A quirky guide to myths and lore based in actual science - Ars Technica

It’s late summer in Los Angeles and pop stars NCT 127 are booked and busy. Two of the group’s members, Doyoung and Jungwoo, are serving in the Korean military, so as of now there are only five members meeting with The Times for a recent interview. The group is used to being flexible both in the literal sense — they are all amazing dancers — and in the practical as they have adjusted to accommodate change over the years, including the departure of two members. Inside a hotel conference room downtown, rapper/vocalists Johnny and Taeyong and singers Jaehyun, Haechan and Yuta are dutifully seated at a table with iced coffees, pens and notepads. Taeyong has used the occasion to sketch a large, detailed star and skull on his. They are here to discuss their seventh studio album, “Blingy,” released Monday, in which the five members continue to reinforce their reputation for experimental hip-hop. NCT 127 is one of the Avengers-like subunits of the sprawling NCT concept (Neo Culture Technology) from the Korean company SM Entertainment — one in a large family of groups targeted to different regions, cultures and styles of music that have on occasion performed together as a supergroup.