Science Fiction: Stories & Guides

Name	Category	Origin	Purpose	Storage Duration
act	Required	.facebook.com	Used to distinguish between two Facebook sessions for the same user, created at different times.	Session
c_user	Required	.facebook.com	The Facebook user ID of the currently logged-in user.	90 days
fblo_	Required	nerdspot.events	Used to log in users via Facebook.	6 months
fbm_	Required	nerdspot.events	Used to log in users via Facebook.	3 months
user-is-logged-in	Required	nerdspot.events	Saves that the user is/was logged in.	31536000 seconds
LF9x	Required	nerdspot.events	Unique ID that identifies the user's session.	14000 seconds
datr	Marketing	.facebook.com	Used to identify the web browser used to connect to Facebook regardless of the user logged in.	2 years
_fbp	Marketing	.facebook.com	Used by Facebook to display a range of advertising products, such as real-time bids from third party advertisers.	3 months
fr	Marketing	.facebook.com	Used to show and measure ads and improve the relevance of ads (including measurement of conversions). Determines the relevance of ads based on site behavior and/or current search queries.	3 months
sb	Marketing	.facebook.com	Used to show and measure ads and improve the relevance of ads (including measurement of conversions). Determines the relevance of ads based on site behavior and/or current search queries.	2 years
spin	Marketing	.facebook.com	Set by Facebook at login - exact usage unknown.	25 hours
	Marketing	nerdspot.events	Used to collect consent for tracking the user ID in Matomo. No cookie is set.
	Marketing	nerdspot.events	Used to collect consent for tracking the user email in Matomo. No cookie is set.
wd	Statistics	.facebook.com	This cookie stores the dimensions of the browser window and is used by Facebook to optimize the display of the page.	7 days
_GRECAPTCHA	Statistics	https://www.google.com	Cookie set by Google reCAPTCHA to protect the site from spam by bots.	180 days
mtm_consent	Statistics	nerdspot.events	Used to remember that consent was given by the user.	Unlimited
_pk_cvar.*	Statistics	nerdspot.events	Used to temporarily store data for the visit.	30 minutes
_pk_hsr.*	Statistics	nerdspot.events	Used to temporarily store data for the visit.	30 minutes
_pk_id.*	Statistics	nerdspot.events	Used to store details about the user (e.g. a unique visitor ID)	13 months
matomo_ignore	Statistics	stats.pcsg-server.de	Flags the user as ignored from tracking.	Unlimited
_pk_ref.*	Statistics	nerdspot.events	Used to store the attribution information (e.g. the referrer initially used to visit the website).	6 months
_pk_ses.*	Statistics	nerdspot.events	Used to temporarily store data for the visit.	30 minutes
MATOMO_SESSID	Statistics	nerdspot.events	Created when opt-out feature is used. Helps prevent CSRF security issues.	Temporary
_pk_testcookie.*	Statistics	nerdspot.events	Used to check whether the visitor’s browser supports cookies.	1 second
xs	Preferences	.facebook.com	This cookie contains several pieces of information about the user’s session.	3 months

Talk Like Yoda Day

When master Yoda had his first appearance in the film "The Empire Strikes Back" on 21.05.1980, it was quickly done by many fans. Yoda is the oldest and most powerful Jedi Knight - despite his small body size.

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Captain Picard Day

As Captain of the USS Enterprise D (NCC-1701-D) and USS Enterprise E (NCC-1701-E), Sir Patrick Stewart has created a role that for many was probably like a father substitute. Unconventional but loyal, he always sticks by his crew and Starfleet - a real childhood hero!

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Harrison Ford’s Birthday

Happy birthday Harrison Ford. oh man, we have a lot of childhood memories of him. Whether as Han Solo or as Indiana Jones, Harrison is one of the coolest actors ever.

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Anonymous television writer drafts glowing space routes and an original spacecraft in detailed dark pixel art

Gene Roddenberry at 105: The Blueprint Behind Star Trek

Gene Roddenberry did more than imagine a starship. On his 105th birthday, discover the repeatable story system that made Star Trek’s future endure.

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A dark 1990s bedroom where cyan-lit cables connect CRT computers and toy robots as a network awakens

Judgment Day 2026: Skynet’s Missing Off Switch

Terminator 2 returns to cinemas around its fictional Judgment Day. Revisit Skynet as a control-system failure—not a prediction about today’s AI.

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Pixel-art bedroom with a spacecraft on a CRT television, three VHS tapes and a handmade cardboard space model

Star Trek at 60: Three Beginnings, One Premiere

Two pilots made Star Trek possible, but neither opened its NBC run. Revisit the three beginnings behind the series’ sixtieth anniversary.

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A teenage girl examines a photograph with a magnifying glass in a pixel-art bedroom while a CRT shows a UFO over a forest

The X-Files at 33: Why Scully’s Doubt Still Matters

An alien mystery needs someone who asks for evidence. Revisit the partnership that made The X-Files work—and the real-world inspiration associated with Dana Scully.

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Pixel-art retro bedroom seen through a doorway, with the Serenity spaceship on a CRT television and two VHS tapes on a chest

Firefly at 24: Two Ways to Trust a Space Cowboy

Firefly reached US television with its second episode. Its two beginnings offer a revealing experiment in how stories earn our trust.

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Pixel-art CRT television showing a UFO above a pine forest while a hand inserts a VHS tape in a dark, cozy retro bedroom.

The X-Files Watchlist: 10 Episodes for Beginners

Start with Pilot, Deep Throat and Squeeze, then follow a ten-episode beginner watchlist. Includes a five-evening plan and the viewing order for both movies.

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Pixel-art party table with a model time-travel car, clocks, pizza and quiz cards in a retro bedroom.

Back to the Future Day: A Budget Party for Six

Plan an affordable movie night for six with shopping quantities, a simple menu and ten quiz questions with answers. Includes a timed trilogy option.

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Pixel art of four couscous bowls, dates and popcorn on a round table in a retro bedroom, with desert dunes on a CRT.

Dune Movie Night Menu: Easy Recipes and a Prep Plan

A simple Arrakis-inspired dinner with supermarket ingredients, quantities for four or six and a prep plan. Includes mild and vegan options.

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Pixel art of a retro bedroom with a sleeping ginger cat, VHS tapes and a CRT showing a fictional female spaceship engineer with a flashlight.

Sigourney Weaver at 77: Ripley’s Quiet Kind of Courage

Ripley earns our trust before she fights. On Sigourney Weaver’s 77th birthday, a closer look at the decisions that make an action heroine believable.

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Pixel art of a girl on a bed looking up at a hanging spacecraft model, beside a CRT showing a rocket launch in a retro bedroom.

Jupiter 2 in 1997: The Future That Left Without Us

A fictional family ship and a real Saturn probe launched one day apart. Their destinations reveal what Lost in Space imagined the future would feel like.

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