tv update

F and I are almost finished with Star Trek Next Gen season 3. However, we're holding off on the last episode a little bit, because I noticed that it was a two-parter and I totally remember being traumatized by the cliffhanger when I was ten years old, so we're waiting for a time when we can watch the last s3 ep and the first s4 ep back to back. Also, it's time for Wesley to go to the Academy already.

We watched all of season 1 of Torchwood and the first two episodes of season 2. ( Read more... )

Our To Watch queue right now includes Downton Abbey (because everyone and their moms won't freakin' shut up about it), the last season of The Wire, and Twin Peaks (I've had the box set for over a year now). And I don't know when Walking Dead is coming back, and when or if Community will be back. I'm also kind of hoping to keep up with the Celebrity Apprentice just to see George Takei ohhh-myyyyy all over The Donald. Haven't seen the first episode yet, though.

Penn Museum Event: Ötzi the Iceman, February 1, 2012

Lecture Description:

Ötzi the Iceman: The Puzzle of a 5300 Year-old Alpine Mummy
by Dr. Thomas F. Tartaron
In September 1991, two German tourists discovered a frozen body emerging from the melting ice of a glacier in the South Tyrolian Alps along the Italian-Austrian border. Although it was initially believed to be a modern corpse, it was quickly realized from the associated clothing and artifacts that the body was quite ancient, mummified naturally in the frozen environment. The discovery set off a frenetic regime of examination and testing, as well as a series of disputes about the discovery and ownership of the mummy, and even claims of a "mummy's curse."

Nicknamed "Ötzi" after the Ötz Valley in which he was found, the male mummy has been dated to approximately 5,300 years ago, during the Chalcolithic (Copper) Age. His extraordinary preservation and the full complement of clothing and belongings he carried with him have given archaeologists and other scientists a unique window onto life and death in that remote period.

Dr. Tartaron will recount the story of the discovery and subsequent investigation of Ötzi, separating fact from fiction, discuss his belongings, and summarize the results of scientific analyses. There is much that is now known about Ötzi's life, including his health, injuries and illnesses, diet including his last meals, his tattoos, and aspects of his daily activities. Recently, Ötzi's DNA has been tested to address his relationship to modern populations. The body also revealed much about how Ötzi died and how he came to be preserved for thousands of years in the ice. Much abut Ötzi remains a puzzle, but thanks to this single discovery we know infinitely more about life in the European Alps more than five millennia ago.

This lecture was pretty awesome. I really enjoyed hearing about how Ötzi was found and what they've discovered about him. I only dozed off during some of the DNA discussions. The AW liked the lecture a lot too. We did keep wondering why Dr. Tartaron was chosen to do/chose to do this topic, because other than the fact that he does a nice presentation on it, he doesn't seem to be an expert in either mummies or the culture of the people who lived in this area during Ötzi's time. But it was a good lecture, and we learned a lot, so it's all good.

The only downside is that this was my last archaeology lecture! Now that I have an official paying yoga teacher gig on Wednesday nights, I can't cancel class once a month to go to archaeology lectures. Sad face. The AW is sorry that yoga got in the way of our marriage, but I told her that maybe we can reconcile things and get back together someday.