Annalee Newitz, Author at Gizmodo

First Steps Toward A Machine-Controlled Human Cell

A semipermeable membrane encloses each of your cells, selectively allowing molecules in and out. And now, scientists have figured out how to use nanowires to control the mechanism that makes your cells permeable, thus creating a computer-regulated cell. A team led by Lawrence Livermore Lab scientists Nipun Misraa and Julio A. Martinez worked on the…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 12

Your Mean Boss Just Got Cyber

The bastard stepchild of a Disney cartoon and Appleseed, this creature inhabits the imagination of every cubicle droid who has ever had a nasty, suit-wearing boss. Adam Baines is a concept designer in the UK, and is just starting his career. I love how some of these images combine a classic, cartoony animation style with…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 12

Traveling Between Worlds With A Snorkel in “Leap”

I love this mysterious teaser trailer for short film Leap, which is about the dangerous side of travel between parallel worlds. The concept design is beautiful, and the mundane-looking snorkel gear adds an odd sense of menace. Filmmaker Dan Gaud says he shot the whole thing in two days with a RED digital camera (the…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 12

Are Libertarian Futurists Stuck in the Nineteenth Century?

Over at the H+ blog, RU Sirius sums up an argument between some of web’s futurist muckymucks, arguing over whether PayPal founder Peter Thiel, a big contributor to singularity-related causes, was right to post a rant which included these choice ideas: The 1920s were the last decade in American history during which one could be…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 9

A Peek Inside the Life of a Science Fiction Editor

Ever wonder what’s really happening in the cluttered offices of science fiction magazines like Asimov’s or a publishing house like Pyr? Four editors take you inside the strange world of SF editing. Yesterday at science fiction convention WorldCon, a panel of editors discussed how they find and curate the stories that pack the shelves at…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 8

FlashForward’s Producers Wanted Science Fiction That Wasn’t Futuristic

Upcoming ABC series FlashForward is about people who see the future. But there’s no futurism in it. Robert Sawyer, author of the novel that inspired the series, said the show’s producers felt they could sell science, but not the future. Speaking to us at WorldCon science fiction convention in Montreal, Sawyer explained why the show…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 7

“The Middleman” DVD Set Will Make You Scream Like a Trout Zombie

The complete collection of The Middleman episodes is out on DVD, and now you can discover this tragically-canceled, brilliant show for the first or tenth time, along with tons of goofy extras and strange PSA messages. If you managed to miss out on ABC Family’s amazing series The Middleman last year, now is your chance…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 7

Three Scenarios for the Future of Romantic Love

We all know the future of sex involves robots and teledildonics, but what will love be like in centuries to come? Here are three possibilities, based on current trends. Serial and Parallel Monogamy What it might look like: A discovers sex and love at roughly the same time, among his group of friends. Some of…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 7

Don’t Worry – Mothra Will Save You!

A new box set from Sony called “Icons of Sci-Fi: The ToHo Collection” hits shelves Aug. 18, and it’s a pulpy tribute to the movie studio that brought you Godzilla, Mothra, and The H-Man. We’ve got some great screenshots. This is just a sampling of the great collection of screenshots over at SciFi Japan, where…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 7

Captain Jack and Doctor Who Kiss At Last!

Let’s celebrate the impending weekend with some completely shameless fanwank, brought to you via this artfully-edited highlights video of Torchwood‘s John Barrowman at Comic-Con. First he kisses Doctor Who, and then former Doctor Who/Torchwood showrunner Russell T. Davies (who was reportedly seen running around drunk with balloons on his head earlier in the weekend). If…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 7

Yet Another “What the Hell” Android-Stripping Robot Moment [NSFW]

For some reason the “automatic girl” (AKA killer robot) Mahoro has decided to live out the remainder of her internal power supply as the pal of a crazy high school student. Then this happens! You know, when android-killing robots break down, this isn’t exactly what I imagined would happen. Mahoromantic via Anime News Network

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 6

A New Giant Monster Eats Minnesota’s Finest Citizens

Giant monsters are good at two things: Destroying Asian cities, and rampaging through the rural midwest. And the mega-beast of "Serpent Lake" is a perfect specimen of a monster who does the latter. You must watch to believe. From the official website of the film, now out on DVD: Every 30 years, in the summer…

Movies Annalee Newitz Aug 6

The Creepiest Surgery Scene In The World

A moody, disturbing tale of underground surgeons, “Manifest Destiny” is the first film from Darrell and Doug Waters, who shot the whole thing in their garage with medical supplies they ordered from eBay. The twist ending will blow your mind. Here’s the text the filmmakers use to introduce the movie, which is what I imagine…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 6

The Mysterious Chemical That Eases Pain, But Also Causes It

Endocannabinoids are the body’s natural form of THC, a chemical in marijuana that can ease pain. Now a new study shows this chemical is a double-edged sword, making people more sensitive to pain too. Could endocannabinoids be used for torture? Endocannabinoids interact with canniboid receptors the same way the chemical THC in marijuana does. According…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 6

Were Africans The First People To Domesticate Dogs?

Though many believe that domestic dogs originated in Eurasia, new research shows that the human-dog bond may have begun in the cradle of human evolution: Africa. A study published this week cites evidence from the DNA of African village dogs. Though the domestication of dogs is still shrouded in mystery, one thing scientists agree on…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 6

Paella At The End of the Industrial World

In the trashed remains of an anonymous European city, people live in half-disgorged buildings produced by buggy nanoswarms. It may look like the apocalypse, but on a warm afternoon there is still time for paella cooked over an open fire. I love how this image – and many of artist Miguel Angel Martinez Monje‘s images…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 6

Snake Eyes vs. Storm Shadow In Ninja Faceoff!

If you’re hankering for a little GI Joe action before the movie drops this weekend, then here’s a swordy treat for you. It’s the awesome ninja showdown from Larry Hama’s SpyTroops, a CGI mini-movie which is hilarious and action-packed. Larry Hama worked on the GI Joe comic, so this is the real deal – though…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 5

The Plains of Titan Will Be Named After a Planet from “Dune”

Saturn’s Moon Titan is full of dark, icy sands, so it makes sense that its dune-filled plains should be named after a planet from the Dune series.The Chusuk plain is the dark region next to the letter C. The blurry areas (including the dark plains) are spots where we have lower-resolution images of the moon’s…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 5

“Sword of My Mouth” Explores How To Raise A Baby In Post-Rapture Detroit

With online comic “Sword of My Mouth,” SF author Jim Munroe continues his tale of the Rapture and its aftermath that began with Therefore Repent!. Anarchist urban farmers fight paramilitary angels in this moving story about family and apocalypse. http://io9.com/392600/the-rapture-is-real-angels-have-machine-guns-and-dogs-can-talk Written by Jim Munroe, with gorgeous illustrations by Shannon Gerard, Sword of My Mouth is…

Books & Comics Annalee Newitz Aug 5

It’s Ragnarok In a Costco Parking Lot With “Norse Code”

Norse gods dressed like surfers trade expletive-laced quips, and a valkyrie who went to business school serves up swordy death in Greg van Eekhout‘s Norse Code (Bantam Spectra), a Die Hard-style romp through Viking mythology. Released earlier this summer, Norse Code has gotten some rave reviews. And it definitely doesn’t scrimp on crowd-pleasing battles and…

io9 Annalee Newitz Aug 5

Annalee Newitz

First Steps Toward A Machine-Controlled Human Cell

Your Mean Boss Just Got Cyber

Traveling Between Worlds With A Snorkel in “Leap”

Are Libertarian Futurists Stuck in the Nineteenth Century?

A Peek Inside the Life of a Science Fiction Editor

FlashForward’s Producers Wanted Science Fiction That Wasn’t Futuristic

“The Middleman” DVD Set Will Make You Scream Like a Trout Zombie

Three Scenarios for the Future of Romantic Love

Don’t Worry – Mothra Will Save You!

Captain Jack and Doctor Who Kiss At Last!

Yet Another “What the Hell” Android-Stripping Robot Moment [NSFW]

A New Giant Monster Eats Minnesota’s Finest Citizens

The Creepiest Surgery Scene In The World

The Mysterious Chemical That Eases Pain, But Also Causes It

Were Africans The First People To Domesticate Dogs?

Paella At The End of the Industrial World

Snake Eyes vs. Storm Shadow In Ninja Faceoff!

The Plains of Titan Will Be Named After a Planet from “Dune”

“Sword of My Mouth” Explores How To Raise A Baby In Post-Rapture Detroit

It’s Ragnarok In a Costco Parking Lot With “Norse Code”

Ozempic Shreds Bones? How a Small Study Turned Into a Big Health Myth

Anker’s Soundcore Translation Earbuds Are Now Nearly 7x Cheaper Than AirPods Pro 3 After a Sudden Price Drop on Amazon

Volkswagen Shuts Down Tennessee Plant’s EV Production at the Worst Possible Time

Using Emojis at Work? You’re Not Going to Like This Study 😮

A Terrifying Invasion Feels Eerily Familiar in This Short Horror Story

Shark AI Ultra Robot Vacuum at 51% Off Quietly Undercuts Dyson’s Stick Cleaner Prices

Tubi Manages to Turn People Against Recommendations With Bad AI Branding

Gizmodo’s Favorite Photos From NASA’s Artemis 2 Mission

Lucasfilm Keeps Telling Authors Not to Bring Back Mara Jade

As Mass Drownings Add Up, Emperor Penguins Officially Join the Endangered List

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