DrRubidium, Author at Gizmodo

Zombie blood goes bad, lawsuit ensues

Bad taste, exploding pouches – about what you’d expect of zombie blood, right? Wrong. According to the novelty product company Harcos Labs, zombie blood should have a lime flavor and reside peaceably in its container. Harcos’ product Zombie Blood, green and conveniently stocked in re-sealable speciman bags, was a snapped-up by customers when it was…

io9 DrRubidium Jul 11

Wisconsin seeks to deport Loch Ness Monster

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is none too pleased that Nessie has camped-out at the Chippewa River in Eau Claire. Much like its inspiration at Loch Ness, sculpture Nessie isn’t supposed to be in the body of water it’s occupying. Unlike Scotland’s monster, no one has any trouble spotting sculpture Nessie. The only problem…

io9 DrRubidium May 6

Now at SkyMall: Pseudoscience

SkyMall’s Ionic Cleansing Facial Steamer boasts it “…rejuvenates and refreshes skin…” via “…steam molecules that are 1/8,000 smaller than normal water molecules….” These super tiny steam molecules supposedly allow more moisture to penetrate your skin leading to all sorts of awesome benefits. Just one problem: steam is just vaporized water, so it can’t be smaller…

io9 DrRubidium May 6

Adding Prometheus music is all it takes to make Cars 2 seem scary

There’s not one Alien in this mashup, but you expect one to pop up the entire time. Just hearing Prometheus‘ trailer soundtrack gears you up for a facehugger or space cobra leaping towards Lightning McQueen, or maybe a chest-burster tearing out of Mater‘s hood, or perhaps an Alien queen coating Finn McMissile in acid spit.…

Movies DrRubidium May 6

Make your own superhero heels and walk a mile in Wonder Woman’s shoes

Red or blue heels, red and gold fabric, straight pins, needles and thread are all you need to slip into the role of Wonder Woman. Self-described geek crafter @Seelix gives step-by-step instructions in transforming plain heels to superhero heels. This how-to guide makes no mention of imparted superpowers, but as @Seelix writes, these heels “…make…

io9 DrRubidium May 6

Drop the base to make bagels more delectable

Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) is a strong base, capable of destroying or eroding things on contact. It’s so caustic, it’s used to dispose of human remains. You might have used it to unclog a drain or clean your oven – NaOH is a major ingredient in Drano and Easy-Off. You might be enjoying a bit of…

io9 DrRubidium May 6

How did they really die? Reinvestigating the deaths of the famous and infamous

One way many physicians and physicians-in-training hone their diagnostic skills is by attending clinicopathological conferences (CPCs). CPC attendees get a patient’s clinical summary, which contains all sorts of information that will prove useful in cracking the case. A CPC isn’t supposed to be easy-to-solve mystery, but rather a deductive reasoning workout. This workout may be…

io9 DrRubidium May 5

Our life stories will unfold in 94 films about 94 elements

Of the 94 naturally occurring elements, we’re on intimate terms with some, but others may be complete strangers. Oxygen (O), carbon (C), sodium (Na), calcium (Ca) – we can probably easily discuss their role in our lives. But what about tantalum (Ta), promethium (Pm), scandium (Sc), and Yttrium (Y)? What part do these elements play…

io9 DrRubidium May 5

In the comic book Terminally Illin’, cancer is the supervillain

Friends Kaylin Andres and Jon Solo have created a comic book that takes readers inside (literally) a young woman’s battle against cancer. It’s a battle Andres knows well. At 23, she was diagnosed with both thyroid cancer and a rare form of bone cancer. During her treatment, Andres turned to blogging and developing the comic…

Books & Comics DrRubidium May 5

The Classiest Doctor Who Scarf Ever

Kate Atherley’s TARDIS scarf lets you sneak Doctor Who into the office. Atherley, Tech Editor of Knitty, has given us a way to live in the TARDIS. Her Doctor Who scarf design, complete knitting instructions, is available to all Whovians. Atherley’s been a life-long Doctor Who fan, counting Doctors Four (Tom Baker) and Ten (David…

Television DrRubidium May 5

This man-eating crocodile was big enough to star in Lake Placid

Among the fossils unearthed from the Lake Turkana Basin of Kenya, a new species of crocodile has been described in terrifying detail. In a press release, University of Iowa associate professor of geoscience Christopher Brochu describes the new Crocodylus thorbjarnarsoni as big (up to 27 feet long) and hungry. “It lived alongside our ancestors, and…

io9 DrRubidium May 5

Get off your email! You might live longer.

Want to lower your stress level and stay focused at work? Maybe you should give email a rest. In an “urban office setting”, UC Irvine and U.S. Army researchers monitored worker heart rates and how often workers switched windows. Workers that checked their emails hit a state of “high alert” more often — and stayed…

io9 DrRubidium May 4

The most badass physicist you’ve probably never heard of

He fought Spanish soldiers before puberty, convinced a friend not to assassinate Napoleon as a teen, provoked an archbishop to violence, brokered a peace with some bandits, took on a mob, and once broke out of prison. His name is François Arago, and he just might be the most interesting physicist in the world. UNC…

io9 DrRubidium May 4

Chemists create multiple Death Stars, Dark Side rejoices

A Spanish research team has created not just one Death Star — but an army of them. Unfortunately for the Dark Side, these Death Stars are nano-sized. With a diameter of less than 500 nm, there was no way to equip each chemical Death Star with a precise, planet-destroying laser. Instead, researchers packed the core…

io9 DrRubidium May 4

Why Facehuggers Make Great Science Teachers

Xenomorphs are horrifying opponents — but they’re also a great teaching tool. Back when Alien: Resurrection was in theaters, science teacher Lali, aka @LalSox, realized the Alien life cycle was a great way to teach high school students about the plant life cycle. Until she brought up facehuggers and chestbursters, students tended to be confused…

io9 DrRubidium May 4

Judge rules that you can be fired for “Liking” the wrong thing on Facebook

You thought things were tense at the office when you hit ‘Like’ on the Team Edward Facebook page when your boss was overwhelmingly Team Jacob. This case involving a sheriff’s election might just make your office politics seem benign by comparison. Top image: Detail from “Handsome Hands” by Photo Extremist on Flickr.

io9 DrRubidium May 4

DrRubidium

Zombie blood goes bad, lawsuit ensues

Wisconsin seeks to deport Loch Ness Monster

Now at SkyMall: Pseudoscience

Adding Prometheus music is all it takes to make Cars 2 seem scary

Make your own superhero heels and walk a mile in Wonder Woman’s shoes

Drop the base to make bagels more delectable

How did they really die? Reinvestigating the deaths of the famous and infamous

Our life stories will unfold in 94 films about 94 elements

In the comic book Terminally Illin’, cancer is the supervillain

The Classiest Doctor Who Scarf Ever

This man-eating crocodile was big enough to star in Lake Placid

Get off your email! You might live longer.

The most badass physicist you’ve probably never heard of

Chemists create multiple Death Stars, Dark Side rejoices

Why Facehuggers Make Great Science Teachers

Judge rules that you can be fired for “Liking” the wrong thing on Facebook

Andy Weir Wrote a New ‘Project Hail Mary’ Adventure, Just Not in the Way You’d Expect

Samsung 990 EVO Plus SSD 2TB Drops to $0.17 per GB, a Rare Low While Storage Costs Trend Upward

Amazon Pushes Outdoor Security Camera Deals With Tapo MagCam 2K+ at a Record Low

This $3/mo NordVPN Deal Could Save You from a Huge Data Leak: Time-Limited Offer

Bitdefender Total Security Now Costs Less than Your Coffee Order — Covers Up to 5 Devices With One Subscription

Ozempic Shreds Bones? How a Small Study Turned Into a Big Health Myth

Anker’s Soundcore Translation Earbuds Are Now Nearly 7x Cheaper Than AirPods Pro 3 After a Sudden Price Drop on Amazon

Volkswagen Shuts Down Tennessee Plant’s EV Production at the Worst Possible Time

Using Emojis at Work? You’re Not Going to Like This Study 😮

A Terrifying Invasion Feels Eerily Familiar in This Short Horror Story

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

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws