December 26
Better Than News
E.T. Rider is an American independent science fiction road drama film about two bikers who travel through the American Southwest and South, carrying the proceeds from an extraterrestrial cocaine deal.
Popeye the Sailor Diagnostician in "I Yam Me Own Underlying Condition".
Scentworld is a 1973 American science-fiction perfume film about an aromatic amusement park containing lifelike androids that unexpectedly begin to emit strange smells.
The Empire Sews Back is a 1980 American epic space tailoring film a battle between the malevolent Galactic Garment Factory, led by the Emperor, and the Rebel Apparel Alliance, led by Princess Leia.
Baby Sarlacc is a trade name for a juvenile sarlacc, popular as a novelty pet.
Field of Signs is a 1989 American sports action science fiction horror film about a grieving farmer (Kevin Costner) whose cornfield attracts unwelcome attention from angry machine elves.
Are You Sure
• ... that polymath Charles Babbage hated street music, and in particular the music of organ grinders, against whom he railed in various venues?
• ... that engineer and crime-fighter Gustave Eiffel developed a Gnomon algorithm function which prevents Shape theft?
• ... that mathematician and physicist Martin David Kruskal invented the Kruskal Count, a magical effect that has been known to perplex professional magicians because (as Kruskal liked to say) it was based not on sleight of hand but on a mathematical phenomenon?
On This Day in Fiction and Nonfiction
1791: Polymath Charles Babbage born. He will construct mechanical computers which anticipate the concept of programmable digital computers.
1896: Physician and physiologist Emil du Bois-Reymond dies. He discovered nerve action potential, and developed experimental electrophysiology.
1898: Marie and Pierre Curie announce the isolation of radium.
2006: Physicist and mathematician Martin David Kruskal dies. Kruskal made fundamental contributions in many areas of mathematics and science, including the discovery and theory of solitons.
2019: Karl Jones takes a photograph of himself wearing red and green Christmas lights.
Topic of the Day
Aviation
Less Than Zero is a 1987 American war film about a college freshman and airplane restoration enthusiast who is also a drug addict.
"Feeding on a Jet Plane" is a song about Godzilla by John Denver.
Fly Another Day is a 2002 aviation-drama film about an aeronautical engineer (Pierce Brosnan) who must stop a ruthless secret agent (Ferdinand von Zeppelin) from destroying an advanced luxury airship.
Black Phaeton is a historical drama film based on the race films of the 1920s.
Guess Hughes Coming to Dinner is a 1967 American romantic aviation drama film, one of the few films of the time to depict Howard Hughes in a positive light, as Hughes had become an eccentric recluse.