I think I would’ve done a lot better in 10th grade Chemistry if we’d studied the Periodic Table of Sci-Fi Film and Television. And I get the feeling I’m not the only one. Click to biggie-size. More

It’s hard for a lot of us to relate to what goes on in fashion, but Alexander McQueen , recently deceased , strode across some familiar territory in his final works. Shots like this are as sci-fi as they are high-fashion. [ BoingBoing ] More

Computers in movies look nothing like the beasts we lug around today. They’re thin and light, a single pane that jumps to life when touched. Technology follows Hollywood dreams; here’s hoping this montage is a portent of what’s coming soon. The world will be shocked if Apple doesn’t reveal a tablet computer next week. It won’t be the first, not by any stretch, and it won’t be the first multitouch device, naturally. But as we envision it , the tablet represents the fusion of two of the most steadfast dreams of sci-fi nerds and ordinary people alike.

Over at the Taiwan Broadband show , Ericsson’s vision for the portable computer of 2020 uses a pico-projected screen and laser-projected keyboard. And though they’ve got a rough prototype (pictured), they imagine it ultimately squeezing into this bizarre spider-leg tripod design: It’d have essentials like wireless broadband connectivity and a battery, but I’m hoping that we’ll have cooler stuff than a laser projected keyboard by 2020. Their time has come and gone already, no? Less of that, more interactive holographic display technology, please.

Here’s the very first trailer of James Cameron’s much-hyped 3D film Avatar . And as you can see, it’s a highly aggressive blend of live action and CGI, science fiction and fantasy: Watch the trailer in high rez (links below) and it’s apparent that many of the visual effects (like the mechs in the early shots) are made to look intentionally artificial, blending the real and artificial worlds in hyperreality. And I really don’t know what else to say other than, my interest is certainly piqued. What about yours?

Sci Fi Wire makes a convincing argument, in both authoritarian pie chart form and debatable exposition, as to why Star Trek is cool (again). But what’s missing from the chart? Two words: Lens flare . Man has long marveled at the bright and shiny. He obsesses over soft metals, like gold, because of their luster.

Sci Fi Wire makes a convincing argument, in both authoritarian pie chart form and debatable exposition, as to why Star Trek is cool (again). But what’s missing from the chart? Two words: Lens flare . Man has long marveled at the bright and shiny. He obsesses over soft metals, like gold, because of their luster. And diamonds, while hardened for industry, are more just as often if not more reserved for rings representing sacred vows

Ever wondered when exactly we can expect the events from your favorite sci-fi movie to happen? Thanks to Dan Meth’s awesome Futuristic Movie Timeline, you’ll wonder no more. Ugh, only 4 more years ’til the Postman. Damn you, Costner! [ Dan Meth ]

Here’s the latest promo shot of Virtuality , Ron Moore ’s latest pilot coming to Fox* on June 26th. Note that Moore has completely reimagined sci-fi once again in that astronauts now wear spongy suits. Intended to be a bit less intense than BSG ’s post-apocalyptic doom and gloom, Virtuality is about 12 astronauts on Man’s first starship, the Phaeton. They’re on a 10-year journey (feeling confident, aren’t we Mr. Moore?) and will kill the time by plugging in to their own customized virtual reality worlds—a sort of holodeck meets the Matrix.

The out-and-proud machine fetishists over at io9 have compiled a list of the 15 deadliest robot sirens ever imagined , from Blade Runner ’s replicant Pri to Austin Powers ‘ gun-boobed Fembots. [ io9 ]