Lauren Davis, Author at Gizmodo

Meet Sanctuary’s Radiation-Spewing Rageaholic Mob Boss

After the joys of vampire squid-on-scorpion violence, Sanctuary delivered the abnormal equivalent of forehead aliens this week, pairing a guy with a pouch in his stomach with a mob boss with radiation-spewing hands and some serious temper issues. As much as I took issue with last week’s episode, at least we got some bona fide…

io9 Lauren Davis

Fringe Solves the Mystery of Walter’s Madness

Last night’s Fringe resolved a mystery that stretches back to the beginning of the series: the cause of Walter Bishop’s mental disorders. All it takes is our team of dimension-hopping enemy supersoldiers and and a boatload of brain surgery. It’s a Bit Drafty Back Here: At long last, we find out what our interdimensional supersoldiers…

io9 Lauren Davis

The Retail Ruins of America’s Ghost Malls

With all the malls and retail spaces dotting the American landscape, ruined malls could someday stand as memorials to modern society. Photographer Brian Ulrich documents abandoned and neglected retail spaces, including many that have already fallen into decay. The more immaculate of these malls evoke the nation of ghost malls Cory Doctorow imagines in his…

io9 Lauren Davis

An Alternate History of the Decade, Starring President Al Gore

As part of its reflection on the last ten years, Newsweek wonders how American politics might have been different different if Al Gore had won Bush v. Gore and been sworn in as president of the United States. Essayist David Rakoff kicks off his alternate history of the decade with Gore’s narrow victory in Bush…

io9 Lauren Davis

The Avatar Debate: It Will Be An Awesome Visual Spectacle

Will Avatar keep its technological promises? We’ve seen a huge backlash against the film’s CGI, and our sibling site suspects it will suck. But when it opens, Avatar will prove a remarkable advance in motion capture and computer animation. https://gizmodo.com/are-you-ready-for-the-avatar-backlash-5323234 http://gawker.com/5411346/the-mounting-evidence-that-avatar-will-suck-part-1 Granted, I make this assertion not as one of those folks who saw the…

Movies Lauren Davis

Maps of Zombie Outbreaks Throughout History

The overwhelming popularity of zombies may be a relatively recent phenomenon, but in alternate timelines, zombie attacks have been a problem for centuries. These alternate history maps outline the geography these undead epidemics and the measures taken to combat them. Earlier this fall, AlternateHistory.com held a map-making contest detailing the effects of zombie outbreaks, vampire…

io9 Lauren Davis

Learn About Avatar’s Mystical Forces, See Five Clips from Dollhouse and Tons of Sherlock Holmes Photos

Early Avatar reviews and James Cameron himself unlock Pandora’s mystical secrets. Echo has an existential crisis in clips from tonight’s Dollhouse, and Harry Potter has a Western moment. Plus, images from Sherlock Holmes, Splice, and Book of Eli Avatar The first (generally positive) reviews are utterly brimming with spoilers. The Hollywood Reporter lays out the…

Television Lauren Davis

Could Avatar’s Technology Improve Medicine?

Directors like James Cameron and Robert Zemeckis are using motion capture and computer animation to place actors in unusual bodies and fantastical environments. But the medical community is increasingly utilizing technology originally designed for movies and video games. Cameron has promised us that Avatar represents a huge technological advancement, a blending of real-world performances and…

io9 Lauren Davis

Scientists Ponder Saturn’s Mysertious Hexagon

At Saturn’s North pole sits a weather mystery: a giant hexagon formed by the path of a jet stream. It’s a phenomenon that has remained largely unchanged for decades, at least, and scientists are trying to figure out why. The Cassini spacecraft recently sent back images of Saturn’s strange hexagon, which was last photographed 30…

io9 Lauren Davis

Crematorium Plans to Use Burning Bodies to Generate Energy

While the city of Stockholm is burning bunnies to power its homes, the human cremation process could soon provide an alternative energy of its own. A UK crematorium is looking into a new technology to recapture energy from human cremation. https://gizmodo.com/swedens-homes-heated-with-the-power-of-bunny-blood-5382121 Hastings Borough Council in East Sussex has announced that it is investing in technology…

io9 Lauren Davis

Evil Gets Steampunked With the Gaslight Legion of Doom

Following up his steampunk Justice League of America, custom toymaker Sillof has unveiled their villainous counterparts, the Gaslight Legion of Doom. Sinestro gets a high-class ruffle, Black Manta gets a little less sleek, and Gorilla Grodd gets a clockwork arm. https://gizmodo.com/the-justice-league-of-america-goes-steampunk-346954 Sillof showcased his latest set of figures as part of this week’s virtual Custom…

Books & Comics Lauren Davis

Retrofuturistic Burglars Use Silent Airplanes to Commit Daring Crimes

In the early years of the airplane, a New York Tribune artist wondered if this amazing new technology might not inspire some supervillainous acts. In this retrofuturistic image, some daring thieves employ the wicked device. [Paleofuture via William Gibson]

io9 Lauren Davis

Predator Motorcycle is the Fiercest Hunter on the Road

Imagine cruising along the highway and suddenly catching a glimpse of a Predator in your rearview mirror, its mandibles extended wide. It could mean an alien invasion, or it could be this skull-covered Predator motorcycle. New Jersey custom bike shop Pitstop Motors built this Predator motorcycle as a commission. It’s a fully functional machine, but…

io9 Lauren Davis

Life is Tough for an Atomic Cowgirl

You would think that being an atomic cowgirl in the Old West would be a breeze. After all, you have awesome, nuclear-powered weapons, and you’re superstrong to boot. But that doesn’t mean you’ll be taken seriously. Winston Rowntree’s text-laden webcomic Subnormality frequently features demonic ladies, a world-weary sphinx, and the drunken bonding between Metroid’s Samus…

Books & Comics Lauren Davis

Egypt’s Trash City Only Looks Like the Garbage Apocalypse

Somewhere buried under all those bags of trash is the Egyptian city of Zabbaleen, where garbage reigns supreme. It looks like an object lesson, warning us of some impending garbage apocalypse, but there’s something entirely different at work. We’ve seen cities around the world ruined by radiation, pollution, political shifts, and depleted resources. At first…

io9 Lauren Davis

James Cameron Could Launch the Seven Samurai Into Space

With Avatar in the can, speculation has run rampant on what James Cameron‘s next project will be. Amidst talk of Avatar sequels and Battle Angel Alita, it seems Cameron has yet another project on the table. https://gizmodo.com/will-the-next-superman-film-take-place-in-the-future-p-5371757 https://gizmodo.com/battle-angel-alita-could-be-next-for-the-avatar-treatme-5327554 Production Weekly reports via Twitter that Cameron is developing a science fiction “event” film set in the…

Movies Lauren Davis

Mysterious Light Spiral Appears Over Norway

Is it an alien signal? An interdimensional portal? A supervillainous hypnosis ray? This mysterious spiral burst into the night sky over Northern Norway, leaving witnesses wondering just what caused it. Witnesses throughout Northern Norway reported seeing a bright object spinning through the sky this morning, forming a brilliant spiral. According to air traffic reports, the…

io9 Lauren Davis

Beware the Goldfish Monster in Animated Short “The Passenger”

Chris Jones spent eight years animating his moody and quirky short The Passenger, and now it’s available online. It’s a dark and stormy night, and a nervous chap rides a bus with only a spooky goldfish for company. Jones created The Passenger entirely by himself, doing everything from the modeling to the editing to the…

io9 Lauren Davis

A Slew of John Carter Characters, True Blood’s Latest Lesbian Relationship, And Fringe Gets Its Mrs. Bishop

We’ve got buckets of big-screen spoilers this morning, with talk on Thor, John Carter, Deadpool, Green Lantern, and Avatar. We’ve got lesbian vampires, both in the movies and on True Blood. Plus, Lost, Fringe, and Better Off Ted news. Thor Stan Lee has been tweeting about his cameo: Due to Thor, I must start rehearsing…

Television Lauren Davis

Music Videos of the Multiverse Apocalypse and the History of the Planet of the Apes

Director Sugimoto Kousuke creates action-packed, animated music videos overloaded with colorful visuals and global disasters. His “The TV Show” goes from hypnotically zen to multiversal meltdown, while “Full Moon Party” chronicles the rise and fall of civilization starring monkey kind. Sugimoto’s “The TV Show” is a feast for the eyes from the get-go, but watch…

io9 Lauren Davis

Lauren Davis

Meet Sanctuary’s Radiation-Spewing Rageaholic Mob Boss

Fringe Solves the Mystery of Walter’s Madness

The Retail Ruins of America’s Ghost Malls

An Alternate History of the Decade, Starring President Al Gore

The Avatar Debate: It Will Be An Awesome Visual Spectacle

Maps of Zombie Outbreaks Throughout History

Learn About Avatar’s Mystical Forces, See Five Clips from Dollhouse and Tons of Sherlock Holmes Photos

Could Avatar’s Technology Improve Medicine?

Scientists Ponder Saturn’s Mysertious Hexagon

Crematorium Plans to Use Burning Bodies to Generate Energy

Evil Gets Steampunked With the Gaslight Legion of Doom

Retrofuturistic Burglars Use Silent Airplanes to Commit Daring Crimes

Predator Motorcycle is the Fiercest Hunter on the Road

Life is Tough for an Atomic Cowgirl

Egypt’s Trash City Only Looks Like the Garbage Apocalypse

James Cameron Could Launch the Seven Samurai Into Space

Mysterious Light Spiral Appears Over Norway

Beware the Goldfish Monster in Animated Short “The Passenger”

A Slew of John Carter Characters, True Blood’s Latest Lesbian Relationship, And Fringe Gets Its Mrs. Bishop

Music Videos of the Multiverse Apocalypse and the History of the Planet of the Apes

Artemis 2 Live Updates: Countdown to the Moon 🔴

Samsung Slashes $350 Off 49″ Odyssey Curved Gaming Monitor to Clear Out Stock on Amazon

How the Artemis 2 Moon Mission Could Go Dangerously Wrong

Dyson V8 Cordless Vacuum Holds Its Lowest Price Even After Amazon’s Spring Sale Ends, Likely a Clearance Move

Lego Is Bringing Bionicle Back, But Not in the Way You’d Want

Richard Branson Is Still Trying to Make Space Tourism Happen, Selling Tickets at $750,000

Beats Powerbeats Fit Drops Below Black Friday Pricing Across All Colorways as Amazon Continues to Cut Prices on the Earbuds

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

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?