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

On a recent rewatch of the original Alien and Aliens films, I realized something puzzling. [more inside]
posted by orrnyereg on Feb 23, 2013 - 11 answers

Help me find more great sci-fi about ancient aliens / ancient technologies for my favorite 14-year-old avid reader. [more inside]
posted by wintersonata9 on Jul 25, 2012 - 30 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! [more inside]
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. [more inside]
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. [more inside]
posted by brownbat on Nov 19, 2011 - 3 answers

Bookfilter: Books where protagonists are transformed into animals/aliens/etc for extended periods? [more inside]
posted by solarion on Nov 10, 2011 - 29 answers

Name that sci-fi short story I read as a child. [more inside]
posted by minifigs on Oct 25, 2011 - 5 answers

Help me find movies that pit a medieval civilization against scary aliens from outer space. [more inside]
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. [more inside]
posted by penduluum on Apr 13, 2011 - 6 answers

What was this 90s space marine video game from my youth? [more inside]
posted by Menthol on Dec 3, 2010 - 5 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. [more inside]
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. [more inside]
posted by distorte on Nov 16, 2010 - 3 answers

Television movie from the mid to late 80's. Probably on Nickelodeon.a About a kid that gets kidnapped by aliens. [more inside]
posted by iamck on Sep 19, 2010 - 2 answers

What is the name of this really disturbing science fiction short story? (potentially NSFW description) [more inside]
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. [more inside]
posted by spamguy on Oct 19, 2009 - 2 answers

Science Fiction Filter: examples of unreliable aliens? [more inside]
posted by arcanecrowbar on Mar 14, 2009 - 36 answers

Help me identify the name of this science fiction short story or novel about a human child of an interplanetary diplomat. [more inside]
posted by shadytrees on Dec 11, 2008 - 9 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

Searching for a poem about aliens justifying their conquer of a "new world" - ours. [more inside]
posted by Solon and Thanks on Sep 14, 2008 - 4 answers

70/80s sci-fi/horror movie filter: Does anyone remember a movie that was broadcast on network television in the very early 80s that involved claymation dinosaurs attacking a house and aliens that entered the house through a key-hole (?). [more inside]
posted by lyam on Feb 24, 2006 - 4 answers