Annalee Newitz, Author at Gizmodo

The Ancient Maya Predicted Bicycles and VCRs

If you need a hoot, check out 2012: Science or Superstition, all about the ancient Mayan prophesy that the world ends in 2012. Which apparently has much to do with VCR clocks. As our “experts” tell us, the Earth was created for a billion people on bicycles, not 7 billion in SUVs. Wow, really? Good…

Movies Annalee Newitz Dec 22

A Quartet of Science Nonfiction Tales That Will Make You Explode

Need some nonfiction distraction? Check out these four new nonfiction books about everything from growing up as a Dungeons and Dragons geek to coming of age as a genetic mutant. If you need dose of science sensationalism, or just a hot fact injection, we’re here for you with these four terrific books. The Elfish Gene:…

Books & Comics Annalee Newitz Dec 22

Carbon Nanotubes Will Rewire Your Brain, Make You Smarter

Carbon nanotubes, or hollow microscopic wires made of carbon (pictured), may one day replace some of the neurons in your brain. They could repair brain damage, or give a turbo boost to healthy brains. A group of researchers in France and Italy have published a paper today in Nature Nanotechnology that carbon nanotubes can act…

io9 Annalee Newitz Dec 22

Two New Mega-Dinosaurs Discovered in Morocco

More giant monsters from Earth’s distant past have been discovered. Deep in Saharan Morocco, researchers uncovered a meter-long bone that’s part of a massive dinosaur who munched on greenery. National Geographic says: The team unearthed a three-foot-high (one-meter-high) bone from the sauropod, which means the long-necked herbivore was almost 65 feet (20 meters) in length.…

io9 Annalee Newitz Dec 22

Can a Robot Consent to Have Sex with You?

It’s a truism in adult science fiction that humans of the future will have sex with robots. But can a robot really consent to have sex when it’s been programmed? Under the law, the difference between an act of sex and an act of assault hinges on one idea: consent. If a person agrees to…

io9 Annalee Newitz Dec 22

First Designer Baby to Be Born in UK

This week, the first truly designer baby will be born in Britain. She’s the offspring of a woman whose family had an incredibly high incidence of early breast cancer – all traceable back to a specific gene that causes a predisposition for the disease. Without intervention, her baby would have had a 50-80% chance of…

io9 Annalee Newitz Dec 21

Chilling Books to Read and Share in the Darkness of Winter

Want a low-cost gift whose beauty is that it reminds you winter is a time of shadowy, gothic dread? We’ve got seventeen seasonal depression books you’ll want to read next to the fire. These books are mostly very easy to find, and make for excellent, bargain gifts (nearly all are under $20, and most under…

Books & Comics Annalee Newitz Dec 20

Will It Soon Be Acceptable to Select the Sex of Your Baby?

A recent poll by Spanish research foundation BBVA reveals that the majority of people in the developed world favor reproductive technologies like IVF. However, the majority are against using these technologies to choose the sex of children. Over at Sentient Developments, futurist George Dvorsky asks why this prejudice exists. He’s “flabbergasted” that people are favor…

io9 Annalee Newitz Dec 20

The Mutant Cat of Minsk Initiates a Neural Connection with Its Host

AP photographer Sergei Grits caught a mutant in the act of mind control earlier this year at a cat exhibition in Minsk, Belarus. These exhibitions are a perfect cover for hyper-evolved cats planning revolution.

io9 Annalee Newitz Dec 19

A Vote for the Flying Spaghetti Monster is a Vote for Al Franken, Say Minnesota Authorities

In the ongoing drama of the Minnesota recount, a few controversial write-in ballots have surfaced. One, which we reported on a few weeks ago, included a vote for liberal candidate Al Franken along with a write-in for “Lizard People.” Another vote for Franken included a write-in for the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Today Minnesota Public Radio…

io9 Annalee Newitz Dec 19

Toilet Triumph in Space!

At last the brave astronauts aboard the International Space Station have received their $19 million Russian toilet, and are ready to start using it to turn their urine into tasty drinking water. There’s been an ongoing toilet crisis on the ISS ever since the last one broke, and we’ve been trying not to imagine all…

io9 Annalee Newitz Dec 19

Luna Resort Project Will Build a Tiny Swedish House on the Moon

As countries begin planning moon missions for over a decade from now, an artist known for his whimsical hotels has launched a plan to put a traditional Swedish “stuga” on the moon. Artist Mikael Genberg has already put a hotel underwater, and another one 30 meters up in a tree. He’s also designed a place…

io9 Annalee Newitz Dec 19

Hand Magic, Fake White People and Pigs Make “The Warrior” Awesome

Indonesian flick The Warrior (1981) is like Roadhouse – but with magical kung fu. And evil wizards who torment Indonesian actors in Dutchface. And a human-into-pig transformation scene. In these two clips, there are plenty of hand magic shenanigans involving the evil wizards. Toothy Wizard torments fake Dutch guy, and then later resurrects Hair Wizard,…

io9 Annalee Newitz Dec 19

The Periodic Table of Awesoments

Everything awesome in the world, arranged in the most scientific manner imaginable, from the brains at Dapperstache. [via Bonnie!]

io9 Annalee Newitz Dec 18

Long-Suppressed Gay Star Trek Episode Comes Out

David Gerrold, famous for writing the “Trouble with Tribbles” Star Trek episode, also wrote an episode that included gay characters – but it was shot down by Paramount. Now you can watch it online. To make the episode, Gerrold teamed up with the fan crew behind Star Trek: Phase II, a web series that’s intended…

Television Annalee Newitz Dec 18

Water Vapor Discovered Near Black Hole 11.1 Billion Light Years Away

The discovery of water vapor in a distant quasar system has overturned established ideas about the existence of water in the early universe. This is the farthest, and thus the oldest, water ever seen in the Universe. (Because the light from this quasar took 11.1 billion years to reach Earth, it is 11.1 billion years…

io9 Annalee Newitz Dec 18

More Mad Cow Disease on the Way, Say Scientists

A new case of CJD, or mad cow disease, has prompted scientists in the UK to warn that a new wave of the deadly condition is coming. And many more people could be infected. The new case of CJD affected a man whose genetic makeup was of a type researchers call “MV,” and it was…

io9 Annalee Newitz Dec 18

The Dalek Christmas Tree Will Exterminate Your Holiday

Hard to believe a shiny pink Dalek would menace anyone, but clearly it would. This brilliantly mad sculpture was created by Minnesota animator Lindsey Testolin. There is actually a tree under there. [via Flickr] Thanks, Joel Gillman!

Television Annalee Newitz Dec 18

Does Science Drama Fail, Even When It Wins?

Scientist adventure show Eleventh Hour, which garnered top ratings and has in recent weeks gotten genuinely fun to watch, may become proof that scifi can’t win on TV. Even when the audience is huge. http://io9.com/5110398/things-improve-on-eleventh-hour-with-flesh+eating-stds This week rumors zoomed about how several writers had gotten laid off from the show. CBS is unexpectedly reducing how…

Television Annalee Newitz Dec 18

Time Travel Tales Go Mainstream – Sort Of

With Spanish time travel mindbender Timecrimes getting rave reviews, and the arty Primer becoming a new cult classic, it seems that the time travel story has gone from pulp mainstay to high art. https://gizmodo.com/time-travel-is-like-heroin-in-primer-321829 Perhaps the only precursor to today’s arty time-leaping flicks is Terry Gilliam’s 12 Monkeys, a tough story about a man adrift…

Movies Annalee Newitz Dec 17

Annalee Newitz

The Ancient Maya Predicted Bicycles and VCRs

A Quartet of Science Nonfiction Tales That Will Make You Explode

Carbon Nanotubes Will Rewire Your Brain, Make You Smarter

Two New Mega-Dinosaurs Discovered in Morocco

Can a Robot Consent to Have Sex with You?

First Designer Baby to Be Born in UK

Chilling Books to Read and Share in the Darkness of Winter

Will It Soon Be Acceptable to Select the Sex of Your Baby?

The Mutant Cat of Minsk Initiates a Neural Connection with Its Host

A Vote for the Flying Spaghetti Monster is a Vote for Al Franken, Say Minnesota Authorities

Toilet Triumph in Space!

Luna Resort Project Will Build a Tiny Swedish House on the Moon

Hand Magic, Fake White People and Pigs Make “The Warrior” Awesome

The Periodic Table of Awesoments

Long-Suppressed Gay Star Trek Episode Comes Out

Water Vapor Discovered Near Black Hole 11.1 Billion Light Years Away

More Mad Cow Disease on the Way, Say Scientists

The Dalek Christmas Tree Will Exterminate Your Holiday

Does Science Drama Fail, Even When It Wins?

Time Travel Tales Go Mainstream – Sort Of

OpenAI Exec Reveals New Strategy in Leaked Memo: Attack Anthropic

GMKtec G3 Pro Mini PC Gets Nearly 40% Off First for Amazon Prime Members for a Limited Time

Popular Musician Loses Life Savings Through Malicious Crypto Wallet in Apple’s App Store

Peter Capaldi’s Biggest ‘Doctor Who’ Regret Was That He Couldn’t Be a Little Bit Miserable

Some Good News About the Upcoming Atlantic Hurricane Season

Scientists Discover Potential Path to Treating Down Syndrome

Astronomers Just Nailed Down the Universe’s Expansion Rate… and Now They Have More Questions

This BLUETTI Power Station Drops 51%, All-in-One Solution for Camping, Road Trips, Outages, and Home Backup for Less

Of Course That ‘Leaked’ 2026 ‘Winds of Winter’ Release Date Is Fake

On ‘Maul: Shadow Lord’, Not Everyone’s Willing to Learn a Lesson

Anker’s EufyMake E1 Finally Brings Printers Out of the Dark Ages

This Loud-Ass Party Speaker Almost Got Me High AF

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