Annalee Newitz

The 10 Dark, Gritty Rules of Dystopian Science Fiction

Everybody loves a good dystopia, where the world of today has turned into a nightmare of decay, hopelessness and gelatinous food cubes. But to do them right, you need to follow these ten rules. Warning: Sarcasm ahead. Top image: Doomsday. 1. All the technology of today’s world should still be around, but in a decayed…

Possibly the Greatest Cargo Container Architecture We’ve Ever Seen

If you’re going to weather the apocalypse in a cargo container, then it should absolutely look like a giant mechanical spider. Spanish architect Santiago Cirugeda designed these low-cost buildings, suggesting that they might be the one way for communities to create affordable housing in the wake of Spain’s economic downturn. Read more at Inhabitat.

io9’s Official Back To School List of Must Read Books

School is starting again, and whether you’re a student in college or a student of life, you need to boot up your brain with some good inspiration. Here is a book list to get you thinking about the world in a new way — and help you make the transition back into study mode. We’ve…

This Is What Gentrification Really Is

In many cities, it’s become popular to hate “gentrifiers,” rich people who move in and drive up housing prices — pushing everyone else out. But what’s going on in these rapidly-changing urban spaces is a lot more complicated than that. Photo by Bulent Kilic/Getty We Call Them Aliens Gentrification is a form of immigration, though…

The Ships Gathered to Debate Their Next Move

We never quite knew what the Ships were planning, though they always seemed to keep us in mind as a benevolent afterthought. But when this many came together, something was up. Especially when the Evisceration Class vehicle arrived. Nicolas Bouvier is a concept artist living in Seattle, who has created art for videogames such as…

What Is the One Movie You Absolutely Must See in a Theater?

There are plenty of amazing movies out there that can be appreciated on a screen no bigger than your tablet. But others really have to be seen in a theater, preferably with a huge screen, in order to be absorbed fully. Which movies require the theater treatment? Tell us which movie you would always recommend…

BitTorrent’s Science Fiction Series Looks Like an American Apparel Ad

Here is the first extended clip from BitTorrent’s experiment with pay-for-play content. The file-sharing software company has partnered with Rapid Eye Studios to create a series called Children of the Machine. Our first look left us uncomfortable but intrigued. Aimed at the post-Millennial generation, the series chronicles the lives of youth living in a dystopian…

Disturbing False Memory Experiment Has Long-Lasting Effects

How easy is it to make you hate someone irrationally? All too easy, it turns out — with the help of false memories. A group of criminologists conducted a successful experiment with memory manipulation that’s intensely creepy — and has unsettling implications. Illustration by Color-Arcano Criminologists at the University of California Irvine convinced a group…

In California, we are bracing ourselves for the water wars. An investigative article from the Washington Post explains why the current drought, the worst in recorded history, could change the state forever.

Have You Ever Wondered How Replicants Are Made in Blade Runner?

We know that the Replicants in Blade Runner are made of biological materials, but we never see them being made. Now, one artist has created a luminous, creepy image of what it might be like to work in the Replicant factory. Concept artist Wouter Gort is from Amsterdam. He describes what he was imagining when…

At Last, We May Understand What Causes Hangovers

There are a lot of hangover myths. No, they are not caused by dehydration, so drinking lots of water with your booze won’t help. And no, they are not caused by blood sugar levels. Scientists do have one hypothesis about what causes them, however — and luckily we have a cure for it. Science journalist…

Now You Can Truly Appreciate the Size of Comet Churymov-Gerasimenko

In case you have been scoffing at the size of tiny comet Churymov-Gerasimenko (AKA the rubber ducky comet) that spacecraft Rosetta has been exploring, here’s a nice scale image from Michel, AKA @quark1972 on Twitter. For the past few months, the Rosetta spacecraft has been exploring this comet. We’ve finally succeeded in meeting the comet…

Does Poverty Lead to Sleep Addiction?

When we’ve “cured” sleep with new medications, it’s possible that slumber will become distasteful to many — and even illegal. What happens in a future where people are vaccinated against sleep, and it’s impossible to cope with daily life if you still require eight hours of unconsciousness? Photo by forestpath via Shutterstock Over at the…

Here’s What It Looks Like When Cities Get Out of Control

People build their houses everywhere overnight, to the point where homes appear to spill over the edges of sidewalks and cling to the feet of superstructures. There’s a certain grandeur to it, and more than a little squalor. Nivanh Chanthara and Fred Rambeau are concept artists who worked together on this illustration. Learn more about…

Comments Are a Little Different Today

If you’ve been reading io9 for more than a year, our new comment setup may look a lot like something you’ve seen before. To fix our spam and abuse problem, we’ve brought back the “pending comments” system. That means you guys have more control over what you see. https://product.kinja.com/re-introducing-pending-replies-1621601466

A Genetic Test for Suicide Risk

Suicide runs in families, and that’s why the U.S. Centers for Disease Control lists “family history” as the number one risk factor for suicide. Now biotech companies have taken this information seriously enough to investigate the heritable component of suicide, and develop a genetic test for it. Antonio Regalato writes in Technology Review: Sundance Diagnostics,…

Giant Chinese Bitcoin Mines Are the Foundation of the Next Economy

The digital currency Bitcoin has fluctuated in value, but it seems unlikely to go away in the immediate future. And part of its ongoing strength depends on Bitcoin farms, where virtual value is mined in enormous factories Writing for the Coinsmith, a Bitcoin news site, a writer named Bitsmith describes a trip he took to…

io9 Book Club Is in Session! Let’s Discuss The Girl With All the Gifts!

Welcome to the monthly meeting of the io9 Book Club. In July, we read The Girl with All the Gifts, by M.R. Carey. Sorry for the week-long meeting delay — I was on vacation. Jump into comments to get started talking about it! For those unfamiliar with the io9 book club, here’s how it works:…

Mathematician Wins Fields Prize for Her Work on Hyberbolic Objects

Stanford mathematician Maryam Marzakhani has just won the Fields Prize, often called the Nobel Prize in mathematics. The first woman to win the prize, Marzakhani is best known for her work on curved surfaces, including on spheres and hyperbolic objects. Marzakhani’s work has been described as esoteric and elegant, but with implications for everything from…

How Did Hanoi Grow So Big Without Developing Slums?

In Vietnam, the city of Hanoi is going through a population boom. It has grown by several million people in just a few decades, mostly due to migration from rural areas of the country. But unlike many other urban areas, it hasn’t ever developed slums. One reason is the region’s lack of regulation. Photo by…