Lauren Davis, Author at Gizmodo

President Obama Inspired Roland Emmerich to Make Independence Day 2

We’ve known for a while that Roland Emmerich is readying a sequel to his White House-exploding alien invasion movie Independence Day. What’s taken him so long? He was just waiting for the right president to take the Oval Office. After Independence Day brought us Bill Pullman as the inspirational President Whitmore, Emmerich didn’t feel the…

Movies Lauren Davis

The First Posters from Kick-Ass, the Latest Spot for Avatar, Smallville’s Wonder Twins, and the Hobbit’s Unexpected Source Material

Avatar sees yet another TV spot, and Kick-Ass’ superheroes get posters at last. The Hobbit script draws from material not in The Hobbit, and see the Wonder Twins activate on Smallville. Plus, Lost, Star Trek, Harry Potter, and Fringe. Avatar The latest TV spot shows one of Pandora’s monsters taking down an AMP suit. [First…

Television Lauren Davis

Prequel Comic Reveals Dr. Horrible’s Childhood Origins

Where do singing supervillains come from? A preview of Zack Whedon‘s Dr. Horrible prequel comic reveals how a childhood incident inspired a brainy kid to don that evil lab coat and goggles. Zack Whedon’s one-shot Dr. Horrible comic hits stands on November 18th and will delve into Billy’s childhood, his first meeting with Captain Hammer,…

io9 Lauren Davis

Bird-Related Accident Suggests the Large Hadron Collider Really Is Doomed

The LHC has been so plagued by problems and shutdowns that some physicists have wondered if it’s being sabotaged by its own future. And the LHC has fallen victim to another bizarre shutdown involving a bird and a baguette. https://gizmodo.com/is-the-large-hadron-collider-being-sabotaged-from-the-f-5380647 CERN is reporting that the Large Hadron Collider has been shutdown yet again after a…

io9 Lauren Davis

Keep from Getting Lost with Wired’s Map of the Future

The future could be a confusing place, filled with virtual worlds, global infrastructure, new economic systems, and interspecies communication. Fortunately, Wired Italia’s latest infographic maps out one possible vision of the future, so you won’t get lost amidst the changes. Density Design created this infographic for the new issue of Wired Italia based on predictions…

io9 Lauren Davis

The Real Psychic Soldier Behind The Men Who Stare at Goats

When Jim Channon authored the First Earth Battalion manual, he was hoping to bring warfare into a more humane, modern age. In a new series of columns, he talks about the film and why harnessing the paranormal is so important. Jon Ronson, who wrote the book The Men Who Stare at Goats, has taken over…

Movies Lauren Davis

Avatar’s Japanese Trailer Adds Even More Creatures

Japan got a shorter version of the latest Avatar trailer, but it also got some new footage we didn’t see in the English-language version. Here, we meet more of Pandora’s monsters, and witness the beginnings of the love story. Most of the footage here is the same, albeit remixed, and there are some small changes…

Movies Lauren Davis

Avatar in Japan

Sully wakes up in his Avatar body, and wiggles his toes for the first time in a very long time. A lemur-like creature climbs across some vines, chattering. A group of creatures resembling wild dogs attacks Sully. Sully bares his teeth as he fights off the creature. A Na’Vi dodges a falling tree. The jellyfish-like…

io9 Lauren Davis

Taxidermist Brings Flying Monkeys and Frankensquirrels to Unlife

Need an unusual gift for the cryptozoologist in your life? Sculptor Sabrina Brewer‘s medium is dead animals, which she mixes and matches to create fantastical creatures, from the more traditional griffins and unicorns to El Chupacabra and undead three-headed squirrels. [Custom Creature Taxidermy via Super Punch] Three-headed Frankensquirrel Capricorn Chimera El Chupcabra Feejee Mermaid Flying…

io9 Lauren Davis

Robots Are Getting Their Own World War Z

With zombies, vampires, and ecological disasters destroying the world, it’s time robots got another shot at the apocalypse. And soon a book and movie from the writer of How to Survive a Robot Uprising could put humanity under robot rule. Daniel Wilson is angling to be the Max Brooks of robots, having written How to…

io9 Lauren Davis

Girl Stalks Fake Vampire in Harvard Lampoon’s Twilight Spoof

The humorists at the Harvard Lampoon are taking aim at klutzy girls and sparkly vampires with their novel-length Twilight parody Nightlight. Expect a vain, vampire-obsessed narrator, unnecessary adjectives, and a computer geek who simply can’t be bothered with girls. Nightlight, which has just been released, is the Harvard Lampoon’s first foray into parody novel-writing since…

io9 Lauren Davis

More Clues to David Tennant’s Departure, a New Monster for the Host 2, and Lost’s Holdout Castaway Revealed

New hints about Doctor Who tie into the Tenth Doctor’s demise. Behold concept art showing one of The Host 2’s monsters, and tons of set reports for Lost, including the holdout cast member. Plus, The Hobbit, Supernatural, and True Blood. Doctor Who Digital Spy has a ton of teasers from “The Waters of Mars.” The…

Television Lauren Davis

Are Zombies America’s Godzilla?

Zombies have been enjoying a heyday of late, but why are Americans so obsessed with the walking dead? One theory is that Westerners love zombies for the same reason Japan loves giant monsters: they represent technology gone awry. James Turner, an editor for O’Reilly Media, claims that zombies share a kinship with Godzilla. His theory…

io9 Lauren Davis

Guests Will Play Spider-Man in Galactic’s Space Hotel

The Galactic Suite Space Resort is scheduled to open its doors in 2012, and is already taking reservations. And there’s more to your space vacation than watching the world go by; there’s also wall-climbing fun and tropical island time. Barcelona-based Galactic Suite Ltd is currently building a small, orbiting hotel, which they claim will be…

io9 Lauren Davis

Batman Forever Missed Out On HR Giger’s Alien Batmobile

In 1994, Alien concept designer HR Giger was asked to design a Batmobile for Batman Forever. His spindly, pincer-like design is an oddly organic take on Batman’s tech, but still an improvement over the neon-lit monstrosity that was ultimately chosen. Batmobile Art has a more detailed description of Giger’s design: His unique “X” shaped design…

io9 Lauren Davis

Why Do Humans Kiss? To Share Our Germs

It doesn’t matter how many times you got the cootie shot on the playground; when you kiss another person, you’re going mouth-to-mouth with their germs. And according to researchers, those kissing germs are extremely important to human reproduction. Researchers at the University of Leeds report that kissing plays an important role in human reproduction. It’s…

io9 Lauren Davis

You Can Have Your Very Own Starfleet Shuttle Simulator

Ever wanted to own your own Starfleet shuttle? A Utah school district happens to have a working simulator of the Star Trek-inspired USS Galileo up for auction. The $1000 reserve hasn’t been met, so you can still take Galileo home. Thanks to Erica Brown for the tip.

io9 Lauren Davis

Can a Plush Bunny Survive the Zombie Apocalypse? You Decide

A choose-your-own-adventure style book is a natural addition to the zombie genre, but Zombocalypse Now is a surprisingly zany entry. Starring a snarky, chainsmoking stuffed bunny, the book pits you against mobsters, toothpaste executives, and zombified zoo animals. When I first heard about Matt Youngmark’s Chooseomatic book, I fully expected I’d get a fairly straightforward…

io9 Lauren Davis

Your Favorite Dinosaurs May Have Never Existed

Are you a fan of the Nanotyrannus, the three-horned Torosaurus, or the Dracorex hogwartsia, named for the famed school of wizardry? Then paleontologists have some bad news: these and roughly a third of other recorded dinosaur species probably never existed. Many dinosaur species are experiencing a second extermination — death by reclassification. Thanks to new…

io9 Lauren Davis

Epic Movie Narratives, Conveniently Charted

Today’s xkcd takes an unusual approach to explaining epic movies: diagraming the interactions between the characters. He charts out Jurassic Park, Lord of the Rings, and the original Star Wars trilogy, and takes an amusing crack at Primer. [xkcd]

io9 Lauren Davis

Lauren Davis

President Obama Inspired Roland Emmerich to Make Independence Day 2

The First Posters from Kick-Ass, the Latest Spot for Avatar, Smallville’s Wonder Twins, and the Hobbit’s Unexpected Source Material

Prequel Comic Reveals Dr. Horrible’s Childhood Origins

Bird-Related Accident Suggests the Large Hadron Collider Really Is Doomed

Keep from Getting Lost with Wired’s Map of the Future

The Real Psychic Soldier Behind The Men Who Stare at Goats

Avatar’s Japanese Trailer Adds Even More Creatures

Avatar in Japan

Taxidermist Brings Flying Monkeys and Frankensquirrels to Unlife

Robots Are Getting Their Own World War Z

Girl Stalks Fake Vampire in Harvard Lampoon’s Twilight Spoof

More Clues to David Tennant’s Departure, a New Monster for the Host 2, and Lost’s Holdout Castaway Revealed

Are Zombies America’s Godzilla?

Guests Will Play Spider-Man in Galactic’s Space Hotel

Batman Forever Missed Out On HR Giger’s Alien Batmobile

Why Do Humans Kiss? To Share Our Germs

You Can Have Your Very Own Starfleet Shuttle Simulator

Can a Plush Bunny Survive the Zombie Apocalypse? You Decide

Your Favorite Dinosaurs May Have Never Existed

Epic Movie Narratives, Conveniently Charted

Apple Offers Rare Olive Branch to Liquid Glass Haters

Mamdani Lifts NYC TikTok Ban for City Employees, but with Some Unusual Restrictions

Tesla Goes Ahead and Admits Its Robotaxis Are Sometimes Fully Human-Controlled

School Forced to Replace Toilets After Kids Flush Vapes

‘Scream 7’ Just Won’t Stop Making Money as ‘Scream 8’ Gets Started

The Curtain Has Closed on Meta’s Movie Rating-Inspired Content Filters

Good News! You Can Finally Change That Ridiculous Gmail Address

ExpressVPN Just Launched ExpressAI: Your Prompts Are Now Invisible

VR Just Took Another Massive Body Blow

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?

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