“Science fiction explores out-of-this-world elements and potential futures. This exploration can range from entirely speculative, to hard sci-fi grounded in actual facts. However, there’s something special that happens when an author has a background in the scientific aspects of their novel.” Read more at The Portalist. The fire pole has long been an intrinsic part of any fire department. Here’s why it’s now disappearing. Read more at Mental Floss. Sub-Zero of the new Mortal Kombat movie is one of the coolest villains in recent film history. “From the icy warehouse and frozen bullets in the opening seconds of the trailer for the new Mortal Kombat, it was clear that one of the franchise’s most famous characters was getting a big upgrade from the 1995 film. In Paul W.S. Anderson’s adaptation, the villainous cryomancer Sub-Zero was paraded around with Scorpion as the Outworld’s two deadliest fighters, given zero lines, fought with Liu Kang, and died before the movie was half over.” Read more at Thrillist. Scientists may have just uncovered the mystery behind how Mars would have had liquid water long, long ago. Read more at Inverse. From 2011’s Bastion to 2016’s Final Fantasy XV, here are some games with the best soundtracks in video game history. “Video game soundtracks have come a long way, from the bleeps and bloops of yesteryear, to the orchestral medleys and vaporwave beats of today. When we talk about how effective a game is at what it’s trying to do, music often plays a key role.” Read more at PCMag. Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon is officially underway as production begins. Read more at Gizmodo.