Annalee Newitz, Author at Gizmodo

New Cylon Concept Art Unveiled

What could be scarier than a shiny Centurion, or a million Boomers doing naked yoga? This new Cylon model, which will lead yet another revolution against the next hybrid human-Cylon overlords. This is one of a gorgeous set of photos taken by Marc-Julien Objois of a popular robot toy from the 1980s. Called the Armatron,…

Television Annalee Newitz Apr 1

Claire Has Alcoholism Power, and Peter Talks to Jesus

Heroes was perking up last week, but this week there was a slow slide into the melodrama blahs – punctuated by completely random religious moments. Spoilers ahead. OK look, if you liked Monday’s episode then riddle me this: Why would Nathan swoop in and rescue Claire, then take her to Mexico, only to earn money…

Television Annalee Newitz Apr 1

6 Astronauts Subjected to Brutal Psychological Experiment in Preparation for Mars Mission

Today 6 men will be locked in a small space capsule together for three months to test the psychological effects of a prolonged space flight. Because a trip to Mars might take a year and a half to three years, this test just scrapes the surface of the potentially harrowing experience of living in a…

io9 Annalee Newitz Mar 31

Battlestar Galactica Didn’t Need Outer Space

Critically-acclaimed TV series Battlestar Galactica broke one of the cardinal rules of hard science fiction: It wasn’t really about science. Instead it was hard social fiction, a realistic look at the future of human culture. It’s easy to overlook this basic fact about the series because most of the action took place in outer space,…

Television Annalee Newitz Mar 31

First Look at the Spacecraft That Will Take Humans to Mars

Yesterday NASA gave the world a first look at the Orion, a space vessel that will take humans back to the Moon in 2020, and then onward to Mars in the 2030s. If this saucer shape looks familiar, that’s not because this vehicle is based on something hidden in Area 51. Orion is based on…

io9 Annalee Newitz Mar 31

A Fresh Blood Cocktail Will Perk You Right Up, Ladies

After the lugubrious conversations, the long sequences where people do nothing but walk, and at least 5 belly dances, we discover something shocking about this little club in the Philippines. Knives! Bloodletting! Naked sacrifice! You know you’re watching a low-budget 1960s flick when two actors spend like 45 minutes talking about “sex crime motivation” and…

Movies Annalee Newitz Mar 30

Explosion Over Virginia Was a Russian Rocket

A massive explosion seen over Virginia in the US over the weekend was probably the second stage from a Russian Soyuz rocket, used to boost satellites and supplies up into space for residents of the International Space Station. According to experts, it was probably the second stage of the rocket, jettisoned into the atmosphere after…

io9 Annalee Newitz Mar 30

Massive Surge in Internet Crime Reported in 2008

The economy is in a tailspin, and a new generation of high-tech thieves are on the prowl. A study released today says reports of internet crime jumped 33 percent in 2008, costing victims $265 million. Most of these crimes seem to have taken place on auction sites where either buyers or sellers got ripped off.…

io9 Annalee Newitz Mar 30

Discarded Ethernet Cables Become Recycled Fashion in Colombia

Environmentalists worry about piles of non-recyclable e-waste, or discarded high-tech equipment. And somehow that’s led to an explosion of ethernet cable fashion, as you can see in this recent fashion show in Medellin, Colombia. The outfit you see above was designed by students of the Pontificia Bolivariana University in Medellin. Actually, I’m not sure if…

io9 Annalee Newitz Mar 30

Octomom Is Post-Human Entertainment

Analyzing the Octomom phenomenon on the H+ blog, futurist trickster R.U. Sirius writes: More isn’t always better, but if self-selected use of technology to push back the biological goal posts is any criteria, Octomom – as a world-champion biological mother – has had her performance dramatically enhanced . . . I don’t see this so…

io9 Annalee Newitz Mar 28

Google Street View Captures Victorian Ghost Walking in Cardiff

This creepy image was snapped by Google for its Street View map feature. It shows what seems to be a floating Victorian ghost in Cardiff, right near the Torchwood headquarters. According to the Telegraph, “experts” have been called in to analyze the photograph, because so many unsolved murders happened in this square over the centuries.…

io9 Annalee Newitz Mar 27

It’s Good to Be a Monster in “Monsters vs. Aliens”

With its star-studded voice cast, silly giant monsters, and awesome alien robots, Monsters vs. Aliens is a great scifi comedy. It also brings a welcome snark to the usual after-school-special message of acceptance. Spoilers ahead. The premise is X-Files for kiddies: A secret underground facility houses all the monsters accidentally or not-so-accidentally created over the…

Movies Annalee Newitz Mar 27

Decorate Your Desktop with a Vulcan Pinup Hottie

Artist Jesus Diaz has whipped up a lovely little present for your eyes this Friday: A sexy pinup of a Vulcan babe who looks a lot like Bette Page. You may know Diaz’s work from our sister site Gizmodo, where he contributes slick collages, goofy cartoonizations, and pulp photoshopperies. But this Bette Vulcan is his…

io9 Annalee Newitz Mar 27

Amazing Terraforming Projects – Real and Imaginary

Humans have been terraforming since the earliest days of agriculture. We’ve got a gallery showing some of the Earth’s most incredible terraforming projects – as well as what terraforming might look like on other worlds. Additional reporting by Alyssa Johnson.

io9 Annalee Newitz Mar 27

Peter Petrelli Is Gay for Werewolves

In this priceless clip from 2005 werewolf flick Cursed, a pre-Heroes Milo “Peter Petrelli” Ventimiglia decides to come out to the class nerd – who he thinks is gay, but is actually a wolf. Directed by Wes “every awesome horror movie ever” Craven, and written by Dawson’s Creek creator Kevin Williamson, Cursed is already a…

io9 Annalee Newitz Mar 25

A Monster Game Even More Addictive Than Pokémon

Does the idea of a new collectible monsters game get you amped? Then you’ll be apoplectic with glee over new microscopic lifeform smackdown, Nanovor, from revolutionary game maker Jordan Weisman. Over at Robot Viking, io9 co-conspirator Ed Grabianowski has the full story: In April, Smith & Tinker will release Nanovor, a collectible card/multi-player online/alternate reality…

io9 Annalee Newitz Mar 25

Is Feminism Taboo In SF Literature?

SF Signal recently asked several writers whether there are any taboos left in science fiction novels. A few said no, but many felt that lots of topics are too hot to touch. Nancy Jane Moore said: I wouldn’t go so far as to suggest that a taboo exists against feminist material – or political material…

Books & Comics Annalee Newitz Mar 25

Can a Rebel Make Heroes Unbarftastic Again?

On Monday night’s superhero soap opera Heroes, something astonishing happened. The series’ new showrunner Bryan Fuller wrote the episode, and it felt like a mutant with storytelling superpowers saved the day. Spoilers ahead! I’m not letting this show off the hook yet – just because Monday’s “Cold Snap” had moments of awesome does not mean…

Television Annalee Newitz Mar 25

Math To Build Another Solar System

Over the past four centuries, hundreds of particles have been orbiting each other in this pocket universe, leaving faint lines in their wakes. These webbed orbits are from a series of computer-generated art pieces by Jared Tarbell. He explains them like this: The Orbitals is a collection of particles operating on one simple rule: choose…

io9 Annalee Newitz Mar 25

Grace Park Answers Your BSG Questions, Bruce Campbell Style

Grace Park, AKA Boomer/Athena/Number Eight Cylon, visited with G4 last week and answered crucial questions about Battlestar Galactica while sipping cognac in a leather chair. It was all very cylonic. Click to view

io9 Annalee Newitz Mar 24

Annalee Newitz

New Cylon Concept Art Unveiled

Claire Has Alcoholism Power, and Peter Talks to Jesus

6 Astronauts Subjected to Brutal Psychological Experiment in Preparation for Mars Mission

Battlestar Galactica Didn’t Need Outer Space

First Look at the Spacecraft That Will Take Humans to Mars

A Fresh Blood Cocktail Will Perk You Right Up, Ladies

Explosion Over Virginia Was a Russian Rocket

Massive Surge in Internet Crime Reported in 2008

Discarded Ethernet Cables Become Recycled Fashion in Colombia

Octomom Is Post-Human Entertainment

Google Street View Captures Victorian Ghost Walking in Cardiff

It’s Good to Be a Monster in “Monsters vs. Aliens”

Decorate Your Desktop with a Vulcan Pinup Hottie

Amazing Terraforming Projects – Real and Imaginary

Peter Petrelli Is Gay for Werewolves

A Monster Game Even More Addictive Than Pokémon

Is Feminism Taboo In SF Literature?

Can a Rebel Make Heroes Unbarftastic Again?

Math To Build Another Solar System

Grace Park Answers Your BSG Questions, Bruce Campbell Style

I Rewatched the Live-Action ‘Speed Racer’ to Feel Something Again

Microsoft Says You Should Take Copilot Seriously but Not Literally

The Trump Administration Wants Gamers to Step Up and Fill the Air Traffic Controller Shortage

Watch a Comet Get Torn Apart by the Sun and Become a Headless Ghost

Sam Altman’s Home Hit With Molotov Cocktail, 20-Year-Old Man Arrested

‘Tales From the Crypt’ Is Creeping Onto Streaming for the Very First Time

Artemis 2 Day 10: Follow the Mission With Our Live Updates 🔴

Scientists Used Medieval Poems and Trees to Uncover a 13th-Century Solar Surge

INIU 20,000mAh Power Bank Gets Another Price Cut, Making Fast Charging for iPhone and Galaxy Even More Affordable

YouTube Premium Jacks Up Prices for the First Time in Years

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