Welcome to today's edition of Nerd Alert, where we have all the day's eccentric, nerdy news for you in one convenient spot. What do we have in store for you this fine Thursday? You can learn how to make your own retractable Wolverine claws, find out how to pick up a Star Wars arcade video game for a cool $100,000, and check out a real seismologist reacting to the earthquake-related destruction in the upcoming San Andreas. So sit back, relax, and check it all out in today's Nerd Alert!
Make Your Own Wolverine Claws
After 15 years, Hugh Jackman's Wolverine continues to be one of the most popular superhero characters on the big screen, which naturally leads to legions of cosplayers dressing up as him every year. Of course, the Wolverine claws can be tricky, since none of us are actually infused with Adamantium, but the innovators at MyoWare have come up with with a design for claws that will extend and retract with just the flick of your arm. CLICK HERE for step-by-step instructions on how to build your own Wolverine claws.
Own a Star Wars Arcade Video Game For Just $100,000
For those wealthy Star Wars fans with (a lot) of money to burn, Bandai Namco is selling a home version of the arcade game Star Wars Pod Wars. The home edition will cost $35,000, but the Premium Edition will cost $100,000. If you have this kind of cash laying around, you can CLICK HERE for more information. The Battle Pod game will be available for pre-order on June 18.
A Real Seismologist Reacts to San Andreas
The woman pictured above with Dwayne Johnson is Dr. Lucy Jones, a seismologist for the U.S. Geological Survey, who was invited to the San Andreas red carpet premiere in Hollywood earlier this week. The seismologist used her Twitter account to shed some light on the factual inaccuracies littered throughout the movie, which centers on a massive earthquake that decimates the California coastline, although she does praise San Andreas at times as well. Check out her tweets below, which also offer a number of helpful hints in the event of an earthquake.
Does the International Space Station Have a Real Star Wars Death Star?
In order to combat the plague that is high-speed space debris, which could cause catostrophic damage, the International Space Station (ISS) is developing a system to track all of this debris, complete with a high-powered laser that would either destroy the debris, or, at the very least, push it into our atmosphere, where it would disintegrate. Even though this laser is being used for good, it still sounds an awful lot like the Star Wars Death Star. It will still be a few years before this real-life Death Star is operational, but, regardless, it's still rather awesome.
LEGO First-Person Shooter Video
Everyone loves a good first-person shooter video game, but how great would they be in LEGO form? Youtube user AndrewMFilms has put together a video that offers LEGO versions of popular games such as Portal, Skyrim, Bioshock and Counter Strike.
The Shawshank Redemption In 8-Bit Video Game Form
The innovative folks at Cinefix continue their 8-Bit Cinema video series with the 1994 classic The Shawshank Redemption. This hilarious six-minute video breaks down the entire story of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) and how he eventually escaped from Shawshank prison. It actually looks like it would be a pretty good game, if one were made back in 1994.
The Wire Tautology Supercut
HBO's The Wire is not only considered one of the greatest shows of all time, but it may also be the most prolific when it comes to the use of the "tautology." A tautology is a phrase that essentially says the same thing twice, such as "It is what it is." This three-minute video shows every tautology from The Wire in chronological order throughout the show's five season run.
Inside Amy Schumer's The Universe With Bill Nye
The beloved Science Guy himself Bill Nye stopped by Comedy Central's Inside Amy Schumer, to reveal that the universe has the ability to communicate directly with white women. The hilarious clip is uncensored with R-rated language, so watch at your own risk.
That wraps it up for today's Nerd Alert. Do you have any suggestions for future Nerd Alert columns? Hit us up on Twitter @MovieWeb and send us your suggestions, and it may even make it in the next edition. Check back tomorrow for the next installment of Nerd Alert.