Cheryl Eddy

A Look At Mount St. Helens 35 Years After Its Historic Eruption

This satellite image of Washington’s Mount St. Helens comes courtesy of NASA’s Earth Observatory, which notes that tomorrow is the 35th anniversary of the volcano’s eruption and subsequent landslide, which killed 57 people. Scientists still keep a close watch on the site from both the air and ground. As NASA notes: On the left side…

Watch The Trailer For SyFy’s The Magicians. Did They Get It Right?

A few weeks back we learned that SyFy had ordered to series an adaptation of Lev Grossman’s fantasy trilogy The Magicians. Now we have a trailer, which offers a peek at Brakebills’ faculty and new recruits, and contains the line “DO SOME GODDAMN MAGIC!” Yep, we’re intrigued. https://gizmodo.com/the-magicians-adaptation-is-finally-coming-to-a-tv-scre-1702130984 [Via Slashfilm]

In 1890, Thomas Edison created some of the world’s first “talking” dolls. The vocal components were recently restored to reveal insanely eerie, shrill intonations (even their inventor found them “unpleasant.”) The not-easily-spooked may listen to “Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep” here … if you dare.

Singer And Aspiring Space Tourist Sarah Brightman Postpones Her Launch

Her website is still awesomely space-themed, but soprano Sarah Brightman, who owned Broadway in the 1980s thanks to Cats and Phantom of the Opera, is scratching from her planned space-tourist trip to the ISS. She’d hoped to be “the first professional musician in history to perform live from orbit.” The news came via a Facebook…

The short answer to the question “Could a robot write the perfect pop song?” is “No,” because, as this piece in The Atlantic suggests, the pop star of tomorrow will probably be an avatar instead of a robot, offering up popular Japanese “android diva” Hatsune Miku as an example.

The Only Darth-Vader-In-A-Holiday-Sweater Ornament You Will Ever Need

No matter what holiday (if any) you celebrate ‘round December, Hallmark’s “Holiday Darth Vader,” available in October, is something to behold. According to the description, “The Dark Lord ornament will sense your movement and deliver a Christmas message.” It’s one of several geeky releases for 2015. Hallmark’s other new ornaments of note, albeit none so…

And A Very Happy Ssssaturday To You!

A black and white Argentine Tegu lizard shows off during an exhibition at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa this week. Tegus are intelligent and make popular pets, though escapees have taken a page from the python playbook in recent years, becoming an invasive species in Florida. AP Photo by Denis Farrell

Watch Adam Savage Build A Perfect Replica Of Kirk’s Chair From Star Trek

When Adam Savage ordered a replica of Captain Kirk’s Star Trek chair off eBay, he found it to be “totally sad and not accurate.” What’s a fanboy who also happens to be capable of building practically anything to do? Watch the (long, but entertaining and Shatner-approved) video below to find out. Spoiler alert: Tribbles. [Via…

David Lynch Rejoins Showtime’s Twin Peaks Revival!

YOU GUYS! Don’t scare us like that again! According to a flurry of Twitter reassurances last night, though, looks everyone has made nice (and there will be more than the originally-announced nine episodes!) Put back all that garmonbozia and commence with the pie and coffee binge. https://gizmodo.com/the-twin-peaks-revival-is-happening-without-david-lynch-1695866373

Stitchers Is A Show About A Woman Who Hacks Into The Brains Of Corpses 

ABC Family is debuting crime show Stitchers in June, and it has two elements of note: some majorly science-fiction leanings (“We work for a secret government agency that hacks into the brains of corpses and reads their memories”) and a star whose acting skills seem a little … uneven, maybe? Unless that’s some kind of…

Why Darkman Is Still One Of The Best Superhero Movies Ever Made

Darkman — the tale of a sweet scientist who becomes a vigilante, hiding his scarred face behind bandages and masks — came out in 1990, showcasing the talents of up-and-comers Sam Raimi and Liam Neeson. It was the perfect blend of superhero tale and monster movie. And it’s only gotten better with age. Raimi, a…

Wayward Pines‘ First Episode Intrigues, But It’s No Twin Peaks

M. Night Shyamalan is still Kryptonite to many who’ve been burned by his love of twist endings. But we’ve already let you know we’re cautiously optimistic for Wayward Pines. And after weeks of hype, the show, which is based on the books by Blake Crouch, began its 10-episode cycle last night. Spoilers follow! https://gizmodo.com/a-spoiler-free-preview-of-m-night-shyamalans-tv-show-w-1701439892 Executive…

New True Detective Trailer Contains Fire, Scars, And Knives

The first True Detective season two trailer dropped over a month ago, revealing the new cast and hinting at what’s to come when the show returns June 21. Now, we’ve got another sneak peek… including some Rust Cohle-esque philosophizing and WHOA NICE KNIFE SKILLS RACHEL MCADAMS! https://gizmodo.com/first-true-detective-season-2-trailer-reveals-the-entir-1696778570 “Sometimes your best self is your worst self,”…

Odd Disappearance Brings Back Memories Of “Most Terrible Crime Ever” 

In 1965, 16-year-old Sylvia Likens died after being tortured by her adult guardian — with the help of the woman’s family and other neighborhood children. The prosecutor called it “the most terrible crime ever committed in the state of Indiana.” Now, nearly 50 years later, Sylvia’s sister has mysteriously vanished. Los Angeles’ ABC 7 reports…

The Bloody Thumb Print That Changed The World Of Crime-Solving Forever

Fingerprints were used for identification in ancient China and Babylonia to mark business deals and correspondence. Though they were studied extensively since then, their value as a crime-solving tool wasn’t embraced until the 1880s — and it wasn’t until 1892, in Argentina, that they nailed their first murderer. A horrible crime scene greeted local investigators…

Restaurant Installs “Intruder Spray” To Tag Burglars With Synthetic DNA

A Subway franchise in Knoxville, Tenn. is the first US business to arm itself with “intruder spray,” which tags would-be robbers with a product called SelectaDNA. According to the manufacturer, the solution contains “a unique DNA code which can be used to uniquely mark and trace both items of property and criminals.” SelectaDNA’s US distributor,…

A Familiar Weapon Makes A Gory Return On The Lizzie Borden Chronicles

From episode six’s title, “The Fugitive Kind,” we have a good idea that Pinkerton detective turned (wrongfully) convicted murderer Siringo is not going to end up at the gallows. But his legal troubles get him out of Lizzie’s hair long enough for her to turn her attentions to other matters, like sabotaging her sister’s wedding.…

An Interactive Map Of Murder Rates Around The World

The interactive Homicide Monitor allows you to click on a country and see its murder count in a specific recent year, and the rate the number represents per 100,000 people. For some countries, you can also see the weapon most commonly used. (No surprise, the good ol’ USA has some of the more terrifying stats.)…

“Snow Cleaning” Keeps This Giant Telescope Mirror Perfectly Pristine

The James Webb Space Telescope is the most powerful space telescope ever built, and its mirrors must be kept squeaky clean. Any debris, even tiny flecks of dust, could impact its science. Ergo, “snow cleaning:” the use of carbon dioxide snow to clean the mirrors thoroughly yet gently. According to NASA, the photo above shows…

Schwarzenegger Flexes His (Acting) Muscles In Somber Zombie Tale Maggie

If the phrase “Arnold Schwarzenegger Zombie Movie” calls to mind action-movie insanity, with catchphrases and machine guns and exploding corpses, Maggie — a quietly dark study of grief, terminal illness, and the bond between parent and child — is not the Arnold Schwarzenegger Zombie Movie you’re looking for. Though he does wield an axe in…