Friday, March 17, 2017

ICYMI: This Week’s Science News (3/17/17)

By Jaclyn Cascio (@jaclynator)
 
In the last week, things happened. Other things didn’t happen. Got it? Good. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, we can get to the important stuff in the STEM world! So ICYMI, here’s the science news from the last week!
 

You won’t lay this jacket over a puddle for your girlfriend to walk on!

We love Google. (I mean, it’s a verb now for goodness sake!) We love Levi’s. (Not just the ones who founded Nerd HQ.) Google and Levi’s have come together to make a “smart” trucker jacket due to be released this fall (retailing for about $350). Tiny electronic circuits will be woven into the fabric, creating “interactive denim.” When paired with a small cuff-link style Bluetooth device, the “interactive denim” jacket will have a touch sensitive sleeve, with five gestures you can assign to do specific functions on the paired device. The sleeve can even vibrate to alert you to calls or messages! And when the jacket needs a wash, just detach the Bluetooth cufflink device and you’re golden!
 
Who knows? Maybe denim will become the new “must have” in everyone’s wardrobe, like the matching Britney and Justin from long ago! (You know what I’m talking about 90’s kids!)
 

And then scientists made yeast, and it was good…

In the struggle to make artificial life, scientists have taken a major leap by artificially producing 6 of 16 yeast chromosomes. Part of the Synthetic Yeast Genome Project, they hope to get the rest of the chromosomes figured out within the next year. If they can do it, they will be able to produce custom yeast genomes in the lab.
 
If you’re wondering why a substance in your bread recipe is noteworthy, keep in mind this development is just a step toward a final goal of creating a functional artificial organism from scratch. If they can do it, it would be the first eukaryotic organism to be artificially created in a lab. (Humans, animals, and plants are all eukaryotic organisms.) Eventually, researchers hope to be able to custom-build organisms that can be utilized to create disease treatments or even biofuels.
 
One small step for man, one giant step for yeast…
 

My dendrites are doing what now?

Anyone who has taken an Anatomy and Physiology class (or remembers high school biology) may remember that dendrites, a part of the brain’s neurons, are generally believed to be fairly passive receptors for neural signals from other brain cells. But here’s the kicker… the dendrites might not be the lazy note-passers in class! It turns out they might be sending their own notes!
 
Scientists studying rat brains have recently discovered that dendrites are actually generating signals, and creating up to 10 times more electrical pulses than the soma, which is the part of the neuron generally believed to be the electrical signal production site.
 
If the study is verified by other teams (and with human brain cells instead of only those from rats), it could completely change the way we understand our brains and how they process information! It may also contribute to how we understand neurological disorders and may even lead to alternative treatment methods.
 
What a wonderful mystery our own brains still prove to be!
 

If you think a dropped contact is hard to find, just wait.

IBM has recently announced that they have created the world’s smallest hard drive – using a single atom. As scientists try to cram more and more data into smaller and smaller electronics, there is belief that eventually we will reach the limit of computing power in small spaces.
 
Now, to be clear, the researchers didn’t cram an entire iTunes library into an atom. They managed to get one bit of information in (a 1 or a 0, like most electronics operate with). And while the process was expensive and time-consuming and unlikely to lead to commercial use anytime soon, the achievement is proof that drives can potentially continue to shrink, but can grow in density of data contained with them.
 
Just wait for the day when you can carry your hard drive full of documents, songs, movies, etc. on a credit card in your wallet!
 

Dr. Doolittle isn’t the only one who can understand animals!

It’s common knowledge that many different studies are conducted on mice and rats. But even rat emotions have been a source of study. While often looking at signs that rats are distressed, even developing a “rat grimace scale,” a recent study has asked the question, “How do we know when rats are happy?”
 
In case you were wondering, rats are ticklish. After a tickle session, most rats will return for more and even vocalize a response, which scientists are interpreting as a form of laughter. Realizing this, researchers decided to tickle rats and measure their facial expressions to see how they change in response to the fun act. It turns out that rats smile with their ears! When tickled, the ears of the rats droop, apparently in relaxation, and they flush pink. Scientists are unsure if the flushing is due to happiness or is a response to the physical activity, but the ear movement seems to be a clear indicator in mood change.
 
Science can be fun for the researchers and the participants! Tickle on, team! Tickle on!
 

Great minds think alike, they say.

A new brain-imaging device using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) which measures brain activity by looking at oxygen levels in brain cells. The new device is easy to wear and therefore can be used to understand about how the brain operates during daily activities, such as face-to-face interactions.
 
The team used the device in a live story-telling/listener activity, and found that brain activity between speakers and listeners tends to sync when actively engaged in the interaction. The study showed that listeners displayed matching patterns of activity as the speakers after a short delay, believed to be due to the brain processing the incoming information. The hope is that the study will be just a step in the process of understanding communication and hopefully will help to understand how to best communicate to avoid misunderstandings and mistakes.
 

I spy, with my little eye…

Chandrayaan-1 was India’s first moon mission, created to perform chemical and geological mapping. It worked for 10 months, and then contact was cut off. The craft was eventually classified as “lost.” (Apparently this happens a lot.)
 
However, by uing a new radar technique, NASA found the “lost” spacecraft, still orbiting the moon. While researchers knew that the craft was still supposed to be circling the moon, the moon has spots with higher than usual gravitational pull that have pulled orbiting bodies out of their predicted orbit, sometimes even causing them to crash into the lunar surface. But it turns out that Chandrayaan-1 has only shifted its course by a small margin after 8 years drifting out in space alone.
 
Finding a spacecraft 8 years after lost contact is proof that the new radar technique will be a useful tool to keep track of objects or people launched into space in the years to come.
 

Indiana Jones isn’t the only archaeologist to risk life and limb for artifacts.

Iraq is still haunted by violence and terrorism, and ISIS has been particularly destructive when it comes to archaeological sites, trying to destroy history they consider “idolatry.” In late January, Iraq state troops got control of a part of Mosul once again, and Iraqi officials found a previously undiscovered 2,600 year old Assyrian palace under a shrine that had been destroyed by ISIS.
 
Tunnels are collapsing daily as the area falls in on itself after destruction, but archaeologists are risking the dangerous conditions to recover stone reliefs, inscriptions, and sculptures while they still again, hoping to learn more about Assyrian culture and art with the new discoveries!
 
As long as there aren’t any snakes, we wish them luck!
 

Indiana Jones, the sequel…

It looks like archaeologists (from Egypt and Germany) have found a statue of Pharaoh Ramses II in an unexpected place! The pharaoh was a powerful ruler of Egypt who conquered land and expanded the holdings of the Egyptian kingdom. The 8 meter statue was submerged in ground water in a slum neighborhood of Cairo. Another statute, approximately 80 centimeters long was found along with the Ramses II figure, and it appears to be a figure of Pharaoh Seti II, Ramses grandson.
 
One man’s slum is another man’s archaeological dig. Treasures are everywhere!
 

Why can’t you be more like Daniel? He found a lost plane!

Ground water areas in Cairo aren’t the only places to find hidden treasures! Denmark has its fair share too!
 
Given homework about WWII, few students go out and find a German Luftwaffe plane on their property. But that’s exactly what Danish student Daniel Rom Kristiansen did! Following up on the story his grandfather had told about a plane crashing on the family farm, Daniel and his father headed out with a metal detector. And voila! They found a German Luftwaffe fighter plane along with the remains of a crewmember (and that individual’s personal belongings).
 

“Magic Rabbit” isn’t just the bunny pulled out of a hat.

The Ili Pika is a small high-altitude dwelling creature believed to be related to rabbits. Living in mountains, the animal is extremely rare, with an estimated 1,000 remaining in existence. And this week brings the first photo of the rare animal in the last 20 years!
 
The photo was taken by Li Weidong, who discovered the animal, named the “Magic Rabbit,” in 1983 in northwestern China. Since then, sightings have been few and far between, with photos long in coming. Look them up! They’re adorable!
 

You WANT a real-life horror movie about ants?

It seems like genetically altering rats and mice has become commonplace in the science world (although I’m sure it’s much more complicated than that). However, scientists have been unable to reliably modify the genes of ants. There’s some obstacles to overcome, as ant colonies revolve around a single egg-laying queen and worker ants to raise the eggs. But it seems researchers have finally leapt the hurdle!
 
Using clonal raider ants, who have no central queen in the colony, the scientists were able to inject edited DNA into unfertilized eggs laid by the females. In this particular study, they altered the olfactory system of the ants, and found that by diminishing the olfactory abilities of the ants, they were severely impacting their sociality. In time, they hope to learn more about sociality by playing with genetically modified ants and watching their behaviors within a colony.
 
Or we’ll end up with giant ants taking over the world… Whatever… who am I to say?
 

Matt Damon was right. Potatoes on Mars!

With a bill recently passed by Congress to try to get human on Mars by 2033, NASA has its work cut out for itself. On that note, scientists from NASA and the International Potato Center (CIP) in Peru (yes, it’s real), have begun an experiment recreating the extreme Martian environment to see if potatoes really can grow like Matt Damon said they did in The Martian.
 
In a box called a CubeSat, Mars conditions are simulated by controlling factors like temperature, light cycles, air pressure, gases, etc. And the results so far are looking pretty good! Of course, it’s not actually Martian soil, so we can’t know for sure if potatoes can be successfully grown there. The experiment also used cuttings, while colonists on Mars would likely have to use seeds. But it’s still a positive start!
 
Gollum doesn’t know what a tater is, but Martians will!
 

Bionic eyes? Yes, please!

Scientists at the Italian Institute of Technology have developed an artificial retinal implant. In tests with rats who have lost their vision, the device restored the lost vision. Using a thin layer of conductive polymer absorbs photons when light enters the eye. After that, electricity stimulates the retinal neurons, bypassing the problem of defective photoreceptors in some types of blindness.
 
The team is planning on conducting human trials on the new implant during the first half of this year while gathering results of the trial during the second half of the year, with publishing hopefully coming in 2018. Just one more way science is making the world a little better!


admin
via The Nerd Machine

http://www.nerdhq.com/icymi-this-weeks-science-news-31717/


Entertainment Earth

Writer TEASES Big Changes For KYLE, Time Travel Epic For HAL JORDAN & THE GLC

Robert Venditti checks in to talk about the immediate future of the space-faring GREEN LANTERN title.

via The Nerd Machine

http://www.newsarama.com/33637-writer-teases-big-changes-for-kyle-time-travel-epic-for-hal-jordan-the-glc.html


Entertainment Earth

Review: BEAUTY & THE BEAST Does the Animated Classic Justice

A diverse cast and impressive visuals anchor Disney's BEAUTY & THE BEAST live-action remake.

via The Nerd Machine

http://www.newsarama.com/33636-review-disney-nails-beauty-the-beast-live-action-remake.html


Entertainment Earth

Riverdale Recap: In a Lonely Place

By: Packy Smith (@nerfedllamas)
 
Previously on Riverdale: Betty pilfers through her mother’s checkbook and finds out that Polly has been sent to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy Home for Troubled Youths. Meanwhile, tryouts for the 75th annual Riverdale Variety Show are held and Archie chokes on stage, not even able to start playing one of his songs. Veronica later saves Archie and gets him a spot on stage, agreeing to sing with him to help him gain confidence on stage. During a Pussycats practice session, Josie and Valerie get into a heated argument which results in Valerie quitting the band. Fred Andrews and Hermione Lodge begin an affair, kissing while unknowingly allowing Veronica to look on in dismay. We find out that Josie has been uptight about the Variety Show because her father, a professional musician on tour, is coming home to check on the progress of his daughter’s band. Later on, Archie has asked Valerie to sing on stage with him, leaving Veronica out of the picture. Veronica in turn joins the Pussycats to replace Valerie. Across town, Betty and Jughead discreetly go to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy, where Betty finally gets to see Polly for the first time since she was taken away during the summer. Polly is pregnant with Jason Blossom’s child, and she tells Betty an involved story about how she and Jason were going to run away together and how they had a car stashed to get away in. However, Betty realizes that Polly doesn’t know that Jason has been murdered, and tells her sister – the results of which go just as bad as you would expect they might. Alice Cooper, comes and collects her daughter Betty from the Sisters of Quiet Mercy and tries to convince her that Polly is sick and desperately needs help. Fred tries to sell a construction contract bid to Mayor McCoy, but unfortunately there is a another offer and it would take 2 signatures from the land owner’s board of directors to award him the contract instead. It turns out that Lodge industries owns the land. Hermione tries to get Veronica (who was appointed to the board when her father went to jail) to sign the contract, but Veronica will not sign, as she is still upset about her mother’s affair with Fred. Angry at her daughter’s defiance, Hermione forges Veronica’s name on the contract. Archie talks Valerie into joining back up with the Pussycats, and insists that he has to sing alone if he is ever going to break his stage fright. Betty and Jughead kiss romantically, afterwards Betty remembers Polly’s story about the car and convinces Juggie to help her find it. The Variety Show starts, and Josie’s father walks out on her bands performance before they can even finish their song. Betty and Jughead find the car, and it has Jason’s letter jacket and a stash of illegal drugs, they notify the sheriff, but by the time they get back the car has been set on fire. Back at the show, Archie apologizes to Veronica and then takes the stage and sings solo… and blows everyone away. Archie and Valerie share a kiss in celebration. Veronica finds out that her mother gave Fred the contract, and gets exceptionally angry about it. Polly escapes from the Sisters of Quiet Mercy.
 

Recap: Chapter Seven – “In a Lonely Place”

 
Jughead ponders what makes a home feel like home in his opening narration. During his musing, we are treated to a retro dream sequence in which Riverdale characters are seemingly living in a 1950’s version of themselves from the old Archie comics. It is a surreal sequence that has Alice Cooper, now acting like a Donna Reed style loving mother, serving a massive turkey dinner to Hal Cooper, Jughead, Betty, Veronica, Polly, and Jason. Hal hands Jughead the knife and fork and motions for the lad to cut the freshly cooked bird. Jughead attempts to make the first slice, but in the distance he sees his father drinking a beer while watching a snow-static filled TV screen. Looking down, Jughead notices that the knife is no longer in his hand. Archie appears from the kitchen and asks his pal, “Dude, why’d you stab me in the back?” as he turns around to reveal Jughead’s missing knife firmly planted in his back. An alarm goes off and Jughead awakes in reality, where he lives in a forgotten closet on the high school campus. Secretly living at the school now, Juggie sneaks away to the showers to freshen up for the day. Unbeknownst to him, Archie is also in the shower room. Concerned for his friend he asks Jughead about why he is taking a shower at school before classes have started. Jughead shows Archie his closet based home, and explains that things at home had not been good, specifically since Fred fired his dad, and since then he has been living wherever he could as his mother and his sister Jellybean left to go live with his grandparents. Stating that this issue is only temporary and wanting to keep things low-key, Jughead urges Archie not to tell anyone about his living situation, especially not Betty.
 
At the Lodge’s fancy apartment, Veronica and Smithers return with a variety of boxes from a shopping spree that she has just been on. Hermione is not pleased with how Veronica is behaving, since it is simply her acting out because of Hermione’s newly budding relationship with Fred Andrews. A war of wills is beginning between the two Lodge women.
 
Back at Riverdale High, Betty is letting the whole gang in on the latest news about Polly. Apparently momma Cooper does not want the media or the police involved in her disappearance, her mental condition, nor in her discovery and return to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy. While she is catching everyone up, she becomes emotional and Jughead puts his arm around her to comfort her, which does not go unnoticed by Archie and Veronica. Claiming that they need to keep all of this information away from the Blossom family, to protect Polly… and at the same time one of Cheryl Blossom’s River Vixen entourage, Ginger, overhears the whole thing and sends her bestie a text.
 
Moments later, Archie stops Jughead and asks if the crown wearing troublemaker and Betty are an item. Being as aloof as ever, Jughead indicates that he and Betty might have shared a moment. Archie is totally cool with it, and more than that says that he had convinced his father to give Jughead’s dad a second chance at Andrews Construction. The redhead urges his friend to reach out to his father and ask him to accept the job opportunity. In another hallway, Veronica basically asks Betty the same thing. Betty admits that she has been going through a difficult time, and that Jughead has been a great and loyal support to her. Veronica approves.
 
At the police station, Sheriff Keller is giving Mrs. Blossom an update on the investigation, stating that he is still looking for a “big break.” Cheryl struts around the corner and admits that she has the “big break,” but is only willing to share it if her mother will allow her to be captain of the River Vixen cheerleader squad. Young Miss Blossom tells the adults that Polly has escaped on the same night that Jason’s car was torched, and she believes that makes Polly suspect number one in the murder investigation. Oh, and Cheryl has texted everyone she knows this information, claiming to the sheriff that the pressure is officially on.
 
Kevin manically runs down the hallway and tells Betty and Veronica that Cheryl has tweeted the allegation out to everyone, with a litany of absurd hashtags including #SharpenYourPitchforks. Betty is certain that they absolutely have to find Polly before the Blossoms do.
 
Meanwhile at the Sunset Trailer Park, Jughead pays his father, FP Jones, a visit. FP’s trailer is a mess, with empty beer bottles and trash everywhere. Jughead petitions his father to go back to work, but FP is not wanting to go back to Fred, citing that a storied history (not all of which was good) existed between the two men. Not wanting to hear that, Jughead tells FP that it is not about working for Fred, but about getting the family back together so that mom, Jellybean, and he could all come home to live with FP again.
 
In Evergreens Forest between Riverdale and the Sisters of Quiet Mercy, Betty and Jughead explain how the search party is going to work. Archie, Veronica, Kevin, Reggie, the Pussycats, Mr. & Mrs. Cooper, and a handful of other teens are there to help in the search of Polly. During the search, Archie apologizes to Betty for not being a better friend while she’s been going through all of this. Veronica and Kevin are talking about her fight with her mother, in which she admits that they are currently playing a game of chess to see who blinks first. For her next move, Veronica suggests that she, Josie, Kevin, and Reggie go clubbing all night and spend a lot of money. The Cooper search party runs into another search party run by the Blossoms. A brief verbal confrontation ensues until both sides retreat and regroup.
 
Betty and Alice discuss the plan inside an empty church. Betty is not certain that what they have instore is for the best. Alice claims that with the cat out of the bag, there’s no need to keep quiet anymore. At this point they need to control the narrative, and with a church as their backdrop it should make it difficult for the Blossoms to smear the Cooper family anymore.
 
Outside the church, the Coopers have called the press together so that they can make a statement. Alice begins by admitting that Polly was receiving care in a private treatment facility, stating that she was under strict watch during the time when Jason Blossom’s murder happened. Furthermore, Polly was devastated upon hearing about Jason’s death, as she is pregnant with his child right now. Audible gasps can be heard all over, and the Blossoms are beside themselves over this new revelation. None are more shocked than Cheryl. In a final plea, Alice tearfully asks her daughter, if she is watching, to come home.
 
Jughead walks Betty after a long day of searching for Polly. Betty is concerned that her visit to the Sister of Quiet Mercy caused this whole incident. Jughead assures her that it was her parents who caused the problem by constantly lying to Polly and keeping her in the dark. Reminiscing about her childhood, Betty remembers that Polly tried running away once over a fight with momma Cooper when she was 9 years old. Juggie asks how far she got before they brought her back home, which sparks an idea in Betty’s mind. She kisses her new boyfriend and thanks him for walking her home, insisting that she will call him later.
 
Going off her hunch, Betty goes up into the attic of her home and finds Polly hiding out like she did all those years ago. Polly needs Betty’s help. Her plan with Jason was to go upstate and live on a farm that they had already made arrangements to stay at. Even though Jason is gone, she still wants to follow the plan and get out of Riverdale, but she lacks the resources to do so. Betty wants her to stay so that the family can help her raise the baby, but Polly tells her sister that their parents are forcing her to give the child up for adoption, which she doesn’t want to do. Just then, Mr. & Mrs. Cooper return home. Polly wants to bail, but Betty convinces her to lie low and give her a couple days to find Polly a safe place outside of the house to stay.
 
At Andrews Construction, FP finally comes in to talk about returning to work. Fred is surprised to see his old friend come in, letting FP know that this arrangement was not his idea. FP understands, and admits that he is only considering coming back and working a steady job to prove to Jughead that he can make good decisions and be the father that their family needs. Certain this will be his last chance to save his family, FP takes the job. The two men shake hands. Hermione enters the office, and Fred quickly introduces FP. She immediately remembers FP as one of the strong arms for the Southside Serpents. Fred takes a phone call, and with what little time that he has, FP asks Hermione not mention his gang affiliation. Apparently Hiram Lodge settled up with the Serpents, and FP is legitimately only there for steady work, not to harass Mrs. Lodge.
 
R1
 
Breakfast time at the Cooper residence. Betty asks her parents what will happen when Polly is found. Effectively, Betty wants to know if Polly and the baby can stay home. Alice states that Polly is welcome to come home, but that Polly had already agreed to give the baby up for adoption. Betty questions if Polly truly agreed to give the baby up, but Mrs. Cooper plays it off and states that young motherhood is difficult and that it would be better for her to send the child out for adoption.
 
Later at school, in conversation with Veronica, Betty admits that she is worried that Polly is going to run away again. Veronica offers to help, possibly to even convince her mother to take Polly in temporarily. Cheryl walks in and claims that Polly needs her family, presumably meaning the Blossoms. Betty takes Cheryl to the next classroom over and asks the ginger cheerleader to cut to the chase. Cheryl wants what is best for Jason’s baby, and wants very much to help. Betty is not biting, but when Cheryl presses her for more information she fails to convincingly lie about not knowing Polly’s whereabouts. Determined to help, Cheryl offers to get money from her parents to help Polly, but Betty is not so certain that is such a good idea.
 
Archie and Jughead are chilling at the Andrews Construction office waiting for FP to come back from a hard day’s work. Happy to see his father trying again, Jughead suggests that they all go celebrate over some dinner at Pop Tate’s. Fred is hesitant, but FP insists that it is a good idea and even says that he’ll pay.
 
A few scant moments later, the four men are winding down from a successful meal. FP and Fred are telling the young ones stories of fixing up cars, doing crazy stuff, and starting a rock band together. Fred starts in on a football story, but FP stops him explaining that Jughead isn’t in to sports stuff. FP asks Jughead if he is still writing, to which Archie tells him that Juggie is writing for the school newspaper with Betty. FP is excited to hear about a woman in his son’s life, but Jughead redirects the conversation and asks about the band that his pop was in. Fred reluctantly admits that the band was named the “Fred Heads”, which he concedes is a terrible name for a band. As Pop drops off the tab, Fred picks it up and hands him the money. This causes a bit of a kerfluffle as FP wanted to pay, and then Jughead offers to pay, and ultimately FP pays after telling Fred “you owe me this.” Archie notices the comment, and wonders what it’s all about.
 
Veronica, dressed to the nines, makes a quick pit stop home. Hermione asks what she is up to, and insists that she better not be going clubbing on a school night. Surprise, surprise that is exactly what Veronica is doing tonight. Fed up with this ridiculous back in forth, Hermione wants to know what Veronica wants, essentially what will it take for her daughter to back down. The answer is simple, Veronica wants her mother to admit to forging her name on the contract and to tell Hiram that she did it. Hermione agrees to these terms. In another surprise twist, Veronica still goes out clubbing anyway.
 
At the local Riverdale night club, The Roving Eye, Veronica, Josie, Kevin, and Reggie are on the dance floor getting their grind on. After an indeterminable amount of time, the young dancers take a hydration break in a comfy section quietly tucked far away from the action. Kevin asks Veronica if the frivolity of the night is helping her blow off some steam… which prompts Veronica to retell the story of her father going to jail, everything being taken away from them, and how her mother tried to comfort her. Therein lied the problem, her mother’s comfort rings hollow nowadays as it was apparently all a lie.
 
Archie and FP are jamming a blues riff in the Andrews garage while Jughead watches on. FP mentions how good Archie is on guitar, and then asks if there are any beer available. Jughead mentions that it it’s getting late, and FP agrees. Before they leave, Archie asks FP about his dad owing him something. According to FP, he and Fred started Andrews Construction together. The business struggled from time to time, which forced FP to find odd jobs here and there to make ends meet. Unfortunately, one of these jobs was not altogether legal and he got arrested in the process. Fred bailed FP out of jail, and then had him sign a paper that stated that his bail money was the equivalent of buying FP out of his share of the company. FP argues that his share of the company would have been worth at least 10 times more than the bail total, but he signed the paper and the two men parted ways.
 
Late night at Pop Tate’s, the Blossom family is sitting down with Betty to offer their support. They are happy to hear that Polly and the baby are safe, and they are willing to give both emotional and financial support. Mrs. Blossom asks for Polly’s exact whereabouts. Betty is not willing to divulge that information at this time. The Blossoms say that they understand, but also state that they want Betty to start trusting them as she and Polly are family now. That final statement makes Cheryl uneasy, to say the least.
 
Back at garage, Jughead and Archie are discussing their respective fathers sorted pasts. Archie can’t help but feel that Fred must have had a good reason for letting FP go, but Jughead isn’t as sure. Speaking of the devil, FP shows up and asks Juggie if he’s ready to go home.
 
Over at the club, Veronica’s credit card has been declined and apparently reported stolen. When the waiter mentions that he is supposed to call the cops, Josie tells him that she will get her mother, the Mayor involved, and Reggie states that he’ll tell the cops that they are all underage and drinking. In the end, Veronica pays for the tab with cash.
 
R2
 
FP and Jughead are getting ready to settle in for the night back at the trailer park. Showing signs that he is still trying to connect with his son, FP asks if Jughead is going to stay for the night, even going so far as to offer to sleep on the couch so that his son can take the bed. Jughead appreciates the hospitatlity, but suggests that his pop take the bed and that he would stay and crash on the sofa. The two engage in some father and son bonding, as Jughead gives an update on his mother and on how hip his younger sister Jellybean is becoming. Seriously, Jellybean is only 10 but is already listening to Pink Floyd on vinyl… it doesn’t get much more tragically hip than that. Unfortunately, FP has already fallen asleep long before Jughead finished trying to explain what everyone had been up to.
 
At the Andrews residence, Archie is lying in bed but can’t quite get to sleep. Fred pops in and asks how the jam session in the garage with FP went. Archie said that it went well, but states that the whole thing was soured by the story FP told about being cut forced out from Andrews Construction. Fred acknowledges that there are two sides to the story and offers his to Archie. According to Fred, FP got into a lot of trouble that required being bailed out of jail numerous times. On top of that, FP had been stealing various resources from Andrews Construction job sites and illegally selling them on the side. Fred had given FP mutliple chances to straighten up, but ultimately decided to cut FP loose when he became too big of a liability for the company and for Fred’s ability to provide for his own family. Archie understands what he is being told, but maintains that Jughead’s life has been significantly altered in a terrible way because of it.
 
Late night at the Pembrooke Apartments, Hermione is patiently waiting for her daughter to return home. As Veronica enters, she congratulates her mother on reporting the credit card as stolen. Getting to the point, Hermione suggests that they settle their differences in a way that Hiram Lodge would appreciate: a negotiation. Cards on the table, Hermione works for Fred Andrews and is also developing feelings for him that might possibly lead to more. Hiram Lodge has taken multiple steps that have distanced himself from the family and specifically Hermione, which has her questioning what is best for her and Veronica’s future. Until she figures it out, she needs Veronica to accept that the relationship between Hermione and Fred is happening, and to be OK with it. Veronica agrees on two conditions: 1) Fred and Hermione can’t hook up at the apartment, and 2) Hermione has to tell Hiram Lodge about forging Veronica’s name in order to award the contract to Andrews Construction. Hermione agrees to her daughter’s terms, so long as Veronica stops the binge shopping and the late night clubbing. With both ladies in agreement, a shaky alliance is formed.
 
The next morning at school, Jughead enters the office of the school newspaper and finds Principal Weatherbee and Sheriff Keller waiting for him. The sheriff tells Jughead that he has to come down to the station immediately. As they exit the room and walk through the hallway, Jughead sees Archie and Betty and urges them to call his father ASAP.
 
At the police station, the sheriff is questioning Jughead in an interogation room. Sheriff Keller states that they found Jughead and Betty’s prints from Jason Blossom’s car, which wasn’t a surprise considering that they were the ones who found it in the first place. What surprised the sheriff was that Jughead’s prints were on file for a juvenile criminal case from 6 years ago. Apparently the beanie crown wearing teen nearly burned down the elementary school. Jughead replies that he was just playing with matches, and that connecting that incident to the Blossom case was exceptionally thin. The sheriff spins the narrative that Jughead, a kid that has been bullied his entire life, especially by the football team, potentially lashed out and took action against Jason Blossom. Bottom line, the sheriff want to know where Jughead was on July 11th, the day of the murder. Jughead is shocked at the accusation, and hurt that his past is being brought as an excuse to paint him as a violent or hateful person. Refusing to speak, Jughead demands to be given a lawyer.
 
At the Blossom mansion, Mrs. Blossom asks Cheryl if she had ever seen Polly Cooper, a known party girl, using illegal drugs. Cheryl does not specifically recall everr having witnessed that transpire, but it curious as to why her mother wnats to know. “Due dilligence,” Mrs. Blossom declares, “we wouldn’t want an unfit mother raising our grandchild, would we?” Cheryl sees where this is going, and has major concerns that she keeps to herself.
 
Back at the police station Betty is talking to Jughead, who still claims that he is innocent. Betty believes him and tells her friend that the evidence against him is circumstantial and that he should be released soon. Jughead asks if his dad has come, but unfortunately know one has been able to get a hold of him. FP is not answering calls and is nowhere to be found. In the hallway, Fred Andrews tells the sheriff that Jughead was working for Andrews Construction all day on July 11th, tearing out drywall at a job site. The sheriff takes Fred at his word and releases Jughead, but asks for Fred to produce documentation to support Jughead’s alibi. As the Andrews, Betty, and Jughead are leaving the police station, FP finally shows up and asks what’s going on. Jughead says it’s all been sorted, and that Mr. Andrews had helped him out. FP is enraged at the thought of his son getting locked up, and he wants to give the sheriff a piece of his mind. Not wanting his dad to make things worse, Jughead stops FP from going in to the police station. Archie mentions that Jughead is welcome to stay with him for awhile, and FP says that if that is what Jughead wants then it’s OK. Jughead reluctantly states that he wants to go with his father, and the two have a very emotional conversation. FP promises to clean up his act, get his wife and daughter back home under one roof, and to make Jughead proud of him. The catch is that FP needs time, a month or two at the most to get his affairs all caught up. Jughead says that he believes his dad will fix it, and the two embrace. FP leaves, silently telling his son to stay with Archie until he is ready to move the family back in.
 
Over at the Pembrooke, Hermione and Veronica are waiting for the phone to ring. It is time for Hiram’s check in call, and Hermione is going to tell him all about forging Veronica’s name and why it was the right thing to grant the contract to Andrews Construction. A call from the penintentary comes in, and as Hermione accepts the collect call charges…
 
We cut to Andrews Construction, where Fred is doctoring up a July 11th time card for Jughead while Archie looks on. Archie notes that it looks like his dad has done something like this before. Fred replies that he has his own tricks, and that regardless of the person FP turned out to be, Jughead didn’t deserve what was happening to him and helping him out was the leeast he could do for Archie’s best friend.
 
Later at Pop Tate’s, Betty, Polly, Veronica, and Archie are waiting for the Blossoms to arrive. The plan is to make an arrangement with the Blossoms, and then get the Coopers involved afterwards. Cheryl arrives, less chipper than usual. When she sees Polly she briefly touches Polly’s baby bump and then tells Polly that she has to leave immediately. Apparently, the Blossoms intend to have the baby taken from Polly, pegging her as an unfit mother. Cheryl doesn’t want that for Polly, and certainly not for her beloved brother’s child. Polly starts freaking out, worried about where she could possibly go now, but Veronica has a solution.
 
At the Pembrooke Apartments, Hermione graciously accepts Polly into their home and is happy to help.
 
All the way back in Archie’s room, the redhead is setting up an air mattress for Jughead to sleep on. Archie apologizes for the drama between their fathers. Jughead appreciates his friend’s concern and states that he is not giving up on his dad adding that he hopes that his father goes back to work at Andrews Construction tomorrow.
 
As Jughead narrates a message about hope, we see FP drinking a beer back in his trailer home. As he walks off screen the camera focuses on a Riverdale High School letter jacket hanging in his closet with the name “Jason” monogrammed onto it.
 

My hot take on the Seventh episode:

 
Jughead was at the forefront of this episode. Everything you might have wanted to know about this version of Jughead was explained in good detail. From his family drama, to his wild troubled youth origins, we learned a lot about the Forsythe Pendleton Jones. What’s great, is that Cole Sprouse really sells the different aspects of this incarnation. There is a sardonic humor to his portrayal, but also an emotional outsider aspect that makes for great impact during his more intense scenes. All in all, more Jughead is a good thing. Perhaps one day we’ll even see him eat a cheeseburger…
 
Skeet Ulrich puts in a terrific performance as FP Jones. The character of FP Jones was frankly shallow in previous episodes, but this time he gets some meaty drama. The story of his fall from grace is compelling, and one of a man trying hard to provide for a family that has fallen on terribly hard times. Supporting an entire family on a single income is tough, but add huge hospital bills on top of that and it can be nearly impossible. Ulrich does a fantastic job as Jughead’s broken father, who is a functioning alcoholic that is trying to do right by his son. That dynamic is key, as you get the impression that Jughead is all FP has anymore, and the thought of losing his son is enough to make him want to be a better person.
 
I wasn’t feeling the grudge between Hermione and Veronica. I understand the drama, but I have a hard time believing that someone as strong willed as Hermione has that much trouble reigning in her daughter. The clubbing scene, complete with underage drinking, was exceptionally hard to swallow. Look, I know teenage shows have to ramp up the teenage/parent drama, but I felt that this story could have been handled in a better way.
 
Cheryl has a heart after all! It was a nice touch for Cheryl to show up and warn Polly to leave before the Blossom parents arrived. Considering how harsh family life is at teh Blossom mansion, and how badly Jason wanted to leave, it makes sense that Cheryl would want his child to be raised outside of her parents control.
 
The devil is in the details, and this episode seemed so focused on Polly and Jughead that many other things got glossed over. There were some elements from the previous episode that were not carried over very well (if at all). What is going on between Archie and Valerie? Is Veronica still a member of the Pussycats? Did Josie ever confront her father for leaving during her performance? None of these topics were even addressed in this episode. Hopefully, the next episode will connect to the overall season better than this one did. 
 
FP did not kill Jason Blossom. My guess is that he torched the car, possibly to protect his son but more likely to protect the interests of the Southside Serpents. My guess is Jason was killed by the Serpents, and as such it was up to FP to torch the car to get rid of the evidence. Perhaps he took the jacket to stop it from being found, thusly making it more difficult to prove that it was connected to Jason Blossom. Honestly, I have no clear idea why he took the jacket. Regardless, this is a red herring.
 
At the half-way point of season 1, I’m calling Ms. Grundy as Jason Blossom’s killer. I think FP torched Jason’s car as part of his obligation to the Southside Serpents. With Jason being heavily into selling drugs, it is safe to assume that the Serpents were his supplier. Somewhere along the way something went wrong and Jason found himself in trouble with the gang. For whatever reason, it all went south and when they needed someone to kill him, who better than Ms. Grundy? She is living with a fake identity, has a shady past, privately tutored Jason Blossom, and had an unexplained pistol in her car. The story she fed Archie about her identity was clearly a lie. It makes more sense that she is a Southside Serpent that worked as a teacher to make ends meet. The only thing missing is motive, but I think if she was sleeping with Jason before he started seriously dating Polly, it could just be simple jealousy. It’s also possible (maybe even more probable) that Hiram Lodge paid to have Jason Blossom killed to put the only major rich family, the Blossoms, off their game long enough for him to buy significant chunks of Riverdale and turn them into a huge profit machine for Lodge Industries. If this were Clue I would say: it was Ms. Grundy, with the pistol, in the forest, paid for by Hiram Lodge. I could be 100% wrong, but this is what my gut says right now.
 

Be sure to tune in for the next episode on March 30th as family rivalries between the Coopers and the Blossoms come to a head, Fred Andrews tries to protect his son from the Blossoms, and Archie gets into a physical altercation with the Southside Serpents!


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Gunn: SYLVESTER STALLONE Plays a 'Very Important' Marvel Character in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL.2

Also a previously top secret cast member is revealed.

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Marvel E-i-C Teases DEADPOOL Killing CABLE???

Bromance over.

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Doctor Who? The Question That Must Be Answered

By: Mary Rakas

Dorium Maldovar warned the Doctor that silence must fall when the question is asked. When Peter Capaldi announced early this year that he would leave Doctor Who after series ten, silence was not the response.

The news sparked a wave of speculation regarding who his replacement will be. Many actors have been thrown into the ring as possibilities. Eddie Redmayne, who portrayed Newt Scamander in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, has said in interviews he would like to fill the role.

Capaldi quickly became one of my all-time favorite versions of the Doctor, and as such, I think the next regeneration should stay on the mature side. Out of any actor of the new series, Capaldi showed the biggest capacity to embody the characteristics of all thirteen versions. He was calm, witty, and methodical like the first eight doctors, and sassy, energetic, and morose like the next four.

Nathan Fillion and Robert Downey, Jr., have come up as choices to play the first American Doctor. I can see Fillion’s version protecting his companion(s) like family and running from trouble. Downey, Jr. can effortlessly be clever, snarky, and a little bit crazy (in the best possible way).

Again, lack of time might be an issue with Downey Jr. There are a slew of Marvel movies scheduled for the near future and no end in sight to Iron Man appearances. As for Fillion, discussions have surfaced of a possible Firefly revival. If there is one, he may join the show again as Malcolm Reynolds.

Though on the younger side like Redmayne, another option is Rupert Grint. Even before Capaldi announced his departure, Grint was suggested to play the Time Lord to fulfill the Doctor’s desire to be a ginger. Grint is also a popular choice because it would provide an opportunity for Emma Watson to join the show as a new companion, thereby merging the Doctor Who and Harry Potter fandoms.

The Doctor should be a ginger some day. Grint could easily pull off the comedic and sarcastic facets of the Time Lord’s personality. However, since Grint has already joined the cast of a new series called Snatch, he may not have time for Doctor Who.

As for Watson, some arguments bypass making her a companion and say she should be the new Doctor. This brings us to another debate: should the next Doctor be a woman?

Arguments Against:

Personally, making the Doctor a woman wouldn’t be my first choice. The Doctor has been male for over 50 years, and the show remains immensely popular. Forcing a character change simply to make a statement would lessen the quality of the show. I think it would come through as a half-hearted plot twist with no real depth.

Secondly, with a new showrunner coming on board around the same time, living up to expectations would be a safe route to take, at least at first. There’s comfort in having a general notion of what will happen next. It would be better to wait and see how smoothly the transition goes before making drastic changes.

Arguments For:

Making the Doctor regenerate into a woman would mix things up. Some have suggested the show has become stale and predictable, lacking unique story lines and in-depth plots. Turning the Doctor into a Time Lady would offer more options to take the plot in directions we haven’t seen yet.

Building on this concept, with the Doctor running out of regenerations, the show may (eventually) cancel or hand the sonic screwdriver off to a new main character. This would be a good opportunity to cast a woman for the role.

My Picks:

Three actors would be fantastic in the role of the Doctor. If a younger actor were cast, Tom Hiddleston would be a good choice. Charm, class, and an ability to show the darker side of the Time Lord, as shown in the tenth Doctor’s “the laws of time will obey me” speech, would make him a good fit.

If the show takes the American Doctor route, Peter Dinklage would be an excellent choice. His ability to exude wit, complexity, and conflicting emotions would be an asset to the show.

The main roadblock with these choices is the number of projects they are involved in. Hiddleston will be busy with the upcoming release of Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War. Dinklage, meanwhile, will most likely be occupied with the final seasons of Game of Thrones.

My last choice is Tilda Swinton. Based on her role as the Ancient One in Doctor Strange, she could easily exhibit the extraordinary knowledge of the Doctor, as well as his lofty, mysterious air. I can hear her reciting the ninth Doctor’s explanation of who he is:

“I can feel it. The turn of the Earth. The ground beneath our feet is spinning at a thousand miles an hour. And the entire planet is hurtling around the sun at sixty-seven thousand miles an hour and I can feel it.”


I would support a woman Doctor under two conditions. First, the change would have to be a natural next step to progress the story. Second, the actress would need to be flexible in expressing the Doctor’s dynamic persona.

Whoever is chosen as the next Time Lord, man or woman, we can be sure Doctor Who will continue leading us through exciting adventures in time and space.


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