- io9
Finch’s Greatest Vulnerability, on Person of Interest
Last night on Person of Interest, we witnessed the first showdown between the Machine and its potentially evil rival, Samaritan. And then something unexpected happened. The episode was all about humanity. The Machine Gang split up in the last episode, trying to stay under Samaritan’s radar while evil Decima Corp head Greer tries to track … Continued
- io9
Anyone In This Japanese Town Who Leaves Or Dies Is Replaced By A Doll
No, it’s not an episode of The Twilight Zone. One woman in the village of Nagoro makes doll versions of her neighbors whenever they depart, creating a village filled with dolls. Fritz Schumann produced the short documentary Valley of the Dolls, in which Ayano Tsukimi explains why she crafts dolls to take the place of … Continued
By Lauren Davis - Tech NewsSploid
This R2-D2 toy is so detailed that you can use it in the new Star Wars
The detail on this 1:6 scale R2-D2 is incredible for a toy, especially since it’s a static figurine. Everything opens and lights up in this R2-D2. It’s pretty damn cool. Check out this video. I wish it was fully motorized. In two years, perhaps. SPLOID is a new blog about awesome stuff. Join us on … Continued
By Jesus Diaz - Tech News
Duck and Cover Chic: The 1956 Uniform For the End of the World
I was flipping through some old copies of the Sunday newspaper insert American Weekly (as one does) when I came across these amazing images from 1956. New uniforms for the ladies of civil defense! TV actress Harriet Hilliaird, best known for her role on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, is seen modeling the latest … Continued
By Matt Novak - Tech News
LeapFrog’s Kid Fitness Watch: A Tamagotchi That Gets Kids Off the Couch
Fitness trackers are basically a grown-up excuse to mess around with a gadget under the guise of self-betterment. But why should adults have all the fun? Kids’ electronics maker LeapFrog just unveiled the LeapBand, a wrist-worn fitness tracker that encourages kids to get up and do stuff. The LeapBand is kid-ready, packing a color screen, … Continued
- io9
Japan Has A Plan To Start Using Space-based Solar Power By The 2030s
In the wake of the Fukushima disaster, Japan has doubled its efforts to find a viable alternative to nuclear power. An updated proposal from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) seeks to solve the island nation’s energy woes — and it’s the much vaunted scifi-like idea of building an orbital farm. Space-based solar is an … Continued
- io9
Be Sure To Read These Comics After Each Episode Of Game Of Thrones
If you’re looking to add a dose of humor to your weekly Game of Thrones reflections, check out Comics of Ice and Fire, which provides a goofy comic reaction to each episode. Azad Injejikian draws the comics, which are a good-natured take on the series’ characters as well as the show’s sex and violence. We’re … Continued
By Lauren Davis - io9
NASA Scientists Have 3D-Printed A Replica Of A Meteorite On Mars
We’re still several years away from a Mars Sample Return Mission. So, for now, we’ll have to settle for the next best thing. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has created a true-size facsimile of “Block Island”— a Martian meteorite discovered by the Opportunity rover in 2009. Usually, meteorites break apart upon hitting the Martian surface, since … Continued
By Mark Strauss - io9
The Summer’s Most Exciting Science Fiction and Fantasy Books
This summer, you can spend every free moment reading an amazing book — that’s how many incredible tales are coming in the next few months. So get ready to escape into other worlds, other timelines, and mysterious cities where magic is as ordinary as a hairpin. May Seanan McGuire, Sparrow Hill Road (DAW) Bestselling author … Continued
- Tech NewsDesign
Get to Know 63 Styles of Graphic Design With One Simple Poster
This one goes out to anyone who’s ever fumbled and bluffed their way through a conversation about graphic design without the foggiest notion about differences between Bauhaus and British Arts and Crafts. The unrelenting creative team at Pop Chart Lab put together this handy—and quite handsome—crib sheet; an at-a-glance breakdown of styles through the ages. … Continued
- Tech News
This Is What’s in a Single Drop of Seawater
That crisp, clear seawater you paddle in isn’t as as pure as you might think. Magnify it 25 times, and you’ll find that it’s full of life. This image was captured by David Littschwager and explained in detail by Dive Shield. It shows a single drop of seawater at 25 times magnification, and allows you … Continued
- ScienceHealth
Pig Bladders Could Be the Secret to Healing Severe Muscle Injuries
When large chunks of muscle are lost in severe injuries, they don’t grow back. But now, scientists have discovered a way to regenerate some lost muscle with material from pig bladders—a technique actually quite common in medicine. The five men in this study published today (April 30) in Science Translational Medicine all suffered leg injuries … Continued
By Sarah Zhang - io9
If You Could Take Just One DVD Set On A Space Voyage, What Would It Be?
Say you’re going to another planet, and it’s going to take months or even years to get there. You can only bring one DVD set (or there’s only room in the spaceship’s computer for one set of video files.) What do you bring? And why? Please include a picture (or cover) or clip for your … Continued
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- Tech News
The Fascinating Untold History of War and Prosthetics
There’s something undeniably beautiful about prosthetic limbs, designed to echo the physical grace and mechanical engineering of the human body. For most people, these objects elicit some combination of squeamish discomfort and utmost respect. But far fewer of us connect those feelings to the untold generations of battle-scarred amputees whose sacrifices made prosthetics a public … Continued
Hunter Oatman-Stanford - Collector's Weekly - Tech News
A Sand Art Case Gives Your iPhone a Radical 80s Makeover
The 80s might be long gone, but your fond memories of Reebok Pumps, Cabbage Patch Kids, and those water-filled sand art pictures will forever live on—at least that last one. Because someone has gone and made an iPhone case backed with hypnotic sand art that’s constantly changing as you move your phone. It’s $25 well … Continued
- Tech NewsSploid
Supercuts supercut video may cause rip in space-time continuum
Supercuts supercuts. Supercuts? Supercuts, supercuts supercuts supercuts; supercuts supercuts supercuts. Supercuts supercuts supercuts—supercuts, supercuts, supercuts, supercuts—supercuts supercuts. Supercuts? Supercuts?!?! Supercuts. Super. Cuts. SPLOID is a new blog about awesome stuff. Join us on Facebook
By Eric Limer - io9
Lose Yourself In The Gorgeous Anatomical Drawings of Hermann Dittrich
Anatomy may be a scientific field of study, but its practitioners include some of history’s finest artists. Many of them you probably know– da Vinci, Michelangelo, other Italian Renaissance artists – but we’ll bet you’ve never heard of Hermann Dittrich. Herrmann Dittrich, as you might have guessed from his name, was not Italian. Nor was … Continued
- io9Movies
Hugh Jackman Is “99.9%” Sure He’s Almost Done Playing Wolverine
That’s the bad news. The good news is that he assumes his last film as Marvel ‘s mega-popular mutant loner will be the third solo Wolverine movie, which still gives us X-Men: Apocalypse, and of course the upcoming Days of Future Past. Although Jackman hasn’t been signed for a third Wolverine movie, Fox has scheduled … Continued
By Rob Bricken - ScienceAnimals
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Emu Poo
All emu poo is not created equal. Hoot, one of the science communication triad at BuzzHootRoar, explains, “it turns out that emus are pretty good at helping seeds spread around by scarfing down fruits and plant material and plopping out fertilized seed cakes all over the land.” Their infographic is one of the best on … Continued