The Mars One project revealed last year will give four people a true once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: A chance to live on Mars. For good.

The organizers of Mars One, which will be funded by selling TV and media rights to a reality show set on the Red Planet, has so far attracted no fewer than 40,000 applicants. That’s despite the fact that those who leave Earth will never be coming back.

Nobel Prize winner Gerard ‘t Hooft, an ambassador for the Mars One program, told Slate about the figures, confessing even he had been surprised by the response:

“So far, almost 40,000 people from all over the world have applied to become Martians. This is many more than I had imagined, although some psychologists and cultural anthropologists had apparently predicted there would be at least a million candidates. Everyone is now being asked about their motivation, and thousands of replies have already been collected.”

Hooft added the astronaut selection process would kick off later this year and would be funded with investments from companies in the Netherlands and South Africa.

He also addressed some of the long-term goals of Mars One, revealing how he dreams of a grand, self-perpetuating Martian colony:

“The ultimate goal is a community of 20 settlers. In the distant future, the colony will not only expand through immigration, but also through population growth. I realize, of course, it might take some time before the first child is born on Mars – and making the colony childproof will be a challenge, as I am well aware since becoming a grandfather.”

What say you, readers? Anybody tempted to sign up for a life on Mars?

One-Way Ticket To Mars More Popular Than You Might Think is a post from: The Inquisitr

Three people were killed this morning during a helicopter crash in northern Los Angeles County.

According to the Los Angeles Daily News, the helicopter was being used by a film crew to film a reality TV show at the Polsa Rosa Ranch in Acton. An LA Film Commission official confirmed that a production company had filed permits to use a Bell 206B Jet Ranger to film the ranch. Filming on the reality show began on Saturday.

Robert Diaz, the Los Angles County Fire Dispatcher, said that all three men on board the plane were killed. Diaz said that the three men, all in their mid-40s, were thrown from the helicopter when it crashed in an open field.

The NY Daily News reports that all three men were pronounced dead at the scene.

Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Martin Smith said: “The helicopter crashed into an open field. They did have camera equipment on board the helicopter, and there were ground cameras nearby.”

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer identified the helicopter but could not provide any details about what caused the crash.

Kenitzer said: “The helicopter, a Bell 206B Jet Ranger, crashed under unknown circumstances,”

It’s unclear what reality show the helicopter was being used for but Kenitzer said that he believed it was related to the military.

Helicopter Crash Kills Three In California is a post from: The Inquisitr

Big Tiny is a new The Learning Channel (TLC) reality show featuring the smallest known siblings in the entire world. Bridgette “Bri” and Brad Jordan are Guinness Book of World Records holders for their small stature. Bri Jordan is 27-inches-tall and Brad Jordan is slightly taller at 38-inches. The pair of twenty-something siblings will star in Big Tiny which premieres on August 13.

Bri Jordan held the record for the World’s Smallest Woman last year until Jyoti Amge of India turned 18 and stripped Jordan of the title. Amge stands 24-inches tall, the Huffington Post notes. The TLC reality show Big Tiny will follow the Jordan siblings as they go about their daily routine. Brian Jordan is a college cheerleader and a gymnast.

“Bradley especially doesn’t seem to have a problem with being shy. They’ve always been in the public eye,” Bri and Brian’s mother Christy Jordan told the Huffington Post. She also describes the Big Tiny stars as a pair of normal 23-and 21-year-olds.

Bri Jordan weighs 18 pounds and routinely showers in the kitchen sink. Big Tiny viewers will see Jordan doing her weekly grocery store shopping, flexing her muscles as she tosses items into a standard-size grocery store cart. Bri enjoys baking cupcakes and chatting with her friends during the reality show episodes.

Brian Jordan weights 35 pounds. During Big Tiny episodes he will showcase his creative and athletic abilities for reality show viewers when he sings and goes to karate practice. Bri and Brian Jordan are also joined on the TLC reality show by their older sister Brandi and their mother, who is a registered nurse.

‘Big Tiny’ Reality Show On TLC Features World’s Smallest Siblings is a post from: The Inquisitr

Abby and Brittany Hensel have never been able to truly avoid the public eye, so now the 22-year old conjoined twins have decided to embrace it.

Born with one essentially body and two heads, or as dicephalic parapagus twins to be specific, the girls first appeared in the public eye on the cover of Life Magazine in 1996. Though just six at the time, the conjoined twins‘ publicity continued with a pair of appearances on Oprah. They’ve also been in a handful of documentaries.

The New York Daily News reports that the pair is getting a reality show on TLC, which will be called Abby and Brittany and will follow the girls as they graduate from Bethel University and get started on the job hunt. It will also show the girls as they take a trip through Europe.

Though the two share one body and several organs, they have two distinct personalities and control different parts of the body. Abby controls the left side of the body, whereas Brittany controls the right. They can work together to drive a car, ride a bike or do just about anything anyone else can do.  The promotional video (below) shows the girls acting like any recent college grad, having a good time and enjoying life.

While the conjoined Hensel twins tend to get stares wherever they go, they don’t let it get to them.

“We throw it out there, and we let it go,” Abby Hensel said.

People Magazine reports that Abby and Brittany, the show that shows conjoined twins trying to live a normal life, premieres Aug. 28 at 10 p.m. Eastern.

Conjoined Hensel Twins Get TLC Reality Show (Video) is a post from: The Inquisitr

United Bates of America is a new TLC reality show boasting as many kids as the Duggars. Gil and Kelly Jo Bates are the momma and poppa in the new TLC United Bates of America reality show. The Bates family lives in the rural Lake City, Tennessee area and are a deeply religious clan of 21, Radar Online notes.

The new TLC reality show begins with an eight-episode series showcasing the Bates family bringing home little baby Jeb from the hospital. Gil and Kelly Jo Bates homeschool their children. The Bates family will soon have one the 19 children flying the nest and heading off to college. Viewers of United Bates of America will see Erin Bates prepare to leave her secluded homelife and venture onto campus.

The Bates children and their parents are reportedly a music loving family and enjoy the solitude of a country lifestyle but still have struggles which will play out on-screen throughout the new family reality show. The United Bates of America premieres on August 13 at 9 pm.

Gil and Kelly Jo Bates are reportedly close friends with the Duggars. The Bates children range in age from 6 months to 23-years-old. The Bates family has nearly enough children to field two baseball teams with 10 girls and nine boys counted among the large clan.

Each 30-minute episode of United Bates of America episode will focus on a new adventure in the daily lives of the super-sized and close-knit family, TLC notes. Previews of United Bates of America show their children having old-fashioned country family fun, going rafting and tending to livestock on the beautiful and expansive Tennessee farm. With 21 children all living under one roof, there is sure to be both comical and stressful moments in which parents in charge of far smaller families can relate.

‘United Bates Of America’ New Reality Show Follows Family With 19 Children is a post from: The Inquisitr

Jersey Shore reality show star Pauly DelVecchio was listed by Forbes’ at the seventh wealthiest DJ in the world. Paul Pauly DelVecchio, affectionately known as DJ Pauly D, reportedly earns $11 million a year spinning music. The Jersey Shore star is originally from Rhode Island, according to the New York Daily News.

Female fans of the Jersey Shore reality show may be delighted to know that Pauly D is currently single. DelVecchio, who describes himself as a “Guido” maintains all the success has not gone to his head.

“They say that success changes a person. I say it changes the people around you. They don’t know how to act around you,” Pauly DelVecchio told the New York Daily News while getting ready for an ad campaign photo shoot earlier this week. “I have all this amazing stuff going on and I’d like to maybe someday have someone to share it with.”

Pauly D lamented during the New York Daily News interview about the obstacles which exist when attempting to determine who is “genuine” and who is simply interested in fame or money. Pauly DelVecchio also noted his interest in have a “little bambino” one day. If you plan on attending one of the Pauly D upcoming promotional events, do not ask him to sign your baby, he simply will not oblige.

“I don’t do it. You want me to hold it, I”ll hold it. I’ll take a picture, but I won’t sign it,” Pauly DelVecchio stated during the interview. Apparently some fans attending past events have handed the wealthy DJ a ballpoint and a baby instead of a pad and pen.

Pauly DelVecchio confirmed rumors are circulating that the next season of Jersey Shore will be the last. But Pauly D also notes nothing official from the hit reality show’s producers has been said to him about the end of the Jersey Shore reality series.

‘Jersey Shore’ Star Pauly D Named 7th Weathiest DJ In The World, Makes $11 Million Per Year is a post from: The Inquisitr

Levi Johnston is suing Bristol Palin for full custody of their son Tripp, claiming proof of her bad parenting is evident in the Palin reality show Life’s A Tripp. Levi Johnston’s lawsuit maintains Bristol Palin allows Tripp to “run wild” and use curse words frequently, according to TMZ.

During a recently aired episode of “Life’s A Tripp” Levi Johnston and Bristol Palin’s son dropped the f-bomb on his aunt Willow. Bristol Palin admits during the same reality show episode that she is “doing a terrible job of disciplining Tripp.”

Levi Johsnton told TMZ he has become “disgusted” while watching his son’s behavior on “Life’s A Tripp” and feels Bristol Palin is not offering any real parenting structure and the toddler is engaged in a “downward spiral.”

“I love my son more than anything and I will do whatever it takes to make sure he is raised the right way,” Levi Johnston stated during the TMZ interview. In reference to the home environment Bristol Palin is providing to Tripp, Levi Johnston also commented that the child “deserves a better family.”

In 2009 Bristol Palin won a heated court battle for full custody rights to Tripp. According to court filings published in the Anchorage Daily News, Bristol Palin successfully argued that her family could provide better support and care for Tripp than Levi Johnston. Bristol Palin did not win the motion to close the custody proceedings with Levi Johnston and had argued that publicity would be “bad” for Tripp, New Jersey Online reports.

Bristol Palin has not yet commented on Levi Johnston’s public acknowledgment that he will soon be traveling to the Wasilla, Alaska courthouse and completing the paperwork necessary to initiate action to change the existing custody arrangement for Tripp.

Levi Johnston Sues Bristol Palin For Full Custody Of Their Son Tripp – Claims She Is An Unfit Mother is a post from: The Inquisitr

A $6 billion reality show set on Mars is being planned by a Dutch company that wants to put humans on the Red Planet by April 2023, reports the Huffington Post.

The company, Mars One, aims to send four humans to Mars, where they’ll stay for the rest of their lives – there’ll be no return ticket from this adventure, making it a hell of a commitment for whoever gets involved. The Mars One project, essentially, is the ultimate version of Big Brother (fittingly, the popular TV show originated in the Netherlands). Though probably with less canoodling in jacuzzis.

While this may sound like a back-of-a-fag-packet kind of plan, it has some serious brains behind it – including Nobel laureate Gerard ‘t Hooft. Hooft says funding will be secured by creating the “biggest ever” media event around the project. He said:

“This project seems to be the only way to fulfill humanity’s dream to explore outer space. It is going to be an exciting experiment. Let’s get started. This is going to be a media spectacle; the whole world will be watching and experience this journey.”

And there’s a timetable for the project already – by 2016, the first Mars One satellite and supply missions will launch via SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket. In 2018, a large planetary rover will be sent to Mars, where it will locate suitable territory and begin building a colony for the humans who will live there. In the meantime, aerospace companies around the world have been contacted, and have confirmed the necessary components for such a mission are all readily available, at a price.

If escaping to Mars for a few decades appeals to you, you better start prepping soon for your interview – the selection process will begin in 2013. Here’s a short film introducing the project:

Mars Reality Show Costing $6 Billion Being Planned By Dutch Company [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

One of HGTV‘s more popular shows has been facing just the kind of criticism reality shows hope to avoid — charges that the show is scripted. So the question now is this: Is “House Hunters” fake?

Yes, at least one episode was, according to a Huffington Post report. The online news site interviewed Bobi Jensen, who appeared on an episode. Jensen claims that she and her family had already closed on the new house prior to filming, and that the other homes they toured weren’t even for sale, but rather belonged to family friends.

Moreover, Jensen told Entertainment Weekly that the producers of “House Hunters” faked her family’s story. But she added that viewing friends’ homes isn’t the norm, and the couple was unable to find realtors willing to show them homes for the show.

The Huffington Post reached out to HGTV, and the network responded with this lengthy statement:

“We’ve learned that the pursuit of the perfect home involves big decisions that usually take place over a period of time –more time than we can capture in 30 minutes of television. However, with a series like “House Hunters,” HGTV viewers enjoy the vicarious and entertaining experience of choosing a home — from establishing a budget, to touring properties and weighing the pros and cons of each one. We’re making a television show, so we manage certain production and time constraints, while honoring the home buying process. To maximize production time, we seek out families who are pretty far along in the process. Often everything moves much more quickly than we can anticipate, so we go back and revisit some of the homes that the family has already seen and we capture their authentic reactions. Because the stakes in real estate are so high, these homeowners always find themselves RIGHT back in the moment, experiencing the same emotions and reactions to these properties. Showcasing three homes makes it easier for our audience to “play along” and guess which one the family will select. It’s part of the joy of the “House Hunters”‘ viewing experience. Through the lens of television, we can offer a uniquely satisfying and fun viewing experience that fulfills a universal need to occasionally step into someone else’s shoes.”

The non-definitive statement, at least in part, seems to leave open the question of whether or not “House Hunters” is fake.

House Hunters Scandal: Show May Be Fake is a post from: The Inquisitr

Based around the lives of four beautiful women, the new show “Push Girls” has aimed to chronicle the activities of these delightful ladies on a daily basis. The most interesting part however is that all four of these women are paralyzed from the neck or waist down.

Premiering on the Sundance Channel this past Monday, “Push Girls” hoped to shatter the stereotypes and negative notions surrounding the lives of people with a paralytic disability.

“Plenty of people have no idea what it’s like to spend the day in the life of someone with a disability, let alone a spinal cord injury,” said Tiphany Adams, 29, who was paralyzed in an awful car accident in 2000.

“How do we get in and out of a car? How do we go to the bathroom. How do we go grocery shopping? How do we get in the shower? How do we get dressed? I thought it was a brilliant idea for the world to see that,” she said.

Show creator Gay Rosenthal simply said “I wanted to do a show about people in wheelchairs. Then going out to find them, the girls came first”.

When asked about the ‘educating’ of the audience in regards to the normalities of everyday life for these women, Rosenthal says that you will see it in the very first episode.

“We don’t like to call it educational. We call it the little “L.” [As in learning]” says Rosenthal.

“The show is all about what’s going on in their lives. Everyone has their goals that they want to accomplish. Auti [Angel, a professional dancer] is trying to have a baby in her forties, and that is so relatable. Angela was married to Dustin [Nguyen, who starred on TV's "21 Jump Street"] for 10 years. He was with her before the accident and now they’re separated for the first time ever.”

Adding, “We have an episode where they’re all skiing. The show is a balance between what’s going on in their lives and how they get by.”

When asked if there have been any critics that have claimed that the show is exploiting these young woman, Rosenthal had this to say:

Actually the opposite. I feel I’ve been recognized for doing it right. In the beginning, before “Little People,” some critics said it was going to be a gawk fest and it was exploitative. But I said, “just watch it.” The characters are the story. Sure, there’s a gawk factor, but that’s just because the shows present people who are different. The shows need to be entertaining, and they need complexity. But they can do all those things at the same time.

“Push Girls” premiered this past Monday on the Sundance Channel with rerun follow ups on a daily basis.

Do you feel that the new show “Push Girls” is a good way to show people what it’s like for a paralyzed person to live day to day?

Or do you feel that the show is exploiting these young women?

New Show ‘Push Girls’ Breaks Wheelchair Boundaries, Draws Critics [VIDEO] is a post from: The Inquisitr

In what could easily be an internet hoax, a Dutch company has released a video stating that they plan to colonize Mars by the year 2023.

Backed by Nobel Prize winning theoretical physicist Prof. Dr. Gerard ‘t Hooft, this project is claiming that it will take seven years for the first group of four to arrive on the red planet. Once those initial frontiers arrive and prep the settlement, additional crews will arrive once every two years to continue growing the population.

“My first impression was this is an extraordinary project by people with vision and imagination. My first reaction was, I think like anyone who was confronted with such an idea, that ‘this will never work’.” says Hooft. “But now look and listen more closely, this is something that really can be achieved. I think this might become a most spectacular media event ever watched by everyone on the globe.”

In this YouTube video titled “Mars One Introduction Film” that was released just yesterday, the company explains their venture and the details that will make it possible.

“1972 was the last time that humans walked on the moon” says the voice over on the YouTube video, “No human has ever gone as far as Mars.”

One of the rather interesting components, other than the idea that they’re trying to settle Mars, is the fact that “Big Brother” co-creator Paul Römer is an official ambassador of the venture. Providing that a major reality show co-creator is involved, this could very well prove to be an attempt at exploiting the internet’s ability to cause a hoax to go viral.

Hoax or not, it’ll be interesting to see where this story goes.

Do you think this Dutch company claiming to colonize Mars by 2023 is legitimate, or just an internet hoax?

Dutch Company Claims To Colonize Mars By 2023 [VIDEO] is a post from: The Inquisitr

A scant two months after tying the knot in a ceremony that is rumored to have cost about $10 million, Kris Humphries says he is “blindsided” by new wife Kim Kardashian’s divorce filing.

Humphries is said to have discovered his wife wanted out the way everyone else did- by reading a TMZ post. But the NBA free agent says that he was “blindsided” by the news and he doesn’t want his marriage to Kim to end. He offered a statement to TMZ:

“I’m committed to this marriage and everything this covenant represents. I love my wife and am devastated to learn she filed for divorce… I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make it work.”

The statement does run contrary to an earlier post on TMZ today detailing the couple’s reactions to the breakup, where the site indicates that sources close to the couple say “it’s not a nasty break-up … but we’re told the two have come to a realization that it’s not a long-term fit.”

Although Kim has been silent about the divorce on Twitter, keeping banter to her 10 million fans restricted to upcoming appearance, sister Khloe has addressed the backlash on her account. She fumes:

Reading some these comments r so hurtful. Im grateful 4our fans who understand & r being respectful. Hate is disgusting. Love is everything. Thank God for family. We are strong and we will only become closer! I love YOU[.]

TMZ also says that the breakup was ultimately due to Humphries’ desire to live in his home state of Minnesota, while Kardashian wished to stay in Los Angeles for her career and to be near the Kardashian clan.

Kris Humphries ‘Blindsided’ by Kim Kardashian’s Divorce Filing is a post from: The Inquisitr

Ryan Seacrest confirmed in a tweet that Kim Kardashian is filing for divorce.

“Yes @kimkardashian is filing for divorce this morning. I touched base with her, getting a statement in just a few mins”

Inquisitr has reported last October 21st about Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries getting divorced, so this news is just a confirmation that it is indeed happening.

Kardashian is apparently citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split. She is represented by the lawyer of celebrities Laura Wasser. She’s the same one who represented such stars as Britney Spears, Maria Shriver, Angelina Jolie, Ryan Reynolds, and Robyn Gibson.

There is a prenuptial agreement so everything is safe with Kim. As for Kris, he can always go back to playing basketball. Oh wait, there’s an NBA lockout. What do you suggest can Kris start doing while there’s still that uncertainity with the NBA?

The couple lasted for two months. Not bad.

Kim Kardashian Filing for Divorce is a post from: The Inquisitr