remember that the children were not suppose to bother someone who was doing this. It was a very interesting animation. I thought that the word "planet" was in the title but I'm not sure. Any ideas??
posted by lynnie-the-pooh
on Sep 13, 2008 -
5 answers
