News broke yesterday that the BBC is looking to set up a new US division in Los Angeles next year, headed up by Jane Tranter, the woman responsible for making sure that shows like the revamped Doctor Who, Life on Mars and Spooks: Code 9 made it to screens in the first place. According to those in the know, the division - to be called BBC Worldwide West Coast - would concentrate on development and production of shows not only for the BBC, but also for US and international television. Rumored to be joining Tranter in the new offices is another familiar name, Doctor Who executive producer and current head of drama at BBC Wales, Julie Gardner. Suddenly you have to start wondering whether Gardner's trip to Comic-Con last month was less promotion and more a scouting trip to see whether or not she'd enjoy the weather.

While none of the above has been confirmed by the BBC - who, instead, are firmly "no comment"ing the story away - this can't be taken as any real confirmation about the American Who rumors. But still: With two such Who-heads involved in the setting up of the division, it would make sense to launch it with a special episode or two of one of the BBC's biggest hits in years, wouldn't it?

BBC Exec prepping drama unit in US [Hollywood Reporter]

This is a Mitsubishi 4G32 engine that's been all taken apart and repainted. It looks so naked and vulnerable. And it has that amazing, long exhaust manifold . . . that just needs to be connected to something. dave_7 took this picture, and I'm certain he never thought a horny robot of the future would be drooling over the size of his exhaust manifold.

Jeff Kubina took this shot that looks deep inside the Saturn 5 rocket — you can see just a hint of the engine that lurks inside. It's sort of the close-up gonzo view of an engine. Seriously hot, if you get what I mean.

If you just can't wait for a world packed with artificial intelligences, you'd better be prepared for their porn. Luckily, the internet is already full of it — which means some things in the future may stay pretty much the same.

1. Environmental Guilt. Many people are paralyzed by guilt over how much we've trashed the environment, and though they try to buy green and recycle they are overwhelmed with a sense of hopelessness. Trying to cope with this, people yearn for stories about a world where humans aren't around anymore to muck things up.

2. Future Ennui. Sometimes it seems like we do nothing but plan for the future: You have to do everything from balancing your homework load so you can get into college, to balancing your checkbook so you'll have retirement savings. Living your daily life while planning for tomorrow can be a huge drain on your mental resources. You're constantly asking yourself about what to do now to make the future work out. Which politician should we vote for to improve our neighborhoods or our nation? How can we plan for a perfect vacation, a perfect wedding, or a perfect science project? Stories about a world without people are relaxing. We don't have to worry what we would do because we're just not there.

3. Fear of Extinction. OK, this one is obvious. We may be sick of planning for the future, but we're also scared shitless that the future will smack us on the head and wipe us all out. Who could have predicted Hurricane Katrina or the Asian Tsunami? What if next time the disaster is global in scale? We imagine the world without ourselves as a coping mechanism, a way to accustom ourselves to the idea that no matter how much we plan, we still may not make it as a species.

4. Evolution Degree Zero. A world without humans is a world where we've hit the reset button. All our mistakes are undone, and we can start fresh. Maybe humans will evolve again, better this time.

Burg has worked as a concept artist, storyboarder, and matte painter on everything from Buckaroo Banzai to Robot Jox, and has also worked with sci directors like Robert Zemeckis on Contact, and Paul Verhoeven on Starship Troopers. In fact, given that we're going into a Terminator-laden weekend, it's only fitting that he also worked on Terminator 2: Judgement Day, and the T2:3D theme park film.

Burg frequently puts sketches and computer artwork up on his blog for people to check out, and of this spaceport picture he had this to say:

I wanted to capture the feeling of a busy port at dawn, with numerous craft of different shapes and sizes coming and going. The enormous cubes — at least in my mind — contain portals that enable inter-dimensional travel to other worlds. Large ships circle the area, waiting for clearance from traffic control to proceed to their destinations — much like jumbo jets at a modern airport.