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Robert Downey Jr. Tops Forbes' List Of Highest-Paid Actors

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Iron Man 1Forbes has named Robert Downey Jr. the highest-paid actor of the past year.

That shouldn't come as a shock considering the superhero actor just came off two huge hits, "Iron Man 3" and last year's "The Avengers."

Combined, both films generated $2.7 billion — with a B— at the box office worldwide. 

Downey Jr. was the highest-paid star of "The Avengers" with a large $50 million paycheck.

Disney just renegotiated his contract to appear in the next two "Avengers" sequels— and it's not difficult to see why. No one else could play Tony Stark.

According to Forbes, the actor is worth $75 million from June 2012-2013.

Noticeably missing from the top list is Christian Bale, who's final Batman installment brought in a big $1 billion last year.

Here are a look at the other men who made the list this year. 

2. Channing Tatum: $60 million

magic-mike-channing-tatum

No surprise here.

The once hip-hop star of "Step Up," was in three huge movies last year including "Magic Mike" and "21 Jump Street."

"Magic Mike" was a huge box-office win earning $167 million worldwide. The film cost Warner Bros. $7 million to make. Both films already have sequels in the works.

3. Hugh Jackman: $55 million

les miserables hugh jackman

Last year's Oscar-nominated "Les Miserables" earned more than $437 million worldwide.

Jackman returns to theaters at the end of the month as the Wolverine.

4. Mark Wahlberg: $52 million

Ted movie

Wahlberg starred in "Ted" which became the highest-grossing R-rated comedy.

Next up, he'll be in the next "Transformers" film due out next year.

5. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson: $46 million

journey 2 the rock dwayne johnson

With so many other big actors gaining attention, it may have been easy for The Rock to quietly pass by unnoticed.

However, the one-time wrestler has had a bunch of box-office hits in the past year including "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island," "Pain and Gain" (with Wahlberg), and Universal's "Fast & Furious 6."

He's currently working on his next big film, "Hercules."

6. Leonardo DiCaprio: $39 million

the great gatsby leonardo dicaprio

Who would have thought "The Great Gatsby" would be bigger than "Pacific Rim"?

The latest adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's prized novel surprised at theaters bringing in a big first weekend with $50 million.

Now, the Baz Luhrmann film has earned $327 million to date.

7. Adam Sandler: $37 million

adam sandler grown ups 2

Disregarding Sandler's dud "That's My Boy," the comedian put out successful animated film "Hotel Translyvania" which earned $347 million worldwide.

His latest film, "Grown Ups 2" also made a splash at theaters opening weekend with $42.5 million.

8. Tom Cruise: $35 million

jack reacher

Despite "Jack Reacher" not taking off in the states, Cruise is still a big win overseas. The film earned more than $136 million at the foreign box office.

9. Denzel Washington: $33 million

denzel washington flight

Washington was in last year's Oscar-nominated film "Flight" which made just under $162 million worldwide.

10.Liam Neeson: $37 million

taken 2 liam neeson

Everyone's favorite father-on-a-mission to save his kidnapped family members returned to the big screen last October in "Taken 2." The film earned a massive $376 million on an estimated $45 million budget.

Fox already announced "Taken 3" with the actor set to receive $20 million to reprise his role.

SEE ALSO: The top moments to expect from this year's Comic-Con

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Rolling Stone Stands By Its Decision To Put Dzhokhar Tsarnaev On The Cover

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rolling stone cover bomberRolling Stone has released a statement about the controversial cover for its August issue, standing by its decision to put the man suspected of bombing the Boston Marathon on its cover.

The April terrorist attack killed three people and wounded about 260 others. 

Here's Rolling Stone's statement that accompanies the article titled "Jahar's World":

Our hearts go out to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing, and our thoughts are always with them and their families. The cover story we are publishing this week falls within the traditions of journalism and Rolling Stone's long-standing commitment to serious and thoughtful coverage of the most important political and cultural issues of our day. The fact that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is young, and in the same age group as many of our readers, makes it all the more important for us to examine the complexities of this issue and gain a more complete understanding of how a tragedy like this happens.

The magazine usually features celebrities on its cover and has been criticized for apparently glorifying Tsarnaev. He is facing charges of murder and using weapons of mass destruction. Authorities say he carried out the attack with his older brother Tamerlan, who died in a shootout with police days after the bombings.

Among those criticizing Rolling Stone are CVS Pharmacy and Massachusetts-based grocery store chain Tedeschi Food Shops, both of which announced a boycott of the issue. Neither company will be selling the issues in stores.

CVS said in a statement that "as a company with deep roots in New England and a strong presence in Boston, we believe this is the right decision out of respect for the victims of the attack and their loved ones." Tedeschi went a bit further, saying that the company "supports the need to share the news with everyone, but cannot support actions that serve to glorify the evil actions of anyone."

Walgreens has also announced that it will not be selling the issue.

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Justin Bieber Got A Giant Tattoo Of His Mom's Eyeball

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After peeing into a restaurant mop bucket and getting into some general trouble lately, Justin Bieber could clearly use the watchful eye of a parent.

So he had one tattooed on his arm.

The 19-year-old pop star tattooed his mom Pattie Mallete's eye on the inside of his left arm.

Bieber debuted the new ink today by posting a photo on Instagram with the caption,"@bangbangnyc did this art., Moms always watching ;)"

Justin Bieber eye tattoo

So what do you think, does it actually look like his mom's eye?

Patti Mallette justin bieber mom

You can see what Justin's arm looked like before the tattoo. There was clearly an open spot on the inside of his elbow.

Justin Bieber

Here's what the outside of his left arm looks like.

Justin Bieber tattoo

And here he shows off two smaller tattoos underneath his collar bones.

Justin Bieber

He has praying hands on his leg.

Justin Bieber tattoo

And one that is especially meaningful.

"My grandfather always took me to the stratford culliton every friday night this is for u Grampa ... My man @chenterioshooked it up," he posted on Instagram.

justin bieber tattoo

But he still doesn't have quite as many tattoos as Chris Brown.

Justin Bieber tattoo

SEE ALSO: Justin Bieber Called Bill Clinton To Apologize After Cursing Him Out On-Tape

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Kim Kardashian Breaks Her Silence After Giving Birth

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kanye west kim kardashian

Kim Kardashian is counting her lucky stars — the North one in particular.

The new mom opened up about motherhood for the first time today in a new post on her website.

She thanks her fans for their support and says she's grateful for the time alone with "Nori."

The post:

Hey guys,

These past couple of weeks have been filled with the most exciting experiences of my life. I’m enjoying this time to fully embrace motherhood and spend time at home with my family. I’ve been reading all of your messages and want to thank you all for your sweet thoughts and best wishes. It truly means everything to me. I am so blessed to have the support of my family and fans in this beautiful moment. Xo

With love,

Kim

Pictures of the Kimye baby remain to be seen, although fakes surfaced (after Kardashian circulated them among friends).

SEE ALSO: Kim Kardashian Sent Out Fake Baby Photos To See Which Friends Would Sell Them

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New Documentary Fails To Prove That TWA Flight 800 Was Hit By A Missile

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TWA Flight 800 documentary

The documentary claiming that TWA Flight 800 was brought down by a missile attack, which airs tonight on Epix, poses interesting questions, but is full of holes that make it hard to take it seriously.

Today is the 17th anniversary of the disaster, when a 747 exploded after taking off from JFK Airport, killing all 230 people on board.

The film disputes the National Transportation Safety Board's finding that fuel tank explosion, caused by an electrical spark, brought down the airplane.

In "TWA Flight 800," physicist Tom Stalcup, who investigated the crash on his own and conducts many of the interviews, joins six members of the official crash investigation to try and prove that three missiles brought the 747 jet down.

They make two especially important claims: That eyewitnesses who said they saw a missile hit the plane were silenced, and that radar data from the crash disproves the NTSB's conclusion.

As they are presented in the film, these claims seem to prove that TWA 800 was attacked, after all. If there's no cover-up, why wouldn't witness claims be given more credence? Why isn't this radar data being considered?

But the lack of independent support makes them a whole lot less impressive.

twa flight 800 documentary epixThe Witnesses

The Epix documentary is opinionated to a fault. It includes interviews with several eye witnesses of the crash, all of whom describe seeing a streak of light go straight up, toward the 747, just before the explosion.

That sounds a lot like a missile, and some of these witnesses are quite sure that's what they saw.

But the NTSB final accident report has a solid rebuttal, based on academic studies of memory and witness testimony. Memories change over time and are susceptible to bias. The report says:

Research into human memory and its accuracy has demonstrated that human memory is subject to error and that these errors occur for a variety of reasons. Further, people tend to be unaware of their memory errors and may be overconfident in the accuracy of their memories, and this confidence may increase over time.

The film denies the idea that its witnesses are wrong, not with a rebuttal from a psychologist, but with an incredulous question from an off-screen interviewer about the likelihood of a "mass misperception."

twa flight 800 radar dataThe Radar Data

The objecting investigators claim that TWA 800 was brought down by three surface-to-air missiles.

That's based on their interpretation of radar data, which they say shows debris moving away from the 747 at Mach 4 speeds, faster than what a fuel tank explosion could generate.

Again, the filmmakers neglect to support their theories with independent analysis.

As Greg Evans at Bloomberg Businessweek pointed out, "The film offers no dissenting interpretation of his [Stalcup's] facts, or even outside acknowledgment that his facts are facts."

One of the starring investigators, Hank Hughes, argues the attackers must have used proximity fuse missiles, which detonated just before hitting the jet. But the NTSB report shoots down that possibility, based on information from the Naval Air Warfare Center—Weapons Division:

Further, simulations also showed that a missile launch from one of the few sites that could potentially have resulted in a detonation at the proximity and orientation for a fragment to penetrate the tank and ignite the fuel/air vapor would have resulted in numerous fragments impacting the surrounding airplane structure with sufficient force to leave distinctive impact marks. No such impact marks were found on the accident airplanés wreckage.

The NTSB's Response

A petition started by Hughes and Stalcup to reopen the investigation is under review by the NTSB. But the Board has not wavered in its confidence. In an email, a spokesperson wrote:

"The TWA Flight 800 investigation lasted four years and remains one of the NTSB’s most detailed investigations. The NTSB’s final report of this investigation includes more than 400 pages of detailed information, and the public docket contains more than 17,000 pages of supporting material. Investigators took great care reviewing, documenting and analyzing facts and data and held a five-day hearing to gather additional facts before determining the probable cause of the accident."

Sin Of Omission

"TWA 800" concludes with a lengthy list of NTSB, FBI, and other government officials who denied to be interviewed for the film, including Bill Clinton.

While their views would have been valuable, the filmmakers could — and should — have brought in outside experts to talk about witness memory and radar data. That omission is as damning for the film itself as any of the claims it is based on.

Update: The filmmakers have published a response to this article, you can find it here.

SEE ALSO: 7 Reasons Why We're Still Asking Questions About TWA 800

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Here Are The 2013 MTV Video Music Awards Nominations

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kanye west taylor swift vma mtv awards

The most-nominated artists at the upcoming 2013 MTV Video Music Awards are, hilariously enough, a duo known for hitting it big in thrift store finery and a dude who likely had his hair chemically straightened to look more suave in his Tom Ford suits. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Justin Timberlake have each been nominated for six awards this year, and are up against each other in the Video of the Year category.

Other heavyweights in 2013 include Bruno Mars, who scooped up 4 nominations, as well as Miley Cyrus, Pink, 30 Seconds to Mars, and Robin Thicke, who have all been nominated for three awards. 

Though Miley's often bizarre video for "We Can't Stop" has been a magnet for criticism, it's up for Best Female Video, Best Pop Video, and Best Editing. Unfortunately, Best Tongue is not a category.

Also of note: This year the Best New Artist award will be re-branded Best Artist to Watch presented by Taco Bell. Starting today, fans can vote in this and other VMA categories online or text VOTE to 22444 (standard message and data rates apply.) In addition, Artist to Watch is available for voting via MTV's official Facebook page. 

Below, check out the full list of nominees, and don't forget to start voting!

Video Of The Year
Justin Timberlake - "Mirrors"
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Wanz - "Thrift Shop"
Bruno Mars - "Locked Out of Heaven"
Robin Thicke feat. T.I. and Pharrell - "Blurred Lines"
Taylor Swift - I Knew You Were Trouble"

Best Hip-Hop Video

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Ray Dalton - "Can't Hold Us"
Drake - "Started From The Bottom"
Kendrick Lamar - "Swimming Pools"
A$AP Rocky feat. Drake, 2 Chainz & Kendrick Lamar - "F----- Problems"
J. Cole feat. Miguel - "Power Trip"

Best Male Video
Justin Timberlake - "Mirrors"
Robin Thicke feat. T.I. and Pharrell - "Blurred Lines"
Bruno Mars - "Locked Out of Heaven"
Ed Sheeran - "Lego House"
Kendrick Lamar - "Swimming Pools"

Best Female Video
Rihanna feat. Mikky Ekko - "Stay"
Taylor Swift - "I Knew You Were Trouble"
Miley Cyrus - "We Can't Stop"
P!nk feat. Nate Ruess - "Just Give Me A Reason"
Demi Lovato - "Heart Attack"

Best Pop Video
Bruno Mars - "Locked Out of Heaven"
Justin Timberlake - "Mirrors"
fun. - "Carry On"
Miley Cyrus - "We Can't Stop"
Selena Gomez - "Come and Get It"

Artist To Watch Presented by Taco Bell®
Twenty One Pilots - "Holding On To You"
Zedd Feat. Foxes - "Clarity"
Austin Mahone - "What About Love"
The Weeknd - "Wicked Games"
Iggy Azalea - "Work"

Best Collaboration
Justin Timberlake feat. JAY Z - "Suit & Tie"
Pitbull feat. Christina Aguilera - "Feel This Moment"
Calvin Harris feat. Ellie Goulding - "I Need Your Love"
Robin Thicke feat. T.I. and Pharrell - "Blurred Lines"
P!nk feat. Nate Ruess - "Just Give Me A Reason"

Best Video With A Social Message
Kelly Clarkson - "People Like Us"
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - "Same Love"
Snoop Lion - "No Guns Allowed"
Miguel - "Candles In The Sun"
Beyoncé - "I Was Here"

Best Rock Video
Imagine Dragons - "Radiocative"
Fall Out Boy Fall Out Boy - "My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up)"
Mumford & Sons Mumford & Sons - "I Will Wait"
30 Seconds To Mars Thirty Seconds to Mars - "Up In The Air"
Vampire Weekend - "Diane Young"

Best Art Direction
Capital Cities - "Safe and Sound"
Thirty Seconds To Mars - "Up In The Air"
Janelle Monae feat. Erykah Badu - "Q.U.E.E.N"
Lana Del Rey - "National Anthem"
Alt-J - "Tesselate"

Best Choreography
Chris Brown - "Fine China"
Ciara - "Body Party"
Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull – "Live It Up"
will.i.am feat. Justin Bieber – "#thatPOWER"
Bruno Mars - "Treasure"

Best Cinematography
Thirty Seconds To Mars - "Up In The Air"
Lana Del Rey - "Ride"
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Sacrilege"
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Ray Dalton - "Can't Hold Us"
A-Trak & Tommy Trash - "Tuna Melt"

Best Direction
Justin Timberlake feat. JAY-Z - "Suit & Tie"
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Ray Dalton - "Can't Hold Us"
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Sacrilege"
fun. - "Carry On"
Drake - "Started From The Bottom"

Best Editing
P!nk feat. Nate Ruess - "Just Give Me A Reason"
Calvin Harris feat. Florence Welch - "Sweet Nothing"
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Ray Dalton - "Can't Hold Us"
Justin Timberlake - "Mirrors"
Miley Cyrus - "We Can't Stop"

Best Visual Effects
Flying Lotus – "Tiny Tortures"
Skrillex feat. The Door – "Breakin' A Sweat"
The Weeknd – "Wicked Games"
Duck Sauce – "It's You"
Capital Cities – "Safe and Sound"

SEE ALSO: MTV Announces VMA Nominations Through Stop-Motion Videos On Instagram

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Here's How Advertisers Reacted To Being Placed In Rolling Stone's Boston Bomber Issue

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rolling stone dzhokhar Tsarnaev

Rolling Stone magazine has been heavily critiqued for emblazoning the face of 19-year-old Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on its cover, similar to how the publication has posed Jim Morrison and Madonna in the past.

While the magazine is standing behind its editorial decision, New England based CVS and Tedeschi Food Shops, and Walgreens are boycotting the issue

Advertisers that paid for placement in the controversial issue were just as surprised as the general public to see Tsarnaev's face on the cover.

A Coca-Cola spokesperson told Business Insider that Fuze iced tea, which had a full-page ad, "did not have any prior knowledge about content that would be in this issue when they bought media several months ago."

The company declined to comment if it had a reaction to the cover or if this would influence future ad buys because "this is not related directly to our business."

In fact, most of the big name advertisers — from McDonald's to Bud Light — did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

Personal lubricant Astroglide, however, did say it wished it had been informed that Tsarnaev would be on the cover so that it the option to decide if it wanted to keep its full page ad in the magazine. "If we could have pulled it, we would have," an Astroglide representative told BI.

Astroglide — which has advertised in Rolling Stone on and off for years, depending on if the editorial staff allowed ads for lubricants in the publication — does not have immediate plans to advertise in the publication in 2014. But that is due to ad performance rather than the current issue's content.

Other advertisers were comfortable with Rolling Stone's cover.

Online adult products and novelties shop Adam and Eve only bought a quarter page ad and told Business Insider that it would have kept that ad with prior knowledge of Tsarnaev's cover appearance.

"Above all, Adam & Eve believes in freedom of speech," a spokesperson told Business Insider. "The cover certainly got the attention of the media, but having only seen excerpts of the article, I don't think it's fair to make an assessment. In our experience, Rolling Stone has a proven track record for writing objective, thought provoking stories. I think it's unfortunate that stores are boycotting Rolling Stone and we don't have any plans to change our advertising program with them."

Seventeen other advertisers appeared in the August 1 issue. They were: Dove Chocolate, M&M's, Snickers, Gillette, TexasPete hot sauce, HP, McDonald's, Camel cigarettes, Converse, Axe, Miracle Whip, A1 BBQ Sauce, Pringles, Full Sail University, Vapor Genie, Altoids, and Straight Talk Wireless.

Although none got back to Business Insider for comment, we will post updates with future comments.

SEE ALSO: Rolling Stone stands by its decision to put Dzhorkhar Tsarnaev on the cover

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Pippa Middleton Is Peeved About Her Parody Twitter Account

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Pippa Middleton Tennis Twitter

Pippa Middleton is the younger sister of Kate Middleton, the future aunt to her sister's royal baby (which should pop out any day now), a Vanity Fair contributing editor, and now the subject focus of a pretty funny parody Twitter account called @Pippatips. However, Middleton apparently isn't too pleased about that last one. 

In case you've never heard of @Pippatips, the Twitter account sprouted sometime after last October's release of Middleton's wildly panned party-planning book Celebrate: A Year of Festivities for Families and Friends, and dispenses overly simplistic, inane daily tips and observations to its over 52,000 followers. 

For example:

Pippa Middleton Tweets

In June, the two masterminds behind @Pippatips, Mat Morrisroe and Suzanne Azzopardi, reached a book deal, according to the Independent. What to Expect When One is Expecting: A Posh Person's Guide to Pregnancy and Parenting apparently poses dimwitted questions like "Does 'nesting' mean I have to live in a tree?" and "Is caviar suitable for weaning?" Questions that the British Royals are sure to be unpleased with, especially with the pending birth of the third in line to the British throne. 

The Independent also notes that Middleton's London-based legal team has sent a letter to the book's publisher, Icon Books, demanding that the @Pippatips account be deleted. If it's not, Middleton is ready to take legal action. As of this writing, the Twitter account is still active. 

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'Breaking Bad' And 'Mad Men' Are Way More Popular On Netflix Than Its New Shows Like 'House Of Cards' (NFLX)

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breaking bad money pile

More Netflix subscribers watched episodes of "Breaking Bad" and "Mad Men" than its original TV show "House of Cards," the Wall Street Journal reports.

"House of Cards" accounted for less than 1% of the shows watched by regular Netflix viewers during a week in April, according to a new study by research firm GfK.

Breaking Bad and Mad Men, on the other hand, each got 3% of total viewership. Even "Heroes," a canceled NBC drama and "Family Guy" each got a 2% share. 

Granted, viewership for "House of Cards" was likely much higher in February, when it released all of the episodes at once.

There are also fewer episodes of "House of Cards," and not as many people know about it since it's so new. "Breaking Bad" and "Mad Men" have been around since 2008 and 2007, respectively. They're also both Emmy award-winning television shows. 

Netflix would not comment on the accuracy of the report, but said it's pleased with the performance of "House of Cards."

So it's no wonder why it's moving forward with its original programming push. Last week, Netflix released "Orange Is the New Black," a prison comedy show.

Netflix made a big push into original programming when it committed $2 million for two seasons of "House of Cards.It's Netflix's major attempt to compete against other pay-TV services like HBO, Hulu, and Amazon.

But up until now, there has been little evidence as to how successful its efforts have been, given that there aren't any traditional ratings data available for Netflix. Netflix also doesn't disclose its viewership numbers. 

Netflix is the largest streaming video service with about 28 million paid customers in the U.S. and 36 million worldwide. Media executives want to know how many people are actually watching their shows so that they know how much to charge. Though, competitors like Amazon and Hulu don't disclose viewership data, either.

With Netflix's earnings next week, analysts will be on the look out for any signs about the performance of "House of Cards" and other new shows.

SEE ALSO: Netflix Plans To Kill The Cable Industry By Destroying The Concept Of 'Waiting'

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Netflix Gets Its First Emmy Nominations (NFLX)

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kevin spacey house of cards

Nominations for this years Emmys are happening right now. 

Most notably, Jason Bateman, the star of the fourth season of "Arrested Development," was nominated for the lead actor in a comedy category. It also marks the first time a Netflix original series got nominated for an Emmy.

"House of Cards," the political drama starring Kevin Spacey, was nominated for three Emmys.

This is a big deal for Netflix, which has been making a big push to produce original programming for its streaming video service.

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'Pacific Rim' Is An Engineer's Worst Nightmare

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Pacific Rim Schematic 1

The scale of Pacific Rim is overwhelming. Giant monsters fight giant robots while being slammed with waves that appear to be hundreds of feet high. The combatants trample their way through major cities, while doing things like using an oil tanker as a baseball bat! When you see something like that, your brain tells you two things. First, this is awesome. Second, there's no way that's possible.

Confronted with these two thoughts, you can either suspend your disbelief and sit tight for what is most assuredly a very fun ride, or you can delve headlong into exactly why some of the things are possible and some of the things aren't. This is an exercise in the latter.

To assist in this exercise I reached out to a real-life mechanical engineer, my college roommate, Eddie Fishel, who seemed to ALWAYS be doing math whenever I wanted to do shots, but that's the difference between studying thermodynamics and studying journalism. Today he designs construction equipment like skid steer loaders for Case New Holland.

First, a word about the Jaegers just to give you a general sense of the scale, and the logistics of these things. In Pacific Rim, each country takes its defense in its own hands, each building a giant robot, or Jaeger, piloted by two soldiers tasked with fighting city-destroying monsters that have emerged from some inter-dimensional rift deep in the ocean. Much of the fighting takes place in or very near the water. They occasionally fight underwater. According to a blueprint released by Warner Bros as promotional material for Pacific Rim, the U.S. Jaeger Gipsy Danger stands 288 feet tall, and weighs 7,080 tons. This might help you get a sense of its size.

Pacific Rim Schematic 2

Gipsy Danger houses a nuclear reactor in its chest that is the source of most of its power, and is articulated by a complex system of hydraulic "muscle strands" that are each powered by a series of engine blocks. The reactor is cooled by seawater taken on through vents in the Jaeger's feet.

What follows are the thoughts of a real-life engineer when faced with this information.

1. Lifting an Arm Is a BIG Challenge


The Jaegers look incredible when they're throwing punches against a kaiju (the film's giant monsters), but just lifting one of those colossal arms would take an incredible amount of power. According to Fishel, "No current technology exists that would even hold the robot's arm up parallel with the ground. It wouldn't be able to move it."

I asked Fishel to help me calculate the amount of torque required to lift one of those arms (you know, assuming it's possible). He goes into some math at this point, but here's the breakdown.

Step 1: Calculate Arm Length (Based on human proportions)

  1. Arm length ≈ 40% of height
  2. 288 • 0.4 = 115.2 ft


Step 2: Calculate Arm Weight

  1. Arm weight is ≈ 6% of total body weight in humans, but let's assume these robots pack a little more punch, and arm weight is ≈ 10% of total body weight.
  2. 7,080 tons • 0.1 = 708 tons, or 1,416,000 pounds


Step 3: Calculate Torque Required to Lift Arm from Shoulder

  1. Assuming the arm has a uniform mass, the torque required to hold the arm up is equal to the weight acting at the center, multipled by the distance to the center. From here, let's say Torque=T. Here's how the equation looks given what we've just figured out.
  2. T=(115.2/2) • 1,416,000 = 81,561,600 lb-ft


That's a LOT of torque. This might help you understand it.

Pacific Rim Schematic 3


Fishel points out that the Bugatti Veyron, the world's fastest car, produces 922 lb-ft of torque. He also says the world's largest hydraulic motor produces 1,290,734 lb-ft.

"You would need 88,461 Bugattis or a little over 63 of the hydraulic motors just to hold the robot arm straight out at the shoulder," he says.

So hopefully if Earth is attacked by giant monsters it will be after we've figured out how to create a power supply and an engine capable of generating way more power than our current technology can provide. Otherwise, the battle might be over before it begins.

2. They'd Have a Hard Time in the Ocean

"Average ocean depth is 2.65 miles (14,000 feet), so these things would have to stay near shore, or be fully submersible. Engines need air and fuel to run, so if it's running engines to power the hydraulics for 'muscles' it can't go underwater unless it has massive air and gasoline/diesel storage tanks. Then consider the corrosion affects of saltwater, there are some processes that treat metal to be corrosion resistant for 500 hours in salt spray testing. But as anyone who's shipped metal that's not treated from China knows, it's covered in rust when it hits the port.

"Anyone who's stepped in mud can also attest that it doesn't support much weight, so I'm pretty sure these things would sink into the bottom of the ocean and crumble the concrete they stand on. Jumping and running or walking obviously increases the pressure too."

That last point about the ocean floor is especially pertinent if you factor in the steep drop-offs near some coasts. For instance, near the Golden Gate Bridge, which is seen being obliterated in the trailer for the movie. Near the pylons of the bridge, the depth is probably only about 10 or 15 feet depending on the tide, but if you pass one you'll quickly find yourself in the deepest part of the San Francisco Bay, with the floor up to 377 feet below the surface.

Pacific Rim Schematic 4

If a Jaeger found itself on one of these inclines, the soft soil under the water, which is constantly being churned by the strong currents that run through the inlet, would give, and the Jaeger would have an exceedingly difficult time just standing up, let alone fighting.

Pacific Rim Schematic 5

3. Oy My Knees!

Fishel writes: "No known materials would be able to support the stress of that much activity in the robot, especially in the joints. Consider how many people have knee and hip problems. These joints are under immense pressure in the human body when we're very active. High strength steel alloy has an ultimate strength of 760 MPa (megapascals) and carbon fiber has an ultimate strenght of 6,370 MPa. But if a robot is punching a monster, jumping, and running, the G forces created are big numbers. To show calculations on this would be very confusing (differential equations I haven't done since college). We deisgn for loads of 10 G's [10 times the force of gravity]. For the robot, that's 140 million+ pounds. Just roughly figuring it, the steel would need to be around 3 feet thick. (Please don't quote that cuz I'm not positive.)"

The final takeaway after talking to a real-life engineer? Just like you'd expect, the real-world physics of a functioning Jaeger don't really hold up. But don't see these as reasons why one couldn't exist. See these as reasons for the next generation of well-meaning, enthusiastic nerds to head to college and overcome the problems of extreme tensile stress, limited mobile power supplies, and how exactly you make a 7,080 ton robot walk in what would basically be quicksand to them. Then, maybe, our grandkids' grandkids will have the privelege of seeing one of these man-made monsters level a city block. Dream big, kids!

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'American Horror Story' Leads Emmy Nominations With 17 Nods, A Complete List

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The 65th Primetime Emmy award nominations were revealed early Thursday morning in Los Angeles, with FX's "American Horror Story" leading the way with a whopping 17 nods.

HBO's "Game of Thrones" followed closely behind with 16 nominations and the network's TV movie "Behind the Candelabra" garnered an impressive 15 nods.

The Netflix series “House of Cards” made history for receiving the first top Emmy nod for a program delivered online, not on TV. The series received a total of nine nominations, including acting nods for stars Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright.

The trophies will be given out Sunday, Sept. 22.

Here is the list of nominees:

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Hugh Bonneville, “Downton Abbey” 

Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad” 

Jeff Daniels, “The Newsroom” 

Jon Hamm, “Mad Men” 

Damian Lewis, “Homeland” 

Kevin Spacey, “House of Cards” 

 

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Connie Britton, “Nashville” 

Claire Danes, “Homeland” 

Michelle Dockery, “Downton Abbey” 

Vera Farmiga, “Bates Motel” 

Elisabeth Moss, “Mad Men” 

Kerry Washington, “Scandal” 

Robin Wright, “House of Cards”

 

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE

Benedict Cumberbatch, “Parade’s End”

Matt Damon, “Behind the Candelabra”

Michael Douglas, “Behind the Candelabra”

Toby Jones, “The Girl”

Al Pacino, “Phil Spector” 

 

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE

Jessica Lange, “American Horror Story: Asylum” 

Laura Linney, “The Big C Hereafter” 

Helen Mirren, “Phil Spector” 

Elisabeth Moss, “Top of the Lake” 

Sigourney Weaver, “Political Animals” 

 

OUTSTANDING REALITY HOST

Tom Bergeron, “Dancing With the Stars” 

Cat Deeley, “So You Think You Can Dance” 

Heidi Klum/Tim Gunn, “Project Runway” 

Ryan Seacrest, “American Idol” 

Betty White, “Betty White’s Off Their Rockers” 

Anthony Bourdain, "The Taste" 

 

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock” 

Jason Bateman, “Arrested Development” 

Louis C.K., “Louie” 

Don Cheadle, “House of Lies” 

Matt LeBlanc, “Episodes” 

Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory” 

 

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Laura Dern, “Enlightened” 

Lena Dunham, “Girls” 

Edie Falco, “Nurse Jackie” 

Tina Fey, “30 Rock” 

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep” 

Amy Poehler, “Parks and Recreation” 

 

OUTSTANDING REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM

“The Amazing Race” 

“Dancing With the Stars” 

“Project Runway” 

 “Top Chef” 

“The Voice” 

 

OUTSTANDING VARIETY SERIES

“The Colbert Report” 

“The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” 

“Jimmy Kimmel Live” 

“Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” 

“Real Time With Bill Maher” 

“Saturday Night Live” 

 

OUTSTANDING MINISERIES OR MOVIE

“American Horror Story: Asylum” 

“Behind the Candelabra” 

“The Bible” 

“Phil Spector” 

“Political Animals” 

“Top of the Lake” 

 

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES

“The Big Bang Theory” 

“Girls” 

“Louie” 

“Modern Family” 

“30 Rock” 

“Veep” 

 

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES

“Breaking Bad” 

“Downton Abbey” 

“Game of Thrones” 

“Homeland” 

“House of Cards” 

“Mad Men” 

 

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Bobby Cannavale, "Boardwalk Empire" 

Jonathan Banks, “Breaking Bad” 

Peter Dinklage, “Game of Thrones” 

Mandy Patinkin, “Homeland” 

Aaron Paul, “Breaking Bad” 

Jim Carter, "Downton Abbey" 

 

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Christine Baranski, “The Good Wife” 

Anna Gunn, “Breaking Bad” 

Christina Hendricks, “Mad Men” 

Maggie Smith, “Downton Abbey” 

Morena Baccarin, "Homeland" 

Emilia Clarke, "Game of Thrones" 

 

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Ty Burrell, “Modern Family” 

Adam Driver, “Girls” 

Jesse Tyler Ferguson, “Modern Family” 

Bill Hader, “Saturday Night Live” 

Ed O’Neill, “Modern Family” 

Tony Hale, "Veep" 

 

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Mayim Bialik, “The Big Bang Theory” 

Julie Bowen, “Modern Family” 

Anna Chlumsky, “Veep” 

Jane Krakowski, “30 Rock” 

Sofia Vergara, “Modern Family” 

Merritt Wever, “Nurse Jackie” 

Jane Lynch, "Glee" 

SEE ALSO: Netflix Gets Its First Emmy Nomination, Makes History

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Warner Bros. Totally Screwed Up The Marketing For 'Pacific Rim'

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pacific rim

Warner Bros.' latest blockbuster hopeful "Pacific Rim" didn't perform as well as expected opening weekend.

The Guillermo del Toro monster versus robot epic came in third at the box office earning a paltry $38.3 million.

To put that number into perspective, it earned less than Warner Bros.' poorly-reviewed third installment of "The Hangover" ($41.6 million) and "The Great Gatsby" ($51 million).

That's not so great for a film reported to have a budget in the range of $185-$190 million.

So why didn't the robot movie pick up steam?

The problem with "Pacific Rim" wasn't that audiences didn't embrace it. In fact, audiences loved it, giving it an "A-" CinemaScore— in line with the rating of "Man of Steel."

Analysts initially expected the film to earn as low as $25 million, before bumping the number up to $40 million opening weekend.

CEO of Starlight Runner Entertainment Jeff Gomez tells Business Insider that in Hollywood's eyes del Toro's monster epic was always going to be a tough sell because it wasn't based on anything.

However, he doesn't agree with that. Instead, he sees the problem with "Pacific Rim" as something much simpler: the film's marketing strategy.

Most of the knowledge audiences had about the film after numerous trailers and Cinema-Con footage was that it was about monsters and robots going head to head in a rock 'em sock 'em fashion.

However, the film was about so much more than that, detailing a laborious on-going war affecting the planet for years.

Rinko kikuchi pacific rim"Warner Bros. should have marketed 'Pacific Rim' as if the narrative in the movie had been going on for years and years," says Gomez. "Market this film as if it was an established property, as if it has been going on, and as if it has been popular and has already connected with the audience."

Gomez says Warner Bros. and Legendary missed the opportunity of familiarizing people with a large story world and the characters inside it to generate more buzz around the figures and plot.

"Even when characters are put front and center — there were tiny aspects of the campaign that featured Idris Elba —  they came across as or very broad or smashing each other in the face with sticks," says Gomez. "That's too bad because of all the films that have come out this spring and summer, there is a warmth to the characters in 'Pacific Rim' and a heroism you don't even see in 'Man of Steel' and "Iron Man 3.'"

"These guys genuinely care about human beings and will do anything to protect them," he adds. "They sacrifice their lives to protect large numbers of people and they're not flippant or callous about it ... that's wonderful compared to the relative coldness and grimness on tragedy that some of the other big movies have been concentrating on."

Pacific Rim Graphic Novel

One thing many probably didn't know was that a month prior to the release of "Pacific Rim," Warner Bros. and Legendary attempted doing just this.

They released a prequel graphic novel entitled "Pacific Rim: Tales From Year Zero."

The story was centered around the first monster attack on Earth focusing on backstories of some of the major characters in the film. 

While this may have been helpful to gain attention for the flick, Gomez points out Warner Bros. missed the mark on expanding upon this more.

"A comic book only reaches tens of thousands of people," says Gomez. "I have no doubt that a more unorthodox, a more Vanguard approach to the marketing of the film would have generated a broader interest and bigger initial numbers," he adds.

SEE ALSO: 25 gorgeous photos from "Pacific Rim"

AND: Meet the cast of the film

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The First Footage Of Jamie Foxx's 'Amazing Spider-Man 2' Villain

Giant Dragon's Skull Washes Up On Beach In 'Game Of Thrones' Stunt

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game of thrones skull beach

In a UK marketing stunt of epic proportions, a bus-sized dragon skull washed up on Dorset's "Jurassic Coast" — known for its dinosaur fossils — to honor the arrival of "Game of Thrones" season 3 on streaming service Blinkbox.

The 40 foot long, 9 foot tall skull took two months to complete and is the coolest GOT campaign since February when HBO took out a two-page ad in the New York Times in which the shadow of a dragon eclipsed the paper's copy. This was in conjunction with a GOT exhibition in New York in which people actually got to sit on the show's iconic iron throne.

Taylor Herring PR is responsible for the Blinkbox campaign, which aimed to make it appear as if the skull had washed ashore. Last month it created a 12 foot statue of Mr. Darcy from "Pride and Prejudice" emerging from the Serpentine in London to celebrate the launch of a UKTV's new "Drama" channel.

Beachgoers were surprised to find a bus-sized giant skull wash up on Dorset's "Jurassic Coast."



It was 40 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 9 feet tall.



An ichthyosaur, a dolphin like creature which lived 220-65 million years ago, was found in the area in 2004. This is the first dragon.

Ichthyosaur, a dolphin like creature which lived 220-65 million years ago.



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Missing 'Casino Royal' Actor Paul Bhattacharjee Found Dead

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Paul Bhattacharjee casino royale

British actor, Paul Bhattacharjee — who played a doctor in both 2006's "Casino Royale" and 2011's "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel — was found dead at Splash Point cliffs in Seaford, East Sussex after being reported missing last week.

The 53-year-old actor, who also starred on the British soap opera "EastEnders," was last seen leaving the Royal Court theater in London's Sloane Square, where he was in rehearsals to appear in the play "Talk Show."

"He left on Wednesday in good spirits but didn't make it to rehearsals the next day," said a spokeswoman for the Royal Court, who also tweeted:

The actor sent a text to his girlfriend at around 9pm that night but had not been heard from since. His body was found two days later and today the BBC confirmed it was indeed the actor.

While  investigators are not treating his death as suspicious, Bhattacharjee's 24-year-old son told the Evening Standard his father's disappearance was "completely out of character."

His fellow thespian "Bend It Like Beckham" and "ER" star, Parminder Nagra, tweeted her condolences:

Among Bhattacharjee's other notable credits were a handful of U.K. TV series including "Bedtime," "Waking the Dead," "Identity" and "Any Human Heart."

SEE ALSO: Cory Monteith Cause Of Death Revealed As Heroin And Alcohol

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Jay Z Officially Drops The Hyphen In His Name

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If you're still writing "Jay-Z," you're doing it wrong.

The rapper has officially dropped the hyphen from his moniker.

Billboard editor Joe Levy first tweeted about the news which he received from Jay Z's label.

Some pointed out to Levy this happened ages ago, just not officially. 

The rapper's been using the hyphen on and off again for a while.

Here's how Jay Z's name appeared on his latest album Magna Carta Holy Grail:

magna carta holy grail

Others asked if next he'll be making a change to all caps, since that's the way it's currently written on iTunes:

apple store jay z

SEE ALSO: Jay Z's "Magna Carta Holy Grail" is a huge disappointment

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Jane Lynch Gets Emotional Remembering Co-Star Cory Monteith On 'Leno'

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Jane Lynch Cory Monteith

Jane Lynch starred alongside Cory Monteith on "Glee" for four years and fought back tears as she remembered her young co-star on Wednesday's "Tonight Show" with Jay Leno.

Just days after Monteith died at age 31, Lynch recalled him as being "a real bright light in our family, and we’ve lost a really great guy."

“Cory’s one of the biggest hearts, ” she added. "He once flew across the country on his own nickel to meet with a sick kid whose last wish was to meet him, that's the kind of guy he was. He was a real giver."

Lynch continued, “He was one of those guys that … you know, he knew he was breathing rarefied air. The gifts that this wonderful show gave us. I don't think he left one day unlived."

Watch Lynch get emotional remembering Monteith below:

SEE ALSO: Heartbroken Celebrities And 'Glee' Co-Stars React To Cory Monteith's Death On Twitter

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How JK Rowling's Pseudonym Was Revealed: A Law Firm, A Wife's Best Friend, And An Errant Tweet

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The Cuckoos Calling, JK Rowling

J.K. Rowling's secret identity as crime writer Robert Galbraith, author of the low-selling yet acclaimed "The Cuckoo's Calling," was once one of the biggest secrets in publishing, until it was revealed by the Sunday Times last weekend.

But how did the Sunday Times get the scoop? As more information is coming out, we're beginning to understand the leak's strange path — a law firm, a wife's best friend, and an errant tweet.

Today one of London's leading entertainment law firms, Russells, admitted that a partner named Chris Gossage had let the information slip to his wife's best friend, Judith Callegari, in a "private conversation," the BBC reports. As we covered this weekend, this person then tweeted Galbraith's true identity to India Knight, a well-known Sunday Times columnist who had been tweeting about the book. Knight then told her colleague Richard Brooks, the arts editor of the Sunday Times, who used a variety of techniques — including the work of linguistic forensics— to conclude Rowling was the true author of "The Cuckoo's Calling."

Russels has clearly been left red-faced by the incident — in a statement they said the firm "apologizes profusely" to Rowling for the leak. Business Insider reached out to the Callegari on Facebook earlier this week for comment, but she has since deleted both her profile and the Twitter account that originally tweeted to Knight.

"I feel very angry that my trust turned out to be misplaced," Rowling said in a statement. "To say that I am disappointed is an understatement."

SEE ALSO: Every Aspiring Author Should Be Depressed By J.K. Rowling's Pseudonymous Publishing Stunt >

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The 18 Biggest Snubs And Surprises Of The Emmy Nominations

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Kevin Spacey House of Cards

The 65th Primetime Emmy award nominations weren't without a little drama.

Netflix's original series "House of Cards" made award show history as the first program delivered online to earn an Emmy nod — squeezing "Boardwalk Empire," "The Newsroom," "The Good Wife," and "The Americans" out of the crowded Drama category.

"American Horror Story," FX's little-miniseries-that-could, picked up an impressive 17 nominations.

SEE ALSO: "American Horror Story" Leads Emmy Nominations With 17 Nods, A Complete List

Surprise: "American Horror Story" lead the way with a jaw-dropping 17 nominations, including Outstanding Miniseries or Movie.



Snub: AMC's "Mad Men" cleaned up well at the nominations, but creator Matt Weiner was shut out of the writing category for the first time since the show's premiere.



Surprise: "Scandal" star Kerry Washington became the first African-American woman to earn a Best Actress in a Drama nomination since 1995 (Cicely Tyson, "Sweet Justice").



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