Cheryl Eddy

We Can Now Read What’s Written On Rolls Of Papyrus Buried By Vesuvius

Papyrus rolls buried in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD were discovered 260 years ago in the ruins of Herculaneum. But they’re so fragile that it’s never been possible to read them without inadvertently destroying them — until now. As a newly published scientific paper in Nature Communications reports: In recent years, new…

George Lucas Might Move His Vanity Museum From Chicago To LA 

George Lucas has been trying to open a museum to house his personal collection of art and movie memorabilia for awhile now; last June, Chicago beat out San Francisco for hosting duties. Now, it seems a third city may in the running: Los Angeles. According to an LA Times report, “complications” are getting in the…

A Brief History Of “Satanic Panic” In The 1980s

In the 1980s, allegations of ritual abuse at a preschool in Southern California led to the longest, most expensive trial in U.S. history. The McMartin Preschool case — which resulted in zero convictions — became emblematic of a much more widespread phenomenon known as Satanic Panic. “In Satanic occultism, that which is good is bad.…

A 56-page document handwritten by Alan Turing will be auctioned off in April,with part of the proceeds (it’s expected to fetch over $1 million) going to charity. The manuscript dates from 1942, Turing’s Enigma Code-breaking days, and contains musings on mathematics and computer science.

What “Mystery Goo” Is Killing Birds Off San Francisco’s Coast?

Over 150 seabirds have been injured by a “mystery substance” and 20 have died so far, according to the San Francisco Bay Area’s International Bird Rescue center, which is currently working to clean and save as many as possible. SFGate reports that even California Department of Fish and Wildlife specialists aren’t sure what, exactly, is…

Invite Body Parts To Your Next Dinner With This Horrifying Tableware

Tea, anyone? Israeli sculptor Ronit Baranga‘s unique work melds body parts with tableware: fingers poke through a plate, a disembodied mouth awaits at the bottom of a cup. The effect is both delicate and gruesome. Writing on Bored Panda, the artist explains: The blurred border between the living and the still in these works is…

U.S. Air Force Releases Thousands of Pages Of Declassified UFO Files

Huge news for UFOlogists: nearly 130,000 pages of fully searchable archives, dubbed the Project Blue Book Collection, are now available on truth-seeking website the Black Vault. Military Times reports: UFO enthusiast John Greenewald has spent nearly two decades filing Freedom of Information Act requests for the government’s files on UFOs and other phenomena. On Jan.…

Masterpiece on PBS, basically printing its own currency after the success of Downton Abbey and Sherlock, will build off the success of the latter title by airing a three-part adaptation of Julian Barnes’ historical novelArthur & George later this year. Martin Clunes (Doc Martin) will star as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

In 1948, Idaho Fish and Game parachuted beavers into the state’s backcountry — a novel way to transplant “problem” animals that were clashing with homeowners. Specially designed wooden boxes were used, with the help of a beaver “test pilot” named, naturally, Geronimo.

Don’t Make A Hippo Angry! You Wouldn’t Like It When It’s Angry!

A hippo in Botswana, apparently quite annoyed by the paparazzi, made its feelings well known when it thundered after a boatload of tourists. The result, captured in the video below, is kinda like Jaws meets Moby Dick meets the “Must go faster!!” scene in Jurassic Park. Discovery News reports: Members of a tour group on…

On This Week’s Archer, Sterling Meets An Old Foe, Becomes A Verb

The second Archer episode of its sixth season is even better than the first, and it hints at what’s to come in its title: “Three to Tango.” A trip to Argentina perhaps? Spoilers ahead! https://gizmodo.com/archer-is-back-and-were-cautiously-optimistic-about-it-1678561812 At the behest of the CIA and Christian Slater (playing a version of himself that enjoys sports metaphors and insists…

Vice Is The Least Subtle Dystopia Ever, And That’s Saying Something

There’s nothing subtle about Vice, an astonishingly unoriginal thriller that plays off familiar fears that violent video games will turn players into real-world trigger-happy sociopaths. The movie is now viewable on demand; some spoilers ahead. Top-billed Bruce Willis smirks his way through what’s decidedly more of a supporting role, playing Julian Michaels (not to be…

Don’t Miss The Magical Animated Oscar Nominee Song Of The Sea

Yesterday’s Oscar nominations brought a lot of chatter about the Best Animated Film selections, but now that we’ve all agreed The Lego Movie was robbed, it’s the perfect time to spotlight a lovely, dark-horse candidate that did make the list: Song of the Sea. https://gizmodo.com/the-biggest-oscar-snubs-of-2015-1679721226 Song of the Sea is the latest from director Tomm…

This Short Video Explains How “Animal Chatter” Relates To Human Language

When your dog barks, is it actually communicating with language, or is it just making a sound to convey “Feed me!” (to you) or “Back off!” (to another canine)? A new animated short from New Scientist investigates “animal chatter,” and how it relates to human language. Most intriguing is the idea that a deeper understanding…

North America’s Rarest Wolves Are Deemed Endangered…ish

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has added the Mexican gray wolf, Canis lupus baileyi, to its list of endangered species, albeit with some odd caveats. Scientific American reports: Mexican gray wolves nearly went extinct 40 years ago. After decades of hunting and persecution the last five wild members of the subspecies were rounded up…

Using Social Media Is Less Stressful Than You Think, Say Scientists

Anyone who has spent time on Facebook or Instagram has experienced … let’s call them negative emotions. But new research suggests that using social media is actually less stress-inducing than you might think. In a study called “Social Media and the Cost of Caring,” scientists at the Pew Research Center used the Perceived Stress Scale…

A pet alligator was seized after some 37 years spent chilling in its owners’ backyard … and maybe snacking on neighborhood cats. “You cannot own a reptile like this in the City of Los Angeles without having a proper permit,” an Animal Services rep said. “And obviously for an alligator, we would not permit that.”

Want To See Where Ray Bradbury Lived For 50 Years? Too Bad.

Though Ray Bradbury’s literary legacy lives on after the author’s 2012 passing, the Los Angeles home where he lived for over 50 years is currently getting the teardown treatment. https://gizmodo.com/r-i-p-ray-bradbury-author-of-fahrenheit-451-and-the-m-5916175 Curbed LA reports that the buyers who paid $270,000 over the home’s asking price last May (the total: a cool $1.765 million) received a permit…

Jock Unveils Sleek, Dreamy Concept Art For Ex Machina  

Ahead of the artificial intelligence thriller Ex Machina’s release (January 21 in the UK; April 10 in the US), artist Jock shared some of his early concept art on Twitter, highlighting the film’s sophisticated artificial intelligence, Ava (portrayed by Alicia Vikander). Machina is the directorial debut of novelist (The Beach) and screenwriter (28 Days Later,…

Cookie-Based Research Suggests Powerful People Are Sloppier Eaters

This week’s video in the University of California system’s Fig. 1 YouTube series (tag line: “Get inside the mind of a researcher!”) offers a bite-sized lesson in why, exactly, powerful people tend to be so selfish. Turns out when people feel more powerful, it has a curious effect on the “empathy network” in the brain’s…