Esther Inglis-Arkell, Author at Gizmodo

Why does this eyelash-enhancer turn your eyes brown?

Put this drug on your eyelid, and it will help you grow longer eyelashes! Accidentally get some in your eye and it will turn your blue eyes brown. How does that happen? I can tell that the internet knows I’m a woman because when I watch videos online, the accompanying commercials are always for skin…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Why do some plants eat flesh?

Certain plants have gone from helpfully purifying the air to devouring the flesh of animals. But how? Find out why some plants went rogue and began capturing living prey. More importantly, can we stop them from one day eating us? We think that carnivorous plants are cool. Why? Because we’re sure they can’t eat us…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Why do human beings seek out terrifying experiences?

Why do we scare the hell out of ourselves? Why do we pay for the privilege? Is it pure thrill-seeking, or is it what’s known as counterphobic behavior? Some people back away from what they fear. Some people seek it out. That looks good scrawled across a poster for an action movie, but it’s also…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

When the aurora glows blood red

Most of the time we see the aurora glow green. This kind of aurora is a little more eerie. Why does the aurora sometimes turn the sky red? This picture of red light leaking up from the horizon could be a particularly gruesome sunset. Actually, it’s the aurora. When energetic particles collide with the Earth’s…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Is the Peak-End Rule responsible for overlong movies?

Most people think they judge a movie by its overall quality, but that might not be true. We might instead judge it by its best scene, and its spectacular ending. And this might explain a few things about movies. But first, let me tell you a tale. There once was an experiment! This experiment lived…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

This is what a lightning strike does to a lightning rod

This is what a lightning rod looks like after it’s done its duty. Why does a lightning bolt crush it like a fist crushes a beer can? Because of what’s known as a “pinch.” The phenomenon is like a much more prosaic sight — a stream of water from a sink breaking into beads. Gravity…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Relativity goes underwater with Supplee’s Paradox

Too often relativity is confined to space ships and interplanetary travel. It’s time to dive and see what weird ideas relativity can bring to us from beneath the sea. Jim Supplee first thought up a novel spin on the weirdness of relativity when he was a graduate student, and came back to it years later…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Of course you want a shaving cream rain cloud in a jar

Ever sat on a seat in the kitchen, or in a bathtub, and wanted to do a little artistic science? How about making it rain food coloring all around you? How about making a localized rainstorm. I’ve been cleaning out my cabinets this week. For me, and I suspect most other people, there are certain…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

When did the church accept that the Earth moves around the sun?

We know that the Catholic church has a troubled history with the idea of heliocentrism, but when did this history become history? What year would Galileo have gotten away with publishing his book? In 1632, Galileo and the Catholic Church had a little spat. You may have heard about it. It was partly because he…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Hide your greater sins by listing your lesser ones

Have you screwed up a lot of different things? Do you want to hide the worst of your screw-ups? There’s an easy way — just tell people only your smallest mistakes. When people have to remember a long list of things, you can erase some of the items on their mental list by prompting them…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

How red light revealed that the Universe is expanding

We have known for some time that the universe is expanding, and that its expansion is accelerating. But how do we know that? We’ll show you how Edwin Hubble revealed that the universe is getting away from us. One of the biggest shocks, when studying science history, is much our view of the universe has…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

The Great Phenol Plot is another reason to hate Thomas Edison

When does procuring ingredients for basic medicine make for a scandalous plot? When it can also be turned into an explosive. The Great Phenol plot is one of the biggest conspiracies that no one remembers. It’s a shame that so few people remember the Great Phenol Plot. Not only was it a tale of scientific…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

The pygmalion effect and the golem effect

What’s a way to bring out the best in those around you? Expect them to already be the best, and let that attitude show. They will perform up, or down, to your expectations. There are two named effects concerning how people react to their observers — the golem effect and the pygmalion effect. Naturally the…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

There’s a dark side to the universe that we never see

The universe is a darker place than most people see. Literally. The person who proved this was Gunnar Malmquist, who realized that we are blind to the dark side of the universe. When you look up at the sky at night you know that you aren’t seeing all the stars. You’re only seeing the brightest…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

What’s the worst ‘ship in science fiction and fantasy?

Some genre romances belong to the ages. Others are dead weight. The other day, Futurama tried to turn us all into Fry-Leela shippers at last, with a mixed response. But what’s the worst relationship that fans or creators have pushed for? Science fiction and fantasy are genres that support epic stories, and so have become…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

See a lightning storm in a test tube

One exceptionally dangerous experiment is nicknamed “a lightning storm in a test tube.” Although it does look like lightning, it’s actually more like a bunch of booze-soaked explosions. Either way, it’s cool to watch. Ah, what could be more fun that mixing acid, alcohol, and potassium permanganate? What’s that you say? Shards of glass to…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

How Labyrinth illuminates an ancient Greek paradox

Labyrinth gave us many things. David Bowie in tights. A CGI owl. And, of course, a variation on a paradox that started in ancient Greece. Learn about the iterations of the Liar’s Paradox. Everyone remember Labyrinth? If not, let me remind you of one famous scene. Sarah, on her way to the castle at the…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Why losing helium might mean losing our history

Our helium supply is running out. When it goes, it won’t just take our future technology, it could take all of our historical documents with it. https://gizmodo.com/now-is-the-time-to-start-mining-helium-on-the-moon-5766927 Helium is generally found around stashes of uranium. When uranium decays it ejects an alpha particle, which consists of two protons and two neutrons. As soon as the…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Why would you need a test that measures the urine on your breath?

Going by the name “urea breath test,” this isn’t so much a test as what doctors call the least-popular resident in med school. And just as a bonus, there’s radiation involved! Find out why you would be forced to endure this medical procedure. Chemists are not interested in euphemisms. When they discovered a major component…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Newton invented the laws of motion — and internet sockpuppetry

Newton was even more ahead of his time than we imagined. Not only did he come up with the laws of motion, he also came up with the concept of sockpuppets centuries before the beginning of the internet. Most people who are on message boards or in internet communities will have had experience with a…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Esther Inglis-Arkell

Why does this eyelash-enhancer turn your eyes brown?

Why do some plants eat flesh?

Why do human beings seek out terrifying experiences?

When the aurora glows blood red

Is the Peak-End Rule responsible for overlong movies?

This is what a lightning strike does to a lightning rod

Relativity goes underwater with Supplee’s Paradox

Of course you want a shaving cream rain cloud in a jar

When did the church accept that the Earth moves around the sun?

Hide your greater sins by listing your lesser ones

How red light revealed that the Universe is expanding

The Great Phenol Plot is another reason to hate Thomas Edison

The pygmalion effect and the golem effect

There’s a dark side to the universe that we never see

What’s the worst ‘ship in science fiction and fantasy?

See a lightning storm in a test tube

How Labyrinth illuminates an ancient Greek paradox

Why losing helium might mean losing our history

Why would you need a test that measures the urine on your breath?

Newton invented the laws of motion — and internet sockpuppetry

This California Billionaire Wants to Tax AI Tokens to Create a Sovereign Wealth Fund

Artemis 2 Crew Become First Humans to Travel Beyond Earth Orbit Since the 1970s

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

Labubus Might Be Labu-Bust After Pop Mart Posts Record Share Loss

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 the UAE

‘Invincible’ Season 4 Is Doing Right By Debbie

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

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?