Robbie Gonzalez, Author at Gizmodo

Gale Force Winds to the Face — Now With Video!

The only thing better than photos of people being blasted in the face with a leafblower? Slow motion video of people being blasted in the face with a leafblower. It’s the work of Lithuanian photographer Tadao Cern, and it is glorious. [This is Colossal]

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Jun 14 '12

The American Museum of Natural History wants to help identify your rare stuff

Will you be in New York this weekend? Have you got a mysterious rock, bone, insect, or artifact tucked away and in need of professional, scientific assessment? Bring it to the American Museum of Natural History’s annual Identification Day — they want to check it out! On Saturday, June 16, scientists will attempt to identify…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Jun 14 '12

Europe’s earliest cave art may be the work of Neandertals, not humans

Were Europe’s first artists Neandertals? An international team of archaeologists says it’s a strong possibility. Improved dating techniques have revealed that the practice of cave painting began at least 40,800 years ago, around the same time that modern humans arrived in Europe. But the paintings — which, at 40,800 years old, are easily the most…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Jun 14 '12

After nine months, authorities still don’t know the true identity of Germany’s “Forest Boy” (UPDATED)

Do you know or recognize Ray? The teenage boy turned up in Berlin nine months ago claiming to know little about himself beyond his name and birthday (June 20, 1994). When pressed to divulge more about himself and his history, he claims he is unable to remember. Now, after close to a year of investigation,…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Jun 14 '12

Astronomers may have discovered the oldest galaxy in the Universe

A team of Japanese astronomers claims to have used the Subaru and Keck telescopes at Hawaii’s Mauna Kea, pictured above, to observe a galaxy 12.91 billion light years from Earth. If their findings are correct (and the majority of astronomers thus far agree they are), it could well be the oldest galaxy ever discovered. The…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Jun 13 '12

What can the DNA of bonobos teach us about what it means to be human?

An international team of researchers has mapped the genome of the bonobo for the first time, revealing that this great ape shares as much DNA with humans as its more aggressive cousin, the chimpanzee. Identifying and understanding how all three genomes overlap, researchers say, could offer new insights into what makes each species look and…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Jun 13 '12

Battlestar Galactica cufflinks are the perfect addition to your workplace wardrobe

We all love cosplay — but sometimes circumstances require us to express admiration of our favorite fictional characters in more understated ways. (I don’t care how casual your work’s Casual Fridays are, chances are you’re not getting away with wearing any of these at the office.) That’s what’s so great about these Battlestar Galactica cufflinks.…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Jun 13 '12

NASA’s new hunt for black holes begins today — watch it live here

NASA is going hunting for black holes, and they’re using a new low Earth orbit telescope to do it. It’s called NuSTAR (short for Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array), and it’s scheduled to launch today beginning at 11:30 EDT. Check out the live webcast after the jump. NuSTAR is the first high energy X-ray telescope ever…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Jun 13 '12

These live stem cells were recovered from a 17-day-dead human corpse

Researchers at the Pasteur Institute in Paris have discovered that certain stem cells can stay alive in human corpses for at least 17 days after that person is declared dead. What were we saying the other day about the difficulty with defining death? The research, which is published in this week’s issue of Nature Communications,…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Jun 12 '12

Set of disembodied lungs found lying on L.A. sidewalk

So this is weird. Even by Los Angeles standards, this is really weird. A pair of lungs has been discovered on a sidewalk on the city’s southside, and officials still aren’t sure where (or who/what) they came from. According to the L.A. Times: Coroner’s officials said Monday they will examine what appears to be a…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Jun 12 '12

This Spoiler-Filled map tracks the travels of every major character from A Song of Ice and Fire!

This is what you get when you take the most detailed speculative map of George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series (a map Martin himself called “very handsome”) and combine it with a scrupulous account of the characters’ travels throughout the series. Reader, prepare yourself — this thing is epic (and…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Jun 12 '12

George Takei and Robonaut 2 flash the Vulcan salute in support of LGBT and Asian American inclusion

Late last month, George Takei visited NASA’s Johnson Space Center to speak about leadership and inclusiveness at an event sponsored by the Agency’s “ASIA” and “Out & Allied” resource groups, which represent the Space Center’s Asian-Pacific American and LGBT employees, respectively. According to NASA: Takei was an inspiration to many through his struggles as a…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Jun 12 '12

This summer, NASA’s Curiosity rover will attempt the most ambitious Martian landing in history

NASA has upped the ante on the August landing of Curiosity, the largest, most scientifically capable planetary rover ever built. By shrinking the size of its target landing zone, the Agency hopes to place Curiosity closer to its experimental target, while saving it months of travel time. “We’re trimming the distance we’ll have to drive…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Jun 12 '12

Watching steel sliced in slow motion is weirdly hypnotic

Seriously. Just kick back, relax, and enjoy the show — because chances are you’ve never seen steel like this. What you’re watching is a close-up, super slow motion look at different pieces of steel being whittled away by a variety of high-precision metalworking tools (click here for a video of what this looks like in…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Jun 11 '12

Over 100 Beautifully Preserved Terracotta Warriors Unearthed in China

Earlier today, Chinese archaeologists announced the discovery of 110 life-sized terracotta warriors, guarding the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, China’s first emperor. Over 8,000 such soldiers — which date back to 200 BC, and collectively comprise the Qin Emperor’s massive “Terracotta Army” — have been discovered at the mausoleum in Xi’an, China since it was…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Jun 11 '12

China to send first female taikonaut into space

To date, China has sent six astronauts to space, and all six of them have been men. But that will soon change. China’s outpost in space is about to welcome its very first inhabitants, and among the crew will be the country’s first female astronaut. In just a few days, China will send three astronauts…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Jun 11 '12

The 10 Geekiest Google Easter Eggs

The folks at Google are no strangers to science, science fiction, fantasy, or geek culture in general. Evidence of their fandom is plentiful, most commonly in the form of easter eggs and April Fools’ jokes, for which the company is famous. But you do have to know where to look. Consider this your guide to…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Jun 11 '12

And now, small children in adorable cosplay

One of the best things about becoming a parent is getting to dress your kids up as chest-bursting, brain-devouring zombies (or, provided you’ve raised them as good little Browncoats and Whovians, getting to see them choose an awesome costume all on their own). Nerd Babies — which over the weekend became one of my new…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Jun 11 '12

The Meaning of Death: How do we know someone is no longer alive?

At what point does a person actually die? That depends on who you ask. To one person, it’s the moment the heart stops beating. To another, it’s when the brain enters a “vegetative” state. But a heart can be forced to keep beating; and how dead is a person, really, if she can continue to…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Jun 8 '12

Watching this scientist sample lava from an active volcano will make your heart race

When I read that the video featured here was intense, I was skeptical. One of my biggest gripes about “reality” television programs (and, to a lesser extent, documentaries) is how they often use music and stylized camerawork to imbue relatively innocuous situations with a sense of urgency, tension or danger (see: every episode of Ghost…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Jun 8 '12

Robbie Gonzalez

Gale Force Winds to the Face — Now With Video!

The American Museum of Natural History wants to help identify your rare stuff

Europe’s earliest cave art may be the work of Neandertals, not humans

After nine months, authorities still don’t know the true identity of Germany’s “Forest Boy” (UPDATED)

Astronomers may have discovered the oldest galaxy in the Universe

What can the DNA of bonobos teach us about what it means to be human?

Battlestar Galactica cufflinks are the perfect addition to your workplace wardrobe

NASA’s new hunt for black holes begins today — watch it live here

These live stem cells were recovered from a 17-day-dead human corpse

Set of disembodied lungs found lying on L.A. sidewalk

This Spoiler-Filled map tracks the travels of every major character from A Song of Ice and Fire!

George Takei and Robonaut 2 flash the Vulcan salute in support of LGBT and Asian American inclusion

This summer, NASA’s Curiosity rover will attempt the most ambitious Martian landing in history

Watching steel sliced in slow motion is weirdly hypnotic

Over 100 Beautifully Preserved Terracotta Warriors Unearthed in China

China to send first female taikonaut into space

The 10 Geekiest Google Easter Eggs

And now, small children in adorable cosplay

The Meaning of Death: How do we know someone is no longer alive?

Watching this scientist sample lava from an active volcano will make your heart race

Watch a Guy Fabricate Functioning Micron-Scale RAM Cells in His Garden Shed

Scientists Probed the Rings Around Uranus to Find Out How They Got There

I Fear What Baby Rotta Could Mean For ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’

Framework’s New Ultra-Repairable ‘Pro’ Laptop Lets You Ditch Windows Entirely

Florida’s Attorney General Opens Criminal Investigation Into OpenAI’s Role in Mass Shooting

James Wan Didn’t Storm Out of a ‘Mummy’ Test Screening, He Just Needed to Pee

Trump Brags That Tim Cook Would ‘Kiss My Ass’ as the Apple CEO Steps Aside

‘The Omen’ Remains a Searing Reminder That No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

The Lyrids Peak Tonight. Here’s How to Catch Spring’s First Meteor Shower

Alex Karp’s ‘Supervillain’ Manifesto Is Putting Palantir’s Contracts at Risk

I’ve Tested a Lot of Bad Smart Glasses and These Are the Worst Yet

Roborock’s Qrevo Curv 2 Flow Is the Ultimate Robot Mop—If You Don’t Have Corners or Walls

Alienware’s $350 QD-OLED Gaming Monitor Nixes Everything for a Pretty Screen

Sony Inzone H6 Air Review: A Perfect Case for Open-Back Gaming Headsets

Anker’s EufyMake E1 Finally Brings Printers Out of the Dark Ages

The Soundboks Mix Is Going to Make You the Most Popular Guy at the Park

Asus Zenbook A16 Review: Start Considering Snapdragon on PC, for Real

Aqara Thermostat Hub W200 Review: Almost Better than My Ecobee

HP Omen Max 45L Review: 4K60 Gaming Has Never Been So Easy

Ecovacs Winbot W3 Omni Review: Window Cleaning Robots Have a Long Way to Go