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New Release: New Life in Autumn – Michael G. Williams

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A New Life in Autumn - Michael G. Williams

Michael G. Williams has a new gay sci-fi mystery out, Books of Autumn book 2: A New Life in Autumn. And there’s a giveaway! THE HARDEST PART OF DYING IS DECIDING HOW TO PASS THE TIME Valerius Bakhoum died and kept no living. Now he can walk the streets of his city with a new face and a new name and finally feel a little bit respected. Too bad he’s still flat broke and behind on the rent. Unsure what to do with himself—and perhaps even of who he is—Valerius resumes his career as a detective by taking up the … Read more

FOR READERS & WRITERS: That’s No Alien!

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alien costume - deposit photos

FOR READERS & WRITERS Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer NAME: Does it bother you when the aliens are basically humans with antennas? What are your fave queer sci-fi tales with truly alien protagonists? Writers, what truly “alien” aliens have you written? Writers: This is a reader/writer chat – you are welcome to share your own book/link, as long as it fits the chat, but please do so as part of a discussion about the topic. Chat on FacebookChat on MeWe

SPACE: Lots of Alien Worlds Could Know We’re Here

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alien - Deposit Photos

At least 1,715 nearby star systems sat at a perfect angle to view Earth during the past 5,000 years, meaning aliens living in those systems, if they exist and have the right technology, could have watched our planet from afar as early human civilizations first emerged. Of those star systems, 313 exited the special viewing zone, known as the Earth transit zone (ETZ), sometime in the past few thousand years, leaving 1,402 star systems capable of providing a glimpse of our planet today, according to a new study, published Wednesday (June 23) in the journal Nature. And over the next … Read more

150 Years May Be the Upper Age Limit For Humans

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Old Hands - Deposit Photos

Humans may be able to live for between 120 and 150 years, but no longer than this “absolute limit” on human life span, a new study suggests. For the study, published online May 25 in the journal Nature Communications, the researchers used mathematical modeling to predict that after 120 to 150 years of age, the human body would totally lose its ability to recover from stresses like illness and injury, resulting in death. If therapies were to be developed to extend the body’s resilience, the researchers argue, these may enable humans to live longer, healthier lives. Studies like this one … Read more

SCIENCE: Is There a Creativity Gene?

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Creativity - Deposit Photos

Creativity could be one of the main reasons Homo sapiens survived and dominated over related species such as Neanderthals and chimpanzees, according to a new study. The idea that creativity may have given Homo sapiens a survival edge over Neanderthals has been around a long time, said senior author Dr. Claude Robert Cloninger, a professor emeritus in the psychiatry and genetics departments at Washington University in St. Louis. But that’s a tricky case to prove, as we still don’t know how creative Neanderthals actually were, he said. “The problem with evaluating creativity in extinct species is, of course, you can’t … Read more

Scientists Make Human-Monkey Embryos

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dna - pixabay

Scientists injected dozens of human stem cells into developing monkey embryos, and the resulting hybrids survived for up to 20 days in lab dishes. These human-monkey embryos could someday serve as helpful models for human disease, embryonic development and aging, the study authors noted in a new report, published April 15 in the journal Cell. By zooming in on the interaction of human and animal cells in the embryos, scientists could also learn how to help human cells survive amongst animal cells, potentially advancing the effort to grow human organs in living animal models. Such studies would offer a window … Read more

FOR WRITERS: What If Our Bodies Could Make Their Own Water?

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Wet Man - Deposit Photos

FOR WRITERS Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer Jim Comer: What if gene-modded humans generated water in our tissues, like koalas and kangaroo mice do? What sci-fi possibilities would that open up Writers: This is a writer chat – you are welcome to share your own book/link, as long as it fits the chat, but please do so as part of a discussion about the topic. Join the chat: FB: http://bit.ly/1MvPABVMeWe: http://bit.ly/2mjg8lf

What If Humans Went Extinct?

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climate change - pixabay

Deep within Guatemala’s rainforest sits one of the most famous remnants of the Maya civilization: a roughly 2,000-year-old citadel turned to ruins called Tikal. When Alan Weisman hiked through the surrounding region, he discovered something fascinating along the way: “You’re walking through this really dense rainforest, and you’re walking over hills,” said Weisman, author and journalist. “And the archaeologists are explaining to you that what you’re really walking over are pyramids and cities that haven’t been excavated.” In other words, we know about sites like Tikal because humans have gone to great efforts to dig up and restore their remains. … Read more

ANNOUNCEMENT/GIVEAWAY: The King’s Physician, by Edie Montreux

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The King's Physician

QSFer Edie Montreux has a new MM fantasy romance out: “The King’s Physician.” And there’s a giveaway! Devlin was the King’s Physician until a blood mage siphoned Devlin’s magic and used it to wipe the kingdom’s memories. Sir Eldrich, his replacement, has protection against Filvane’s spells, but he only knows the whispered rumors: Devlin, the former King’s Physician, stole King Korgon’s crown on his coronation day. Once Eldrich is appointed King’s Physician, Devlin notices a decline in King Korgon’s health and wonders if Eldrich is to blame. When Eldrich nearly bleeds to death on Devlin’s doorstep from grievous sword wounds, … Read more

Why We Love Blood-Curdling Screams

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Of all the sounds humans produce, nothing captures our attention quite like a good scream. They’re a regular feature of horror films, whether it’s Marion Crane’s infamous shower scream in “Psycho” or Chrissie Watkins’ blood-curdling scream at the beginning of “Jaws.” Screams might seem simple, but they can actually convey a complex set of emotions. The arsenal of human screams has been honed over millions of years of evolution, with subtle nuances in volume, timing and inflection that can signal different things. Screaming can be traced to the prehistoric ancestors we share with other primates, who use screams as a … Read more