Annalee Newitz, Author at Gizmodo

Physicists build a “quantum cat” out of light

The purple-and-blue blur you see here is a representation of light in a perfectly quantum state, or “cat state,” where particles exhibit opposite properties simultaneously. Now scientists have created this seemingly impossible state – using lasers, of course. The “cat” reference is to Schrödinger’s Cat, a thought experiment created by the eponymous physicist where he…

io9 Annalee Newitz Sep 1

In Mexico, chupacabras are blamed for 300 goat beheadings

For the past two months, shepherds in Mexico have been reporting hundreds of identical attacks on their goats. Multiple goats are beheaded “in a strange way.” Many are blaming the legendary chupacabra. Inexplicata has a report on the sightings in Puebla and Guanajuato, Mexico: Shepherds from various communities in Puebla State are frightened by the…

io9 Annalee Newitz Sep 1

The io9 field trip to New Mexico’s “mystery stone”

Two io9 commenters, MamaDragon49 and LittleDragon, were inspired by our post about the Mystery Stone of New Mexico to go check the area out themselves. If you recall, the mystery stone was discovered in 1933 and supposedly left thousands of years ago in New Mexico by an ancient Greek whose boat went way off course.…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 31

Coming of age with aliens at the seashore

All of Mark’s friends are moving away, and his dog is dying. As summer fades, he takes a trip to the beach to visit his friend Charley, the alien. The one with great weed, and a gift for resurrection. Over at Strange Horizons, George R. Galuschak’s story “The Big Splash” captures an awkward, bittersweet moment…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 31

Three arguments for the consciousness of cephalopods

They may be tasty when you fry them up, but evidence is mounting that cephalopods like octopuses and squid possess consciousness. Over at the Cephalove blog, neuroscience student Mike Lisieski explains why. The problem with measuring something like “consciousness” is that there is no agreed-upon definition. However, scientists can use a few basic tools to…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 31

The powerful knight’s steed was slightly unusual

If you were in the habit of stereotyping, you might assume a knight of great stature would ride upon a shining Clydesdale. But in point of fact, many animals are worthy steeds. Even chickens, if they are big enough. This majestic bit of satire was created by illustrator Murray Tinkelman, whose work has graced the…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 31

Robots controlled by “cyborg flies” will be your next surveillance drones

Researchers have figured out how to make flies control tiny robots as they navigate obstacle courses. Is this the first step toward creating micro-robots for surveillance? They did it by immersing a fly in a tiny version of the matrix – they glued the fly down, then placed it in the middle of a wraparound…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 30

Awesome new science show “Bad Universe” has our full attention

Last night was the debut of io9 pal Phil “bad astronomer” Plait’s new Discovery show, Bad Universe. It was an explodey investigation of what would happen if Earth were hit with an asteroid, and how we could prevent it. There’s a distinctly Mythbusters feeling to this show, partly because one of Plait’s goals is to…

Television Annalee Newitz Aug 30

The io9 Book Club is in session! Let’s discuss “The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms”

This month, the io9 book club read N.K. Jemisin’s The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. And today the meeting is in session, so it’s time to start discussing! Here’s how the io9 book club works. You read the book. We create a post like the one you’re reading right now when the meeting is in session, and…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 30

Daniel Stamm, director of “The Last Exorcism,” explains the movie’s ambiguous ending

The Last Exorcism was the weekend’s most popular movie, and the crazy ending had people debating what it all meant. We talked to director Daniel Stamm, who gave his perspective – and told us why horror needs realism. Major spoilers! Daniel Stamm has been freaking audiences out with his disturbing fauxumentaries since his cult film…

Movies Annalee Newitz Aug 30

Play a giant-size game of Tetris in your living room

It’s just normal to want to live inside a Tetris game. Now Singaporean designer Gaen Koh has created these giant, plush Tetris pieces for kids of every age. Use them to create chairs, a play area, and even a sofa. spotted on Design Fetish

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 30

“Ghost Shark 2: Urban Jaws” is the ultimate sharksploitation flick

Sometimes a movie concept is so awesome that you have to make the sequel first. That’s the case with Ghost Shark 2, a film from New Zealand about a shark so ghostly it can lurk in steam and ice! Mad Fox Films describes its first feature like this: When Ghost Shark escapes from his extradimensional…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 30

How a caste system reshapes the bodies of ants

Two ants that begin life with the same genetic information can develop dramatically different body sizes, or a lifespan of 15 times their cohorts, depending on their place in ant society. What does ant caste teach us about humans? A group of scientists focused on “epigenetics” – the study of how environment shapes the way…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 27

Marvel responds to pressure, says they’ll cast Runaways hero Nico as Asian-American in the film

Weeks ago, the Racebending folks discovered a casting call for Marvel’s upcoming Runaways movie didn’t specify they wanted an Asian-American to play Japanese-American character Nico. But after a letter-writing campaign, Marvel promised the character would stay true to the comic. This is good news to fans of the books, where Nico’s racial background is portrayed…

Movies Annalee Newitz Aug 27

In psychological thriller “The Last Exorcism,” a skeptic’s faith is tested

Before you see The Last Exorcism this weekend, forget everything you saw in the trailers. This is not a gorefest. It’s a tense, character-driven story of skepticism and faith that will leave you utterly shaken. Like many recent horror films, The Last Exorcism is a fake documentary. But unlike Paranormal Activity, or even Blair Witch…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 27

They’re broadcasting those Russian numbers again

You know those mysterious radio stations that broadcast a string of numbers in Russian once every few years? Well, one of them, called uvb-76 spluttered to life again after years of dormancy, and a voice sent out a new message this week. Need to know more? Here’s a whole archive of information about “shortwave numbers…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 27

The smell of freshly-cut grass is actually a plant distress call

The lovely scent of cut grass is the reek of plant anguish: When attacked, plants release airborne chemical compounds. Now scientists say plants can use these compounds almost like language, notifying nearby creatures who can “rescue” them from insect attacks. A group of German scientists studying a wild tobacco plant noticed that the compounds it…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 26

What was it like to enter King Tut’s tomb when it was opened in 1923?

National Geographic has just republished an essay written in 1923, by a journalist who ventured inside King Tut’s tomb shortly after it was excavated – and told his tale with low-key swashbuckling flair. National Geographic correspondent Maynard Owen Williams journeyed to Egypt to witness the opening of King Tut’s tomb. He begins: Tutankhamen was the…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 26

The ten greatest severed penis scenes in science fiction [NSFW]

With Piranha 3D already in line to get a sequel, it’s time to admit that penis-severing is the special effect of the year. But the now-infamous piranha cock-chomp wasn’t the first. Let’s contemplate its forerunners, shall we? I said this was NSFW, but it’s a lot more that that. You will probably go insane if…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 26

What is that police box doing on top of a building at MIT?

What the heck is that blue box on top of the Small Dome at MIT? Students starting school this week at the venerable geek institution were wondering that themselves. Let’s take a closer look . . . Yep, it turns out that the Doctor is stopping by to give the first lecture in 6.01, the…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 26

Annalee Newitz

Physicists build a “quantum cat” out of light

In Mexico, chupacabras are blamed for 300 goat beheadings

The io9 field trip to New Mexico’s “mystery stone”

Coming of age with aliens at the seashore

Three arguments for the consciousness of cephalopods

The powerful knight’s steed was slightly unusual

Robots controlled by “cyborg flies” will be your next surveillance drones

Awesome new science show “Bad Universe” has our full attention

The io9 Book Club is in session! Let’s discuss “The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms”

Daniel Stamm, director of “The Last Exorcism,” explains the movie’s ambiguous ending

Play a giant-size game of Tetris in your living room

“Ghost Shark 2: Urban Jaws” is the ultimate sharksploitation flick

How a caste system reshapes the bodies of ants

Marvel responds to pressure, says they’ll cast Runaways hero Nico as Asian-American in the film

In psychological thriller “The Last Exorcism,” a skeptic’s faith is tested

They’re broadcasting those Russian numbers again

The smell of freshly-cut grass is actually a plant distress call

What was it like to enter King Tut’s tomb when it was opened in 1923?

The ten greatest severed penis scenes in science fiction [NSFW]

What is that police box doing on top of a building at MIT?

Musk Asks Court to Give Potential Winnings in OpenAI Suit to OpenAI’s Nonprofit

Pro-Iran Hackers Target Critical U.S. Energy and Water Infrastructure

‘She-Hulk’ Was Apparently One of Marvel’s Most Successful Shows

The World’s First Eye-Tracking Smart Glasses Are Intriguing and Unpolished

Noah Hawley Is Remaking ‘Terrified,’ Which Shouldn’t Happen

Unprecedented Observation Reveals 2 Supermassive Black Holes Locked in a Tight Death Spiral

This Apple MacBook Pro Is Now Under $500 After 78% Off, Grade-A Refurb Deal (16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Touch Bar)

Anthropic Launches ‘Project Glasswing’ to Stealthily Spot Cybersecurity Issues for Rivals

Tiny Robots Reveal Hidden Ocean Chemistry in Low-Oxygen Waters

Aunt Lydia Survived ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ to Bring New Complexity to ‘The Testaments’

Aqara Thermostat Hub W200 Review: Almost Better than My Ecobee

HP Omen Max 45L Review: 4K60 Gaming Has Never Been So Easy

Ecovacs Winbot W3 Omni Review: Window Cleaning Robots Have a Long Way to Go

AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Which ANC Headphones Win?

The Best Gadgets of March 2026

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback