2020

The Eyes of Darkness by Dean Koontz

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The novel “The Eyes of Darkness” by Dean Koontz was published for the first time in 1981.

Christina “Tina” Evans is rebuilding her life after losing her son Danny in a tragic accident. She finally seems to have reached a positive turning point in her job when she starts see messages of various kinds that have in common the fact that they claim that Danny is not dead.

Initially Tina thinks that her ex-husband Michael is lashing out to her after the bitter divorce that followed their son’s death, but when she confronts him she realizes that he has nothing to do with it. She turns to Elliot Stryker, a lawyer she met through mutual acquaintances, to get Danny’s body exhumed, but someone tries to kill her.

Oculudentavis khaungraae fossil

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An article published in the journal “Nature” reports the identification of a small bird-like dinosaur from the examination of a skull preserved in a piece of amber dating back to about 99 million years ago, in the Cretaceous period, found in Myanmar. A team of researchers named it Oculudentavis khaungraae and it could be the smallest dinosaur ever, with a size comparable to a hummingbird’s. However, the identification is disputed even if, at least for now, counterarguments have only been published in an article of the Chinese Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP).

Soji (Isa Briones) and Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) in Broken Pieces (Image courtesy CBS All Access / Amazon Prime Video)

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“Broken Pieces” is the eighth episode of the TV show “Star Trek: Picard” and follows “Nepenthe”. It’s available in the USA on the CBS All Access streaming platform and in many other countries on Amazon Prime Video.

On the Borg cube, Elnor (Evan Evagora) needs help to avoid Narissa (Peyton List). Dr. Agnes Jurati (Alison Pill) faces the consequences of her actions. Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Soji (Isa Briones) arrive on the starship La Sirena, and Captain Rios (Santiago Cabrera) has an unexpected reaction.

Specimens of Himalayan red panda (Ailurus fulgens) and Chinese red panda (Ailurus styani)

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An article published in the journal “Science Advances” reports genetic evidence that there are two distinct species of red panda, or lesser panda, (Ailurus fulgens) and not two subspecies, as per taxonomic classification that existed for over a century and based on morphological differences. A team of researchers carried out genomic research which led to the conclusion that there’s a substantial genetic divergence that adds to the differences found with the classic methods. Consequently, a new classification was proposed with the species Himalayan red panda (Ailurus fulgens) and Chinese red panda (Ailurus styani) instead of the two subspecies. If confirmed, this result poses new problems in saving red pandas from extinction.

Al Clark by Jonathan G. Meyer

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The novel “Al Clark” by Jonathan G. Meyer was published for the first time in 2014. It’s the first book in the Al Clark series.

Al Clark wakes up with no memory, to the point that he reads his name when he looks around to try to understand his situation. Exploring the pod in which he was in suspended animation, he meets a boy who has already been awake for a while and discovers he’s on a spaceship traveling to a planet to be colonized. Together, they start awakening other people, including the captain.

With at least a part of the crew awakened, it becomes possible to start seriously assessing the situation of their mission. The aspiring colonists realize that their journey has ended and the spaceship is orbiting Avalon, the planet that’s supposed to become their new home. Their problems, however, are not over because the planet is inhabited, and the investigation into the reasons why the crew wasn’t awakened in the scheduled way indicates that there was a sabotage.