2025 in review from NBC News, Vox, GMA, Time, and Google for New Year's Eve

Happy New Year's Eve! For the final year-end retrospective of 2025, I'm going through the best year-in-review videos, beginning with NBC News' 2025 Year in Review: Trump tariffs, Charlie Kirk, Zohran Mamdani, Rob Reiner and more.

NBC News recaps 2025's biggest news stories, from tariffs imposed by President Trump, the murder of political activist Charlie Kirk, Zohran Mamdani's victory in the New York City mayoral election and more.

It's been quite the year, as headlines from weather, space, and entertainment joined economics, politics, and general news as the highlights of 2025.*

Vox had their own take on the year about to end in 2025, in 8 minutes.

2025 was dominated by the second iteration of the Trump administration, the release of the Epstein files, and government shakeups that ranged from the longest federal shutdown in history to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene announcing her resignation. It was also a year of historic political moments — from a ceasefire in Gaza to Gen Z-led government protests abroad, and the rise of young politicians like Zohran Mamdani.

Along the way, the world got its first American pope, Labubu became a household name, and China upended the AI conversation with the introduction of DeepSeek. Amid seemingly endless government transitions, the year closed with a growing sense of unrest as the US launched new strikes in multiple countries. Let’s take a look back at the jam-packed events that defined 2025.

I don't recall NBC News mentioning Labubu, while Vox made the collectables their featured image of 2025. So did Good Morning America's 'The Year' looks at our obsessions in 2025.

Deborah Roberts takes us through a preview of the movies, TV shows, trends and more that we just couldn't get enough of this year ahead of "The Year's" premiere on Dec. 29.

That's a good summary of entertainment and pop culture beyond movies, which I already covered, as well as being a promotional announcement disguised as a news segment. As I last mentioned in Local news covers the marching bands in the 2025 Macy's Parade, "It's not just news value that's driving it."

For a more somber look at the year in entertainment and culture, I'm sharing TIME's In Memoriam: Notable People We Lost in 2025.

A moment to look back and reflect on some of the noteworthy people who died this year.

R.I.P.

I close with Google's 2025 — Year in Search.

This year, we searched for ways to rediscover, reinvent, and rethink what’s possible. See how people reimagined their worlds in 2025.

This is driven by the users, not filtered through professional expert news judgment, but it covered most of the same material. Also, it was inspiring, which is more than I can say about the rest of the videos. That makes it a fit way to end the year.

Stay tuned for some of my favorite bands at the Rose Parade for New Year's Day.

*Speaking of space, I whined about NASA not uploading a 2025 in review video on Monday. The U.S. space agency finally did yesterday, combining it with a look ahead to 2026. I plan on posting that on Saturday, January 3rd. I can at least continue one of my New Year's traditions!

2025 in weather and climate — L.A. fires, Hurricane Melissa, and one of three warmest years

Today's year-end retrospective is this year's version of '2024 becomes the world's hottest year on record, fueling extreme weather events,' the year in climate and weather. I open with The Weather Network's Year in Review: How Extreme Weather and Natural Disasters Transformed 2025.

Saphia Khambalia delivers this roundup of world weather events in 2025. From California's deadly wildfires to Jamaica's Hurricane Melissa and the massive earthquakes that shook Myanmar and Russia, 2025 was a year defined by extremes.

That's an impressive list of extreme weather and related natural disasters covering the globe.

The Weather Network has more in Year in Review: 2025’s Most Intense Caught-On-Camera Weather.

This compilation showcases some of the most dramatic and terrifying moments of 2025, capturing the raw power of nature. From massive floods and destructive landslides to powerful tornadoes and shocking avalanches, witness these unbelievable events as they were caught on camera around the world.

Yikes! Also, I couldn't resist.

Closer to home, NBC News reported Extreme weather slams parts of the U.S. throughout 2025.

From the fires in Los Angeles to tornado outbreaks in the South and Midwest, the U.S. experienced extreme and sometimes deadly weather in 2025. NBC News’ Angie Lassman details the historic events.

The U.S. may have escaped hurricane landfalls this year, but the country made up for it with the L.A. fires, floods, and tornado outbreaks. Those remind me of what I wrote last year.

Seeing this reminds me of the first two questions I ask my students while watching Chasing Ice.

1. Chasing Ice opens with a montage of natural disasters. Name three of them.

The three that come to mind are floods, fires, and droughts. All of those, along with dangerous heatwaves and stronger hurricanes and tropical cyclones, appear in this report. For what it's worth, those are also among the possible answers to a question I ask about Treasures of the Earth: Power: "What are the expected effects of global warming? List three examples."

Speaking of global warming/ climate change, WION reported 2025 Among Hottest Years Ever Recorded | WION Climate Tracker.

2025 was one of three hottest years on record, scientists say. Headlines from ABC News Live[.] Catch up on the developing stories making headlines. Climate change worsened by human behavior made 2025 one of the three hottest years on record, scientists said.

I'm closing by repeating something else I wrote last year.

First, welcome to the 400 ppm world. Second, are you scared enough by climate change? My readers should be.

Stay tuned for one more year-end retrospective of 2025 for New Year's Eve.

2025 in space from ESA, KING 5, Business Casual, and the Marsh Family

Today's year-end retrospective is this year's version of 2024, another busy year in space, according to NASA, ESA, Reuters, and New Scientist. Unfortunately, NASA hasn't uploaded a year-end review video, so I'm featuring ESA highlights 2025.

2025 was a landmark year for Europe in space. From celebrating 50 years of ESA to new missions, scientific breakthroughs, the year reaffirmed Europe’s leadership in science, exploration, climate action and innovation.

At least the European Space Agency is still informing the public. I consider NASA not producing an equivalent video about 2025 for YouTube an example of one of 2025's science breakdowns.

KING 5 SEATTLE did provide some NASA footage in A look back at 2025's key moments in space travel.

NASA sets its sights on another lunar landing within the next three years.

I'm looking forward to Artemis II next year.

Business Casual (not the original account) uploaded 2025 Space, in 5 minutes.

From the 3rd interstellar object to enter our solar system, 3I Atlas, to the potential discovery of life on [M]ars, 2025 was groundbreaking year in space exploration.

I think this account is a bit suspect — there is another Business Casual account that is larger and older, but currently inactive — but this is a good montage showing space events around the world, including Katy Perry, Gayle King, Lauren Sánchez, and others flying on Blue Origin to the edge of space. The Marsh Family sang about that event in "Flight from Earth" - Marsh Family parody of Katy Perry's "Firework" on the Blue Origin space launch.

This is a song about Jeff Bezos’s launch of six female celebrities into zero gravity this week, via his elite suborbital tourism outfit, Blue Origin. In lots of respects it was very slick, exciting, impressive, and a tribute to technological advances, entrepreneurial investment, and the potential of the human species to navigate new frontiers. In lots of other respects it was a bizarre, vacuous, self-indulgent, problematic, transparent PR stunt hiding behind money, reputations, weird notions of girl power, and leaving in its wake a rather foul taste and lots of environmental damage. While we have no issue with the women involved, their quest for exhilaration and a life-altering opportunity etc., we do have issues with the framing and coverage of this joyride – as many others clearly do.

If you want to celebrate women, progress, science, space travel, and the future, surely there are better models and better mechanisms out there? If you have billions of dollars, surely there are better ways you can spend it?

We chose to adapt the anthemic 2010 song “Firework” by Katy Perry – one of Bezos’s invited trail-blazing space tourists – and whatever you think about her, this is a tough song to deliver live! We shared the relentless belts between the three girls. Apologies we forgot to isolate the clicker so you may get some of that too. The original song (co-written with Ester Dean and producers Stargate and Sandy Vee) was on her biggest album Teenage Dream and is on our pump-up football playlist.

I'm not normally this cynical about space, but I couldn't resist.

That's a wrap for today's look at space. Stay tuned for more year-end retrospectives through New Year's Eve.

Best and worst movies of 2025 from Beyond The Trailer and WatchMojo

Today's year-end retrospective doubles as the final Sunday entertainment feature of 2025. I begin with Beyond The Trailer's Top Ten Best Movies of 2025.

Top Ten Best Movies of 2025 today! Beyond The Trailer host Grace Randolph gives a review of her Top Ten Movies of 2025 including a breakdown as to why each one made the cut! Find out where Marty Supreme, Wicked for Good, Weapons, KPop Demon Hunters, Sinners, Superman, Materialists, One Battle After Another, F1 The Movie and The Phoenician Scheme land on this list!

I took a snapshot of Grace's top ten.


 For comparison, I'm embedding WatchMojo's Top 20 Best Movies of 2025.

From blockbuster franchises to intimate dramas, cinema delivered unforgettable experiences in 2025! Join us as we count down the films that reminded us why we love movies in the first place. Our list includes Paul Thomas Anderson's thrilling "One Battle After Another," Ryan Coogler's genre-blending "Sinners," Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein," and many more! Which film topped your list this year? From Marvel's comeback with "Thunderbolts*" to the emotional "Hamnet" with Paul Mescal, from the horror masterpiece "Weapons" to the animated sensation "KPop Demon Hunters," 2025 offered something for every movie lover. Did we miss any of your favorites? Let us know in the comments below!

I recorded WatchMojo's top twenty as I watched.

1. One Battle After Another
2. Sinners
3. Hamnet
4. Weapons
5. Bugonia
6. Frankenstein
7. KPop Demon Hunters
8. The Naked Gun
9. Superman
10. Wake Up, Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
11. Sentimental Value
12. 28 Years Later
13. Marty Supreme
14. Black Bag
15. The Long Walk
16. Warfare
17. Mickey 17
18. Final Destination: Bloodlines
19. Thunderbolts*
20. Wicked for Good

Grace Randolph and WatchMojo compiled very different lists, although both agreed that One Battle After Another is the best movie of the year.

WatchMojo also compiled a worst movies list. Follow over the jump for it.

'How cheap renewable energy is finally flattening emissions' is Science Magazine's 2025 Breakthrough of the Year

I'm beginning my year-end retrospectives with Science Magazine explaining How cheap renewable energy is finally flattening emissions, its 2025 Breakthrough of the Year.

For decades, rising carbon emissions have accelerated climate change, but this year marked a critical turning point that could finally reverse that trend. Renewable energy has now graduated beyond the need for subsidies and incentives, emerging as a cheaper alternative to fossil fuels in many countries. News Editor Tim Appenzeller and policy expert Li Shuo describe the economic forces behind this shift, and the obstacles that remain to the continued rise of green energy.
...
1:15 The graph has mislabeled trend lines. "Other renewables" generate more energy than hydropower alone.

This is the same good news reported in PBS Terra says 'We Just Crossed Our FIRST Tipping Point… And It’s NOT What You Think'.

Unlike passing the other tipping points, like the AMOC, permafrost, West Antarctic ice sheet, and coral reefs, passing the renewable energy tipping point is good news. I wrote about it in DW News asks 'Earth Overshoot Day: What can we do to try live within the planet’s limits?'

[C]onvincing people to be less wasteful, particularly creating less food waste and eating less meat, especially beef, would be helpful. [One] could consider that to be a technology. So is renewable energy. Between the two, it would move Earth Overshoot Day back more than a month. Progress!

Yes, it is, and it's good news I can share with my students. Welcome to blogging as professional development.

Science Magazine's video is shorter and more focused than PBS Terra's, so it's one I'm more likely to show to my students. Again, welcome to blogging as professional development.

Here are the runners-up:

• Custom gene editing shows promise for ultrarare diseases
• New weapons against a sexual scourge
• Neurons make a deadly donation to cancer cells
• An all-seeing eye on the sky
• Face to face with a Denisovan
• Large language models do science
• Triumph of calculation helps resolve particle mystery
• Xenotransplants set new records
• Rice that beats the heat

Including the "winner," that's four health stories, two computer science stories, one of which is also a physics story, an astronomy story, an evolution story, a genetics story that touches on climate change, and an energy story that also touches on climate change. Six of these are biology in some form, so these selections please me as a biologist. One of them is also paleontology, so I'm doubly pleased as a paleontologist. All of that is on top of the good sustainability news.

Not all of 2025's science stories were good. Follow over the jump for the bad news this year.

Flux City and Eric C Productions examine Fairlane Town Center, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse for Boxing Day

I promised "an update on the Retail Apocalypse for Boxing Day," so I'm following through with Flux City examining Dearbo[r]n Michigan's Fairlane Mall and the Collapse of the Traditional Shopping Mall, a video my wife found — thanks!

In this episode, Eddy breaks down troubling reports that Fairlane Town Center in Dearborn may owe nearly $4 million in unpaid property taxes.

Drawing from personal memories of growing up in Metro Detroit and professional experience as a developer, Eddy explains why Fairlane Mall has long mattered to Dearborn and surrounding communities—and why this situation signals a much larger issue facing malls across the country. He explores how declining foot traffic, e-commerce, shifting consumer behavior, and outdated mall formats are putting pressure on once-dominant retail assets.

While I write about national and global issues, I'm still based in Metro Detroit, so I'm always happy to encounter relevant local creators like Eddy. They will uncover situations like Fairlane Town Center's that sources with a national focus wouldn't even notice. They will also hit close to home. Like Northland Mall, I shopped and mall-walked at Fairlane Town Center. That was more than 20 years ago, when I taught at Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn. I found Fairlane Town Center impressive then, but the reality looks different now. Sigh.

Eddy described the current situation at Fairlane Town Center. Eric C Productions recounted the mall's history in Do You Remember Fairlane Town Center in Dearborn Michigan?

Fairlane Town Center is a super-regional shopping mall in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, Michigan. The mall is adjacent to The Henry Hotel, The Fairlane Club, the University of Michigan–Dearborn, Henry Ford Community College, The Henry Ford, and the Ford Motor Company headquarters. The anchor stores are Macy's and JCPenney, with vacant anchor spaces last occupied by AMC Theatres, Sears, and Ford Motor Company offices.

Following a major renovation in 2007, the mall features a large food court, full-service restaurants, several eateries, and merchandise for the urbanized market.[2] The mall is about a 15-minute drive from downtown Detroit, Wayne State University, or Metro Airport.

Eric C counts six anchor stores closing. Not really. Hudson's becoming Marshall Field's, which was then renamed to Macy's, were just changes in ownership and branding; the locations were still in business afterwards, and the Macy's is still open, so I count four, maybe three-and-one-half because of the change from Saks Fifth Avenue to Saks Off Fifth because of the change in location, footprint, and branding despite the continuity of ownership. That's still not good. Viewers can see the Retail Apocalypse in action through the late 2010s into the 2020s as stores and offices close.

That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned for year-end retrospectives through New Year's Eve.

Broken Peach sings 'Christmas Day'

Merry Christmas! I promised this year's version of Broken Peach sings 'Winter Wonderland' for Christmas, so I kick off today's holiday entry with Broken Peach - Christmas Day (Christmas Special).

"Christmas Day" is a song written, arranged, produced and mixed by Broken Peach.

Yes, an original song by Broken Peach instead of a cover!

I'm continuing the musical portion with Broken Peach - Winter Wonderland (Official Audio), another upload of last year's Christmas Special.

"Winter Wonderland" is a song written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and lyricist Richard Bernhard Smith. Due to its seasonal theme, it is often regarded as a Christmas song in the Northern Hemisphere. Since its original recording by Richard Himber, it has been covered by over 200 different artists. Its lyrics are about a couple's romance during the winter season.

As a mashup, we have used a melody from the great Bruce Springsteen song: Dancing In the Dark.

"Dancing in the Dark" is a song written and performed by American rock singer Bruce Springsteen. It was the first single released ahead from his 1984 album, Born in the U.S.A., and became his biggest hit, helping the album become the best-selling album of his career.

I'm closing the musical portion with Broken Peach - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree (2021 TV Peachformance).


This post wouldn't be complete without one of my holiday traditions, a drink recipe video. For today's post, I'm sharing MISTLETOE COCKTAIL | CHRISTMAS COCKTAIL.

CHRISTMAS/HOLIDAY Cocktail
Ingredients
Rosemary
Cranberries
Lemon Juice
Honey
Cognac

Directions
Boil 3 Rosemary Sprigs in a pot of water. Strain and add to ice cube tray with Cranberries. Once frozen add into a glass Lemon, Honey and Congac. Stir ingredients together. Add 3 cubes of the Frozen Rosemary along with a Rosemary Sprig as a Garnish.

Drink responsibly!

Finally, as Broken Peach themselves wrote eleven years ago, "¡Feliz Navidad! - ¡Bo Nadal! - ¡Bon Nadal! - Eguberri! …. Merry Christmas!" Now stay tuned for an update on the Retail Apocalypse for Boxing Day, followed by year-end retrospectives through New Year's Eve.

Harp Twins play 'Silent Night' and other carols for Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas Eve! I promised a musical celebration for today and I'm following through with three Christmas carols played by Camille and Kennerly, the Harp Twins. I begin with the most recent, Silent Night, Holy Night (Harp Twins) - Official Music Video, which premiered four days ago.

“Silent Night, Holy Night” arranged for harps and voices by Camille and Kennerly

I twice hoped for Broken Peach to Sing “Silent Night, Holy Night” but the Harp Twins played it first. I'll take it.

Working backwards, the next piece is It Came Upon the Midnight Clear (Harp Twins) - Nordic Winter Lullaby, uploaded last month.

We filmed this video in the dead of winter, and it sure was cold! When snow is coming, most people snuggle up for a day inside, but we grab our harps and head out to film! We hope this video brings peace and light to your Christmas season and beyond!
...
“It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” arranged for harps by Camille and Kennerly

The final Christmas carol today is The First Noel (Harp Twins) - Celtic Christmas, uploaded last year.

This is our arrangement of the ancient carol "The First Noel" – the 9th track of our WINTER LIGHTS album... We filmed this video in the dead of winter, and it sure was cold! When snow is coming, most people snuggle up for a day inside, but we grab our harps and head out to film! We hope this video brings peace and light to your Christmas season and beyond!

As the previews at the ends of the last two videos show, the Harp Twins have more Christmas songs, which I'm saving for a future holiday entry. I'm an environmentalist; I don't just recycle, I conserve my resources!

In lieu of a drink recipe, I'm sharing National Day Calendar celebrating NATIONAL EGGNOG DAY - December 24.

National Eggnog Day raises a holiday toast once a year on the day before Christmas. Also known as egg milk punch, eggnog is a popular drink throughout the United States during the holidays.

That's a wrap for today's holiday observance. I mentioned Broken Peach above, so stay tuned for this year's version of Broken Peach sings 'Winter Wonderland' for Christmas.

A funeral for the penny, an airing of grievances for Festivus

Happy Festivus! Yesterday, I asked "Another airing of grievances, anyone?" I decided the answer was yes, so I'm following up on Wall Street Journal and CBC examine ending penny production with WUSA9 covering A funeral for the Penny.

Long live the penny. People came out to pay their final respects to the small and mighty coin.

That's quite the airing of grievances, both silly and serious, for and against the penny and its end. It was worthy of Festivus.

My readers might have noticed a face from 'Krampus: Origins of the Yuletide Monster' by PBS Storied plus Krampus on 'SNL' for Yule 2025, Roya Venturera. Here's her video about the event, Funeral for the penny in Washington DC. 1793-2025 REST IN PEACE.


Yes, the event was surreal. The Hill explains why in Abraham Lincoln Impersonators Gather For MOCK Penny 'FUNERAL' | RISING.

A "funeral" for the penny was held at the Lincoln Memorial in DC over the weekend, as the US Treasury is officially halting production of the coin.

It was a publicity stunt staged by Ramp, an expense management platform. That explains a lot, including both the silliness and the production values, both good and bad. That written, co-host Amber Duke, Senior Editor of The Daily Caller, aired some grievances of her own about the cashless economy, putting the end of the penny into a broader context.

That's a wrap for today's fake holiday. Stay tuned for a musical celebration of Christmas Eve.

Spartans at the Macy's Parade for a drum corps Christmas

I promised "a follow-up to WMUR covers the Spartans in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for a drum corps Christmas," so I'm sharing Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade~NYC~2025~Spartans Drum and Bugle Corp[s]~NYCParadelife.


That was worth it for the preview image alone. Now for what most people remember from the Macy's Parade, the performance on NBC: Macy's Final Performance.

The Spartans Drum and Bugle Corps performs in the 2025 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!

Yes, we need a a little Christmas, right this very minute!

I close with two shorts from my YouTube channel that I clipped from Twitch. The first is #alldaynyc on #Twitch | Spartans Drum and Bugle Corps Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 11/27/2025, who caught them as they stepped off.

#shorts Spartans Drum and Bugle Corps Macy's #Thanksgiving Day Parade playing "Jingle Bells" 11/27/2025 #MacysParade #NYC
https://www.twitch.tv/alldaynyc

AllDayNYC didn't care for "Jingle Bells" — he had some downright mean things to say about another band that played it — but he liked the service dog.

The last is #dinomitetwins on #twitch | Spartans Drum and Bugle Corps Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 11/27/2025.

Spartans #DrumandBugleCorps playing "Jingle Bells" at Macy's #Thanksgiving Day #Parade 11/27/2025 #macysparade #drumcorps #nyc
https://www.twitch.tv/dinomitetwins

Ali and Lexi, the Dinomite Twins, were much nicer and they liked the service dog, too.

That's a wrap for today's drum corps holiday celebration. Stay tuned for Festivus. Another airing of grievances, anyone?

'Krampus: Origins of the Yuletide Monster' by PBS Storied plus Krampus on 'SNL' for Yule 2025

Happy Yule/Winter Solstice, when I blog about Christmas monsters! Today's monster is the OG Christmas monster, Krampus, who I mentioned in Monstrum on 'Mari Lwyd: The Skeleton Horse's Deep Past with Christmas Tradition' for Winter Solstice/Yule.

I enjoyed Dr. Z connecting this monster to both the Winter Solstice and to other European Christmas monsters, including Krampus, who has a video of his own. I'm an environmentalist, so I don't just recycle, I conserve my resources. I'm saving that episode of Monstrum for a future Yule.

This is that future Yule. Watch Dr. Emily Zarka recount Krampus: Origins of the Yuletide Monster | Monstrum on PBS Storied.

You better watch out, you better not cry, and you certainly must behave—or else face the brutal beating of the Krampus. Why does this demonic, horned Yuletide monster exist? This episode looks at the historical origins of Krampus in the winter festivals of the Alpine region, challenging the false claim that this monster came from pagan tradition, and traces its renewed popularity across the globe.

Dr. Z included the movie Krampus as a sign and reason for the monster's popularity, which I mentioned in 2016 Saturn Awards for Movies, part 1: Films. It was a properly scary horror flick that lost to Crimson Peak. I also observed "I'm glad SNL is featuring Bowen Yang's costumed impressions, like Krampus," in 'SNL' shoots down the Chinese 'spy balloon' in its cold open and Weekend Update. At the risk of depleting my resources, I'm sharing Weekend Update: Krampus on Kidnapping Naughty Children - SNL.

Krampus (Bowen Yang) stops by Weekend Update to discuss his job kidnapping and punishing bad children for Christmas.

Yang and Colin Yost handled the costume malfunction well, which just added to the bit.

I close with two short videos featuring Krampus, beginning with Roya Venturera describing how countries punish bad kids during Christmas.


 The French enjoyed Krampus just a little too much. I'll stick to coal, which I never gave to my children. They were good kids.

National Day Calendar celebrated KRAMPUSNACHT - December 5 earlier this month.

On December 5th, adults celebrating Krampusnacht seek to punish misbehaving children. This not-so-jolly holiday is also referred to as Krampus Night.

Most people associate the holiday season with lots of cheer, merriment, and joy. However, there is one traditional holiday during this time of the year that doesn’t sound so fun. In fact, it seems a little scary. It’s actually more Halloween-like than Christmassy.

That's a wrap for today's solstice celebration. Stay tuned as I continue going full holiday until at least Friday, beginning with a follow-up to WMUR covers the Spartans in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for a drum corps Christmas.

Yesterworld Entertainment recounts 'The Troubled History of the Star Wars Holiday Special - Why & How It Failed'

I telegraphed this post in last year's Yesterworld Entertainment recounts 'The Troubled History of The Nightmare Before Christmas'.

Speaking of bad Star Wars ideas, Yesterworld Mark has a video about the Star Wars Holiday Special. I'm saving that for a snowy day. After all, I'm an environmentalist. I don't just recycle, I conserve my resources.

Today is that snowy day. Watch Yesterworld: The Troubled History of the Star Wars Holiday Special - Why & How It Failed.

Exploring the little known History behind the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special, how it came to be and why it's one of the Star Wars Franchises most infamous blunders. The idea by George Lucas began with promise, but ultimately became "so bad it's good" of the Star Wars universe.

I begin my reaction by recycling what I wrote eight years ago.

While the "Star Wars Holiday Special" has been consigned to the equivalent of unperson status for a work of art within the Star Wars universe, it has had three lasting effects. First, it introduced Life Day as the Star Wars version of Christmas -- BTW, a happy early Life Day to my readers! While Wookieepedia does not list it reappearing in any of the movies or TV shows, it was celebrated in the MMOs based on the franchise, Star Wars Galaxies and Star Wars: The Old Republic...

Second, it also introduced the Wookiee homeworld Kashyyyk, which has had a much more durable legacy than Life Day. Its Wookieepedia entry lists 44 appearances and mentions under Canon, including its first portrayal in the movies as a setting of "Revenge of the Sith," and many more under Legends. Even that is not complete, as it was mentioned in an episode of "Once Upon A Time" ...

Finally, as the Vox video points out, it serves as a good example of what not to do in Star Wars, making the rest of both Canon and especially Legends that much better. Think of it as Early Installment Weirdness within what is now Star Wars Legends. In fact, since I've already linked to TV Tropes, its entry for "The Star Wars Holiday Special" mentions it as exactly that and lists this example of Early Installment Weirdness.

Due to being made early in the franchise's history before many ideas and characterizations were set in stone, there's quite a bit. The most striking is Boba Fett acting like a cackling Dastardly Whiplash rather than the stoic Noble Demon he's famous as.

Yes, I've linked to TV Tropes. Enjoy...clicking on links!

I posted a correction of sorts about the original timing of Life Day in Happy First Contact Day, a Star Trek holiday: "Technically, it falls on November 17th and was originally a stand-in for Thanksgiving, but over the years, it has turned into Star Wars Christmas, so many fans celebrate it then." November 17th is also my wife's birthday, which she shares with RuPaul. I have better events to celebrate then than the original date of Life Day!

One of the commenters on Yesterworld Mark's video noted that "Carrie Fisher apparently used to play this at her house every Christmas to make people leave," which IMDB also lists under trivia. After watching the summary of the special, I can see why. It's painful. The writers knew how to write for The Carol Burnett Show, but not for Star Wars, and should have had more respect for George Lucas's original treatment.

That's a wrap for an early Sunday entertainment feature. Stay tuned for Yule/Winter Solstice, when I blog about Christmas Monsters.

'The Late Show' presents 'Colbert's Canceled Christmas: The Last Noel'

Change of plans — instead of awards show coverage, I'm going to post something holiday-themed, Colbert's Canceled Christmas: The Last Noel.

When Donald Trump cancels Christmas, sends ICE to the North Pole, and bulldozes Santa's workshop to build his new Trumpmas Ballroom, Santa and friends must escape Alligator Elfcatraz and bring joy back to the world. Can they stop Trump before he overstuffs Santa's sack with his big bribin' ball? Will we ever learn the naughty names on the top secret Elfstein List? Does the special have a Celebrity Christmas Narrator? Yes! It's Jolly Ol' Nick Offerman, in COLBERT'S CANCELED CHRISTMAS: THE LAST NOEL!

Sadly, this is the last Christmas for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, but at least he, his writers, and crew of animators left this present for his viewers. I couldn't resist sharing it with my readers.

By the way, Stephen's cameo where he mentions the rumor — and it's only a rumor — that he and Rachel Maddow will be hosting a show on Netflix reminds me that I promised to follow through on Sesame Street's eventual distributor once its deal with HBO ends. It's Netflix.

The iconic and beloved children’s series moves to Netflix for its 56th season. Unlike the show’s previous arrangement with HBO, new episodes of Sesame Street will be available on Netflix and PBS Kids the same day.

That's an improvement. Also, if Netflix finalizes its purchase of Warner Brothers, it will mean that the show will have the same parent company after all. That would be ironic, although it's not assured. Paramount could still prevail in its hostile takeover bid, but that's a topic for a future Sunday entertainment feature, but not this Sunday. That will be Yule/Winter Solstice, when I blog about Christmas Monsters. Priorities. Also, stay tuned.

'Adolescence' leads TV nominees at the Critics Choice Awards

I begin today's installment of the Critics Choice Awards TV nominees with an excerpt from the press release.

“Adolescence” leads this year’s television nominees with six nominations including a nod for Best Limited Series. The cast was recognized across multiple categories, with Stephen Graham nominated for Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television. Castmates Owen Cooper and Ashley Walters each received nods for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television, while Erin Doherty and Christine Tremarco are both up for Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television.

I'm not surprised, since Adolescence swept its categories at the Emmy Awards while The Penguin is not eligible. Let's look at Adolescence's fellow nominees for Best Limited Series.

BEST LIMITED SERIES
Adolescence (Netflix)
All Her Fault (Peacock)
Chief of War (Apple TV)
Death by Lightning (Netflix)
Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy (Peacock)
Dope Thief (Apple TV)
Dying for Sex (FX on Hulu)
The Girlfriend (Prime Video)

Adolescence's competition for this Best Limited Series consists of All Her Fault and Death by Lightning with four nominations each, Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy and Dope Thief with three nominations apiece, Dying for Sex and The Girlfriend tied at two nominations, Chief of War with just this one nomination. The prognosticators at Gold Derby heavily favor Adolescence with every editor and expert plus 98.0% of users picking it to win. All Her Fault is the choice of 0.8% of users, followed by Dying for Sex and Dope Thief tied at 0.6%, while the rest of the field has no user support at all! At least I can pencil in All Her Fault as an early favorite at next year's Emmy Awards.

Other limited series earning acting nominations are Sirens with two nominations for its actresses and Monster: The Ed Gein Story, The Beast in Me, and The Better Sister with one nomination each for their actors and actresses. They're competing against one actor and one actress from movies made for television, which I'm featuring next.

BEST MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (Peacock)
Deep Cover (Prime Video)
The Gorge (Apple TV)
Mountainhead (HBO Max)
Nonnas (Netflix)
Summer of ’69 (Hulu)

Two movies, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy and Mountainhead, have a second nomination for acting. The rest have only this one program nomination. Gold Derby breaks the tie in favor of Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, the choice of every expert, 80.0% of editors, and 83.5% of users. Mountainhead sits second in the odds as the pick of the rest of the editors plus 8.3% of users. Nonnas is third with 3.8% user support, followed by The Gorge with 2.6%, Summer of '69 with 1.0%, and Deep Cover with 0.8%. At least Deep Cover can take solace in being a potential leader for next year's Emmys, since most of the rest of the field was already nominated at this year's Emmy Awards and Summer of '69 came out in May, so none of them are eligible.

Follow over the jump for the acting nominations.

'Nobody Wants This' leads comedy nominees at the Critics Choice Awards, but could lose to 'The Studio'

As I promised yesterday, I'm returning with comedy series nominees at the Critics Choice Awards.

BEST COMEDY SERIES
Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Elsbeth (CBS)
Ghosts (CBS)
Hacks (HBO Max)
Nobody Wants This (Netflix)
Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
The Righteous Gemstones (HBO Max)
The Studio (Apple TV)

Nobody Wants This leads Best Comedy Series with five nominations, followed by Ghosts and Hacks with four, Abbott Elementary, The Righteous Gemstones, and The Studio with three, Elsbeth with two, and Only Murders in the Building with just this one. Based on The Studio winning a total of thirteen Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series, the Gold Derby odds should favor The Studio and they do. Every editor and expert plus 92.2% of the users selected The Studio to win. It's followed by Hacks with 3.1% user support, Abbott Elementary with 1.7%, Only Murders in the Building with 1.1%, and the rest with less than one percent.

The series earning acting nominations but which missed a program nomination are A Man on the Inside, St. Denis Medical, Murderbot, Poker Face, The Paper, Peacemaker, and Saturday Night Live with one each. Follow over the jump for those and the rest of the acting nominations.

'Severance,' 'The Diplomat,' and 'The Pitt' tie with four nominations at the Critics Choice Awards

I return to awards show coverage with the nominees for drama series at the Critics Choice Awards.

BEST DRAMA SERIES
Alien: Earth (FX)
Andor (Disney+)
The Diplomat (Netflix)
Paradise (Hulu)
The Pitt (HBO Max)
Pluribus (Apple TV)
Severance (Apple TV)
Task (HBO Max)

As I wrote in the subject line, Severance, The Diplomat, and The Pitt tie with four nominations. Task has three, followed by Andor, Paradise, and Pluribus with two each, and Alien: Earth with only the program nomination. Based on The Pitt beating Severance for Outstanding Drama Series at the Emmy Awards, The Pitt should be favored, and that's exactly what the Gold Derby odds show. Every editor and expert along with 84.7% of users expect The Pitt to win this category. That's followed by Pluribus with the support of 7.7% of users, Severance with 4.2% of users, Andor with 1.9% of users, and the rest with less than 0.4% support each.

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Sterling K. Brown – Paradise (Hulu)
Diego Luna – Andor (Disney+)
Mark Ruffalo – Task (HBO Max)
Adam Scott – Severance (Apple TV)
Billy Bob Thornton – Landman (Paramount+)
Noah Wyle – The Pitt (HBO Max)

Noah Wyle won Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series at the Emmy Awards and Gold Derby thinks he'll repeat here, again with every editor and expert along with 92.4% of users predicting he'll walk off the stage with the trophy. Adam Scott sits in second with the support of 3.7% of users, followed by Diego Luna with 1.8% of users, and the rest of the field with less than one percent each.

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Kathy Bates – Matlock (CBS)
Carrie Coon – The Gilded Age (HBO Max)
Britt Lower – Severance (Apple TV)
Bella Ramsey – The Last of Us (HBO Max)
Keri Russell – The Diplomat (Netflix)
Rhea Seehorn – Pluribus (Apple TV)

While Britt Lower won the Emmy for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series, she's an underdog here, as Rhea Seehorn leads with every editor, 75% of experts, and 74.4% of users picking the lead actress of Pluribus to win. Lower is the choice of 17.4% of users, followed by Kathy Bates with 5.4%, Keri Russell with 1.2%, and Bella Ramsey with 1.0%. None have any professional support. That's reserved for Carrie Coon with 25% of the experts but only only 0.6% of users. I think that percentage will drop once the rest of the experts weigh in. Also, Seehorn is that good in Pluribus. I expect she'll be nominated at the Saturn Awards and I'll vote for her if she is.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Patrick Ball – The Pitt (HBO Max)
Billy Crudup – The Morning Show (Apple TV)
Ato Essandoh – The Diplomat (Netflix)
Wood Harris – Forever (Netflix)
Tom Pelphrey – Task (HBO Max)
Tramell Tillman – Severance (Apple TV)

Gold Derby's odds predict that the supporting categories will return to Emmy form with Emmy winner Tramell Tillman leading as the choice of 75.0% of experts, 80.0% of editors, and 90.4% of users. He's followed by Billy Crudup as the pick of the rest of the experts and 3.5% of users, Tom Pelphrey with the rest of the editors and 3.3% of users, Patrick Ball with 2.1% of users, and the rest with less than one percent user support.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Nicole Beharie – The Morning Show (Apple TV)
Denée Benton – The Gilded Age (HBO Max)
Allison Janney – The Diplomat (Netflix)
Katherine LaNasa – The Pitt (HBO Max)
Greta Lee – The Morning Show (Apple TV)
Skye P. Marshall – Matlock (CBS)

Emmy winner Katherine LaNasa leads this category as the pick of 75.0% of experts, 80.0% of editors, and 91.4% of users. She's followed by Skye P. Marshall with the rest of the editors and 2.1% of users, Nicole Beharie also at 2.1% of users, Allison Janney at 1.8%, Denée Benton with the remaining expert (the same one who currently has Carrie Coon in first — she must be a Gilded Age fan) and 1.4% of users, and Greta Lee at 1.2% of users. LaNasa should enjoy her win here because she's not even nominated at the Golden Globes. Instead, three actresses from The White Lotus made the field, while The White Lotus was shut out here. As I keep writing about awards shows, electorates matter.

For what it's worth, The Morning Show didn't earn a program nomination, but it's tied with Task at three nominations, all for supporting roles. Matlock earned two nominations for its actresses, while Forever, Landman and The Last of Us earned one acting nomination each.

That's a wrap for today's installment. Stay tuned for comedy TV nominees tomorrow.

The Maccabeats sing 'HanuKpop Demon Hunters,' a Kpop Demon Hunters Hanukkah Medley

Happy Hanukkah! KPop Demon Hunters, TIME's Breakthrough of the Year, has inspired today's music for the holiday, HanuKpop Demon Hunters | The Maccabeats | Kpop Demon Hunters Hanukkah Medley.

We’re thrilled to share this year’s Chanukkah video, inspired by the dynamic style of KPop Demon Hunters. This project blends our music with a bold animated world that aims to bring Chanukkah to life in a fresh, vivid way. We hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed creating it :-)

Please subscribe, comment, like, and share with your friends who love Chanukkah, KPop Demon Hunters, or both!

I've been seeing The Maccabeats in my YouTube search results for Hanukkah videos for years and this year's video finally inspired me to use one of their songs. Behold the power of the YouTube algorithm KPop Demon Hunters! Also, I'm hungry.

The other big musical movie this year is Wicked and The Maccabeats covered it last year, Defying Gravity (We’ll Rise Above) | 2024 Hanukkah Anthem | The Maccabeats, which I'm using for an encore.


I think these videos qualify as evergreen and educational, as I promised yesterday. Stay tuned for more awards show coverage tomorrow, as I will finish my grading today.

'The Last of Us' wins Best Adaptation at The Game Awards

 I'm doing something new and slightly different for this week's Sunday entertainment feature, winners at The Game Awards, beginning with a category that recognizes movies and television, Best Adaptation. Watch as The Last of Us: Season 2 Wins Best Adaptation at The Game Awards 2025.

The Last of Us: Season 2 wins Best Adaptation at The Game Awards 2025. Live from Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on December 11th 2025. Celebrate the best and see what's next in video games at The Game Awards 2025.

Neil Druckmann couldn't resist referring to Netflix agreeing to buy Warner Brothers, followed by a hostile takeover bid by Paramount. I know I'll be blogging about that in the future.

When I first looked at the list of nominees, I would have picked A Minecraft Movie, which I called "dumb fun." That was before I found out that The Last of Us won this award in 2023 for season 1. Once I learned that, I was not surprised it repeated. Electorates matter.

By the way, the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films hasn't yet announced their nominees for the 53rd Saturn Awards, which means my vote for Best Horror TV Series is likely to change. This July, I wrote, "I also expect to be voting for The Last of Us, even though I'm down on Season 2." No longer. Stranger Things 5 debuted last month, so it should now be eligible, and I plan on voting for it now.

Follow over the jump for the video game winners.

TODAY reveals TIME's people of the year for 2025

After skipping last year, I'm featuring Time's Person of the Year. Watch TODAY announce Architects of AI Named Time’s 2025 Person of the Year.

Time’s editor-in-chief Sam Jacobs joins TODAY with the exclusive announcement that the architects of AI have been selected as the 2025 Time Person of the Year. "Never before has so much power been concentrated in so few individuals," Jacobs says.

I'm repeating what I wrote about the Economics Nobel Prize in Science, peace, economics, and literature winners for Nobel Prize Day 2025.

This award is as much about technology as it is about economics. May it mean that AI be a net benefit for the economy. Right now, it looks like it's doing more destruction than creation.

If the projections are correct, it will be doing both, with 20% of people losing their current jobs while quintupling GDP. Yikes! That's an outcome the residents of Richistan would approve of. As for the rest of us, I'll repeat what I wrote a dozen years ago in Robots are coming for our jobs, "the loss of jobs to robots will be the major effect of the Singularity, not everyone becoming cyborgs or the machines enslaving or killing off humanity." It's not like we weren't warned.

TODAY revealed the rest of TIME's picks earlier in the week, beginning with Leonardo DiCaprio is Named Time 2025 Entertainer of the Year.

TODAY exclusively reveals Time’s picks for 2025 entertainer of the year and CEO of the year.

I'll be writing more about DiCaprio when I blog about his nominations at the Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globe Awards. As for Neal Mohan, I'd heard of him before, but didn't pay much attention to him. Now he has my attention.

I close with A’ja Wilson Named Time’s 2025 Athlete of the Year.

TODAY exclusively reveals Time’s picks for 2025 Athlete of the Year and Breakthrough of the Year: A’ja Wilson and K-Pop Demon Hunters!

I'm recycling what I wrote in Earthquake, eclipse, and other news on 'SNL' last year.

I started following women's basketball when I was attending UCLA, as it was easier to play in the band for women's games than men's games when I was a sophomore. I thought they were more fun even then. I guess that make me an early adopter. I'm pleased to see everyone catch up to me, four plus decades later.

Everyone now includes TIME.

TIME made a good save by naming KPop Demon Hunters Breakthrough of the Year. They could just as easily have been Entertainers of the Year. I'll write about their nominations, too. That could be as early as tomorrow for the Sunday entertainment feature. Stay tuned.

Gingerbread houses at Disney World and Disneyland for Gingerbread House Day 2025

Happy Gingerbread House Day! I'm returning to Disney World and Disneyland for this year's celebration beginning with EVERY Disney World Gingerbread Display for 2025 + A SECRET Christmas Fireworks Viewing Spot from Magical Hijinx.

Sup my dudes! It’s Demi, and tonight we are going on a full resort crawl to check out the 2025 Walt Disney World Gingerbread Displays!🎄✨

Every holiday season, the Disney resorts transform with incredible pastry creations, but this year is a little different. We are celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Beach Club Carousel (with 5 incredible horses!), checking out the Boardwalk’s Deli replica, and heading to the Contemporary for a Frozen-style castle. HOWEVER, we have some shocking news regarding the iconic Grand Floridian Gingerbread House and the new construction in the lobby. Is it gone forever?

Come along as we hunt for hidden Mickeys, review the exclusive holiday treats (Italian cookies, frozen hot chocolate, and more), and catch the Very Merry fireworks from a secret viewing spot! Plus, we take a peek at the ALL-NEW display coming to Wilderness Lodge. Let’s get into some Holiday Hijinx!

No Grand Floridian gingerbread house because of construction, but Wilderness Lodge's gingerbread cabin returns for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Moving to Disneyland, Daps Magic presents Mickey's Christmas Carol Gingerbread House at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa 4K.

A new gingerbread house at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa brings 'Mickey's Christmas Carol' to life at this beautiful hotel.

There is one more gingerbread house inside Disneyland proper, which Attractions Magazine covered in Haunted Mansion Holiday Gingerbread House at Disneyland 2025.

Each year, a new design for a real gingerbread house is created for Haunted Mansion Holiday in Disneyland Park. This is the 2025 edition.

Welcome to the "scary Christmas house" and Merry Creepmas!

That's a wrap for today's holiday. Stay tuned for Time's Person of the Year.

Randy Rainbow sings 'It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like F This'

I told my readers "Stay tuned for Randy Rainbow tomorrow. Musical comedy about politics!" Take it away with It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like F This - A Randy Rainbow Song Parody!

Parody of “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” by Meredith Willson, and “White Christmas” (intro) by Irving Berlin

That got me into a holiday mood. How about you?

Stay tuned for Gingerbread House Day.

Science, peace, economics, and literature winners for Nobel Prize Day 2025

Happy Nobel Prize Day! I begin today's celebration with BBC News reporting Physics Nobel Prize awarded to three scientists for work on quantum computing.

The Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis for their work on quantum mechanics that is paving the way for a new generation of very powerful computers.

"There is no advanced technology used today that does not rely on quantum mechanics, including mobile phones, cameras... and fibre optic cables," said the Nobel committee.

The announcement was made by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences at a news conference in Stockholm, Sweden.

The three winners will share prize money of 11 million Swedish kronor (£872,000).

Yay, three physicists from the University of California, even if they aren't from my undergraduate alma mater, UCLA!

Next, DW News reporting Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded "for the development of metal–organic frameworks".

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2025 Nobel Prize in chemistry to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi "for the development of metal–organic frameworks." The new type of molecular architecture developed by the group allows for "large cavities in which molecules can flow in and out. Researchers have used them to harvest water from desert air, extract pollutants from water, capture carbon dioxide and store hydrogen," according to the award-giving body. Their research could provide solutions for combatting climate change.

"A small amount of such material can be almost like Hermione's handbag in Harry Potter. It can store huge amounts of gas in a tiny volume," Heiner Linke, chairman of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, said during a press conference.

This looks like a very useful discovery. So does the next prize, Nobel Prize for medicine awarded to immune system researchers, as Al Jazeera English reported.

The Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine has been awarded to Mary E Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi for their work on the functioning of the human immune system.
The award, announced by Sweden’s Karolinska Institute on Monday, will be presented to the trio in December for “their groundbreaking discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance that prevents the immune system from harming the body”.
The research “relates to how we keep our immune system under control so we can fight all imaginable microbes and still avoid autoimmune disease”, said Marie Wahren-Herlenius, a rheumatology professor at the Karolinska Institute.
The prize of 11 million Swedish kronor ($1.17m) is to be shared equally between Brunkow and Ramsdell, both 64, of the United States and Japan’s Sakaguchi, 74.
The king of Sweden will also present them with gold medals.

Al Jazeera’s Paul Rhys reports from Stockholm.

This advancement could help me personally, as I am a cancer survivor and Type I diabetic, an autoimmune disease. May I live long enough for the science to advance enough to improve my condition.

Follow over the jump for the non-science prizes.

SciShow explains why 'Your Coffee Mug is a Physics Disaster'

Today's evergreen educational entry is SciShow explaining why Your Coffee Mug is a Physics Disaster.

Coffee spills more than most beverages. And it all comes down to an unlucky connection between your walking pace, the cup, and that tasty morning brew.

Hosted by: Madelyn Leembruggen (she/her)

I'll repeat what I wrote for SciShow explains 'How To Make The Best Coffee, According To Science' for National Coffee Day: "Lots of great science — ...chemistry, and physics — in this video, as well as practical science-based advice" for choosing a coffee mug and carrying it. May my readers and I not spill our coffee!

That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned for more science tomorrow on Nobel Prize Day.

Howtown and SciShow explain how nuclear fallout helps fight crime

Today's evergreen educational entry features two videos about a common theme, how nuclear fallout helps fight crime. I begin with Howtown's The only good nuclear accident.

In the 1950s and early 1960s, the United States and the Soviet Union (with contributions from the UK and France) conducted a series of above-ground nuclear tests that led to an increase in the radioactive carbon-14 concentration in the atmosphere. This global surge, known as the "bomb pulse" or the "bomb spike", is one of the most distinctive chemical signatures of the Cold War. The radiocarbon spread worldwide, embedding into plants, animals, and humans. Scientists later discovered that this bomb-pulse radiocarbon spike could be used as a precise dating tool. Bomb-pulse dating allows researchers to determine whether biological material formed before or after nuclear testing. This method has been applied to forensic science, medical research, and environmental monitoring. It has been used to identify forgeries in artwork, measure human cell turnover, and estimate the lifespan of Greenland sharks. One of the most important applications has been in tracking the illegal ivory trade. Elephant tusks absorb atmospheric carbon while the animal is alive. By analyzing the carbon-14 content of ivory artifacts or raw ivory, investigators can determine whether the material comes from a legally antique source or from a recently killed elephant. This intersection of nuclear history, atmospheric science, and conservation biology demonstrates how Cold War nuclear fallout became a forensic tool for fighting elephant poaching and wildlife trafficking. More broadly, it demonstrates the creativity and resourcefulness of scientific researchers, who find ingenious uses for datasets of unlikely origin.

SciShow has more in Nuclear Bombs Made Art Forgery Way Harder.

Peggy Guggenheim purchased a painting she believed to be by the famous artist Fernand Leger. Almost immediately, there were questions about its authenticity. But it took 40 years and an unlikely group of art detectives to solve the mystery.

Hosted by: Madelyn Leembruggen (she/her)

I discuss the effects of nuclear testing in my plate tectonics lecture in geology along with magnetic reversals, although in that case, it's about monitoring underground tests with seismometers instead of carbon-14 from atmospheric tests. Still, these stories would be useful in my environmental science classes as well. Welcome to blogging as professional development.

Stay tuned for another evergreen educational entry tomorrow.

Netflix buys Warner Brothers

The number one story for this week's Sunday entertainment feature is Netflix announces deal to buy Warner Bros. and HBO. Take it away, CNN!

Netflix has agreed to buy Warner Bros. and HBO, which includes the legendary TV and movie studio and assets like the HBO Max streaming service, for $72 billion, plus debt. The deal could reshape Hollywood, but first faces a tough regulatory review process around the world. CNN’s Brian Stelter reports.

Surprise! The attempted Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger didn't and probably will not happen. That means that John Oliver, who did not want to work for Paramount and the Ellisons, avoided that possibility, at least for now. CNN also escaped that fate so far, because they're not part of the deal. Netflix does not want to get into the cable TV business, so CNN and the rest of the Warner Brothers-Discovery channels, other than HBO, which Netflix is buying, remain together to be spun off as a separate entity, Discovery Global. That at least postpones what I was worried about in September: "CBS News and CNN merging would likely result in a more conservative news outlet, which would make Donald 'Hoover Cleveland' Trump get out of the deal's way." He and Pam Bondi's Department of Justice might not be so accommodating with a Netflix-Warner Brothers merger.

There are others who are opposing the deal, as PBS NewsHour explains in What Netflix's deal to buy Warner Bros. means for one of Hollywood's oldest studios.

Netflix has struck a nearly $83 billion deal to acquire Warner Bros. and HBO Max, beating out Paramount and Comcast after a bidding war. If finalized, it would unite the world’s largest streamer with one of Hollywood’s oldest studios. The move raises questions about the future of theatrical releases and concerns about market concentration. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Matthew Belloni of Puck.

While this deal is good for Netflix and Warner Brothers-Discovery's management and shareholders, it may not be good for theater owners, actors, and writers, who stand to lose money or at least have smaller paychecks. It may not be great for directors, either, although more artistically than financially; they want their movies shown on the big screen and think streaming them at home diminishes them, literally.

Netflix is playing this deal up as good for consumers. In terms of variety of content and convenience, it probably will be. However, it will probably make subscriptions go up, although viewers like my wife and me, who subscribe to multiple streaming services, might ultimately save money as we will subscribe to one service instead of two. Just the same, the commenters on CNN's video are already grousing about their Netflix subscriptions going up to pay for this deal.

I'm sure I'll have more to write about this deal and the legal hoops it will have to jump through over the next year and more. In the meantime, stay tuned for another evergreen educational entry tomorrow.