Annalee Newitz, Author at Gizmodo

Vampires Ate Your Hair

I think we all know what the main problem is with the Twilight mania sweeping the English-speaking world right now: Ugly hair. Seriously, what the hell is up with the hair on heartthrob vampire Edward (Robert Pattinson)? The guy is undead, OK, but does his hair have to look like roadkill? Apparently, yes. Edward comes…

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 19

Trains Erupt with Flowers: Past and Future New York City

A marvel of industrial efficiency when it was built in the 1930s, New York City’s High Line was an elevated train line that chugged up through the lower west side of Manhattan and along the Hudson River. But in the 1980s, the trains stopped running and the tracks returned to nature, sprouting unexpectedly lush gardens…

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 19

Escaped Convicts Sing and Fight Genetic Authoritarians – In Space!

On an alien world ruled by a genetically-engineered, ill-defined authority figure, two convicts try to earn their freedom by tracking down and liberating a kidnapped little girl. You’re looking down the barrel of Stingray Sam, the latest indie flick from director and star Cory McAbee, previously known for The American Astronaut. McAbee is known for…

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 19

What Have They Done to Hiro and Sylar?

Last night’s intriguing episode of Heroes, called “It’s Coming,” brought us deep into the crises suffered by central characters Hiro and Sylar. As one man regresses and the other moves forward in his self-transformation, it’s becoming obvious that Heroes cannot deal with the idea of making Hiro into a true hero. Why does Sylar get…

Television Annalee Newitz Nov 18

Will Science and Entertainment Learn to Get Along?

Pop culture may be obsessed with science, but it’s rare to find a scifi story that gets it right. That’s why a group of Hollywood mucky mucks have hooked up with a bunch of scientists to create the Science and Entertainment Exchange. The group holds regular symposia where they bring together Hollywood creators with people…

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 18

The Burning Flare of Gas Being Devoured by a Supermassive Black Hole

Click to view Two separate telescopes in Chile picked up the same black hole flare recently, allowing them to see for the first time what it looks like when superheated gas orbits the black hole’s event horizon as it is being devoured. The black hole in question is the Milky Way’s own supermassive Sagittarius A*,…

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 18

2,900-Year-Old Gravestone Reveals Ancient Belief System

Click to view A 2,900-year-old gravestone from the ancient kingdom of Sam’al, located in what is today southeastern Turkey, has shed light on an ancient religious belief heretofore unknown. The gravestone, called a stele, is in nearly pristine condition and archaeologists were able to translate all the writing on it. Now they’ve gained new insight…

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 18

Store Your Data in a Swank, Swedish Eco-Bunker

This bunker is so hardened it can withstand an atomic blast, but it’s so eco that it has a tiny built-in ecosystem of artificial sun, waterfalls, and plants. And the best part about this subterranean environment in Sweden is that it’s packed with giant, shiny server cabinets throbbing with data. Want to poke around inside?…

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 18

Best Unsung Filk Ever, in Honor of Star Wars Holiday Special

Today is the 30th anniversary of the ill-fated TV experience known as the Star Wars Holiday Special. Featuring a group of Wookiees trying to celebrate the holidays while being hassled by Imperial troops – along with song-and-dance numbers and comedy bits in a variety show format – the two-hour special was deemed so hideous that…

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 17

First Look at Fan Auteur Sandy Collora’s “Hunter Prey”

Sandy Collora is known as the auteur of fan filmmaking because his dark short film Batman: Dead End took 2003 Comic-Con by storm, and its comparatively lavish production values changed the whole fan filmmaking game. Though Collora had some setbacks, including having his films shoved off the bill by lawsuit-shy Comic-Con, he’s back with his…

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 17

Why So Copyrighted?

TorrentFreak reports that The Dark Knight is officially the most pirated movie of 2008. Maybe the Joker’s lectures about law-breaking and those burning piles of money taught audiences a lesson? Apparently, the flick got a million downloads in under seven days, and those are on top of the cam and DVD-screener versions that were swapped…

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 17

Will the Global Economic Crisis Kill the Large Hadron Collider?

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world’s biggest physics experiment, was all set to start up a few months ago – its miles of underground tunnels would provide answers to deep physics questions about the nature of everything from atoms to black holes. And then it broke. Big time. Six tons of ultra-cold liquid helium…

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 17

Structures with Unspecified Functions

This is what an M.C. Escher painting would look like if it became an architectural blueprint. On BLDG BLOG, Geoff Manaugh calls our attention to the work of Belgian photographer Flip Dujardin who creates fictional buildings out of photographs of real ones. We’ve got a couple more images below. Mark magazine calls Dujardin’s structures “informal…

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 17

I Always Wear High Heels to Visit the Moon

Over at Spanish pulp blog El Desván del Abuelito, they’ve got some terrific covers from what look like early 1960s science fiction comics from a series called “El Mundo Futuro” (world of the future). This is one of my favorites, whose title roughly translated means “It will happen tomorrow!” I love the man in his…

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 15

First Glimpse of the Star Trek Trailer

You can see the glorious (and surprising) Star Trek trailer if you check out the new James Bond flick this weekend. Some people have already had this privilege, and they managed to upload the contents of their memories via a mobile device. So now we have the trailer right here! Cautious optimism. It looks fresh…

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 14

It’s Your Own Mobile, Weaponized Laser Unit!

You’re heading out to the territories on Saturn’s moon Europa and things could get dicey. Or maybe you’re here on Earth, but you don’t like the idea of walking around those alien-infested cities at night without some good firepower. That’s where Northrop Grumman’s new KILLSTRIKE weaponized laser comes in. No, we’re not kidding. These babies…

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 14

A Pirate Map for Future Water Wars

As the need for fresh water increases, growing populations across the globe will increasingly turn to groundwater to slake their thirst. But where will we find that water? UNESCO’s World-wide Hydrogeological Mapping and Assessment Programme (WHYMAP) created this map, along with several others, to serve as a guide to the world’s groundwater resources in aquifers…

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 14

It’s Not Filk – It’s Trock!

Filk is a science fiction and fantasy inflected subgenre of folk music — you know, tales of hobbits and Tatooine all done up with acoustic stylings. But filk is also heavily associated with the 1960s hippie generation, and nerdy rockers these days need something that has a more millennial feeling. Enter Trock, or Timelord Rock.…

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 14

A Google Search Game

We know you’re bored and have nothing better to do than plug random phrases into Google. So try this one. Just plug in “For better or worse, you can get around this problem” but without the quotes. See? All knowledge is good knowledge. Thanks, Chris!

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 13

Does the Full Moon Really Make People Crazy?

Tonight is the full moon, and according to several scientific studies that means you’re far more likely to be the victim of a crime or creamed in an accident. I’d always assumed it was an urban legend that the full moon coincided with a rise in human weirdness. But some scientists believe there is factual…

io9 Annalee Newitz Nov 13

Annalee Newitz

Vampires Ate Your Hair

Trains Erupt with Flowers: Past and Future New York City

Escaped Convicts Sing and Fight Genetic Authoritarians – In Space!

What Have They Done to Hiro and Sylar?

Will Science and Entertainment Learn to Get Along?

The Burning Flare of Gas Being Devoured by a Supermassive Black Hole

2,900-Year-Old Gravestone Reveals Ancient Belief System

Store Your Data in a Swank, Swedish Eco-Bunker

Best Unsung Filk Ever, in Honor of Star Wars Holiday Special

First Look at Fan Auteur Sandy Collora’s “Hunter Prey”

Why So Copyrighted?

Will the Global Economic Crisis Kill the Large Hadron Collider?

Structures with Unspecified Functions

I Always Wear High Heels to Visit the Moon

First Glimpse of the Star Trek Trailer

It’s Your Own Mobile, Weaponized Laser Unit!

A Pirate Map for Future Water Wars

It’s Not Filk – It’s Trock!

A Google Search Game

Does the Full Moon Really Make People Crazy?

How to Watch Bayern vs Real Madrid Online for Free

UGREEN’s Bluetooth Tracker (4 Pack) Crashes to $5 Each, Nearly 6x Cheaper Than Apple’s AirTag

Some Locals Are Using AI to Protest Against Data Centers

‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Season 2 Filming Has Been Canceled By a Storm

Garmin Forerunner 965 Goes on Clearance, No More Premium Price Tag for This Running Smartwatch

A Crew of Worms on the ISS Aims to Help Scientists Unlock the Secrets of Space Travel

Galaxy Buds 3 FE (2025) Are Now Cheaper on Amazon Than Buying Direct from Samsung, but Only for Prime Members

Lego’s Big New ‘Star Wars’ Set Comes Just in Time for ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ to Replace It

The Case for Tracking Everything

Ring Small Solar Panel Makes Powering Your Outdoor Camera Easy and Affordable, Now Below Black Friday Prices

Sony Inzone H6 Air Review: A Perfect Case for Open-Back Gaming Headsets

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

The Soundboks Mix Is Going to Make You the Most Popular Guy at the Park

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