- io9
The Greatest Acting Challenge Is Pretending Not to Be Thrilled to Drive on Mars
Here’s Asa Butterfield in The Space Between Us, fighting every single thing in his body that tells him what fun is, keeping a grim face on while his character goes for a Martian joyride. Truly, this is the greatest acting challenge. Why isn’t Butterfield more thrilled to do donuts on Mars? Okay, yes, I know … Continued
- Tech News
Why Your Acid Trips Last So Very, Very Long
People who have “experimented” with LSD know that its mind-altering effects can last upwards of 18 to 24 hours, which is unusual for a hallucinogenic drug. After nearly 30 years of research, scientists have finally mapped the physical structure of this fascinating molecule, revealing why it tends to linger in the brain. New research published … Continued
- io9
On Riverdale, the CW’s Addictive Archie Soap, Friendship Is Magic
From the opening moments of Riverdale, you will either decide it’s too over-the-top for you or fall in love with its commitment to being as ridiculous as possible. But if you stick with it, you’ll find that there’s a lot more heart to the show than you expected. It’s weird, campy, beautiful, and delightful. I … Continued
- Tech NewsAmazon
Amazon Sells Out of 1984 as America Decides to Read a Goddamn Book for Once [Update]
George Orwell’s dystopian classic 1984 occupied the number one spot on Amazon’s best-selling books list yesterday, where it remains today. A cautionary tale about a brutal, amoral dictator has evidently felt relevant to people lately. But as of today, Amazon—the world’s largest bookseller—is unable to keep up with demand. Currently 1984 is printed by Signet … Continued
By Avery Ellis - Tech News
What the US Can Learn From Canada’s Battle With an Anti-Science Government
We’re only a few days into the Trump era and it’s becoming painfully clear that the new president is mobilizing for a war on science. This situation is eerily reminiscent of attempts to suppress science in Canada during Stephen Harper’s tenure as Prime Minister, from 2006 to 2015. Here’s what Canadians say American scientists and … Continued
- io9
Latest Mass Effect: Andromeda Trailer Gives Best Look Yet at New Aliens, Enemies
More alien romance is almost a certainty in Mass Effect: Andromeda. There’ll be some new races to horizontal tango with. And are those space pajamas or what? This new teaser gives us the best look yet at Andromeda, which casts players as Pathfinders, explorer-soldiers looking for a new home for the denizens of a traveling … Continued
- Tech News
Human-Pig Chimeras Suggest a Long Road to Organ Farming
Several dozen embryos sat in a lab that seemed straight out of a David Lynch film—part pig, part human. It’s just the first step in a strange journey that may one day lead to a new way to grow and harvest human organs. Human organs are a scarce commodity, and almost 80,000 people are currently … Continued
- Tech NewsSploid
Over-the-Top Cinematography Makes Tiny Skateboard Tricks Look Like the Coolest Sport Ever
Skateboarders are undoubtedly some of the coolest professional athletes, but does that apply to fingerboarders as well, who perform impossible tricks with tiny decks just a few inches long? Normally, no, but through the lens of Sebastian Linda’s camera, what kid wouldn’t aspire to be a pro fingerboarder one day? Fingers of Steel takes a … Continued
- Tech News
The NSA Has Found a New Way to Categorically Deny FOIA Requests
The notoriously secretive National Security Agency is raising “security concerns” to justify an apparent new policy of pre-emptively denying Freedom of Information Act requests about the agency’s contractors. The policy was cited by John R. Chapman, the agency’s chief FOIA public liaison officer, in a letter to Gizmodo on January 17, 2017, three days before … Continued
- io9
What If Star Wars Was Resolved Without War?
There’s a lot of war in Star Wars, as its name implies. But while lightsabers swinging and blaster fire screaming down hallways is a lot of fun to watch, what if the Rebels and Empire resolved their conflicts more peacefully instead? like, say, a game of Force-chess? Márk Juhász’s short but fun fan film, Star … Continued
- ScienceSpace
Alien Planets Have No Respect for Their Moons
Though NASA has confirmed 3,440 planets outside our solar system, no one has ever been able to confirm an exomoon. While we know they’re out there, huddling around their respective planets, new research could clue us into why we haven’t been able to find one yet—and it could be because their planets are assholes. A … Continued
By Rae Paoletta - Tech News
Doomsday Clock Moves 30 Seconds Closer to Midnight and We’re All Going to Die
It’s 2.5 minutes to midnight. We’re all fucked. Since 1947, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has been using a clock to symbolize how close we are to a catastrophic event. The closer to “midnight” we are, the more concerned they say we should be about dying in something like a nuclear holocaust. Well, if … Continued
By Matt Novak - io9
The Avengers Are Getting a Big New Video Game Series From the Makers of Tomb Raider
Marvel is teaming up with the company behind Tomb Raider, Final Fantasy, Hitman, and more to create a big-ticket line of new video games—and they’re kicking off with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in The Avengers Project. Announced this morning by Square Enix, the first Avengers game game will be developed by Crystal Dynamics (Tomb Raider) and … Continued
- Tech News
Sean Spicer Just Tweeted Something That Looks an Awful Lot Like a Password
White House Press Secretary and shouting ball of wax Sean Spicer has tweeted plenty of dumb things. (And who among us hasn’t?) This morning, though, he may have accidentally compromised the security of his Twitter account. At 8:42am Spicer sent a string of nonsense out to the world: “n9y25ah7.” It’s not long enough to be … Continued
By Avery Ellis - Tech News
Product Safety Agency Launches Facebook Page, a Subversive Act in the Age of Trump
With Donald Trump now in power, every federal agency in America is on notice. Government workers are being told to shut their mouths, whether it’s about scientific research from the Environmental Protection Agency or climate change data from the National Park Service. But in the face of all this, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) … Continued
By Matt Novak - io9
Civil War Is Coming to the Avengers Animated Series, Too
Marvel’s superheroes just can’t stop fighting each other lately, whether it’s on the big screen or in the comic books. But it turns out that not even their animated adventures on Disney XD can escape the allure of hero versus hero action—and we’ve got an exclusive clip of the superhero scrap breaking out. This weekend, … Continued
- Tech NewsGadgets
Salt Water Is All You Need to Power This Lamp for 80 Hours
Hurricanes, earthquakes, elected officials—there are plenty of legitimate reasons to prepare for the end of civilization as we know it, and if the world’s supply of batteries ever runs out, you’ll be glad you had this emergency LED lamp tucked away in your doomsday shelter. Instead of trying to dig up a fresh pair of … Continued
- io9
The New X-Men TV Show Will Feature Some Familiar Mutant Heroes
Vin Diesel has high hopes for a solo Groot movie. Sonequa Martin-Green and Scott Gimple discuss whether Star Trek: Discovery could mean a grim fate for Sasha on The Walking Dead. Dan Harmon discusses why Rick and Morty’s third season isn’t done yet. Plus, new footage from The Lego Batman movie. To me, my Spoilers! … Continued
- Tech News
Why Did Scientists Wait Until Trump to Run for Office?
Science is political. The last few days have made this explicitly clear, as a freshly minted Trump administration has begun to wage what sure looks a lot like a war on science. In the past week, the White House has placed communications restrictions on the EPA, the USDA and the National Park Service. It has … Continued
- How To
5 Easy Ways to Secure Your Home’s Wi-Fi
Your home wi-fi network might be a glorious model of high-speed, rock-solid internet connectivity, but is it safe? Even after you’ve got all of your various computers and devices hooked up, you still need to make sure the network’s secured against unwelcome visitors, and here’s exactly how to make sure it happens. 1) Configure and … Continued
By David Nield