Matt Novak, Author at Gizmodo

Coal No Longer US’s Most Popular Electricity Source For First Time Ever

For the first time ever, coal has been unseated as America’s largest source of fuel to generate electricity. As of April 2015, natural gas is now number 1. A report from SNL Energy shows that 31 percent of America’s electricity was now coming from natural gas. That’s up from just 22 percent in 2010. But…

Tech News Matt Novak Jul 14 '15

America Used to Give Out Weird Participation Awards for Nuclear Tests

Remember when you were a kid and you got a “participation award” for just showing up to your soccer games? Well, the US government had a similar certificate that it’d hand out. As you can imagine, it was for something a bit more serious: Nuclear tests during the Cold War. That’s right, if you were…

Tech News Matt Novak Jul 14 '15

The Jetpack Makes Its Debut in China

Professional daredevil Nick Macomber made history over the weekend, conducting the first successful jetpack flight ever in China. But don’t get your hopes up about taking one of these things to work anytime soon. According to China Daily, over 1,000 people watched in Beijing as Macomber blasted off to a height of about 10 stories,…

Tech News Matt Novak Jul 13 '15

Self/Less Is a Fun Dystopia That I Hope Never Comes True

The quest for immortality has a long history in futurist circles. What if you could jump from body to body, complete with the same thoughts, the same memories, the same personality as before? That’s the idea behind the new Ryan Reynolds vehicle Self/Less. And while the film won’t change your life, it’s a fine way…

Tech News Matt Novak Jul 10 '15

7 Gandhi Quotes That Are Totally Fake

We love quotes from famous dead people. Words just sound more important when they’re coming from the mouths of important historical figures. And when we need that extra dash of moral authority, Mahatma Gandhi is one of the most quotable. But as Gandhi once said, “Half my quotes on Pinterest are fake.” Below we have…

Tech News Matt Novak Jul 9 '15

Paramount Wants Movies on Demand Two Weeks After They’re In Theaters

Tired of waiting forever for movies to be released on DVD and streaming? Paramount Pictures has finally heard your complaints. And it has just struck a deal with two major movie theater chains that will allow them to release new films on demand after only two weeks in the theater. The Wall Street Journalreports that…

Movies Matt Novak Jul 8 '15

That Photo of Hillary Clinton With a Confederate Flag is Fake

Is this Hillary Clinton posing for a photo in front of the Confederate flag? Nope. It’s a fake. Well, at least the flag part is. The original photo comes from her time at Wellesley College and doesn’t have the flag. Noted conservative activist Dinesh D’Souza tweeted the fake photo earlier today, which helped it go…

Tech News Matt Novak Jul 7 '15

University of Toronto Defends Class That Taught Anti-Vaccine Propaganda

Are you a student looking for a great health studies course? I’d suggest steering clear of the University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus. The school has recently become the laughingstock of the scientific community for a course that includes materials on the dangers of vaccines. Jenny McCarthy would be so proud. The health course was taught…

Tech News Matt Novak Jul 7 '15

North Korean TV Uses Riley the Stoned Dog to Prove America’s Decadence

You’ve probably seen Riley. He’s a dog who got internet-famous for looking super stoned at his birthday party. He’s a funny little pup. But the North Koreans aren’t laughing. They recently showed the image on state TV to prove just how decadent American culture is. As the Guardian explains: KCTV commentator Lee Chung-song claimed in…

Tech News Matt Novak Jul 7 '15

Blaine Gibson, Designer of Lifelike Robots at Disney Parks, Dies at 97

Blaine Gibson, a designer of countless sculptures and audio-animatronic figures at Disney Parks, has died. He was 97. The average visitor to Disneyland or Walt Disney World may not know Gibson by name, but they’re surrounded by his art. He worked on robotic figures for the Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion, and…

Tech News Matt Novak Jul 6 '15

Here’s the Government’s Horrifying New Fireworks Safety Demonstration

Do you love watching fireworks? What about watching fireworks that blow the shit out of poor, unsuspecting mannequins? Well, have we got a treat for you. The Consumer Product Safety Commission recently conducted their annual fireworks safety demonstration on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. And just like past safety demonstrations, it’s more hilarious than…

Tech News Matt Novak Jul 3 '15

Back to the Future Turns 30 Today

Back to the Future was released exactly 30 years ago today on July 3, 1985. What are you doing to celebrate? There are actually events all around the world, from Marty McFly lookalike contests to special screenings. I went to one myself on Tuesday at the Hollywood Bowl in L.A., which set a world record…

Tech News Matt Novak Jul 3 '15

Kuwait Just Made DNA Tests Mandatory For All Residents

In a move that will make privacy advocates cringe, Kuwait passed a law yesterday making DNA tests mandatory for all residents. According to the AFP, people who refuse testing will face a year in prison and a hefty fine. The draconian law will establish a comprehensive database of all residents in Kuwait, presumably making it…

Tech News Matt Novak Jul 2 '15

Where’s My Hoverboard?

Is the hoverboard just over the horizon? Not quite. But you’d be forgiven for thinking otherwise! You can’t open a newspaper, turn on the radio, or bathe in the ones and zeroes of the internet without getting inundated with promises that the world of hoverboards is upon us. So where in the kickflipping heck is…

Tech News Matt Novak Jul 2 '15

DEA Agent Who Stole Bitcoin During Silk Road Investigation Pleads Guilty

One of the two government officials charged with some shady dealings during the investigation of Silk Roadpleaded guilty today. Carl Force used to work for the DEA and during the course of his investigation was doing things that might even make the darknet blush. Force contacted Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht under the name Nob…

Tech News Matt Novak Jul 1 '15

Google’s Top Hit For ‘Greek Bailout’ Is an Indiegogo Campaign to Fund It

What’s the top hit for a Google search of “Greek bailout”? Depressingly, it’s not a thorough economic analysis of how to get Greece out of debt. It’s a goofy Indiegogo campaign to crowdfund €1.6 billion. And the campaign is fast approaching €1 million. Yes, everyone’s heart seems to be in the right place in this…

Tech News Matt Novak Jul 1 '15

The Campaign to Crowdfund Greece’s Bailout Has Crashed Indiegogo

Yesterday we told you about a silly crowdfunding campaign to bail out Greece. Apparently there’s been so much interest that Indiegogo’s servers have been overloaded. The campaign is currently down. No joke. [Update: It’s back up and going strong.] Now, it’s probably safe to assume that the reason people were visiting the site had more…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 30 '15

Is This Time Capsule Filled With $1 Million and a Ghost or Nah?

Does this mason jar contain a treasure map? Or maybe a million dollars? Or maybe even the ghost of a pirate that spent decades stalking the coast of Florida? No one knows for sure. All we do know is that a Florida woman recently found this old mason jar in a decaying tree trunk and…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 30 '15

Here’s the First Teaser for Oliver Stone’s Snowden Movie

The first teaser for the upcoming movie about Edward Snowden has just been released. And frankly it’s not much to look at. But we still can’t wait. Even if Oliver Stone is a shit historian (and he really, really is) he has a fun way of turning our garbage world on its head. Simply titled…

Movies Matt Novak Jun 30 '15

New ‘Scorpion’ Robot Will Inspect Fukushima Reactor This Summer

When the 2011 earthquake in Japan damaged the Fukushima nuclear power plant, teams scrambled to find a robot that could go where humans couldn’t. In many ways those robots failed, and ever since, there has been a focus on creating robots that can get the job done. Enter Toshiba’s “Scorpion” robot, which will make its…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 30 '15

Matt Novak

Coal No Longer US’s Most Popular Electricity Source For First Time Ever

America Used to Give Out Weird Participation Awards for Nuclear Tests

The Jetpack Makes Its Debut in China

Self/Less Is a Fun Dystopia That I Hope Never Comes True

7 Gandhi Quotes That Are Totally Fake

Paramount Wants Movies on Demand Two Weeks After They’re In Theaters

That Photo of Hillary Clinton With a Confederate Flag is Fake

University of Toronto Defends Class That Taught Anti-Vaccine Propaganda

North Korean TV Uses Riley the Stoned Dog to Prove America’s Decadence

Blaine Gibson, Designer of Lifelike Robots at Disney Parks, Dies at 97

Here’s the Government’s Horrifying New Fireworks Safety Demonstration

Back to the Future Turns 30 Today

Kuwait Just Made DNA Tests Mandatory For All Residents

Where’s My Hoverboard?

DEA Agent Who Stole Bitcoin During Silk Road Investigation Pleads Guilty

Google’s Top Hit For ‘Greek Bailout’ Is an Indiegogo Campaign to Fund It

The Campaign to Crowdfund Greece’s Bailout Has Crashed Indiegogo

Is This Time Capsule Filled With $1 Million and a Ghost or Nah?

Here’s the First Teaser for Oliver Stone’s Snowden Movie

New ‘Scorpion’ Robot Will Inspect Fukushima Reactor This Summer

The Future of War Is These Four Jerks, Apparently

Singapore Is Proving to Be One of the Worst Places in the World to Post AI Slop

Slow Earthquakes Sometimes Come Before Big Ones. The Sun and Moon May Be Setting Them Off

‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Has a ‘Surprise’ Ending, But Is That Actually a Surprise?

This AI Can Estimate How Long You’ve Been Dead. How It Works Is the Weird Part

Love Inspires New Inventions in the Uneven but Fun ‘Sparks of Tomorrow’

USPS Is Putting Dashcams in Mail Trucks to Keep an Eye on ‘Community Safety’

The Best Gadgets of September 2026

Is Trump’s Push to Rename AI to ‘Super Intelligence’ Part of Some Bigger Conspiracy?

Sorry, ‘Orville’ Faithful, Seth MacFarlane Has a New Sci-Fi Show in the Works

GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS Review: A Bad GoPro and a Worse Camera

Apple Watch Ultra 4 Review: Still the Best Health Buddy for Your Wrist

Mova LiDAX Pro 800 Review: This Robomower Tried to Mow Me Down

iRobot Roomba Max 775 Review: A Respectable Roomba Redux

Sonos Ace Ultra Review: Headphones That Only Hardcore Sonos Fans Could Love

M6 Mac mini Review: A Better Tiny Desktop, With or Without AI

Aqara Multi-Sensor FP400 Review: Not Quite the mmWave of the Future

Alienware’s AW3926QW Ultrawide Gaming Monitor Review: Size Really Does Matter

iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max Review: Apple Is Just Flexing Hard Now

AirPods 5 Review: A Ridiculously Great Value for ANC Wireless Earbuds