Alasdair Wilkins, Author at Gizmodo

Extra gene keeps mice cancer-free and permanently skinny

The gene PTEN is a tumor suppressor, making it one of the best genes to have in the fight against cancer. But the latest research suggests that preventing cancer is just the beginning of all the amazing things this gene can do. Usually, the phrase “too much of a good thing” is all over medical…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

This ancient galaxy cluster is hiding in plain sight

This part of space may look like nothing special, but it’s actually home to a tightly packed “galaxy city,” composed of thirty extremely ancient galaxies. It’s a big find… and it took thousands of hours of observation before anyone noticed. Located 10.5 billion light-years away, this galaxy cluster is the most distant — and, consequently,…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

Were woolly mammoths and saber-tooth cats wiped out by a giant impact from space?

About 13,000 years ago, the megafauna of North America began to die out, and the world entered a brief cold period known as the Younger Dryas. But what drove the giant beasts into extinction? A controversial new theory claims a giant space impact was the culprit. Between this and the Solutrean hypothesis, this is apparently…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

Are these little birds the most stressed out animals in the world?

At first glance, the behavior of scrub jays seems like a sign of intelligence. Whenever they notice another bird looking at their food, they will hide their food as far away as possible…then start doing that over and over again. This process, known as recaching, is meant to confuse any potential spies and protect the…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

All the Latest News on Iron Man 3, Bill & Ted 3, and Walking Dead!

Director Tarsem Singh explains why he hates the Mirror Mirror trailer. Iron Man 3 gears up for filming, and gets a curious codename. Keanu Reeves gives a Bill & Ted 3 update. Plus the latest batch of Earth-shattering Walking Dead spoilers! It’s nothing but spoilers from here on out! Top image from John Carter. Iron…

Television Alasdair Wilkins

The weather on Venus calls for massive mid-air explosions

Earth’s magnetic field shields us from most of the worst effects of the solar wind. But our bizarro twin Venus has no such field, meaning its atmosphere is the only defense against the solar wind. That’s where things get interesting. The Sun shoots off solar wind at about a million miles an hour, and it…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

Hydra don’t need brains or even eyes to see

It’s hard to imagine an organism much simpler than the hydra. It doesn’t have brains, hearts, or eyes – it’s basically just tentacles with a mouth attached. And yet these simple creatures pull of biological feats no other animal can. Hydra are one of a few species – flatworms are another recently discussed example –…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

Could the first humans to reach the Americas have come from Europe?

It’s one of the most controversial ideas in archaeology. Humans from Europe supposedly could have crossed the frozen Atlantic and reached America first. It’s a fringe idea…but now two archaeologists have released a book explaining how it could have happened. In their new book Across Atlantic Ice, University of Exeter archaeologist Bruce Bradley and Smithsonian…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

Terrifying photos reveal first ever evidence of bears using tools

Well, humanity had a good run, but now it’s over. This bear was recently spotted using a rock as a tool, the first time we’ve seen such behavior. It’s only a matter of time before bears with rayguns show up. While we’ve spotted quite a bit of evidence of tool use – broadly defined as…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

Latest spoilers reveal The Walking Dead is only going to get darker and more insane!

Recent episodes of The Walking Dead have had plenty of shocking moments, but that’s nothing compared to what’s coming next week, if a lengthy, ultra-spoilery description can be believed. Plus Robert Kirkman explains why the show’s third season will be even darker than the comics! All that plus director Jose Padilha has officially found his…

Television Alasdair Wilkins

Latest cloaking device idea would make boats invisible to waves

We’ve seen lots of steps toward invisibility cloaks that can bend different wavelengths of light and conceal objects. And then there’s inaudibility cloaks, anti-vibration cloaks, and time cloaks. Get ready for the latest insane advance in cloaking technology. Of course, like the rest of these proposed cloaks, the idea is long on theory and short…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

Why is this spiral galaxy all warped out of shape?

This spiral galaxy is ESO 510-13, located about 150 million light-years away. It’s a lot like our own Milky Way, with one crucial difference – the fierce gravity of its neighboring galaxies has warped it into a helix. As massive quantities of gas and dust coalesce to from spiral galaxies, they normally carve out a…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

Hungry brains are hardwired to see food-related words

Anyone who has ever put off their lunch break just a little too long knows how much hunger can mess with your head. But hunger doesn’t just change how we think. It can fundamentally alter how we perceive the world. That’s the finding of psychologist Rémi Radel of France’s University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis. He designed…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

These colliding galaxy clusters challenge everything we know about dark matter

Abell 520 is one of the most gigantic mergers of galaxies we’ve ever seen, and it’s definitely the most baffling. As galaxies smashed together and parted away, they seemingly left their dark matter behind. That’s supposed to be completely impossible. It’s so impossible, in fact, that when astronomers first detected the “abandoned” dark matter in…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

Genetic diversity among chimpanzees reveals just how closely related humans really are

There are four genetically distinct chimpanzee populations, all found in two relatively small regions of Africa. And yet these populations, which are sometimes less than a mile apart, are more genetically diverse than humans that live on different continents. Three of the common chimpanzee groups are found in very close quarters, as you can see…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

Did a Walking Dead Blu-Ray announcement just reveal a massive spoiler?

Benedict Cumberbatch talks about voicing villains in The Hobbit. American Horror Story’s biggest star is officially returning. A Star Trek legend joins The Secret Circle. Plus an insane description of a scene from The Man of Steel. It’s spoilers all the way down! Top image from The Hunger Games. Man of Steel While filming scenes…

Television Alasdair Wilkins

We’re on the verge of two world-changing antimatter discoveries

While the Large Hadron Collider is looking for the Higgs boson, we’re on the verge of two huge antimatter-related breakthroughs. One could finally solve the universe’s oldest mystery, while the other could reveal strange new particles that are perfect for quantum computers. The first result comes from CDF, one of the two long-running experiments at…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

The most adorable video about evolution ever, courtesy of elementary schoolers

This awesome video is the brainchild of Tyler Rhodes, an animation student at Virginia Commonwealth University. With the help of some elementary school students, he simulated multiple generations of evolution in the cutest way imaginable, complete with this visual proof. Rhodes’s animation uses drawings — and, perhaps even more adorably, sound effects — provided by…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

Female bonobos have gay sex to improve their social status

Bonobos are famous as one of the relatively few species that has sex simply for pleasure. But just because our primate cousins aren’t reproducing doesn’t mean they’re only having fun — as revealed by a new study of bonobo lesbian relationships. According to research by Emory University’s Dr. Zanna Clay, female bonobos use sex for,…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

What classic Star Wars role is Simon Pegg playing? Plus what’s next for Fringe and The Walking Dead!

Director Andrew Stanton talks more about creating the world of John Carter. Simon Pegg joins The Clone Wars. Sam Raimi finds a writer for his Day of the Triffids movie. Plus Matt Smith addresses the latest big Doctor Who rumor! Spoilers from here on out! Top image from John Carter. John Carter Director Andrew Stanton…

Television Alasdair Wilkins

Alasdair Wilkins

Extra gene keeps mice cancer-free and permanently skinny

This ancient galaxy cluster is hiding in plain sight

Were woolly mammoths and saber-tooth cats wiped out by a giant impact from space?

Are these little birds the most stressed out animals in the world?

All the Latest News on Iron Man 3, Bill & Ted 3, and Walking Dead!

The weather on Venus calls for massive mid-air explosions

Hydra don’t need brains or even eyes to see

Could the first humans to reach the Americas have come from Europe?

Terrifying photos reveal first ever evidence of bears using tools

Latest spoilers reveal The Walking Dead is only going to get darker and more insane!

Latest cloaking device idea would make boats invisible to waves

Why is this spiral galaxy all warped out of shape?

Hungry brains are hardwired to see food-related words

These colliding galaxy clusters challenge everything we know about dark matter

Genetic diversity among chimpanzees reveals just how closely related humans really are

Did a Walking Dead Blu-Ray announcement just reveal a massive spoiler?

We’re on the verge of two world-changing antimatter discoveries

The most adorable video about evolution ever, courtesy of elementary schoolers

Female bonobos have gay sex to improve their social status

What classic Star Wars role is Simon Pegg playing? Plus what’s next for Fringe and The Walking Dead!

Could There Be a ‘Project Hail Mary’ Sequel?

Meta Has More Smart Glasses Coming Whether You Want Them or Not

Apple Requires Device-Level Age Verification in the UK Now. Could the US Be Next?

Astronomers Say Recent Rash of Meteor Sightings ‘Warrants Serious Investigation’

Did AMD Just Make the Best CPU for Gamers and Creators?

AI Just One-Shotted Another CEO

6 Magic School Anime and Manga to Discover Instead of Thinking About ‘Harry Potter’ Ever Again

Unprecedented Images Show Sperm Whales Acting as Midwives to Help a Mom Give Birth

‘Butt Birth’-ing Rhinoceros from Ace Ventura Sequel Sold at Auction for a Whopping $60,000

The Ryan Gosling Sci-Fi Streak Will Continue Until Morale Improves

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound

Asus ROG’s Massive Swift OLED Gaming Monitor Epitomizes Excess in the Best Way

The Ikea Varmblixt Smart Lamp Fills a Donut Hole in My Life

Nothing Headphone A vs. Headphone 1: Which Pair of ANC Wireless Headphones Wins?

Asus ROG’s Cetra Open Wireless Gaming Earbuds Might Be Better Than Wearing a Headset

Nintendo’s Talking Flower Is Annoying as Hell. I Love It

Level Lock Pro Review: As Good as a Secret Smart Lock Gets

Apple Studio Display XDR Review: It Looks So Good, I Wish It Were an iMac

RayNeo Air 4 Pro Review: My Eyes Love These Video Glasses, but My Nose Disagrees