Lauren Davis, Author at Gizmodo

The Man-Faced Mechas and Bug-Shaped Vehcles of Our Future Wars

Concept artist Rael Lyra designs rusted, well-worn mechas with shapes inspired by fish, insects, and the human body. And sometimes human faces — and human skulls — turn up in unexpected places. Rael Lyra [deviantART via FFFFOUND!] PeiPei The Ronin Flea Sentry The Rich Cousin

io9 Lauren Davis

xkcd Explains Why You Don’t Have a Jetpack Yet

It’s nearly 2010, and we still don’t have commercially available jetpacks, hover cars, or holographic televisions. Webcomic xkcd explains why the technologies we have don’t match up with the technologies we expected — we failed to translate the researchers. [xkcd]

Books & Comics Lauren Davis

Singpore Plans its Own Version of Pandora on Earth

So far you can only visit Pandora in the movies, but Singapore’s planned Marina South Gardens project will combine its own man-made and natural wonders — with lush, vertical gardens scaling gigantic artificial solar trees. Singapore is currently developing its largest garden project ever, showcasing plants from various climates. Giant fake trees collect rainwater and…

io9 Lauren Davis

Velociraptor’s Cousin Had a Venomous Bite

Raptors get more fearsome all the time. Jurassic Park painted velociraptors as clever, fleet-footed predators, and they may have hunted from trees. Now researchers suspect their turkey-sized relative had a venomous bite — and other raptors might have it, too. Researchers at the University of Kansas Natural History Museum have been studying the Sinornithosaurus, the…

io9 Lauren Davis

Sexy Blue Women

Neytiri (Avatar): She’s tough as carbon-reinforced nails, a crack hunter, and could crush you with her bare hands. Plus, she’s been specifically engineered by James Cameron to make you want to sleep with her. Mystique (X-Men): She’s a shapeshifting spy and powerful leader against the world’s anti-mutant forces, though her ethics are questionable. And let’s…

io9 Lauren Davis

Who is the Sexiest Blue Woman in the Universe?

James Cameron has talked a great deal about how he designed Neytiri, Avatar’s main female character, to be incredibly sexy. But is she really the sexiest blue woman you’ve ever seen? We take a look at the competition. For gallery-free viewing, click here. https://gizmodo.com/sexy-blue-women-5431487 Who is the sexiest blue woman in the universe?(survey)

Books & Comics Lauren Davis

Watch a Volcano Erupt Deep Beneath the Ocean

When an undersea volcano erupted this past May near Samoa, researchers captured video of the blast. Now they’ve released the footage, giving the rest of the world its first look at the deepest underwater eruption ever caught on film. The West Mata undersea volcano, located 200 kilometers from Samoa, erupted in May. Researchers with the…

io9 Lauren Davis

Prepare Your Infant for the Apocalypse with Weaponized Strollers

Babies can be a liability in a post-apocalyptic world, but Shi Jinsong‘s designs are here to help. His weaponized cradle, stroller, and baby walker ensure that your infant can pull their weight, even if they aren’t old enough to walk. shi jinsong gun shape baby carriage [designboom via Geekologie] Gun Shape Baby Cradle Gun Shape…

io9 Lauren Davis

Tesla’s Vampire Babies Are Terribly Ungrateful

Friday night’s episode of Sanctuary saw the return of snarky vampire inventor Nikola Tesla, intent on bringing bloodsuckers back into existence by transforming trust fund babies into vamps. First they call him their Obama, then things don’t go so well. Syfy should really spin-off the Nikola Tesla character, or else hire him on as part…

io9 Lauren Davis

Ten Science Stories That Changed Our Decade

There is no doubt that science has become more like science fiction in the past decade, with amazing innovations and discoveries that increased our understanding of the universe. We list ten of the biggest science stories from the past decade. This was the decade of the first face transplant, the first extinct species brought back…

io9 Lauren Davis

Know Your Nuclear Reactors with Illustrated Wall Charts

Nuclear reactors are an unlikely source of art, but the complex workings of these machines have a strange, industrial beauty to them. These incredibly detailed wall charts explain the inner workings of the machines and display them in cutaways. Nuclear Reactor Wall Charts [Flickr via BibliOdyssey]

io9 Lauren Davis

Keep Warm at the Mountains of Madness with Arctic Mobile Unit

Whether you’re search for the Antarctic city of the Elder Things or hunting flying reindeer at the North Pole, you’ll want to stay cozy in this arctic mobile unit. This modular dwelling will keep you warm in the coldest climates. Andrey Bondarenko of 2-B-2 Architecture designed the arctic mobile unit to aid researchers exploring the…

io9 Lauren Davis

If Websites Were Nations, Digg and Reddit Would Go to War

What if the websites we choose to frequent weren’t merely websites, but nations that reflect our homes and ideals? The comic War imagines a world where website membership equals citizenship, and the reddit aliens “liberate” Diggers from their oligarchy. The first installment of War, created by ncomment, appeared online this past April. It imagined the…

Books & Comics Lauren Davis

Superheroes Caught in Less Than Glamorous Moments

Batman, Wonder Woman, and the Flash are all crack crimefighters, but when they get home at the end of the day, they still have to pay the bills, do housework, and unwind like any other person. Caleb Paullus’ Super Not Super is a series of brief photo comics exploring the not-so-superheroic trials and tribulations of…

Books & Comics Lauren Davis

See Daybreakers’ Monster Vamps, Kick-Ass’ Hit Girl, Chuck’s New Season, and New Doctor Who Clips

Lots of pictures in today’s spoilers, including images from Daybreaker, Kick-Ass, Book of Eli, Toy Story 3, Being Human, and Chuck. Plus, clips from the Doctor Who Christmas special, and news on The Phantom, Dollhouse, True Blood, and Lost. Kick-Ass The final character poster has been revealed to give us purple-haired, plaid skirt-wearing Hit Girl.…

Television Lauren Davis

Polar Bears and Smoke Monsters Rule Lost Art Show

Yesterday, we showed you the posters ABC commissioned in honor of Lost’s final season. But the other artwork at Gallery 1988‘s Lost-themed art show is wilder, weirder, and even more obsessed with the Smoke Monster. https://gizmodo.com/posters-reflect-on-five-seasons-of-lost-5428232 Several readers pointed us to the artwork featured in Gallery 1988‘s Lost Underground Art Show that premiered Tuesday night.…

io9 Lauren Davis

Lost Writer Gears Up for an Apocalyptic Mystery

Lost’s mysteries may be winding up, but at least one of the show’s alums is whipping up a fresh batch of twisty science fiction mysteries. Upcoming film The Panopticon features the apocalypse, a predestination paradox, and an ambiguous hero. Variety reports that Lionsgate is moving forward with The Panopticon, a spec script by Lost story…

Movies Lauren Davis

Plan Your Space Vacation with the First Ever Map of Mercury

If you’re planning a trip to Mercury, you’ll need the first map ever released of the solar system’s innermost planet, a mosaic of photos from the Mercury missions. The US Geological Survey’s Astrogeology Science Center revealed the first map of Mercury this week at the American Geophysical Union meeting. The map is a composite of…

io9 Lauren Davis

Supervillains Put Spider-Man 4 Production on Hold (Updated)

Peter Parker battles supervillains on screen, but they’re giving Sam Raimi an off-screen headache as well. Production has reportedly halted on Spider-Man 4 while Raimi and the Sony suits hash out supervillains and dastardly deeds. IESB is reporting that production on Spider-Man 4 (known internally as SPIDER-M4N) halted indefinitely last Thursday and won’t start up…

Movies Lauren Davis

How Does Avatar’s Science Stack Up?

Avatar has promised us great technological innovations in film making, but what about the scientific discoveries and technological advances we see on screen? Popular Mechanics takes a look at the science beyond the spectacle. The article looks at a few of the key scientific aspects of Avatar and fact-checks them for plausibility, explaining the innovations…

io9 Lauren Davis

Lauren Davis

The Man-Faced Mechas and Bug-Shaped Vehcles of Our Future Wars

xkcd Explains Why You Don’t Have a Jetpack Yet

Singpore Plans its Own Version of Pandora on Earth

Velociraptor’s Cousin Had a Venomous Bite

Sexy Blue Women

Who is the Sexiest Blue Woman in the Universe?

Watch a Volcano Erupt Deep Beneath the Ocean

Prepare Your Infant for the Apocalypse with Weaponized Strollers

Tesla’s Vampire Babies Are Terribly Ungrateful

Ten Science Stories That Changed Our Decade

Know Your Nuclear Reactors with Illustrated Wall Charts

Keep Warm at the Mountains of Madness with Arctic Mobile Unit

If Websites Were Nations, Digg and Reddit Would Go to War

Superheroes Caught in Less Than Glamorous Moments

See Daybreakers’ Monster Vamps, Kick-Ass’ Hit Girl, Chuck’s New Season, and New Doctor Who Clips

Polar Bears and Smoke Monsters Rule Lost Art Show

Lost Writer Gears Up for an Apocalyptic Mystery

Plan Your Space Vacation with the First Ever Map of Mercury

Supervillains Put Spider-Man 4 Production on Hold (Updated)

How Does Avatar’s Science Stack Up?

Artemis 2 Live Updates: Countdown to the Moon 🔴

Google Pixel 9a Hits a Record Low on Clearance, With Trade-In Making It Nearly Half the Price of Pixel Buds Pro 2

James Cameron Could Remake ‘Fantastic Voyage’ Before He Works on ‘Avatar 4’

Forget Amazon Fire TV Soundbar, Samsung B-Series Soundbar With Built-In Subwoofer Still Under $100 for Post-Spring Sale

Apple M4 MacBook Air Is Still at Its Spring Sale Low as Amazon Moves Into Clearance Mode, No Need to Wait for Prime Day

They’re Already Trying to Baby Yoda Rocky From ‘Project Hail Mary’

ASUS ROG Xbox Ally Just Got Cheaper Again After Spring Sale, With 3 Months of Game Pass Included at No Extra Cost

Protect Your Car Without Overpaying, Batteries Plus Makes Finding the Right Battery Size Easy and Affordable

WD 5TB Portable External Hard Drive for Mac Drops to $0.03 per GB Even After Amazon’s Spring Sale

Apple Offers Rare Olive Branch to Liquid Glass Haters

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?