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After announcing the Mission Innovation program to convince nations to double their clean energy investment budgets, Bill Gates has launched another massive initiative at the United Nations Climate Change conference in Paris. The Breakthrough Energy...

Game of Thrones star Hafthor Bjornsson has set a new world record, surpassing his own previous keg-tossing high.

According to Giants Live, the actor who plays Ser Gregor Clegane (aka "The Mountain") on the popular HBO series was able to toss a 33-pound keg over 23 feet in the air.

"It was easy!" Bjornsson said of the feat. "I could have broken the roof. It was amazing to do this in front of the great crowd. Bring on Europe's Strongest Man."

That's not the only record the Game of Thrones actor has managed to shatter this year, having tossed a 56-pound kettlebell over 19 feet in the air with a single arm at the Arnold Sports Festival back in March. If that weren't enough, Bjornsson also broke a 1000-year-old weightlifting record the month prior.

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Note: The Expanse debuts December 14th on Syfy, but the premiere episode can be seen now online, including here at IGN right below. However, our premiere review doesn't delve into major spoilers.

The Expanse might just be the show we’ve been waiting for that will finally fill a void that has existed in the science fiction genre, on TV, for some time now. We’ve seen some space-based science fiction shows crop up in recent years that have shown potential. The quality of programming on Syfy is starting to ramp up again with shows like Dark Matter and Killjoys but while both show promise they don’t deliver anything groundbreaking. After a single episode, The Expanse, based on the series of novels by James S.A. Corey, already feels like it’s delivered a rich and interesting world that is bursting with plenty of potential.

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It was only last year that Formula E made its debut as the first racing series exclusively for electric cars. Now, after just two seasons of championships, its organizers are already preparing for another first: a driverless racing series. The series...

The investment banking world's infatuation with blockchain — the technology made famous by bitcoin — continues.

5 more banks have signed up the industry-wide group looking at how to use the technology in mainstream banking. They are: BNP Paribas, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, ING Bank, Macquarie Bank, and Wells Fargo & Co.

That takes the total number of banks now backing the R3 initiative to 30. R3 is a startup in its own right, headed by a former Wall Street veteran, but it has done a hell of a job bringing all the rival banks together.

R3's CEO David Rutter told us the plan is to build the "fabric" of blockchain technology for banking and build out some use cases.

The blockchain is the software that both powers and regulates cryptocurrency bitcoin. In its most basic form, it records ownership of bitcoin — money — and transactions, one person paying another.

The software uses a distributed ledger to police the network, meaning a certain proportion of the vast network must sign off on any transaction before it can go through. The replaces the need for a "trusted middleman" to sit in between parties in a transaction.

While the original blockchain underpins bitcoin, banks are keen to create a similar network that can help it do things that settlement and international payments. More way-out possible uses include registering ownership assets and securities on the network.

R3 on Thursday also unveiled the team who will be working on bringing blockchain technology to mainstream banking:

• CTO Richard Gendal Brown, formerly the executive architect for banking innovation at IBM;
• Chief engineer James Carlyle, the former chief engineer for personal and corporate banking architecture at Barclays;
• Lead platform engineer Mike Hearn, an ex-senior software engineer at Google and one of the first bitcoin users;
• Architecture consultant Ian Grigg, inventor of the Ricardian Contract and co-inventor of triple entry accounting;
• and head of research Tim Swanson, market researcher who has authored a study on bitcoin.

Rutter says in an emailed statement: "The combined strength of our technology team and the diverse global footprint of our member banks — now including five more members — clearly differentiates us and puts us in a unique and exciting position within the distributed ledger space.

"The R3 collaborative model is the best way to quickly, efficiently and cost effectively deliver these new technologies to global financial markets. We look forward to welcoming more players to our growing team as the initiative continues to develop and evolve."

Here's the full list of the dream team of banks signed up to the R3 blockchain working group:

Bank of America, Barclays, BBVA, BNP Paribas, BNY Mellon, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, CIBC, Citi, Commerzbank, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, ING Bank, J.P. Morgan, Macquarie Bank, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Mizuho Financial Group, Morgan Stanley, National Australia Bank, Nordea, Royal Bank of Canada, Royal Bank of Scotland, SEB, Societe Generale, State Street, Toronto-Dominion Bank, UBS, UniCredit, and Wells Fargo.

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NOW WATCH: SeaWorld is ending its killer whale show after being criticized for how it treats them

If you've not seen the Captain America: Civil War trailer, watch it now before reading any further...

Now let's take a much closer look at the trailer, and potentially what lies ahead for Cap, Bucky, and – given the stakes – the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The analysis in the video above and written below contains a good deal of speculation, with some bits more grounded in fact and quote than others, but since we might strike on the truth, consider this a spoiler warning.

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Koei Tecmo announced Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 a few months ago, and today, we’re learning Team Ninja has no plans for a western release for fear of backlash from the gaming community outside of Japan.

Answering a fan on the official Dead or Alive Facebook page, Team Ninja revealed there are currently no plans to bring DoA Xtreme 3 to the west. “We do not bring DOAX3 to the west and won't have any plan change in the future,” the studio said when asked if the game would be headed to the US and EU regions.

Team Ninja followed up its original statement to reveal the real reason behind not planning to develop the game for western territories. “Do you know many issues happening in video game industry with regard to how to treat female in video game industry? We do not want to talk those things here. But certainly we have gone through in last year or two to come to our decision. Thank you.”

Considering how outraged the gaming community has been over certain aspects of popular games over the years, we can’t exactly blame the studio for their decision. Fortunately, for those who would love nothing more than to see bubbly girls wearing skimpy clothing while on vacation, Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 will be region free and all of its menus and subtitles will be available in English. This should make the process of importing it once it’s released a breeze.

The three-robot act COMPRESSORHEAD — consisting of four-armed drummer Stickboy, guitarist Fingers and bassist Bones — has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help develop a fourth robot — a "heavyweight" lead vocalist — and to eventually become "the first 100% robot band to record an original album." Says COMPRESSORHEAD: "In our workshop, the production wheels are steaming, as we prepare for the first record with our own music, which will be composed and recorded by no one less than John Wright, the punk rock legend of NOMEANSNO and THE HANSON BROTHERS. At the same time, a singer robot is about to be engineered over the coming months. "We aim to release and premiere both, the new 'four-member band' show as well as the COMPRESSORHEAD record in summer 2016" at next year's Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany." Hailing from Germany, COMPRESSORHEAD is comprised of 5-foot-tall humanoids. All are built out of scrap metal, with movement made possible by electro pneumatics and music controlled via Midi. Frank Barnes, the human behind Stickboy, told NBC News: "If there is a loud reaction in the audience, the singer will be able to react to that and he can also make comments during the show." He added: "We are presently building a robot that will probably weigh a quarter of a ton once it is finished." COMPRESSORHEAD was "formed" in 2008 as a one-man roboto drum act, but only began to draw attention after becoming a trio and putting out a video of its version of MOTÖRHEAD's "Ace Of Spades" in 2013. The group's setlist also includes LED ZEPPELIN's "Whole Lotta Love", RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's "Bullet In The Head" and the RAMONES' "Blitzkrieg Bop".

Blue Origin, the private space firm owned by Amazon's Jeff Bezos, has just dropped a huge, unexpected gauntlet in the race to develop a reusable rocket. It just launched its New Shepard space vehicle (video, below) consisting of a BE-3 rocket and cre...

Every so often dogs act a little too much like humans for their owner's liking. Caught on camera, this terrier had become impatient at waiting for its owner outside a shop – honking...

An Australian company called Humai claims they're working on tech that will allow them to bring their clients back from the dead within thirty years.

In an interview with Australian Popular Science, Humai CEO Josh Bocanegra offers a little insight into how their process is different from other firms. "We'll first collect extensive data on our members for years prior to their death via various apps we're developing. After death we'll freeze the brain using cryonics technology. When the technology is fully developed we'll implant the brain into an artificial body. The artificial body functions will be controlled with your thoughts by measuring brain waves. As the brain ages we'll use nanotechnology to repair and improve cells."

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Here we go again with the <a href=/bands/band.php?band_id=495&bandname=Tool>Tool</a> updates, some might think, but... according to an <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/tool-s-adam-jones-on-2016-tour-album-progress-amazing-new-song-20151123">interview with the Rolling Stone magazine</a>, it looks as if the guys in <a href=/bands/band.php?band_id=495&bandname=Tool>Tool</a> are optimistic regarding the completion of their still untitled fifth studio album. <a href="/events/news_comments.php?news_id=27994>Read more...</a>

Legends of Tomorrow will join the shared DC Comics television universe of Arrow and The Flash starting on Jan. 21.

The news comes from a conversation between Warner Bros. Television Group President Peter Roth, and Executive Producer Greg Berlanti at the Paley Center for Media.

"For those of you who don't know Greg is currently shepherding the numbers one and two highest rated new series of the year," Roth said. "With a third series, Legends of Tomorrow, we have very high hopes for on January the 21st."

Berlanti's new series this year include NBC's Blindspot, and the also DC Comics-based Supergirl for CBS. He's also a producer on The Flash and Arrow, which will precede Legends' on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, respectively.

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Vin Diesel has announced a new television series based on the Chronicles of Riddick fictional universe. Diesel also announced David Twohy has started work on the next installment in the Riddick film series.

On his Instagram, Diesel announced the series, titled Merc City, "will follow the Mercs and Bounty Hunters of the Riddick Universe."

Diesel has been busy with entertainment spin-offs. The Merc City series is only one such franchise in which Vin Diesel is involved. Speaking to Variety earlier in the month, Diesel said he's working right now on spin-offs of the Fast & the Furious film franchise.

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Dyson is very confident about its new vacuum. Then again, with this price, it has to be. On sale now in Japan for just shy of 150,000 yen ($1,200), the 360 Eye is the company's first robotic model -- although it's not for lack of trying. It might b...

Government officials have been vexed for quite some time now that they can't surveil communications that use end-to-end encryption. Never mind that to crack encrypted platforms open for one spy would mean to open them up for all spies. Just being a...

In a landmark decision more than two decades in the making, the US Food and Drug Administration announced its approval of a genetically modified Atlantic Salmon variant on Thursday. The AquAdvantage salmon, which was initially developed back in 198...

Firm adds an extra layer of protection to your shopping experience

"The Remedy", the new video from PUSCIFER, the Arizona-based electro-rock band fronted by TOOL's Maynard James Keenan, can be seen below. The song is taken from PUSCIFER's third full-length album, "Money Shot", which was released on October 30 via Puscifer Entertainment. To promote the "Money Shot" release, PUSCIFER has returned to the road, kicking off a six-week outing on November 1 at the Monster Mash festival in Phoenix. It's no surprise that Keenan choose to debut the electro rock band-meets-comedy troupe on a Las Vegas stage (PUSCIFER's first shows were at The Pearl Theatre in the Palms Casino). In the intervening years, we've met a cadre of characters including Billy D and Hildy Berger, Major Douche, Peter Merkin and spent time around a campfire, with an Airstream trailer in the background, as audiences enjoyed a Sonoran sunset. PUSCIFER, who thrive on the element of surprise, have revamped their stage show. The live lineup for the "Money Shot" tour includes Keenan, Mat Mitchell, Carina Round, Jeff Friedl, Mahsa Zargaran and the newest addition, Paul Barker (MINISTRY, LEAD INTO GOLD). "Money Shot" track listing: 01. Galileo 02. Agostina 03. Grand Canyon 04. Simultaneous 05. Money Shot 06. The Arsonist 07. The Remedy 08. Smoke And Mirrors 09. Life Of Brian (Apparently You Haven't Seen) 10. Autumn

Not on his watch, preferably

We all know the pain of stepping on a stray Lego piece with bare feet. Luckily, Lego has now commissioned a pair of padded anti-Lego slippers that will considerably lessen the pain the next time you trod on one of its blocks.

The red-and-yellow slippers, which bear the Lego logo over the toes, feature a heavily padded insole to cushion your feet. The slippers are rectangular so that they can fit onto left or right feet, reducing fumbling to put them on if you need to brave a Lego-dotted hallway to get to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

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A concerned Colorado citizen called the police after becoming concerned that a Tesla owner was putting children in the boot of their car &ndash; without realising that the model in question...

CBS is pulling Monday night's episodes of Supergirl and NCIS: Los Angeles in the wake of last week's terrorist attacks in Paris.

The episodes, which featured terrorism-themed content, are being replaced "out of sensitivity and respect to the events that occurred," a CBS insider told TVLine.

The originally-planned episode of Supergirl, dubbed "How Does She Do It?" centered around bombings in National City and will be replaced by "Livewire," its Thanksgiving episode which was supposed to air next week.

Meanwhile, NCIS: Los Angeles' "Defectors" episode, which included ISIS recruitment of young women, is being replaced by "The Long Goodbye," which was originally set to air the first week of December.

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The British Museum in London holds an array of beautiful and historically significant artifacts including the Rosetta Stone, which helped historians to understand the ancient hieroglyphics used in Egypt. Today, the organisation is teaming up with G...

Believe it or not, there are already vending machines for cars. However, they typically require that you walk over to your new ride -- it's not much more than a cute take on what you'd see at a regular dealership. Carvana isn't happy with this stat...

When a driverless car glides down the street, avoiding pedestrians and stopping at traffic lights, what exactly does it see? Is the machine's perspective of the world so different to you and me? To give us an inside look, ScanLAB Projects strapped...

Building new hardware has become increasingly easier thanks to the rise of 3D printing and the quick prototyping that's now possible thanks to devices like the Arduino, Raspberry Pi and LittleBits. With Nvidia dropping the Jetson TX1's machine-lear...

Someday, you might be able to throw a lab-grown meat party with not only burgers, but also tempura on the menu. A startup called New Wave Foods is developing artificial shrimp meat in the laboratory, urged by environmental destruction and the other...