[UPDATE BELOW] What? You don't think this country needs "Austrian economics" to return to greatness? Why, if you just Wikipedia what that means, surely you'll—GAH! While Wikipedia and Reddit have gone black today to protest the anti-internet piracy bills SOPA and PIPA, the 20,000-strong NY Tech Meetup group has organized a protest today between 12:30 and 2 p.m. in front of the offices of Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand—both supporters of the legislation. more ›

This afternoon, we received a tip with the subject line "Nude Gaming Party in NY," with the note, "had no idea this was going on in this city, but then again anything goes here." Instead of deleting the email, like we normally do when we see something with the word "nude" in the title, we decided to open and cautiously examine the video. In the name of science, of course. And lo and behold! We were in for a treat. (Warning: video borderline NSFW) more ›

In a win for science nerds around the world, a Kingsborough Community College professor has discovered a new mineral, called krotite, that "may help to uncover the mysteries of the universe." Whoa! more ›

The novel may be going the way of the Nook and the iPad, but there's still one form of larger-than-life storytelling which truly benefits from its physical incarnation: comic books! And today really is the greatest day to be a fan, or to dip your toes in the water of spandex-clad superheroes: it's the tenth annual Free Comic Book Day (FCBD). Check out the introductory video below. more ›

Who loves Theater more: nerds or tourists? According to Broadway League's 13th annual demographics report, it is decidedly more frequented by tourists! They make up 63 percent of the 11.89 million people who visited Broadway this past year. And one-out-of-four of those tourists were from abroad, so they probably couldn't even understand the rich subtext of Mamma Mia! more ›

There's a certain type of bitter nerd who takes extreme pleasure in proving that they are smarter than their teachers. Based on an article today where they lace into a principal with terrible grammar, we take it that the Daily News was one of those nerds. Not that they don't have a point however: Principal Andrew Buck of the Middle School for Art and Philosophy wrote an incoherent, rambling mess of an email to staff, defending his policy of not providing textbooks. But, who the hell expects coherency from an art and philosophy manager! more ›

This week has been filled with stories of teens and adults having sketchy sex, as well as good advice on how to spot a sex-addicted professor. Today's tale of creepy underage love takes us across the country: Jessica Pearce, 33, is accused of flying a 16-year-old NJ boy to Washington after carrying on a sexual relationship together for more than a year. The cross-country lovers met the old fashioned way: while playing "World of Warcraft" online. Just your classic MMORPG courtship, like When Harry Met Undead Warlock. more ›

Bad news for Steve Urkel: you probably can't get into the Boom Boom Room. In the latest Post undercover report, six stereotypical clubgoers were sent to "exclusive" clubs like the Boom Boom Room, 1Oak and Marquee to test who could gain entrance. The guido, nerd, "nerdette," cougar, suburban dad and a "Jersey girl" hit the streets in the most outlandishly cliche attire imaginable. Seriously, look at the Post's photos. So, how did they do? more ›

Last night at Pete's Candy Store in Williamsburg, Robert Moy took home the crown at the finale of the long-running Williamsburg Spelling Bee (now about to enter its 9th season in February). It's more commonly known as the "Hipster Spelling Bee," but that just seems like the same reactionary snark fired at anything happening within sneezing distance of a few Brooklyn L stops. When one of the nine contestants offhandedly mentioned that she was "channeling her inner Rebecca Steele," we agreed with the assessment of another overheard label: "Nerd Soup" (it's charming, in an Alpha Bits cereal sort of way). more ›

Triumph the Insult Comic Dog never seems to run out of material when it comes to making fun of nerds. Ever since Conan O'Brien and (the man beneath Triumph) Robert Smigel let him loose on the Star Wars fans lined up for the premiere of Attack of the Clones in 2002, sci-fi and comic book fans have been a regular target for Triumph. Last night, Conan showed Triumph's latest trail of terror throughout last weekend's Comic-Con in San Diego. In the video, Triumph himself is astounded at some point that he hasn't run out of fat jokes. Yet no matter how many comic book nerds he goes after for being fat, chronic masturbating virgins, the shtick never seems to get old. more ›

In American Nerd: The Story of My People, Brooklyn-based writer Benjamin Nugent combines a peripatetic history of the word “nerd” with accounts of the various kinds of people it is most often used to describe. The book includes an autobiographical dose; one section called “My Credentials” details Nugent’s early 90s adolescent exodus from d20-style probabilities. On page 3, Nugent fittingly discloses: “when I was eleven, I had a rich fantasy life in which I carried a glowing staff.” But American Nerd isn’t a massive, single subject history, and it isn’t straightforward memoir. The book is often poignant, especially when Nugent revisits the proving grounds of his young nerd-hood, and more often than that it is funny. The nerd you recognize in its pages may very well be yourself. more ›