Maddie Stone, Author at Gizmodo

Ancient, Predatory “Lobster” is an Ancestor to All Modern Arthropods

More than 250 million years before the first dinosaur, the most fearsome killers on Earth may have been lobsters. Yawunik kootenayi, a common ancestor to spiders, shrimp and butterflies, was a predatory “lobster-like” creature that ruled the seas half a billion years ago. As reported this week in the journal Paleontology, fossils of Yawunik were…

Tech News Maddie Stone

All the Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Flavors in a Single Infographic

If you love Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, but can never remember what the heck is in Gilly’s Catastrophic Crunch or Spectacular Speculoos, go print out a copy of this infographic and tape it to your fridge right now. This handy ice cream key was created by designer Jishai Evers, a Ben & Jerry’s fan…

Tech News Maddie Stone

Social Media Can Make Standardized Test Questions Go Viral

When standardized tests are shared nationwide—as they now are, under the Common Core system that’s been adopted in 46 states—cheating suddenly becomes a whole lot easier. Especially since teenagers now share just about everything on social media. As we’re all aware, platforms like Twitter and Instagram have a way of making illicit activities go viral.…

Tech News Maddie Stone

To Feed the World, We May Need to Hack Photosynthesis

One of the biggest challenges of the 21st century will be figuring out how to feed our rising global population. Now, some scientists are making the radical claim that growing more food won’t be enough—we literally need to hack photosynthesis. Humans have been breeding crop plants to grow faster and yield more for approximately 10,000…

Tech News Maddie Stone

This 3D-Printed Predicta Will Transport You to the 1950’s

Once upon a time, long before Twitter or Xbox live, you could turn on a TV that looked a lot like this and watch spacemen valiantly defeat their enemies with rayguns and plutonium-powered rockets. We can’t travel back to that simpler age, but we can re-create the experience using 3D printing. Especially since this two-inch…

Gadgets Maddie Stone

Man Interrupts Tortoise Sex, World’s Slowest Chase Scene Ensues

Yes, tortoises sometimes try to chase things, and yes, it’s every bit as hilarious as you’d imagine. Several days ago, a National Geographic expedition to the remote island nation of Seychelles encountered something extraordinary: two giant tortoises mating. The male tortoise, none too happy about being caught in the act, proceeded to chase expedition leader…

Tech News Maddie Stone

‘Post Modern Skateboard’ Has No Board Whatsoever

We’re well into the 21st century, so perhaps it’s not surprising that somebody finally decided to render the tried-and-true skateboard a major update. Enter the Post Modern Skateboard—at least, that’s how it’s being marketed. Thing is, this contraption has no board to speak of. As CNET points out, the Post Modern Skateboard—basically, a $100 pair…

Tech News Maddie Stone

Chlorine Treatment Can Accelerate Antibiotic Resistance, Study Says

As anyone who’s ever owned a pet fish or gone to a public swimming pool knows, chlorine is commonly used to disinfect water. Ironically, when it comes to sewage treatment, it may be doing just the opposite. At wastewater treatment plants, chlorine is used to eliminate both harmful bacteria and pharmaceutical residues, including antibiotics. But…

Tech News Maddie Stone

Science Photographer Reveals Beauty of the Microscopic World

Linden Gledhill is a photographer with a background in biochemistry, and lately, he’s been using his scientific training to make the microscopic world look absolutely breathtaking. Gledhill uses one of three basic set-ups to produce his work: Macrophotography, a microscope that reflects light, or a transmission scope, wherein light passes through an object and is…

Tech News Maddie Stone

The Most Obscenely Expensive Apps for iOS

If you thought $10 was highway robbery when it comes to apps, this colorful infographic should help put things in perspective. It’s arguable that a few of the apps listed here are worth their eye-popping price tag—Harrison’s Principles, for instance, is basically a medical textbook for doctors, while IDIA is the veterinarian’s counterpart. But others,…

Tech News Maddie Stone

An Opossum May One Day Save You From a Deadly Snakebite

While many of us hold the opossum in about as much esteem as a sewer rat, turns out, we ought to be showing this particular urban trashivore a lil’ more respect. Opossums may end up saving thousands of humans from deadly snakebites each year. That’s because scientists have just managed to synthetically manufacture a possum…

Tech News Maddie Stone

Your Tesla Is About to Become Autonomous

Earlier this week, we heard billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk describe his vision for the future of self-driving vehicles. Turns out, when Musk said “we’ll be there in a few years,” what he actually meant was, his company, Tesla, will be there this summer. https://gizmodo.com/elon-musk-describes-the-future-of-self-driving-cars-1692076449 On Thursday, Musk announced that Tesla’s Model S sedans would be…

Artificial Intelligence Maddie Stone

Arctic Sea Ice Hit a Forty-Year Low This Winter

The National Snow and Ice Data Center has just released the results of its latest analysis of Arctic sea ice. Surprise—the prognosis is not good. The maximum extent of Arctic sea ice occurred early this year, and, at 5.61 million square miles, was the smallest in four decades. The map above shows the Arctic sea…

Climate Change Maddie Stone

Well, That’s One Way to Prank a Person

As most of her fans know, Ellen DeGeneres has been messing (hilariously) with Today Show host Matt Lauer. Now, it’d seem, Matt’s decided to get even. After opening her car door and spilling ping pong balls all over a parking lot, DeGeneres discovers a cardboard cutout of her prankster buried inside. Sure, you could say…

Tech News Maddie Stone

Researchers Turn Packing Peanuts Into Rechargeable Batteries

Many of us have shared the guilty twinge of pouring a box of packing peanuts into a trash bag, knowing that our convenient foam waste will end up sitting in a landfill for the next few thousand years. Soon, however, we may be able to juice these little nuts for energy. That’s because chemical engineers…

Tech News Maddie Stone

Man Creates Awesome Wiping Out-In-Kitchen Selfie

We’ve all had a glorious, photo-worthy wipe out or two in our lives (or, if you’re clumsy like me, this happens on a pretty regular basis.) But few of us have succeeded in capturing the essence of such an event like photographer Derek Johnson. Full disclosure: Johnson did not actually photograph himself falling over in…

Tech News Maddie Stone

Here’s How You Can Help Build a Quantum Computer

Quantum computers—theoretical machines which can process certain large and difficult problems exponentially faster than classical computers—have been a mainstay of science fiction for decades. But actually building one has proven incredibly challenging. A group of researchers at Aarhus University believes the secret to creating a quantum computer lies in understanding human cognition. So, they’ve built…

Tech News Maddie Stone

These Colorful Liquid Droplets Chase Each Other Like Living Organisms

When water hits a glass surface, it usually just spreads itself out. But when water containing the organic molecule propylene glycol (PG) hits glass, it comes alive. In a manner of speaking. Scientists at Stanford University were at first perplexed by the strange behavior they observed when droplets of food coloring consisting of PG and…

Tech News Maddie Stone

This Pigeon-Guided Missile System Was (Thankfully) Never Deployed

Yesterday, in 1904, pyschologist B.F. Skinner was born. His contribution to the world? This pigeon-guided missile system, among other things. Yes, really. According to the Smithsonian American History Museum’s official Instagram: During World War II, the US military needed to find accurate ways to guide missiles to their targets. University of Minnesota psychologist B. F.…

Tech News Maddie Stone

Electric Vehicles Just Got Cooler

In case you didn’t think electric vehicles were cooler than their gas-guzzling counterparts, well, think again. They quite literally are, according to science. Electric car skeptics often point out that the vehicles are made using energy from the same fossil-fuel burning power plants as traditional cars, which….sort of defeats the purpose, right? Not entirely. A…

Tech News Maddie Stone

Maddie Stone

Ancient, Predatory “Lobster” is an Ancestor to All Modern Arthropods

All the Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Flavors in a Single Infographic

Social Media Can Make Standardized Test Questions Go Viral

To Feed the World, We May Need to Hack Photosynthesis

This 3D-Printed Predicta Will Transport You to the 1950’s

Man Interrupts Tortoise Sex, World’s Slowest Chase Scene Ensues

‘Post Modern Skateboard’ Has No Board Whatsoever

Chlorine Treatment Can Accelerate Antibiotic Resistance, Study Says

Science Photographer Reveals Beauty of the Microscopic World

The Most Obscenely Expensive Apps for iOS

An Opossum May One Day Save You From a Deadly Snakebite

Your Tesla Is About to Become Autonomous

Arctic Sea Ice Hit a Forty-Year Low This Winter

Well, That’s One Way to Prank a Person

Researchers Turn Packing Peanuts Into Rechargeable Batteries

Man Creates Awesome Wiping Out-In-Kitchen Selfie

Here’s How You Can Help Build a Quantum Computer

These Colorful Liquid Droplets Chase Each Other Like Living Organisms

This Pigeon-Guided Missile System Was (Thankfully) Never Deployed

Electric Vehicles Just Got Cooler

Fourth Most Populous Country in the World Bans Most Social Media for Kids

How to watch UFC Fight Night Adesanya vs Pyfer live this Saturday

‘Steel Ball Run’ Will Return This Year…Eventually

‘The Mummy 4’ Is Getting the Family Back Together

JD Vance Says UFOs Are Actually Demons

Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine Hits Its Lowest Price of the Year for Amazon’s Big Spring Sale, Cut Your Daily Coffee Costs at Home

Amazon Clears Out Govee LED Smart Light Bulbs (2-Pack) at a Record Low, Each Bulb Costs Just a Few Dollars

The First Proper ‘Ghost in the Shell’ Trailer Is a ’90s Anime Fever Dream

JBL PartyBox Club 120 Speaker Drops Back to Black Friday Pricing for Amazon’s Big Spring Sale Only

YouTuber Resolves Fraternal Disagreement With Excavator and Hilariously Large Sword

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