Inspired by fellow Sciblogger Michael Edmond’s recent post on science fiction, I present something very much in that rein.  Universe.  Star system.  Something…

I’ve been a lifelong lover of all things science fiction.  My early reading included much Asimov and C. Clarke, and the offerings of recent science fiction writers are a veritable cornupia of joy (Ian M Banks’ Culture novels being a good example).

Of course, there’s also been some very fine science fiction visualised through television, cinema (and more recently, teh interwebs) over the years.  Of these, a particular favourite was the modern remake of Battlestar Galactica.  Truly, truly glorious stuff.  For those who’ve not watched it: do so.  You don’t even have to like sci-fi, promise (it’s that good).

And so to my gift.  Well, a gift given the world by BSG’s science advisor Kevin Grazier and writer Jane Espenson, with dissemination aid by yours truly: a beautiful, and ‘totally official’ map of The Twelve Colonies of Kobol: central dogma to the mythos of BSG.

Click to enlarge

Go here to see a higher-res version of the map, or to order a real version* of it.  The site also has a rather fascinating interview with the map’s creators, which was intended as a backgrounded of its development, but ended up being a lovely little backgrounder on the science and backstory of BSG.

And, since I promised, some Goldacre too (my, what a day of gifties).

I was sent this recently, and, quite amazed that I hadn’t actually seen it, figured I’d share it for those who had also somehow missed it.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1Q3jZw4FGs&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

[Could he talk _any faster_?]

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* Likely to consign you to permanent, and godlike**, nerd/geekdom

** Pun intentional