Annalee Newitz, Author at Gizmodo

Is Brazil’s Mega-Blackout A Harbinger Of Energy Grid Disasters to Come?

On Tuesday night, most of the vast country of Brazil was plunged into darkness for several hours when the power grid went down. There is no consensus on what caused it. Was this a model for infrastructure breakdowns to come? According to the Wall Street Journal, the outage was extensive but also fairly shortlived: Power…

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 12

Final Warning: io9 Meetup in NYC Tonight at 8 PM!

This is your final warning. io9 editors Annalee (that’s me!) and Charlie Jane are in town, and we’re having a meetup at The Magician bar (118 Rivington St), from 8 PM to roughly 10-ish PM. You’re invited! Meredith will be there too, with some copies of her new book, Vampire Taxonomy. Come out to say…

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 12

Documentary Evidence That 2012 Disaster Could Really Happen (Sort Of)

With the year 2012 coming soon, Roland Emmerich isn’t the only filmmaker trying to cash in with an apocalypse movie tie-in. Documentary-makers are doing it too. Here is a sampling of the weirdest 2012 “non fiction” flicks. Some of the hallmarks of a 2012 documentary – or any documentary about “ancient prophesies,” really – are…

Movies Annalee Newitz Nov 12

Vegan Rebels of the Bio-apocalypse in “Year of the Flood”

What happens when you get the apocalypse you wished for? That’s what a band of eco-subversives called the Gardeners find out in Margaret Atwood‘s Year of the Flood, a story of humanity destroyed for meddling too much with the environment. Set in the near future, Year of the Flood is a retelling of Margaret Atwood’s…

Books & Comics Annalee Newitz Nov 12

The Gentleman Wolfman We Wish We Could See

If this were a concept design for the new Wolfman movie, we would be incredibly excited. It looks like a warm-hearted Edward Gorey created this lush scene of the doomed love between wolf and woman. This is by the painter Bluefooted, who posts most of her work online. She likes to do characters from stories,…

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 12

Wargames 2: The Enlamening

A couple of years ago, somebody thought it would be a great idea to do a sequel to classic flick Wargames by updating it to be about social media and terrorism. Why does Hollywood want to hurt us so? The story is about some hackers who discover this online game called RIPLEY that is actually…

Movies Annalee Newitz Nov 11

“V” Understands Humanity All Too Well

In last night’s promisingly paranoid episode of V, we learned more about the alien resistance movement – as well as what V leader Anna thinks of humanity. In this terrifically creepy scene, the slick, beautiful Anna makes it obvious how she plans to exploit humanity. By playing to our natural desire to submit. Oh, and…

Television Annalee Newitz Nov 11

The Curious Case of a Woman Addicted to Her Brain Implant

One of the cutting-edge cures for chronic muscle tremors is called a thalamic stimulator – it’s a brain implant that delivers current to your thalamus. But it can also cause intensely pleasurable erotic feelings, leading one woman into implant addiction. The 1986 case of a woman addicted to stimulating herself with a brain implant is…

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 11

I Can’t Stop Watching This Footage of Dinocroc

Last week we saw some stills from the movie Dinocroc vs. Supergator, but now there’s actual footage! Where did he jump out from? What will he do next? It’s . . . a mesmerizing mystery! (via Undead Backbrain)

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 11

io9 Meetup in New York City Tomorrow Night

If you’re in the New York area, come out to meet your fellow io9 readers (and editors) on Thursday, the 12th, from 8-10 PM at The Magician. We couldn’t have a meetup in New Crobuzon, so we’ll settle for NYC. Charlie Jane and Annalee (that’s me) are in NYC this week, and we’re dragging Meredith…

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 11

Could There Ever Be a Jabba the Hutt Sitcom?

After his star turn in Return of the Jedi, what should Jabba the Hutt have done next? Richard Kelly, director of mindbender The Box, has some good ideas. Bonnie Burton interviewed Kelly, and discovered that he has some pretty fleshed-out ideas for where Jabba should appear next. Could these be the seeds of Kelly’s next…

Movies Annalee Newitz Nov 11

The Future of Vancouver Takes Shape

In the misty distance is the gleaming sphere of Science World, and in the foreground is Vancouver’s ultra-green Olympic Village, which planners say will hold 16,000 people by 2020. They’ll eat food grown on roofs and drink reclaimed rainwater. The village is located in the heart of Vancouver. Here are some of the green features…

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 11

Dear Heroes: I Want My Lesbians Back

On last night’s episode of Heroes, “Shadowboxing,” all our dreams of lesbianism were lost. To replace them, we got a scene where Parkman became a bratty top. Plus tons of carnie action. Spoilers ahead! Last night we caught up with two lame subsubplots (Head Parkman and Rainbow Brite) as well as the greatest subsubplot that…

Television Annalee Newitz Nov 10

“Fourth Kind” Insider: Yes, It Was Totally Fake

As if you needed further convincing that the so-called archival documentary footage in alien abduction flick Fourth Kind is falsified – now, a production insider confirms it. An insider who worked on Fourth Kind tells io9: I can assure you it is totally fake. The interviews were shot in High Def on a soundstage with…

Movies Annalee Newitz Nov 8

Sinister Forces Will Torment You With “Gray’s Anatomy” on “Supernatural”

This week, Supernatural took us into the dark heart of darkest evil. The brothers are trapped . . . in an episode of Gray’s Anatomy! And a bad sitcom. And a bad CSI spinoff. And yes, it was awesome. Thursday night’s “Changing Channels” was a tip of the hat to the culty 90s John Ritter…

Television Annalee Newitz Nov 7

Portrait of a Polluted Land

NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image of a massive smog bank smothering huge portions of China today. This blanket of pollution has been hovering over the country for over a week now, exacerbated by cool air and smoke from fires. According to NASA, whose researchers first wrote about this lingering smog bank on Oct. 30:…

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 6

“The Box” Contains A Conspiracy Wrapped In a Mystery Wrapped In 70s Retro

Richard Kelly, director of Donnie Darko, has manufactured another dream of paranoid moral confusion with his latest film The Box. An uneasy tale of alien technology and human greed, The Box is science fiction done the emo way. Spoilers ahead. Based on 70s short story by Richard Matheson, who also wrote I Am Legend, the…

Movies Annalee Newitz Nov 6

io9 Halloween Costume Show: Party Edition

All I can say is that io9ers know how to make great costumes, and they know how to party. This is our final edition of the io9 Halloween Costume Show, and we’ve got some standouts. And this is just a small sampling of all the amazing, sexy, crazy, and brilliant costumes in our full collection…

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 6

io9 Meetup in NYC on Thursday, Nov. 12

If you’re in the New York area, come out to meet your fellow io9 readers (and editors) on Thursday, the 12th, from 8-10 PM at The Magician bar. We couldn’t have a meetup on Coruscant, so we’ll settle for NYC. Charlie Jane and Annalee (that’s me) will be in NYC next week, and we’re dragging…

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 6

AI Expert Says We Should Welcome An Economic Takeover By Robots

In a recent post for the Foresight Institute, AI researcher J. Storrs Hall talks about the four different kinds of AI that might eventually surpass humans as planetary overlords. But he’s not worried: The key thing to remember when thinking about the economic AI takeover is that it is not something we should be trying…

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 6

Annalee Newitz

Is Brazil’s Mega-Blackout A Harbinger Of Energy Grid Disasters to Come?

Final Warning: io9 Meetup in NYC Tonight at 8 PM!

Documentary Evidence That 2012 Disaster Could Really Happen (Sort Of)

Vegan Rebels of the Bio-apocalypse in “Year of the Flood”

The Gentleman Wolfman We Wish We Could See

Wargames 2: The Enlamening

“V” Understands Humanity All Too Well

The Curious Case of a Woman Addicted to Her Brain Implant

I Can’t Stop Watching This Footage of Dinocroc

io9 Meetup in New York City Tomorrow Night

Could There Ever Be a Jabba the Hutt Sitcom?

The Future of Vancouver Takes Shape

Dear Heroes: I Want My Lesbians Back

“Fourth Kind” Insider: Yes, It Was Totally Fake

Sinister Forces Will Torment You With “Gray’s Anatomy” on “Supernatural”

Portrait of a Polluted Land

“The Box” Contains A Conspiracy Wrapped In a Mystery Wrapped In 70s Retro

io9 Halloween Costume Show: Party Edition

io9 Meetup in NYC on Thursday, Nov. 12

AI Expert Says We Should Welcome An Economic Takeover By Robots

Antarctic Expedition to ‘Danger Zone’ Accidentally Discovers Previously Uncharted Island

How Two Indie Darlings Are Challenging a Collapsing Industry With Their Next Game

‘The Punisher: One Last Kill’ Trailer Promises Many Kills, Actually

Forget Apple Watch, Galaxy Watch 8 (2025) Is Now Priced Lower on Amazon Than at Samsung’s Official Site

Artemis 2 Day 9: Follow the Mission With Our Live Updates 🔴

AI Gadgets Are Barely Trying Anymore

15 Major Pieces of Movie News That Might Break Next Week

This Portable Dual Foldable Monitor Hits Its Lowest Price on Amazon, Making Triple-Screen Setup More Affordable Than Ever

With Artemis 2 Flying Home, NASA Is Already Teasing Artemis 3

Laptops Are About to Get Very Exciting Again… Thanks to Nvidia

Asus Zenbook A16 Review: Start Considering Snapdragon on PC, for Real

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