Annalee Newitz, Author at Gizmodo

Finch’s Greatest Vulnerability, on Person of Interest

Last night on Person of Interest, we witnessed the first showdown between the Machine and its potentially evil rival, Samaritan. And then something unexpected happened. The episode was all about humanity. The Machine Gang split up in the last episode, trying to stay under Samaritan’s radar while evil Decima Corp head Greer tries to track…

io9 Annalee Newitz Apr 30 '14

The Summer’s Most Exciting Science Fiction and Fantasy Books

This summer, you can spend every free moment reading an amazing book — that’s how many incredible tales are coming in the next few months. So get ready to escape into other worlds, other timelines, and mysterious cities where magic is as ordinary as a hairpin. May Seanan McGuire, Sparrow Hill Road (DAW) Bestselling author…

io9 Annalee Newitz Apr 30 '14

The Mermaid Wasn’t Quite What He’d Expected

You hear about mermaids all the time, and they’re supposed to be these delicate, floating creatures — like graceful tropical fish, with flowing hair and bras made of anemones. But the reality is different. Imagine megalodon crossed with a mixed martial arts fighter. That’s what you’re dealing with. This amazing mermaid drawing was made by…

io9 Annalee Newitz Apr 30 '14

Cosmos and the Clash Between Academic and Popular Science

Over at Symmetry Magazine, DOE Office of High Energy Physics scientist Glen Crawford remembers how the original Cosmos show affected him as a college student. His comments are fascinating in light of the new show. Crawford describes being a physics student when Cosmos aired, and then what it was like to be in the same…

io9 Annalee Newitz Apr 29 '14

The Internet Is About to Become Worse Than Television

Last week, an obscure but potentially internet-transforming document was leaked from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. It revealed that government regulators are considering rules that would give big companies a chance to make their online services run faster than smaller ones. The proposed rules were revealed in the New York Times, and they would overturn…

io9 Annalee Newitz Apr 29 '14

Hey Star Wars — Where the Hell Are the Women?

This morning we all delighted in the casting announcement for Star Wars VII. And then the reality set in: There is only one new female character being added to what is arguably the world’s most beloved mythic series. It’s as if 51 percent of the population cried out in pain, and was suddenly silenced. Let…

Movies Annalee Newitz Apr 29 '14

I Can’t Stop Listening to These Peruvians Cursing at a UFO

This UFO sighting over Peru isn’t going to bust any paradigms about whether life is visiting Earth from space. It’s the usual blurry light cam stuff. But listening to Peruvians cursing a blue streak as they watch will amuse the hell out of you. OK, North Americans — can you rise to the challenge and…

io9 Annalee Newitz Apr 28 '14

What Would Happen If You Turned Megalodon into Shark Fin Soup?

A group of marine biologists watched the new Syfy movie Mega-Shark vs. Mecha-Shark, which made them wonder what would happen if megalodon actually were alive today. Likely, it would be hunted to near-extinction for its fins — which would, they estimated, make 70,456 bowls of shark fin soup. They reached this estimate by looking at…

io9 Annalee Newitz Apr 28 '14

8 Awe-Inspiring Mass Transit Systems that Changed Their Cities

At the heart of many cities are its public transit systems, which help people get to work and get out of town. Some of the greatest public transit systems aren’t just large — they also offer their riders something extra, or reshape the cities they serve. Here are some incredible public transit systems around the…

io9 Annalee Newitz and Rachel Mitchell Apr 28 '14

This Is the Future New York City Where I Want to Live

This enormous building looks like a marine invertebrate has devoured the intersection of two major train lines in Queens. It’s part of a futuristic proposal to convert this transit hub into high density housing and live-work spaces. The thing is so crazy it just might work. Over at The Atlantic Cities, Jenny Xie describes the…

io9 Annalee Newitz Apr 25 '14

It’s Spring and the Monsters Are Blooming

A great poet once noticed that April is the cruelest month. I’m pretty sure this is what he was talking about. This gorgeous illustration, which you can see in its full glory below, is by Brynn Metheney, an illustrator and concept artist in Oakland, California. You can see more of Metheney’s incredible work on her…

io9 Annalee Newitz Apr 25 '14

The Real Reasons that Parents Have Stopped Vaccinating Their Kids

Scientists have a lot of theories — not a lot of them flattering — about why some people have stopped vaccinating their children. But those are just theories. If we want to save lives, it’s time for us to figure out what’s really causing this outbreak of vaccine hesitancy, and do something about it. That’s…

io9 Annalee Newitz Apr 25 '14

Aren’t You Sick of Possession Movies That Always Look Like This?

It’s got a creepy old house, a possessed teenage girl, a scary doll, a mad paranormal researcher, hot babes in hot pants, and a semi-religious young man documenting everything with his charming 1970s camera. Is there anything that the latest Hammer film The Quiet Ones hasn’t got? I’d have to say it’s missing a sense…

Movies Annalee Newitz Apr 25 '14

Spring Is Now Coming Three Weeks Earlier than It Did 150 Years Ago

One way to distinguish “climate change” from “weather” is to consider how our seasons have been changing. Several independent studies, based on over 150 years worth of records, reveal that spring is coming much earlier now than it did in centuries past. Photo of Walden Pond by ptwo Over at the New York Times, Carl…

io9 Annalee Newitz Apr 25 '14

Your Thoughts May Be Nothing More than “Self-Organized Criticality”

What’s happening in your brain when you have a thought? Neuroscientists have been debating this idea for years, but one physicist believes he has the answer. It comes from observing how matter shifts from one state to another in the physical world. Illustration by James O’Brien In Quanta magazine, Jennifer Oullette explores how a theory…

io9 Annalee Newitz Apr 24 '14

Murakami’s Jellyfish Eyes Is the Pokémon Kaiju Movie of Our Dreams

Famed Japanese pop artist Murakami Takashi has made his first film, and it looks absolutely incredible. You’ve never seen kaiju like this. The film has been touring film festivals in the United States for the past year. According to Yatzer: In ‘Jellyfish Eyes‘, a 101-minute-long monster movie which premiered earlier in April as part of…

Trailers Annalee Newitz Apr 24 '14

I Can’t Stop Watching This Insect Having an Existential Crisis

According to YouTube videographer Zain the Pain, this bug played with this piece of popcorn in exactly this way for over three hours. It’s completely insane. What is actually happening here? Science writer Kyle Hill suggests the bug is having an existential crisis.

io9 Annalee Newitz Apr 24 '14

DNA Evidence Debunks a Longstanding Myth About Louis XVI’s Blood

When King Louis XVI was beheaded in the early days of the French Revolution, it is said that a handkerchief soaked in his blood was placed in this gourd (pictured). Now a group of Spanish geneticists have sequenced DNA in the blood, to find out whether it’s truly from the king. First, the researchers sequenced…

io9 Annalee Newitz Apr 24 '14

The Practical Way to Get that Martian Colony You’ve Been Wanting

Over at The Nib, Zach Weinersmith has a hilarious webcomic about how scientists get government funding these days. These are just the first couple of panels — if you want to see how it all turns out, head over to The Nib on Medium.

io9 Annalee Newitz Apr 23 '14

Disturbing Pollution Map of California Confirms that Freeways Are Evil

Reporters at the Los Angeles Times have used data from the California EPA to put together a fascinating interactive map that shows levels of pollution, water toxicity, and ozone concentrations over California. Surprise — most of the environmental impact is around freeways. You can visit the map to search for any region you’d like within…

io9 Annalee Newitz Apr 23 '14

Annalee Newitz

Finch’s Greatest Vulnerability, on Person of Interest

The Summer’s Most Exciting Science Fiction and Fantasy Books

The Mermaid Wasn’t Quite What He’d Expected

Cosmos and the Clash Between Academic and Popular Science

The Internet Is About to Become Worse Than Television

Hey Star Wars — Where the Hell Are the Women?

I Can’t Stop Listening to These Peruvians Cursing at a UFO

What Would Happen If You Turned Megalodon into Shark Fin Soup?

8 Awe-Inspiring Mass Transit Systems that Changed Their Cities

This Is the Future New York City Where I Want to Live

It’s Spring and the Monsters Are Blooming

The Real Reasons that Parents Have Stopped Vaccinating Their Kids

Aren’t You Sick of Possession Movies That Always Look Like This?

Spring Is Now Coming Three Weeks Earlier than It Did 150 Years Ago

Your Thoughts May Be Nothing More than “Self-Organized Criticality”

Murakami’s Jellyfish Eyes Is the Pokémon Kaiju Movie of Our Dreams

I Can’t Stop Watching This Insect Having an Existential Crisis

DNA Evidence Debunks a Longstanding Myth About Louis XVI’s Blood

The Practical Way to Get that Martian Colony You’ve Been Wanting

Disturbing Pollution Map of California Confirms that Freeways Are Evil

Scare Your Neighbors With This Incredible Life-Size ‘Alien’ Halloween Decoration (Exclusive)

A Dangerous Bacteria Is Moving Up the East Coast. Here’s What That Means for You

Ecovacs Deebot X12 OmniCyclone Robot Vacuum and Mop Drops $250 Off, All-in-One Cleaning Solution at Its Lowest Price Yet

Soundcore Space 2 Review: A Shockingly Stellar Value for Budget ANC Wireless Headphones

Largest 3D Map of the Universe Is Adding Serious Fuel to the Cosmology Crisis

SpaceX Becoming a Publicly Traded Company May Rob Elon Musk of a Cool Source of Easy Cash

Xbox’s Big Turnaround Hedges Everything on Gamers’ Nostalgia

The First Trailer for ‘Strange New Worlds’ Season 4 Teases a Weird and Scary Galaxy

The ‘Invincible’ Game’s Story Brings Action and New Voices

‘Daemons of the Shadow Realm’ May Be Your New Shonen Fave

Anker’s UV Printer Can Handle Almost Anything… If You Know What You’re Doing

HP’s EliteBoard Keyboard-Computer Proves We Can Stick a PC in Anything

Sleep-Tracking Earbuds Didn’t Fix Me, but They Did Open My Eyes

I’ve Tested a Lot of Bad Smart Glasses and These Are the Worst Yet

Roborock’s Qrevo Curv 2 Flow Is the Ultimate Robot Mop—If You Don’t Have Corners or Walls

Alienware’s $350 QD-OLED Gaming Monitor Nixes Everything for a Pretty Screen

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