Annalee Newitz, Author at Gizmodo

Get ready for the post-antibiotic apocalypse

Over at the UK Guardian, Sarah Boseley reports on a study in Lancet that describes a gene that makes bacteria highly resistant to antibiotics. It’s a gene that’s appeared in E. coli and has already jumped between a few kinds of related bacteria. It’s just another harbinger of the post-antibiotic future, and last week Boseley…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 17

Superheroes provide bad role models for boys, says psychologist

Apparently today’s superhero role models just don’t measure up to the ones of yesteryear. According to a psychology professor, boys exposed to superhero stories are learning that men “exploit women” and don’t have “the virtue of doing good for humanity.” The BBC explains: Professor Sharon Lamb surveyed 674 boys aged four to 18 to find…

Movies Annalee Newitz Aug 16

Truly bizarre UFOs that hover around port cities

It’s possibly the strangest UFO we’ve ever seen. And it’s been captured on film, along with several others like it. Artist Bernard Gigounon makes videos that distort images of ships and buildings from Earth, turning them into scary, graceful starships. Starship by Bernard Gigounon from bernard gigounon on Vimeo. See more of Bernard Gigounon’s creations…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 16

Scientists fabricate a paint that destroys deadly MRSA bacteria

MRSA bacteria is a virulent bacteria that breeds in hospitals, killing patients who are recovering from surgery or other ailments. But now we can create MRSA-free hospitals, by painting them with a special substance that kills MRSA without antibiotics. A group of biotech researchers created the paint by knitting together carbon nanotubes with lysostaphin, an…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 16

Escaping the time machine in Charles Yu’s “How To Live Safely In A Science Fictional Universe”

A lonely time machine repairman and his dog, drifting through a “minor universe” owned by Time Warner Time, spend their days rescuing people from temporal paradoxes. Charles Yu’s first novel is a goofy, sad mindbender about getting stuck outside time. Yu’s book of short stories, Third Class Superhero, earned him a coveted “5 under 35”…

Books & Comics Annalee Newitz Aug 16

Evolutionary psychologist under investigation for shoddy research at Harvard

Harvard’s media-friendly evolutionary psychologist Marc Hauser, famous for his 2006 book Moral Minds, is under investigation for misrepresenting research on morality in primates. Students asked Harvard officials to raid Hauser’s lab three years ago; they didn’t like what they found. Like his colleague Steven Pinker, Hauser believes that primates (including humans) possess psychological traits –…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 14

Why is Yoshihiro Nishimura obsessed with machine women and girls who cut themselves?

Cult director Yoshihiro Nishimura has been making eyeballs bleed for almost two decades, creating disgustingly funny effects for movies like Machine Girl, and directing cult classic Tokyo Gore Police. We talked to him about his latest projects and ongoing obsessions. I met up with Nishimura in a back stairway of the San Diego Convention Center…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 13

When I dream of you, slimy monsters are always involved

This print by San Francisco artist Paul Madonna is the perfect expression of snarky nerd love. Madonna writes weekly comics which blends his weird musings with gorgeous pen-and-watercolor images of cities, dreams, and lost objects. He’s published books of his work, and is also a regular contributor to excellent lit magazine, The Rumpus. Check out…

Books & Comics Annalee Newitz Aug 13

Watch the world premiere of Chris Braak’s play “Empress of the Moon” livestream tonight!

Tonight at 8 PM EST, we’ll be hosting the livestream of io9 contributor Chris Braak’s new play The Empress of the Moon. It’s an alternate history about the life of writer and spy Aphra Behn, featuring lots of swordfights. You can read more about the play here. We’ll be starting up the livestream for technical…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 13

A toothpaste-like gel that can heal wounds six times faster than normal

A gene therapy in the form of a thick gel is about to revolutionize wound treatment. The gel is called Nexagon, and when you apply it to a wound, it reprograms the cells to heal more quickly and efficiently. Unlike an antibiotic cream, which promotes healing by preventing infection, Nexagon is actually speeding up your…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 13

Four-eared cat is at least twenty times cuter than non-mutant kitties

This tiny Russian kitten is named Luntik, and he’s got four ears. I’m pretty sure his mutant power is cuteness – just look at that ridiculous tongue! Another four-eared cat was born about two years ago in the United States. It looks truly alien, but I still want to scritch behind all of its ears.…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 13

Why are the Southern California seas turning bright green?

When you see green waves like this washing up on shore, probably your first thought is: Toxins! Luckily, in the case of this beach near San Diego, this bizarre coloration comes from something harmless. Miriam from Deep Sea News explains: There’s a bright green algae bloom making the waves look like they’ve been highlighted with…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 12

The Gnomon School is changing the future of VFX and concept art

There are many terrific schools where special effects designers learn their craft, but one of the standouts is Gnomon School of Visual Effects in Los Angeles. We talked to Alex Alvarez, the school’s founder, and peeked at recent student work. In the gallery below, you can see some examples of work by recent graduates, as…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 12

The “true story” of a robot who shot his creator in 1932

From the research desk of pulp encyclopedist Jess Nevins comes this incredible find: A story from 1932 about how roboticist Harry May was shot by his own robot on stage in England. Nevins found the story, written in a way that suggests it is a confabulation of fiction and reality, in the Salt Lake Tribune,…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 12

Killer clones are always ruining my private vacation planet

I’m not sure what’s more awesome about straight-to-DVD flick Clone Hunter: the fact that you’re supposed to sympathize with the clone-killing guy; or the fact that the filmmakers call this “spacesploitation.” Here’s the official synopsis: What happens if the artificial intelligence that enables the wealthy and powerful to live in limitless luxury wants to share…

Trailers Annalee Newitz Aug 12

The hyperevolved fish are ready for sexytime in “Humanoids from the Deep” [NSFW]

There are so many delightful Roger Corman-produced movies coming out on DVD that we can barely keep up. Today we celebrate Barbara Peeters’ classic Humanoids From The Deep. Here’s the tagline: “They hunt human women. Not for killing. For mating.” Watch this footage at your own risk. Keep some lye close so you can wash…

Movies Annalee Newitz Aug 11

World’s biggest clock under construction in Mecca

Now you can travel to Mecca to worship time itself. The ancient city is erecting a 1,983-foot clock tower, and the clock’s faces will be lit with two million LEDs. [via Passport] Image by HASSAN BATEL/AFP/Getty Images

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 11

How the Google/Verizon proposal could kill the internet in 5 years

Earlier this week Google and Verizon pledged to uphold a set of network principles that could transform the internet into a husk of its former self. Let’s look down the barrel of the Googlezon* future. Keep in mind that the two-page Googlezon proposal, which you can read here, isn’t law, though both companies have requested…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 11

China Miéville explains theology, magic, and why JJ Abrams hates you

I had a chance to sit down with China Miéville to talk about his latest novel, Kraken, as well as his thoughts on nerd pop culture. Turns out he’s got some pretty strong opinions about JJ Abrams and Joss Whedon. I reviewed Kraken here, and members of the io9 book club already had a chance…

Books & Comics Annalee Newitz Aug 11

In New York, you can have your corporate retreat on Mars

In midtown Manhattan lurks a club for nerds – the Mars 2112, where you can drink at a bar that looks like a biological spaceship – or hang out on “Cyberstreet.” Here’s how the place explains itself: Hold onto your helmets Space Travellers, and get ready for a warp-speed adventure at Mars 2112! New York’s…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 11

Annalee Newitz

Get ready for the post-antibiotic apocalypse

Superheroes provide bad role models for boys, says psychologist

Truly bizarre UFOs that hover around port cities

Scientists fabricate a paint that destroys deadly MRSA bacteria

Escaping the time machine in Charles Yu’s “How To Live Safely In A Science Fictional Universe”

Evolutionary psychologist under investigation for shoddy research at Harvard

Why is Yoshihiro Nishimura obsessed with machine women and girls who cut themselves?

When I dream of you, slimy monsters are always involved

Watch the world premiere of Chris Braak’s play “Empress of the Moon” livestream tonight!

A toothpaste-like gel that can heal wounds six times faster than normal

Four-eared cat is at least twenty times cuter than non-mutant kitties

Why are the Southern California seas turning bright green?

The Gnomon School is changing the future of VFX and concept art

The “true story” of a robot who shot his creator in 1932

Killer clones are always ruining my private vacation planet

The hyperevolved fish are ready for sexytime in “Humanoids from the Deep” [NSFW]

World’s biggest clock under construction in Mecca

How the Google/Verizon proposal could kill the internet in 5 years

China Miéville explains theology, magic, and why JJ Abrams hates you

In New York, you can have your corporate retreat on Mars

Anthropic’s New Model Is So Scarily Powerful It Won’t Be Released, Anthropic Says

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

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