Katharine Trendacosta, Author at Gizmodo

Use These Stickers to Show How You’re Conserving Water

You may have noticed that half of the United States is currently suffering from drought. Some whole states are drought-stricken. Katie McKissick, author of the webcomic Beatrice the Biologist, has noticed that people in her home of Los Angeles are not really acting as if there’s a massive water shortage in the state. So she…

io9 Katharine Trendacosta

With This Giant Trampoline, Wales Is Officially My Summer Vacation

A network of three giant trampolines has been built in a quarry cave in the Welsh town of Blaenau Ffestiniog. You have to wear white overalls and helmets in it, so we’re stupidly close to getting the world’s largest game of Kosho going here. Trampolines are awesome: it’s all the fun of jumping on your…

io9 Katharine Trendacosta

MGM Is Still Trying to Reboot WarGames

The latest in proof that Hollywood is out of ideas is MGM’s dogged pursuit of remaking the 1983 classic WarGames. To which we say: Stop it. MGM’s been trying to get this project off the ground for years, having once had Seth Gordon (Horrible Bosses) attached to direct. Now, MGM is negotiating with Dean Israelite…

Movies Katharine Trendacosta

Spider-Man‘s Upside Down Kiss Is Vastly Improved By Adding a Dog

This is adorable. Everything should just be made with dogs and cats instead of people. I would watch them all. [via Tastefully Offensive]

io9 Katharine Trendacosta

Character Hints For Captain America 3, Batman v. Superman, and Arrow!

Yes, Nathan Fillion is turning up in a Marvel movie soon. Batman v. Superman is going classic with Wonder Woman, and another new superhero may join Arrow. Plus, early Transformers 4 reviews reveal some plot details, Gotham wants to add Mr. Freeze to its line-up, and Sleepy Hollow tackles the Pied Piper. Spoilers now! Top…

Television Katharine Trendacosta

That Time J.M. Barrie Founded A Truly Atrocious Cricket Club

There are all sorts of literary friendships in history. J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Jack Kerouac, Neal Cassady and Allen Ginsberg. The Algonquin Round Table. But they usually restricted themselves to literary pursuits. Not so with J.M. Barrie’s cricket team, which was packed with famous names and almost no athletic ability. J.M. Barrie loved cricket.…

io9 Katharine Trendacosta

Daniel Radcliffe Wants to Be Ben Affleck’s Robin

While answering questions for BuzzFeed Brews, Daniel Radcliffe answered the question of “Which franchise would you do?” with “Batman.” When he realized that they are already rebooting the character, he offered himself up for the role of Robin. The exchange happens around the two-minute mark, and Radcliffe comments that he’d be “perfect” for Robin. Honestly,…

Movies Katharine Trendacosta

The First Look at Syfy’s 12 Monkeys Is Appropriately Weird

Syfy’s new trailer (using the advertising song of the summer, the Kongos’ “Come With Me Now”) covers pretty much all of their shows: Defiance, Haven, Dominion, etc. But sandwiched right in the middle are a few seconds of the upcoming tv version of Terry Gilliam’s 12 Monkeys. The few scenes look like some of the…

Trailers Katharine Trendacosta

Gorgeous GIF Captures the Sun Puffing Plasma

Last year, a trio of sun-gazers — SOHO, STEREO and Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) — captured unusual eruptions of plasma being “puffed” from the sun’s corona. The GIF comes from SDO and shows the jets that caused the puffs. The three colors in the above image — red, green and blue — corresponded to three…

io9 Katharine Trendacosta

The Last Ship‘s Premiere Is Every Sci-Fi Action Cliché. And That’s Fine

The Last Ship is exactly what it says on the tin. It’s an adventure show set on the high seas, with an apocalyptic virus kicker. There are shows that use this kind of premise to do deep introspection on the human condition. This is not that show. This show is the television equivalent of potato…

Television Katharine Trendacosta

Is Nathan Fillion Finally Getting Cast As A Marvel Movie Superhero?

Was a brand new Star Wars character gender-swapped? Kevin Feige gives details on the futures of Guardians of the Galaxy, Ant-Man, and Doctor Strange. Dean Devlin explains why they’re rebooting Stargate. And details about the new villains in Orphan Black and Teen Wolf. Spoilers now! Top image: Guardians of the Galaxy Guardians of the Galaxy…

Television Katharine Trendacosta

Finally, Details From J. Michael Straczynski and the Wachowskis’ Sense8

We finally have a cast for the show, which is expected to be on Netflix next year. And there are a lot of familiar names on the list. Here’s the cast: People who’ve done science fiction before include Naveen Andrews, Daryl Hannah, Brian J. Smith (Stargate: Universe), Tuppence Middleton (Jupiter Ascending), Aml Ameen (The Maze…

io9 Katharine Trendacosta

Fandom Academia: Gender Influences Filk Far Less Than You’d Think

I love the highly-specific title of this academic paper by Melissa Tatum, Robert Spoo, and Banjamin Pope: “Does Gender Influence Attitudes Toward Copyright in the Filk Community?” It combines three hot-button issues: copyright, gender, and fandom. It’s a like a powder keg of things people have very strong opinions on. Tatum et. al.’s paper was…

io9 Katharine Trendacosta

Sesame Street‘s Parody of True Blood Treats Vampires As Grouches

If there’s one thing we know, it’s that True Blood is a show for adults. So we 100% hope that no child has ever seen the show that this Sesame Street parody is based on. But if you were wondering if it was possible to nail this show without using any sex or violence, the…

io9 Katharine Trendacosta

A Biologist Debunks the “Bee Saves Its Friend From a Spider” Video

This video of a bumblebee “helping” a friend out of a spider web has been making the Internet rounds recently. The narrator asks for “experts” to tell us what’s happening. And Dave Goulson, Professor of Biology at the University of Sussex answered the call. In a post at the Conversation, Goulson explains what his expert…

io9 Katharine Trendacosta

Is David Oyelowo Playing a Star Wars Rebels Character in Episode VII?

Do we know what the next standalone Batman movie will be called? Find out more about what to expect from Doctor Strange. Set photos shed more light on a Doctor Who plot, and a rumor about a villain’s return. Get a first look at Disney’s Descendants! Plus a ton of details for True Blood’s finale…

Television Katharine Trendacosta

Oh No! It’s the Attack of the 30 Foot Marilyn Monroe!

This is magical. There’s no reason why this statue was abandoned at a garbage disposal company in Guigang, China. It just appeared. And there is something so wrong about seeing this thing tipped onto its face. A thirty-foot, eight-ton statue of Marilyn Monroe, which took several artists two years to make was was left at…

io9 Katharine Trendacosta

Doctor Strange Director Will Write the Outer Limits Movie

Scott Derrickson’s going to be very busy. The recently-named Doctor Strange director has been tapped for another project that’s been a long time coming: MGM’s Outer Limits. Derrickson’s re-teaming with his Sinister co-writer C. Robert Cargill for the project, which sounds like a great fit. They’re going to be adapting Harlan Ellison’s 1964 Outer Limits…

Movies Katharine Trendacosta

A Gorgeous Look at the Rest of Panem in the Latest The Hunger Games Art

The Hunger Games’ marketing team has done some great portraits in the past, but the latest set isn’t of anyone we know. Instead, they’ve got propaganda posters made by the Capitol “honoring” the districts. They’re beautiful. And there’s a definite Life vibe to these. From the red box in the corner to the single block…

Movies Katharine Trendacosta

How Bad Would It Be to Eat This Whole Discworld Cake?

I realize that polite society frowns on plunging your hand right into the middle of a cake and then shoveling that cake into your mouth, but sometimes you can’t help the impulse. And I JUST WANT TO DEMOLISH THIS WHOLE CAKE. I came to Discworld relatively late — in the sense that I was a…

io9 Katharine Trendacosta

Katharine Trendacosta

Use These Stickers to Show How You’re Conserving Water

With This Giant Trampoline, Wales Is Officially My Summer Vacation

MGM Is Still Trying to Reboot WarGames

Spider-Man‘s Upside Down Kiss Is Vastly Improved By Adding a Dog

Character Hints For Captain America 3, Batman v. Superman, and Arrow!

That Time J.M. Barrie Founded A Truly Atrocious Cricket Club

Daniel Radcliffe Wants to Be Ben Affleck’s Robin

The First Look at Syfy’s 12 Monkeys Is Appropriately Weird

Gorgeous GIF Captures the Sun Puffing Plasma

The Last Ship‘s Premiere Is Every Sci-Fi Action Cliché. And That’s Fine

Is Nathan Fillion Finally Getting Cast As A Marvel Movie Superhero?

Finally, Details From J. Michael Straczynski and the Wachowskis’ Sense8

Fandom Academia: Gender Influences Filk Far Less Than You’d Think

Sesame Street‘s Parody of True Blood Treats Vampires As Grouches

A Biologist Debunks the “Bee Saves Its Friend From a Spider” Video

Is David Oyelowo Playing a Star Wars Rebels Character in Episode VII?

Oh No! It’s the Attack of the 30 Foot Marilyn Monroe!

Doctor Strange Director Will Write the Outer Limits Movie

A Gorgeous Look at the Rest of Panem in the Latest The Hunger Games Art

How Bad Would It Be to Eat This Whole Discworld Cake?

INIU Portable Power Bank Is Small in Size and Smaller in Price for Amazon’s Big Spring Sale (45W, 10,000mAh)

Humans Were Already Dog People 16,000 Years Ago, DNA Suggests

California Regulator Says Tesla’s ‘Robotaxis’ Are More Like a Limo in the Eyes of the Law

Dyson Airwrap Falls to an All-Time Low in Amazon’s Spring Sale, Lowering the Barrier for This Premium Multi-Styler

The ‘Tales from ’85’ Trailer Wants You Back in ‘Stranger Things’ Already

Forget Ray-Ban Meta, XREAL 1S AR/XR Virtual Screen Smart Glasses Drop to Record Low on Amazon

Pixel Buds Pro 2 Hit Record Low as Google Continues Its Clearance-Like Price Cuts Following Smartphone Deals

DJI Now Has a Cheaper 360 Drone Than Insta360, but the U.S. Won’t Get It

Amazon Clears Out Apple Watch Series 9 With Silver Stainless Steel Case at 48% Off During Spring Sale

What Do You Mean Fox McCloud Is in the ‘Super Mario Galaxy’ Movie

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?

Asus ROG’s Cetra Open Wireless Gaming Earbuds Might Be Better Than Wearing a Headset

Nintendo’s Talking Flower Is Annoying as Hell. I Love It

Level Lock Pro Review: As Good as a Secret Smart Lock Gets

Apple Studio Display XDR Review: It Looks So Good, I Wish It Were an iMac

RayNeo Air 4 Pro Review: My Eyes Love These Video Glasses, but My Nose Disagrees