Esther Inglis-Arkell, Author at Gizmodo

Check out the world’s most beautiful libraries

Most people reading this site have a library which is special to them. See how yours stacks up against the world’s best and most beautiful libraries. From snake-walks to grounded starships to views that might keep people’s eyes off their books, we’ll indulge in library porn. Like most people, my favorite library is the one…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Aug 10

Why do we fall for the flash lag illusion?

This simple motion illusion can completely throw us off our game. And why? All kinds of reasons, from our brains trying to play catch-up with the world to the conscious mind fooling itself about what it already saw. Apparently, anything is better than accuracy. Take a quick look at this (silent) film. What you’ll see…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Aug 10

Futurama finally shows us Bender’s one actual ideal

Futurama’s surly robot, Bender, is mostly known for not giving much of a damn about anything, and for being actively antagonistic towards anything good. In this episode, for once, we see him stand up for what matters to him. With a little help from the criminal court system. Spoilers ahead… “Free Will Hunting” crams in…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Aug 9

Why the guillotine was the first “egalitarian” execution tool

You’ve probably seen the guillotine in historical epics and Dickens adaptations. But were you aware that it struck a blow for egalitarianism in more than one way? The French believed the guillotine’s angled blade was both a scientific and social innovation. Here’s why. Most of us know the basics of the guillotine – it’s a…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Aug 9

How to build a twinned rainbow in your backyard

Never stop complaining that CGI looks fake, people. It gets results. While Disney was funding research into making CGI rainbows look more realistic, the researchers found a mechanism to create rare twinned rainbows! Twinned rainbows are not double rainbows. Although both include two rainbows for the price of one, double rainbows stay separate from each…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Aug 9

The Weird History of Amnesia

This weekend, the Bourne series returns to theaters, and we’re all revisiting our memories of the original trilogy. Jason Bourne starts out as a man with very convenient amnesia — the kind that wipes out all your memories but leaves your ability to break out of an embassy intact. Could you really have a case…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Aug 8

Jill Tarter, inspiration for the movie Contact, tells us about her journey to SETI

Jill Tarter is the holder of the Bernard M. Oliver Chair for SETI, and the inspiration for Jodi Foster’s character in the movie Contact. When we asked her what turned her towards the sciences, she gave us one of the most epic answers we’ve ever received. The SETI Institute is one of those rare institutions…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Aug 7

Are we running out of time to kill Hitler via time travel?

Most people here have heard about the Grandfather Paradox. Most people here have also read at least one time-travel story in which people either take out or attempt to take out Hitler. But if we have one, can we possibly do the other? The Grandfather Paradox is as old as the concept of time travel.…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Aug 6

How American delicacy turned Belgium into a dirty word

Because all the Americans I know tend to think that we’re in a progressive, modern country, it sometimes surprises us to learn that other nations consider us big ol’ prudes. And it’s not just France! Our delicate sensibilities have been catered to by the English in a maneuver that gave us one of the better…

Books & Comics Esther Inglis-Arkell Aug 4

How do “mystery spots” and “gravity hills” work?

You probably have a local “Mystery Spot” in your area, and it undoubtedly features a gravity hill — that is, a place where either water or solid objects seem to move uphill against the force of gravity. But do these uncanny spots really defy the laws of physics? Most publicized gravity hills require a few…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Aug 3

What was the mysterious plague that almost killed Anne Boleyn?

A mysterious plague swept through Europe in the late 1400s and early 1500s. Its victims foresaw their own doom, getting a terrible sense of foreboding and dread before they even felt ill. It almost changed the course of history — and we still don’t know what it was. Here’s a fun idea for any alternate…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Aug 3

Fry teaches Germany the true meaning of Oktoberfest

I can’t believe that Futurama took this long to make fun of Germany. At last — at long, long, last — the time has come. Don’t let the Fry and Leela relationship element of this episode put you off. This is a great one. “Fun on a Bun,” is exactly what it promises to be.…

Television Esther Inglis-Arkell Aug 2

Using the Roche Limit to Make Earth a Ringed Planet

Are you sick of Saturn lording over the planets with its fancy rings and its Cassini Division? Do you want to give Earth a little style and pizzazz? Let’s take a look at how, if we like it, we might be able to (and I apologize for this) put a ring on it. Image by…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Aug 2

See self-assembling microstructures in action

We’ve heard a lot about self-assembling structures, but we rarely get to see a cool visual demonstration. This video shows several shapes and even complex, interlocking structures being assembled through “microfluidic channels.” As an accompaniment to a paper published in Nature, a video was made of a group of microstructures self-assembling through fluid movement and…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Aug 2

10 Foods You Crave — And Why You Crave Them

We’ve all experienced food cravings. In general they tend to be for things like potato chips, ice cream, and other high-calorie foods that doctors say will murder us. Some cravings, though, are the result of deep and correct instincts, telling us what we need to eat to stay alive. Here are ten ways your body’s…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Aug 1

Watch an astronaut turn himself into a floating head… in space!

There are some moments when you think that Don Pettit has lost his damn mind, in the coolest way possible. One of those moments is in this video, in which he turns himself into a floating disembodied head. And he does it, using just some water and the International Space Station. There is plenty of…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Jul 31

Nasal hallucinations can make your life Hell

Some people have no sense of smell whatsoever, and they’re not a happy lot. (Most famously, Stevie Wonder lost his sense of smell in a 1973 car accident.) But as bad as having no sense of smell is, nasal hallucinations are much, much worse. Imagine if your nose decided to invent smells, often at random.…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Jul 30

Is this study the bane of crypto-zoologists?

We often hear about species going extinct or supposedly extinct species popping up in the wild again. It’s a big world. How do we determine whether a species is really and truly gone for good? Two scientists have studied the matter. And they pretty much have shown why Bigfoot won’t be turning up. Cryptozoologists looking…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Jul 28

What shameful weakness causes dimples?

What causes those adorable dimples in people’s cheeks? A terrible muscular deficiency. That’s right — every time someone smiles and shows off dimples, they’re actually revealing their ultimate weakness. Or a little genetic quirk. Whichever. Dimples are especially common in the face, because the muscles pull the skin on the face around, instead of just…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Jul 27

Operation Plowshare: The Plan to Bomb America With Kindness

The Plowshare program was both a public relations ploy and a serious scientific study. It was an attempt to see if nuclear bombs could be used in peaceful constructive ways. If it had been successful, America would pretty much be humming by now. During the late 1930s and early 1940s, the entire focus of the…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Jul 27

Esther Inglis-Arkell

Check out the world’s most beautiful libraries

Why do we fall for the flash lag illusion?

Futurama finally shows us Bender’s one actual ideal

Why the guillotine was the first “egalitarian” execution tool

How to build a twinned rainbow in your backyard

The Weird History of Amnesia

Jill Tarter, inspiration for the movie Contact, tells us about her journey to SETI

Are we running out of time to kill Hitler via time travel?

How American delicacy turned Belgium into a dirty word

How do “mystery spots” and “gravity hills” work?

What was the mysterious plague that almost killed Anne Boleyn?

Fry teaches Germany the true meaning of Oktoberfest

Using the Roche Limit to Make Earth a Ringed Planet

See self-assembling microstructures in action

10 Foods You Crave — And Why You Crave Them

Watch an astronaut turn himself into a floating head… in space!

Nasal hallucinations can make your life Hell

Is this study the bane of crypto-zoologists?

What shameful weakness causes dimples?

Operation Plowshare: The Plan to Bomb America With Kindness

Two Songs We Really Wish Were the Anime Outros for ‘Steel Ball Run’

AI Training Data Giant Mercor Is Reportedly Looking to Buy the Work You Did at Your Old Job

Utah Is Giving Dr. AI the Power to Renew Drug Prescriptions

Here’s the Perfect Excuse to See ‘Project Hail Mary’ Again

US Airlines Are Hiking Bag Fees Amid Iran War Oil Crisis

This Ridiculously Simple Trick Might Stop Gulls From Nabbing Your Lunch

‘Starfleet Academy’ Season 3 Could Have Done the ‘Voyager’ Sequel Episode of Robert Picardo’s Dreams

Judge Kills Lawsuit Against Infamous Study That Might Have Increased Teen Suicides

Artemis 2: Follow the Mission With Our Live Updates 🔴

Researchers Discover How to Add Psilocybin, DMT, and Other Psychedelics to Tobacco

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

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound

Asus ROG’s Massive Swift OLED Gaming Monitor Epitomizes Excess in the Best Way

The Ikea Varmblixt Smart Lamp Fills a Donut Hole in My Life