Lauren Davis, Author at Gizmodo

A Striking View Of The Dark Side Of Saturn

The Cassini Orbiter captures a different view of Saturn, in which the planet and its rings seem to vanish into darkness. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab explains exactly what we’re seeing here: Saturn’s main rings, seen here on their “lit” face, appear much darker than normal. That’s because they tend to scatter light back toward its…

io9 Lauren Davis

This Starts As A 3D Animation Tutorial—Until The Animation Takes Over

If you’ve ever seen Chuck Jones’ Duck Amuck and Rabbit Rampage, in which Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny battle with their animators, check out this great short, in which a 3D animator deals with a hilariously uncooperative Maya rig. Nathan Hibberd made Animating a Jump Tutorial Part #269, and while it’s definitely on the fanciful…

io9 Lauren Davis

The Best New Webcomics Of 2014

Each year, we are stunned by the remarkable and diverse comics that appear on the Internet, and 2014 has been no exception. From gorgeously illustrated epics to spooky short stories to comics that made us cry, here are the best new webcomics that we read this year. Top image from Stand Still. Stay Silent by…

Books & Comics Lauren Davis

This Week’s TV: Two Specials That Will Make Christmas Extra Creepy

Christmas means that there’s not a whole lot of new TV this week, but there’s still plenty to watch other than endless replays of A Christmas Story. For one thing, there’s a spooky new Doctor Who special and the latest from the dystopian Black Mirror. Plus, marathons for those who prefer TV over yule logs.…

Television Lauren Davis

Now THIS Is How The Legend Of Korra Really Should Have Ended

We loved the finale of The Legend of Korra, but there was one tiny thing that didn’t happen in the episode’s final moments that we were really hoping would happen. Fortunately, a fan animation has given us the moment we were missing. Spoilers ahead. So we were really hoping that the series finale would end…

io9 Lauren Davis

Legend Of Korra‘s Finale Again Proves It’s One Of The Best Shows On TV

Wow. The Legend of Korra really knows how to do a finale. There is so much to talk about between Kuvira and Korra’s final showdown, Team Avatar defending Republic City—and of course, that thing that happened at the very end. We’re sad to see this show go, but we’re delighted with the way it went…

Television Lauren Davis

Once It Was A Corpse. Now It’s A Monument.

The children were too young to remember the horror of invasion, of those things with their almost human faces devouring acres upon acres of crops and livestock. Now they treated the bodies as playgrounds, playing tag in the digestive tracts, sliding down the legs, even making out atop their frozen foreheads. “Alien Corpse” is by…

io9 Lauren Davis

Master Of Horror Webcomics Emily Carroll Just Posted A Creepy New Story

Emily Carroll has won our black, horror-loving hearts with the short and spooky comics she posts on her website and with her recent book, Through the Woods. Now she has a new comic online, just in time to make holiday parties terrifying. https://gizmodo.com/exclusive-horror-story-from-the-absolutely-chilling-thr-1606732634 Go and read Carroll’s latest, “All Along the Wall,” on her website.…

Books & Comics Lauren Davis

A Twisted Film About Parents Who Replace Their Dead Son With A Monster

Some family dramas are stranger than others. After suffering a tragedy, a grieving mother orders orders a mysterious product from the Internet. The result is that her life and her husband’s go much differently than either of them planned. Garret Shanley wrote and Ray Sullivan directed Self-Assembly, which turns from a tale of parental love…

io9 Lauren Davis

A Chart Of When “Dirty” Words First Appeared In The English Language

English is rich with clinical, silly, and sometimes filthy words for our naughty bits and the things we do with them. But when did words like “fart,” “prick,” “spunk,” and “moon” enter the English language? Lapham’s Quarterly put together this chart of words for body parts and bodily functions dealing with the butt and genitalia,…

io9 Lauren Davis

Ellen Page Nails Han Solo’s Most Important Line At Star Wars Live Read

Last night, a cast of Hollywood actors performed a live reading of The Empire Strikes Back, with Ellen Page reading the role of Han Solo opposite Jessica Alba’s Princess Leia. And when it got to the moment when Leia confesses her love to Han, the audience got to hear Han deliver his famous response. Update:…

io9 Lauren Davis

After The Robot Uprising, Human Gladiators Must Battle Robo-Dinosaurs

In the distant future, humanity is enslaved, forced to fight in the gladiators’ ring for the amusement of robot audiences. But something unexpected happens when the robots pit their ultimate warrior, Carl, against the humans’ Space Jesus. Yes, Márk Juhász’s student film Carl, which he made at MOME Hungary, is packed full of zaniness, but…

io9 Lauren Davis

Concept Art Writing Prompt: An Unusual Brush With Death

This little girl has a rather, well, unorthodox relationship with the Grim Reaper. If this image inspires you, write a story that tells us what on Earth is going on here. “Emily’s Brush with Death” is by concept artist Jeremy Vickery, and it’s a fun image—or is something more sinister happening? As always, we invite…

io9 Lauren Davis

On The 100, You Can Be A Fool For Love Or You Can Be A Lunatic For Love

If any character has changed for the worse on The 100 while living on the ground, it’s Finn. But this week’s episode reveals that Finn has always done things for love that can get him killed. The question is whether he’ll manage to survive this time around. First off, I apologize for not recapping last…

Television Lauren Davis

What Happens When You Step On Molten Lava? This Video May Surprise You

Definitely don’t try this at home (or if you happen across a volcanic vent), but if you’ve ever wondered what would happen if you pressed down on hot lava, this video is a must-watch. It’s a great lesson in how the reality of lava differs from the way many people think of the substance. Alex…

io9 Lauren Davis

Western Fairytales Get A Korean Makeover In Gorgeous Illustrations

Little Red Riding Hood, the Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and other fairy tale characters shed their Western wardrobes and don traditional Korean fashions in artist Na Young Wu’s series of incredibly love manhwa-style illustrations. Na Young Wu is a character illustration artist for games, and in what she calls her “Korean Western Fairy…

io9 Lauren Davis

Game Of Thrones‘ Arya Will Be Unrecognizable In Her Season 5 Outfit

We’re used to seeing Game of Thrones’ Arya Stark in her functional, rugged clothes, often disguised as a boy. But next season, Arya will be getting a very different look—so different, in fact, that many people didn’t recognize actress Maisie Williams the first time she wore it on set. Mild spoilers ahead. When last we…

Television Lauren Davis

The Clones Are Ready For War In First Teaser For Orphan Black Season 3

Orphan Black’s second season ended with an Earth-shattering revelation, and now it looks like all the clones are preparing themselves for the fallout. But one clone is conspicuously absent. Don’t watch this unless you’ve already seen the second season finale. Clone roll call: We’ve got Cosima, Sarah, Helena, Alison, Charlotte, Mark, and the other Project…

Television Lauren Davis

After The War Ended, Engineering Drones Were Repurposed As Dogwalkers

Their deft fingers—which once crafted circuit boards for autonomous airships—were perfect not only for handling the animals, but also for bagging their poop with minimal mess. The delightful “Cardio” is by artist Andrew Mar, (via r/ImaginaryTechnology). You can check out more of Mar’s work on his Tumblr and his portfolio site.

io9 Lauren Davis

The Lord Of The Rings‘ Mythology Explained In Just Four Minutes

If you haven’t dived into the pages of The Silmarillion, there’s a whole cosmology of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth that you may not know. This short video outlines the basics, explaining as much about the universe’s divine and angelic beings as you can learn in four minutes. YouTuber CGP Grey made this primer on The Lord…

io9 Lauren Davis

Lauren Davis

A Striking View Of The Dark Side Of Saturn

This Starts As A 3D Animation Tutorial—Until The Animation Takes Over

The Best New Webcomics Of 2014

This Week’s TV: Two Specials That Will Make Christmas Extra Creepy

Now THIS Is How The Legend Of Korra Really Should Have Ended

Legend Of Korra‘s Finale Again Proves It’s One Of The Best Shows On TV

Once It Was A Corpse. Now It’s A Monument.

Master Of Horror Webcomics Emily Carroll Just Posted A Creepy New Story

A Twisted Film About Parents Who Replace Their Dead Son With A Monster

A Chart Of When “Dirty” Words First Appeared In The English Language

Ellen Page Nails Han Solo’s Most Important Line At Star Wars Live Read

After The Robot Uprising, Human Gladiators Must Battle Robo-Dinosaurs

Concept Art Writing Prompt: An Unusual Brush With Death

On The 100, You Can Be A Fool For Love Or You Can Be A Lunatic For Love

What Happens When You Step On Molten Lava? This Video May Surprise You

Western Fairytales Get A Korean Makeover In Gorgeous Illustrations

Game Of Thrones‘ Arya Will Be Unrecognizable In Her Season 5 Outfit

The Clones Are Ready For War In First Teaser For Orphan Black Season 3

After The War Ended, Engineering Drones Were Repurposed As Dogwalkers

The Lord Of The Rings‘ Mythology Explained In Just Four Minutes

National Film and Sound Archive of Australia Adds ‘Succulent Chinese Meal’ Guy

Feds Sniffing Around Polymarket After Suspicious Bets

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Don’t Get Too Attached to Any AI App

‘Paradise’ Writer Teases What’s Coming in Season 3 After That Huge Twist

Trump’s New White House App Is Mildly Concerning and Weird for a Lot of Reasons

Bloodsucking Ticks Can Survive Inside Your Home Longer Than You Might Think

The Best New Toys of March 2026

Judge Denies Liking LinkedIn Post Critical of Elon Musk But Reassigns His Cases Anyway

Amazon Slashes 50% Off Keurig K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker, Now a Budget Alternative to Breville and Nespresso Espresso Machines

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

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

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