The Nukezilla Sunday Supplement – April 10th 2011

Every Sunday we’re going to post links to articles we think are interesting from the last week. Sundays are usually very quiet around here, so this seems like the best day to do it. We’re going to link to articles on range of subjects, including videogames, technology, movies, geek culture and much, much more.

Videogames

Gaming Made Me: Crimson Skies – Rock, Paper, Shotgun. ”The skyline of New York City is an awe-inspiring sight. But in creating something glorious, death was inevitable. That’s Crimson Skies. Reflective of the entire arcade dog-fighter genre, which has sadly failed to transcend the stratosphere – and has stalled. That’s Crimson Skies. The bombastic American Dream. Preposterous, amazing, adventurous. Untenable.” I love RPS.

Playing against the gods: how the press reviews multiplayer games – Ars Technica. ”Reviewing a single-player game is relatively easy—you just need to hunker down and play the darned thing. Multiplayer gamers are a different beast: they require multiple players to evaluate, and those players can be hard to come by when you get a copy of the game days (or even weeks) before release.”

Internet

The Human Shuffle – NY Mag. An article from early 2010 on the internet phenomenon that is (was?) Chatroulette. The writer subjects himself to all that Chatroulette has to offer, from giggling school girls, to stoned college students and, of course, lots and lots of penises.

Technology

Amazon Appstore an excellent work in progress … now about that tablet rumor – Chicago Sun Times. An interesting post on the potential of an Amazon Tablet to compete with Apple’s iPad. Only Amazon could compete with the content that Apple offers, something that is often more important than the device itself, argues this writer.

Science

Can the brain explain your mind? – New York Review of Books. This is the question that V.S. Ramachandran asks in his new book “The Tell-Tale Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Quest for What Makes Us Human“. This review delves into the book’s contents, highlighting some of the most interesting passages.

On Radiolab, the Sound of Science. – The New York Times. A great feature on my favourite podcast: Radiolab. The Times examines the show’s style, its hosts and the topics they cover in a really entertaining piece. You can also check out this interesting interactive look at the show’s production.

Movies

Somebody has to be in control – The New Yorker. An interesting profile of George Clooney. It looks at his comparisons to great actors like Jimmy Stewart and Cary Grant and asks whether his ‘effortless charm’ is really so effortless.

History & Politics

The Revolution Will Be Commercialized – NY Mag. A slightly old but interesting read on Sarah Palin, the woman who, love or hate her, gets lots of attention. It delves into the motivations behind her career, whether she’ll run for president and the sizable industry she’s built around herself.

Otto Von Bismarck, a Master Statesman – The New York Times. This is probably a little too nerdy for most folk’s tastes, but this review of a book on Otto Von Bismarck, the German Chancellor before WWI, is pretty interesting. It’s written by Henry Kissenger, the guy who got Nixon into trouble in Vietnam and is, in some ways, quite like Bismarck himself.