Though he never actually crossed it, the Greek mathematician Pythagoras is sometimes credited with having first conceived of the Equator, calculating its location on the Earth’s sphere more than four centuries before the birth of Christ. Aristotle, who never stepped over it either and knew nothing about the landscape surrounding it, pictured the equatorial region as a land so hot that no one could survive there: the ‘Torrid Zone’.
How Do a Building's Guts Help It Weather a Tornado?
When a big funnel of destruction touches down, it puts everything that's about ground in instant trouble. But exactly how much trouble actually depends a lot on construction, and not just things like structural reinforcement: pretty standard, inherent things like the size of the rooms.
Microsoft Has Two New Mice for Windows 8 Multitasking
Microsoft has a couple new mice coming out today with some simple features that make using Windows 8 a little bit easier.
The World's Smallest RC Helicopter Can Be Destroyed By a Fly Swatter
It was impressive enough when toymakers found a way to make remote control helicopters small and safe enough to fly around indoors. But their miniaturization efforts continue on as toymaker Silverlit introduces the Nano-Falcon, an RC chopper so tiny that Guinness has officially granted it the world record for smallest …
A Closer Look at Geoff Manaugh, Gizmodo's New Editor in Chief
In an in-depth Q&A published last night, The New York Times' Steven Kurutz talks to our new Editor in Chief, Geoff Manaugh, about his vision for Gizmodo.
This 163 MPH Rocket Bike Just Set a Land Speed Record
There's a surprising amount of energy locked away in the fizzing bubbles of hydrogen peroxide. Enough, in fact, to propel one daredevil and his modified bicycle into the record books at nearly triple the speed limit of your local interstate. Eat your heart out, Wile E. Coyote.
Philosophy Web Series Shots of Awe Will Blow Your Mind in 180 Seconds
Shots of Awe is a new web series hosted by "performance philosopher" Jason Silva that features lightning flashes of philosophy that might blow your mind in three minutes or less.
Bondsy: The Best Way to Barter Between Friends
Craigslist's bartering section is a wonderful concept, sure, but the fact of the matter is that, when you're making deals with total, unverified strangers, there's an inherent set of risks that comes along with it. But with Bondsy, which launches today, you can exercise your bartering skills and finally get rid of…
How One Artist Makes Hypnotic GIFs From Cloned Video Loops
Sometimes we use GIFs for reactions, sometimes they're a punchline, and in some cases, they're art. That's certainly true of the ones made by Istanbul-based artist Erdal Inci, who masterfully creates mesmerizing GIFs using cloned pieces of videos.
