We've featured Cédric Delsaux's mashups of Star Wars figures against urban settings in the past, but here he focuses particularly on Dubai. While many of Delsaux's photographs juxtapose Star Wars extraordinary visuals against a more gritty urban reality, the Dubai series is actually meant to show how utterly consonant Dubai's setting is with these science fiction elements. It invites us to ask whether the Dubai, for all its faults, is a truly modern city moving into the future, or a piece of urban planning fiction, every bit as contrived as the planets and space stations we see in the movies.

The Dark Lens — The Dubai Invasion [The Empty Quarter]

These photos are from Becka's Transmutations series, which was exhibited at Dubai's Empty Quarter Gallery this past fall. You can see more images from this series on Becka's website, and he has collected the photos and their waxed paper negatives in book form.

Transmutations [Martin Becka via CNN via William Gibson]

Sadly, this means no Death Star gracing the Dubai waterfront. Sphere-loving Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas will have to turn elsewhere to construct his weapon-shaped buildings. The proposed Anara Tower, with its giant, non-functional turbine, has also fallen to the architectural chopping block.

And though construction was set to begin on these wind-powered, rotating towers, they won't be spinning any time soon.

Perhaps, someday, these projects could be floated by another bubble, but for now they're going back in the drawer. You can see more architectural casualties of Dubai's financial crisis at Inhabitat.

Dubious Dubai: The Towers We Will Never See [Inhabitat]

There's no word on how Disney's recent acquisition of Marvel (or Dubai's recent economic woes) will affect the development of the Marvel park in Dubai, but reportedly the plan is to open its doors in 2012. Off-site testing has already begun on at least three attractions: Flying with Spidey, Fantasticar and X-Men: Danger Room.

These concept illustrations come from Chimera Design, and show several designs from the park's planned City of Super Heroes, as well as a map of the park.

Dubai World Marvel Super Heroes Theme Park Concept [Disney and More via Neatorama]

The whole thing is an ad for Rolling Thunder's own services, of course, and all the CG was done in house. It does all look very shiny, and we're suckers for glowing blue cityscapes with weird-shaped buildings and flying vehicles. At the same time, the trailer tries to mock the pomposity and grandeur of American trailers, but the satire actually rebounds onto the whole "Dubai is so futuristic" argument, by showing just how fake those pretty images really are.

And as various commenters have already pointed out, you can see some spaceships from Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica and other shows flying around Dubai. Do they know something we don't?

Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen:

Here's some new video of the Autobots in action, from the Chicago Auto Show. OMG, they look just like cars! [Jalopnik]

And here are names of the new Autobots in the film:

SIDESWIPE – a stylized Corvette vision concept vehicle
SKIDS and MUDFLAP – twin AUTOBOTS® based on Chevy's Beat (a concept that will go into production as the Chevy Spark in 2011) and Trax concepts
JOLT – an AUTOBOT-based on Chevy's upcoming Volt extended-range electric vehicle

Mudflap?? [TLAMB]]

Lost:

Apparently unlike the Oceanic Six, Walt doesn't need to return to the island. It's not just about them leaving the island, it's when and how they left, says Michael Emerson. [TV Guide]

And it sounds like Sun and Jin don't get reunited by episode 5x13, since that's the most recent script Daniel Dae Kim has read, and he's not sure when they'll get reunited. [TV Guide]

Dollhouse:

When we first see Tahmoh Penikett's Agent Ballard, he's taking a lot of punishment in a kick-boxing ring, only to inflict even worse pain on his opponent. Are you ready to see this man with his shirt off? [TV Guide via SpoilerTV]

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles:

Shirley Manson says her T-1001 gets out of the office more in the second half of the season, and gets to do some really cool shit. And her character's story arc takes some "extreme turns" in directions she hadn't expected. [Sci Fi Wire]

Heroes:

More developments on Ali Larter-watch. She doesn't have "more" screen time, but she does have "better" screen time. She's "incredibly fearless and resourceful" during the rest of the "Fugitives" storyline, and proves to be "an enduring presence" in the Heroes universe. [TV Guide]

Here's a sneak peek from Monday's episode:

Smallville:

Lois' underexposure will be remedied a bit, in the March 25 episode where she's torn between her feelings for Clark and her urgent desire to get close to the "Red-Blue Blur." [TV Guide]

And there are a few more script pages from the March 19 episode, "Stilleto," in addition to the ones we already reviewed. Lois shows up at an Edward R. Murrow Journalistic Society event, but the snooty woman at the door won't let her in, even though she works for the Daily Planet. Lois says she didn't wear five-inch heels for her health, but she can't change the woman's mind. So she says Edward R. Murrow can kiss her cub-reporter butt, just as Chloe shows up to save her.

Later, Chloe is in the hospital with a head injury (presumably from the mugging attempt that Lois foils.) And later still, Lois is looking for Jimmy, who's still undercover working at the Ace of Clubs. But Jimmy's not there - he's off trying to buy some drugs from a dealer, using counterfeit cash. [SpoilerTV]

Reaper:

Here's a new promo for season two of this devil's bounty-hunter show, plus Ray Wise talks about being the Devil.

Doctor Who:

Filming has begun in Dubai, and, of course, a fan has tracked down the filming location. Apparently the wind was kicking up too much sand to take pictures today, but Planet Gallifrey's Dubai correspondent hopes to get some photos tomorrow. In the meantime, it can at least be reported that David Tennant and Michelle Ryan are on set, and they were filming in a set of dunes about twenty minutes from the base camp. [Planet Gallifrey]

In case the vagueness of the previous description left something to be desired, the geniuses at the Doctor Who Forum found the filming location on Google Earth. So there's that. [The Doctor Who Forum]

Kings:

Finally, here are some promo pics for the first episode of NBC's present day alternate universe Biblical epic series (I think that covers everything - oh, and Ian McShane's in it), premiering March 12.

Additional reporting by Alasdair Wilkins

The Guardian thinks Doctor Who is gearing up to film one of its 2009 specials in the emirate, which is known for its repressive policies. (The laundry list includes crushing democracy, human rights violations, environmental devastation and zero tolerance for queer people.) Guardian blogger Gareth McLean makes a passionate argument as to why the show should not promote a place where the Doctor himself would foment a revolution if he ever showed up there:

When it comes down to it, there is no justification for filming in Dubai other than a) it is cheap, and b) we fancied a jolly. By filming there, the BBC and Doctor Who are lending Dubai credibility and respectability - neither of which it deserves. What's more, it's a move that totally goes against everything that the Doctor as a character stands for. At best, filming Doctor Who in Dubai is stupid. At worst, it's hypocritical - and it's hypocrisy fuelled by hubris at that. What would the Doctor do?

I'm guessing this move, if true, replaces the rumored alien-planet filming in Tunisia. (And McLean also lends credence to reports that the show is going to be filming at least one of the specials in the U.S. as well.) In any case, I can see why the show would want to film in Dubai — we've certainly oohed and ahhed over the futuristic buildings there, and it would be hard to create a location like that using pure CG. On the other hand, it's hard to dispute McLean's point: for a show as preachy (and as popular) as Doctor Who to lend its weight to the emirate sends a weird message. Of course, Russell T. Davies is also the writer whose era has seen the Doctor overthrowing repressive alien governments less often than any era since the mid-1970s. [Guardian]

In an effort to become the most architecturally advanced city in the world, Dubai has made plans for the world’s tallest building, the world’s largest arch bridge, and a building that changes shape over time.

Now they're keeping up with pace with Anara Tower, designed by British firm Atkins Design Studios At 2150 feet, it's just 500 feet shy of the nearly completed Burj Dubai, which will soon be the tallest building in the world. It will provide a mix of ultra-luxurious office, home, and hotel space, and will boast outdoor gardens extending into the highest floors. Despite the obvious industrial influence of the design, Atkins claims its inspiration was more religious in nature:

Inspired by the vertical shape and representation of the Minaret, the antecedent of lighthouses and skyscrapers of today, the central aim behind the creation of Anara Tower is to produce a form that would be instantly recognizable on the local, regional, and architectural stage.

Although Atkins does pledge to maximize the energy efficiency of the tower, the incorporation of the turbine-like propeller design is puzzling in a city whose projects have caused notorious ecological destruction, almost an ironic reminder of how environmentally unfriendly Dubai can be. But its incorporation in such an elegant way into such a beautifully designed and prominent building may offer hope that future architects will be more willing to incorporate more functional components in their building designs.

[Anara Tower via Inhabitat]

We've superimposed structures from Earth onto real Martian landscapes created by the Martian rovers and satellites orbiting Mars. You can see smaller photos of the original Earth structures next to each.

Black Rock City
Above, you can see what Black Rock City, home to Burning Man, would look like in a Martian crater. Why this city? Erected swiftly every year in the barren playa of Black Rock Desert in Nevada, the city is like a beta test for instant colonies erected in harsh alien climates. People use vehicles and temporary buildings to shield themselves from extreme temperatures and sandstorms. Would it work on Mars? If the buildings could provide atmosphere, yes. A Martian colony will need fast, temporary housing and will also need to be profoundly careful with the ecosystem on the planet. So the Burning Man credo of "leave no trace," meaning leave no trash or non-environmentally appropriate items, will become the credo of Mars too.

Anarctica
Already there is an international program devoted to simulating life on Mars in the arctic region. And Kim Stanley Robinson, author of the Red Mars trilogy, spent several seasons in Antarctica to get a feel for what it would be like to live on Mars. Many researchers have speculated that the new high-tech Antarctic science station, pictured here on a Martian landscape, would be perfect for the frigid, windy climate on Mars. It's placed on hydraulic legs that can lift or lower the station so that winds can blow underneath the station, and snow (or on Mars, sand) doesn't get packed around the walls.

Dubai
A vast city that grew out of a harsh desert climate over the past two decades, Dubai could provide a model for the Martian desert too. The problems? Even though the city grew quickly, it's not "instant" enough to provide a good colony blueprint. And the amount of power and raw materials required to build skyscrapers on this scale might not work on a planet whose natural resources are not as plentiful as the Earth.

Las Vegas
Like Dubai, Las Vegas is literally a city in a Martian-esque landscape (although Vegas is hot rather than freezing, the way Mars is). Much of Vegas is already under a dome, in the sense that most action on the strip takes place in vast, climate-controlled casino-malls. Would it provide a good model for a city on Mars? While Caesar's Palace might work as a domed city, the problem here is the same as in Dubai. The resources and water required to keep this city running on full power probably wouldn't exist on Mars.

Nunavut
The far-northern territory of Nunavut in Canada is an excellent analog for Mars. Cold and dry, the region is home to cities and peoples who are used to surviving the cold without the vast resources of a wealthy land like Dubai. Here, you can see the John Arnalukjuak School in a small city in Nunavut, which was built to withstand subzero temperatures while also using modest power. Low to the ground and insulated, the building is precisely the kind of shelter that would keep Martian kids of the future warm while they learn all about those weird old people from Earth.

Pueblos of United States and Mexico
The natives who lived in what later became Mexico and the United States built homes directly into rocky slopes, and later used clay to build vast, interconnected homes that stayed warm in winter and cool in summer. Small windows kept the worst of the desert wind out, and the thick clay walls provided excellent insulation. Obviously a pueblo alone wouldn't work as a Martian colony, but pueblo-style dwellings with atmospheric controls, low to the ground and interconnected, made from thick Martian clay, might be just the ticket for a Martian city.

Image spiffing by Stephanie Fox.

Image of the North American Pueblo at Taos by Bobak Ha'Eri. Image of Las Vegas by MattSims. Image of Nunavut school by eanoee. Image of Black Rock City from Incredimazing. Octal has a great set of photos of Dubai, including the one we used above that captures how much it is literally growing out of a barren desert.

- The top portion is a residential tower.
- The middle is an office tower.
- The bottom section is a huge shopping mall.
- The round spaces in between are communal sky gardens.
- The entire building is mechanically jacked, so each section twists slowly, giving people different views of the oceanfront over time.
- Estimated completion date: 2009

James Law Cybertecture main page

Those tubes are escalators connecting different living areas to each other.

Koolhaas says he's using this 6.5-mile square mini-city to launch a critique of generic cities filled with acres of sameness. He wants this city to look like a cross between the supergeneric urban spaces of New York and the superfantastical, weirdly-shaped buildings for which Koohaas is known. According to the New York Times:

The core of the development would be the island, which would be divided into 25 identical blocks. Neat rows of towers — some tall and slender, others short and squat, depending on the zoning — line the blocks, as if a fragment of Manhattan had been removed with a scalpel and reinserted in the Middle East.

The monotony is broken by mixed-use structures whose immense scale and formal energy draw on mythic examples from architectural history. A spiraling 82-story tower might have been inspired by the minaret of the ninth-century Great Mosque of Samarra in Iraq; a gargantuan 44-story sphere brings to mind the symbolic forms of the 18th-century architect Étienne-Louis Boullée.

City on the Gulf [NYT]

Here's some info on the bridge as envisioned by New York architecture firm Fxfowle:

- It's one mile long and 670 feet tall.
- It will have 12 lanes for traffic.
- It will cost 817 million dollars.
- The design has Sheikh Mohammed's official stamp of approval.
- The bridge will carry more than 2,000 vehicles per hour in each direction.
- A metro line will run across the middle.
- Construction begins in March, with a slated completion date of 2012. Images by Fxfowle

Fxfowle Architects via World Architecture News

Robots are getting down all over the place in Japan. The i-Sobot and the Asimo are both dancing maniacs. Robots are shredding the violin strings and tossing old people like dolls.

The 2007 Robot Of The Year awards featured a Japanese surgical bot that can operate while the patient is inside an MRI. Photo by Junko Yagami, Getty Images.

Architecture is so much more radical in places like the United Arab Emirates, which is developing the next generation of sleek towers. Look at the mixed-use Tameer Towers, which uses locally cast light concrete and natural shade. The UAE recently came up with the idea of a "Cool City," which would use 60 percent less energy than other cities using renewable power and efficient waste management. Then there's that giant sail-shaped building. And The Pad, featured up top, just won Best International Apartment for 2007.

Maglev trains now link Shanghai's subway with its airport, and Mumbai is considering spending $7.56 billion to build 16 to 30 miles of high-speed maglev tracks linking the city with its suburbs. A maglev train uses magnetism to lift the train a small distance above its elevated track, and they featured prominently in the 1950s scifi comic Magnus Robot Fighter. Nowadays, when Mumbai imagines becoming a futuristic city, it looks with envy towards Shanghai. And so does Paris Hilton.

Maglev train outside Shanghai.

European fashion is coming up with designs that can keep you safer as well as looking studly. Just check out this solar-powered ski suit, which uses a special thin film technology to power "Golden Dragon" LEDs that light up at night. It should reduce collisions as well as making you look like a raver on ice.

And then there's stem cells. While the U.S. government continues to try to baptize the little fellers, leading researcher Alan Colman just announced he'll divide his time between cutting-edge stem cell facilities in London and Singapore. Colman, of course, is the man who cloned Dolly the Sheep.

So the U.S. really needs to step up its game. We should be putting people on Mars, creating robot break-dancers and pioneering new green cities linked by high-speed rail. Otherwise, we're collectively going to turn into that old guy who wears his pants under his armpits and shakes his head at all this new fancy whiz-buggery. And nobody wants that, except a handful of armpit-pants fetishists.