DAVE BRIGGS: Guess who's back? Barney, your favorite purple dinosaur will return in an animated series launching next year. In addition to new content, Mattel is turning out a new line of Barney toys, ...

It's both educational and visually evocative, but the violence might be too much for your dinosaur loving little one.

For over a century, non-avian dinosaurs have been symbols of extinction. Our awe at their success, and our puzzlement at their ultimate demise, have made them perfect foils for our worries and fears.

Paleontology writer Brian Switek, author of "Written In Stone" and the Laelaps blog, recently stumbled upon a cleverly nuanced bit of animated Soviet propaganda that touches on his field of expertise.