George Dvorsky, Author at Gizmodo

A rapid-fire account of WWII as it was fought on America’s homefront

Last week we showed you CrashCourse‘s animated video about the United States’ contribution to World War II. They’ve now released part two, an account of what transpired on America’s homefront. https://gizmodo.com/an-amazingly-quick-lesson-on-americas-contribution-to-1455206599 The episode is described thusly: You’ll learn about how the war changed the country as a whole, and changed how Americans thought about their…

io9 George Dvorsky Nov 4

Two Billion Reasons Why We’re About to Find Earth 2

Planet-hunting scientists announced today that 22% of sunlike stars in the Milky Way are orbited by potentially habitable, Earth-size worlds. This remarkable finding indicates that there may be as many as two billion planets in our galaxy suitable for life — and that the nearest such planet may be only 12 light-years away. Top photo:…

io9 George Dvorsky Nov 4

Some of the Most Plausible Scenarios for Alien Civilizations

We have yet to make contact with an extraterrestrial intelligence, making it exceedingly difficult for us to imagine what an alien civilization might be like. But that doesn’t mean we can’t make some educated guesses. Here’s what we know — and don’t know — about aliens. Top image: Filip Dudek via Concept Ships. Right at…

io9 George Dvorsky Nov 4

King Tut’s Body Cooked While Inside the Sarcophagus

More proof of the mummy’s curse? A recent examination of Tutankhamun‘s mummified remains shows that it spontaneously combusted shortly after burial. It’s one of two incredible new insights into the life — and afterlife — of the world’s most famous pharaoh. https://gizmodo.com/why-is-this-ancient-egyptian-statue-slowly-turning-by-i-555160231 https://gizmodo.com/new-dna-analysis-suggests-nefertiti-was-king-tut-s-mom-5983662 There’s a Channel 4 documentary that’s set to air on November 10th…

io9 George Dvorsky Nov 4

What caused this spectacular fireball to zip across a power line?

Several days ago, a resident of Lachine, Quebec, captured harrowing video of a large electrical fireball that traversed across a power line, prompting everyone to ask: What the hell was that? Head’s up: There’s some profanity in the above video. The incident happened after a huge wind storm swept across the region, knocking out power…

io9 George Dvorsky Nov 4

This is what happens when you try to scan a brain with a bullet in it

What you’re looking at is a CT scan from an 8-year-old girl who was accidentally hit by a bullet fired into the air during a marriage celebration. So why the distinctive pattern? Vaughan Bell from Mind Hacks explains: This pattern is an unintended consequence. It’s called a ‘streak’ or ‘star’ artefact and is caused by…

io9 George Dvorsky Nov 1

Going into space accelerates the aging process

As if astronauts didn’t already have enough health-related concerns to be worried about, a new study shows that microgravity environments speed up biological aging and the onset of cardiovascular disease by affecting blood vessel cells. Simply put, humans are not built for space. Even after short bursts of exposure to microgravity, astronauts suffer muscle atrophy,…

io9 George Dvorsky Nov 1

One of history’s most notorious Nazis is buried in a Jewish cemetery

He was head of Nazi Germany’s dreaded Gestapo and a pivotal figure in the orchestrated murder of more than a million Jews during the Holocaust. Heinrich Müller was last seen in Hitler’s bunker in 1945, his ultimate fate unknown. But a historian is now saying he was buried in a Jewish cemetery in central Berlin.…

io9 George Dvorsky Nov 1

8 Glitches in Animal Behavior That Can End in Catastrophe

Instincts are great, except for those unfortunate times when they make an animal go completely haywire, sometimes with disastrous results. Here are eight bizarre glitches that cause animals to do some very strange things — some of them even fatal. 1. The Ant Vortex of Death The ant spiral of death is the perfect example…

io9 George Dvorsky Nov 1

The world’s largest ball pit has a whopping one million balls in it

If this doesn’t bring out your inner child, nothing will: A hotel in China has just established a new Guinness World Record for the largest ball pit ever created. And best of all, it was all done for a good cause. Top image: Shangri-La Hotels. The ball pit, which was constructed from a pool measuring…

io9 George Dvorsky Nov 1

Marvel at 2013’s best microscopic photography

The world of the incredibly small is also the world of the incredibly cool. Check out the winners of this year’s Small World Photomicrography Competition. All images via Small World Nikon Nikon’s Small World competition is one of the leading forums for showcasing the insanely beautiful and bizarre worlds that only light microscopes can reveal.…

io9 George Dvorsky Oct 31

How to save a bear’s life by zapping it with electricity

Grizzly bears in Alberta like to linger around train tracks because rail cars often trickle bits of grain and other food. Trains and bears are are obviously a bad combination. But a new device called an ‘electromat’ could help to protect this endangered species. Since 2007, a total of 13 grizzlies have been killed by…

io9 George Dvorsky Oct 31

Left and Right Tail-Wags Trigger Different Emotional Responses In Dogs

Dogs communicate a lot through their tails, whether it be through furious I’m-so-freakin-happy-to-see-you wagging or the I’m-scared-shitless tail between the legs. But a new study from Italy shows that canines also recognize and respond to wagging in surprising ways, including whether the wagging happens on the left side or right side of a fellow dog.…

io9 George Dvorsky Oct 31

Babies can actually learn lullabies before they’re born

A new study has proven that infants can recognize a lullaby heard in the womb — and they can remember it for several months after they’re born. But more than that, fetuses exposed to music during the final trimester may experience neurological benefits as a result, including boosts to memory and language. It’s well-documented that…

io9 George Dvorsky Oct 31

Check out the world’s first bitcoin ATM

If there was any doubt that bitcoin — a distributed peer-to-peer digital currency — is seriously on the way in, this new ATM at a Vancouver cafe should put those reservations to rest. The new machine, which converts bitcoins to Canadian dollars and vice versa, is the first of four ATMs to be opened across…

io9 George Dvorsky Oct 31

An amazingly quick lesson on America’s contribution to World War II

The fine folks at CrashCourse have put together an awesome animated video about America’s entry and contribution to World War II that clocks in at just over a dozen minutes. And as per usual, they’ve crammed an unbelievable amount of detail in a short amount of time. More impressive than that is that these guys…

io9 George Dvorsky Oct 30

We’re learning some amazing things from those massive washed-up oarfish

Remember those oarfish that washed ashore a few weeks ago in California? Scientists are busy at work studying these elusive serpent-like sea monsters, and they’re discovering a lot about their ecology and habitat, including what they eat — and what’s eating them. https://gizmodo.com/a-marine-science-instructor-found-this-18-foot-long-oar-1445530770 Above image: A second oarfish that washed ashore near Oceanside, California. AP…

io9 George Dvorsky Oct 30

It’s doubtful this survival jacket will get you through the apocalypse

For preppers who think they have it all, check out this sweet jacket designed by Marie-Elsa Batteux Flahault. For a single item of survival clothing, it’s got pretty much everything you’ll need for when shit hits the fan. Just don’t expect it to be effective. This jacket is part of Batteux Flahault’s graduate project, “WE…

io9 George Dvorsky Oct 30

California Woman Gets Charged for Wearing Google Glass While Driving

Well, it was bound to happen. A Google Glass-wearer was ticketed in San Diego last night for “driving with a monitor visible” — the same law that prevents people from watching TV in their cars. But there are exceptions for GPS and satellite radio devices, so we can’t help but wonder if the cop did…

io9 George Dvorsky Oct 30

Watch as an earthquake sends a massive wave across the US

The USArray project has produced a remarkable animation showing how earthquake waves travel across massive expanses of landmasses. As you’ll see in this video, these waves are a lot like ripples on a pond. Very powerful ripples. To create this visualization, the USArray deployed a mobile network of seismometers across the U.S. — and they’ve…

io9 George Dvorsky Oct 30

George Dvorsky

A rapid-fire account of WWII as it was fought on America’s homefront

Two Billion Reasons Why We’re About to Find Earth 2

Some of the Most Plausible Scenarios for Alien Civilizations

King Tut’s Body Cooked While Inside the Sarcophagus

What caused this spectacular fireball to zip across a power line?

This is what happens when you try to scan a brain with a bullet in it

Going into space accelerates the aging process

One of history’s most notorious Nazis is buried in a Jewish cemetery

8 Glitches in Animal Behavior That Can End in Catastrophe

The world’s largest ball pit has a whopping one million balls in it

Marvel at 2013’s best microscopic photography

How to save a bear’s life by zapping it with electricity

Left and Right Tail-Wags Trigger Different Emotional Responses In Dogs

Babies can actually learn lullabies before they’re born

Check out the world’s first bitcoin ATM

An amazingly quick lesson on America’s contribution to World War II

We’re learning some amazing things from those massive washed-up oarfish

It’s doubtful this survival jacket will get you through the apocalypse

California Woman Gets Charged for Wearing Google Glass While Driving

Watch as an earthquake sends a massive wave across the US

Anthropic Is Jacking Up the Price for Power Users Amid Complaints Its Model Is Getting Worse

Bose SoundLink Max Bluetooth Speaker Quietly Drops to Its Lowest Price, Now Cheaper Than Last Week’s Low

The Wicked Stepmother of ‘The Testaments’ Is So Much Fun to Hate

Apple’s Smart Glasses Are Stepping Into a Privacy Minefield

Allbirds Is Getting Out of the Shoe Business and Pivoting to AI Infrastructure

Anker Nebula P1i Portable Projector Debuted at CES 2026 and Now Hits Record Low Just Weeks After Launch

There’s No Saving Windows 11. It’s Time for Windows 12

Axiom Space Is Ready to Test Its Next-Generation Spacesuit in 2027

Astronomers Just Dropped the Largest High-Res 3D Map of the Universe

Samsung 27″ Monitor Now Cheaper Than 24″ After Quiet Price Drop, Basically a Free Upgrade to a Bigger Screen

Sony Inzone H6 Air Review: A Perfect Case for Open-Back Gaming Headsets

Anker’s EufyMake E1 Finally Brings Printers Out of the Dark Ages

The Soundboks Mix Is Going to Make You the Most Popular Guy at the Park

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