Esther Inglis-Arkell, Author at Gizmodo

Can a Parachute Save Your Life? Not According to Science.

This priceless paper, published in the BMJ, makes us take a good, hard look at our assumptions. Sure, we think that parachutes save lives. But in the end, as this study shows, the evidence is weak. Here is a paper that will either make you like scientists a little more, or a lot less. “Parachute…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

The Counter-Intuitive Way to Win Big in a Game Show

You are on a game show, and get to choose between three doors. Behind one is a grand prize. Behind the others there’s nothing. But there’s a twist — and it can double your chances of winning. Welcome to the Monty Hall Problem. Over the years the Monty Hall problem has become infamous. In a…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

This Battery-Operated Sex Toy Was Just A Battery

More specifically, the first battery-operated sex toy was a voltaic pile, which was the primitive form of the battery. Unfortunately, this particular voltaic pile was made by Johann Ritter, who put it to unnatural, but entertaining, uses. Johann Ritter was a brilliant young scientists with many major accomplishments. His most famous scientific contribution was the…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

A Memory Experiment That Would Make A Good Parlor Game

There are all kinds of ways to make people misremember things. But can you make a person misremember a specific word? This might be an interesting parlor game, or an interesting mass experiment. We all know the game Taboo, in which people attempt to make their partner say a word or a phrase, while being…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

The Math Genius Who Invented His Own Language

Giuseppe Peano was, in his time, a towering mathematical genius. He was also a man who did a number of very unusual things – like making up a language, and insisting on lecturing his college students in it. Giuseppe Peano’s life spanned the last part of the 19th century and the first part of the…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Can a State-Controlled Media Be More Truthful Than An Independent One?

George Gerbner was one of the earliest researchers to study how television affected the public. He believed that TV shows were communicating a lie about how awful life is. Not one show. All of them put together. If anyone knew that the world could be tough, George Gerbner knew. He had fled Hungary in 1939,…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Why Don’t We Live On A White Earth?

In the early days of climatology, a disturbing possibility reared its head whenever people ran computer models of Earth’s climate — suddenly, everything would freeze over. It’s called the White Earth climate, and this is why it hasn’t happened. The White Earth climate is a kind of end state for the world’s weather, as once…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

A Globe Can Help You Understand How Space Can Be Curved

There are theories out there that space itself can be curved. This is a confusing idea for some people. A quick exercise with a globe can make it a little more understandable. If you hangout among physicists long enough, you’ll hear about curved space, higher dimensions, and the possibly weird shape of the universe. What…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

How to Get People to Accept Unfairness

Say you want to swindle people. You want to force them to take your bad deals, and give you the minimum amount of lip in return. There’s an easy way to sway them. And scientists have demonstrated it with a simple game. Welcome to another lesson in practical evil! In the past, we’ve mostly talked…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Arrow Turns Me to Villainy

“Birds of Prey” brings Arrow’s resident doe-eyed nutcase back to town. This starts a cascade of shady ethical decisions, all of which I thought could be resolved by going evil. The island flashback revolves mostly around Sara’s decisions. Slade wants to get going, but the ship is disabled. There’s a moment when he stares thoughtfully…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Do Horrible Events Give Us Flashbulb Memories?

We’ve all seen famous photographs of tragic events. Some of them have become iconic. We may also carry around a little set of personal snapshots in our minds, like perfectly preserved memories. But how can we be sure? Flashbulb Memories There are a few moments that we can think back to with perfect clarity. We…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

The Genius Who Killed Himself Trying to Become Immortal

Alexander Bogdanov wasn’t much of a big name in America, but in the Soviet Union he was famous. A science fiction writer, doctor, and pioneer of cybernetics, he was curious about everything. Including the thing that killed him. Above, Bogdanov playing chess with Lenin Alexander Bogdanov was a communist before communism was cool. In 1916,…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

The Psychological Effect That Explains Why You Suck at Parties

Have you noticed a little problem at parties? You get introduced to groups of people and immediately forget all their names. There’s an effect that explains why things like this are such a problem. Here is a social problem so pervasive that Eddie Izzard has a famous routine about it. You have undoubtedly experienced it.…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

The Controversial Doctor Who Pioneered the Idea Of “Informed Consent”

In 1966, an anesthesiologist published a paper that would change medical history in the United States. It did so by getting people very, very angry. Perhaps people should have been even angrier. In his paper, Henry K. Beecher pointed out that “consent” wasn’t enough. In an article in The New England Journal of Medicine, he…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

What Happens When Scientists Ask Whether Milk Makes Mucus

Occasionally, when you are idly clicking around the web, you strike gold. Sometimes it’s a kitten video. Sometimes it’s a study about whether or not milk fills you with mucus. I love everything about this study. Supposedly it is meant to see how dairy products affect the production of mucus, but actually it is one…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Pandemonium Explains Why Computers Will Share Human Biases

One of the most famous ideas in the history of artificial intelligence is “pandemonium.” It involves little “demons,” all shouting at once, and a central consciousness listening to the loudest of them. It could help computers learn — but can it also help computers screw up? People began dreaming of intelligent computers from the moment…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Why “Critical Density” Could Determine the Fate of the Universe

What’s the average density of the universe? One look out at the night sky will confirm that space isn’t a dense place — but still, its actual density could affect everything from the way it’s shaped to how it will end. What Einstein Told Us We used to see the universe as a big empty…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

The Sleep Deprivation Publicity Stunt That Drove One Man Crazy

Back in 1959, science, charity, and publicity all came together in a particular stunt pulled by radio dj Peter Tripp. He would stay awake for 200 hours. And it literally drove him mad. Peter Tripp, a radio DJ, decided to stay awake for 200 hours, broadcasting his regular show at its regular time, as a…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Can Skepticism Blind You to the Truth?

An odd experiment, done by a believer in paranormal phenomena, opens a few questions about how everyone perceives the world. We know that belief can blind people – but can disbelief do the same thing? Arthur Ellison, a professor of electrical engineering and prank enthusiast, decided to end a lecture in an entertaining way. He…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Why Meetings Are The Worst Possible Way To Get Things Done

Have you ever had to talk out a decision in a big meeting? Did the meeting take forever and accomplish nothing? Here’s why. The Study That Shut People Up At least one study has demonstrated the fact that talking can take away a group’s ability to make a good decision — not to mention a…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Esther Inglis-Arkell

Can a Parachute Save Your Life? Not According to Science.

The Counter-Intuitive Way to Win Big in a Game Show

This Battery-Operated Sex Toy Was Just A Battery

A Memory Experiment That Would Make A Good Parlor Game

The Math Genius Who Invented His Own Language

Can a State-Controlled Media Be More Truthful Than An Independent One?

Why Don’t We Live On A White Earth?

A Globe Can Help You Understand How Space Can Be Curved

How to Get People to Accept Unfairness

Arrow Turns Me to Villainy

Do Horrible Events Give Us Flashbulb Memories?

The Genius Who Killed Himself Trying to Become Immortal

The Psychological Effect That Explains Why You Suck at Parties

The Controversial Doctor Who Pioneered the Idea Of “Informed Consent”

What Happens When Scientists Ask Whether Milk Makes Mucus

Pandemonium Explains Why Computers Will Share Human Biases

Why “Critical Density” Could Determine the Fate of the Universe

The Sleep Deprivation Publicity Stunt That Drove One Man Crazy

Can Skepticism Blind You to the Truth?

Why Meetings Are The Worst Possible Way To Get Things Done

Cursor’s New Tool Lets Users Delegate to a Team of Coding Agents

Nvidia Needs to Remind Itself What PC Gamers Actually Want

Iran Says It Hit Oracle Facilities in UAE

‘Invincible’ Season 4 Is Doing Right By Debbie

Artemis 2 Day 2: Follow the Mission With Our Live Updates 🔴

New Theory Says We’ve Been Overcomplicating the Big Bang

Marvel Might Have Finally Dealt With One of the Most Hated ‘Spider-Man’ Characters Around

China Is Trying to Grow New Forests in This Notorious Mega-Desert. It’s Working

RAM Prices Are Threatening the Viability of the Raspberry Pi and Single-Board Computing

Michael B. Jordan’s First Post-Oscars Film Looks Way Cuter Than ‘Sinners’

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

Nothing Headphone A vs. Headphone 1: Which Pair of ANC Wireless Headphones Wins?