USA Gymnastics, saying it is trying to reach settlements in sexual abuse lawsuits and forestall its potential demise at the hands of the USOC, has filed for bankruptcy.
Luke Skywalker’s Original ‘Star Wars’ Lightsaber Is Going Up For Auction
If you love Star Wars so much you’re ready to mortgage your house for some historic schwag, then this is the auction for you: one of Luke Skywalker’s lightsabers from the first movie is going on the block.
In the end, it may go for up to $200,000.
The prop was indeed used in A New Hope and the Profiles in History auction house will put it on the block with other famed objects between Dec. 11 and 13 in LA, reports Page Six. There’s a funny wrinkle in the story, though: No less than Mark Hamill himself threw some cold water on the news.
Hamill made it clear in responding to a tweeted question, however, that he wasn’t calling shenanigans on the auction house.
It’s real, then, only it’s one of many real lightsabers.
So the one you need to watch out for is any lightsaber that the seller says is fully functional and ready to battle the Sith. That one would be awesome, but it’d probably be fake. Probably.
Technique inspired by dolphin chirps could improve tests of soft materials
Engineers have devised a technique that vastly improves on the speed and accuracy of measuring soft materials’ properties. The technique can be used to test the properties of drying cement, clotting blood, or any other ‘mutating’ soft materials as they change over time.
Modeling the microbiome
The gut microbiome — the world of microbes that inhabit the human intestinal tract — has captured the interest of scientists and clinicians for its critical role in health. However, parsing which of those microbes are responsible for effects on our wellbeing remains a mystery.
Report reveals link between air pollution and increased risk for miscarriage
Researchers found women living along the Wasatch Front — the most populous region in the state of Utah — had a higher risk (16 percent) of miscarriage following short-term exposure to elevated air pollution.
Nervous Maid Of Honor Just Stringing Together Random Maya Angelou Quotes
CLEVELAND, OH—Relying completely on the acclaimed poet’s platitudes on life, love, and loss, anxiety-ridden wedding participant Kelsey Guzman based the majority of her maid of honor speech this week on random Maya Angelou quotes strung together on extremely thin pretenses. “I thought Kels would be okay when she opened…
Fine-tuning renewables could help Texas balance energy resources
A new study analyzes Texas’ mix of wind and solar energy resources, and how to achieve better balance between them going forward.
Durant: Lakers may not get star to help LeBron
Kevin Durant thinks the Lakers might struggle to find a superstar to play alongside LeBron James and everything that comes with him.
The Twenty-Four-Second Bug
Roz Chast illustrates a humorous comic about a twenty-four-second bug during flu season.
2019 Cadillac Escalade Sport Edition is a Murdered-Out Luxury SUV
Cadillac’s flagship SUV just got a menacingly murdered-out new look.
GM’s upscale marque unveiled the blacked-out 2019 Escalade Sport Edition at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
Available exclusively on the $80,000 Luxury, $85,000 Premium Luxury and $95,000 Platinum models, the splashy new ride gets glossy black grilles, window and body moldings, as well as 22-inch wheels decked out in a “Midnight Silver” finish.
As CNET notes, the package is purely an aesthetic upgrade. It has the same 420-horsepower, 6.2-liter V8 and Magnetic Ride Control that come standard in all Escalades.
“Two decades after its introduction, the Escalade remains the segment’s benchmark and sales leader,” Cadillac president Steve Carlisle said in a press release. “The Sport Edition extends that momentum in response to customer and dealer demand for a dark and aggressive look.”
This year’s LA Auto Show has definitely spawned more exciting announcements, including first official looks at the ultra-quick Rivian electric pickup and the half-pickup, half-Wrangler Jeep Gladiator.
But for an extra $2,700, the Sport Edition will surely turn more heads than a regular Escalade will.