Mika McKinnon, Author at Gizmodo

Relive The Moon Landings, Even If You Weren’t Alive in 1969

Moonwalk One is a snippet of immersive history from the day humans first stepped foot on the moon. Take the time to be lost in history with the stories, fears, excitement, and celebration of people who were there, and dream of a future in space. Moonwalk One is a documentary on the Apollo 11 moon…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Jul 17 '14

Next Generation Telescopes Take Us Closer to Finding Alien Life

Every day we find more exoplanets. With bigger and better telescopes on the horizon, we’ll have far more observations of these planets than ever before — and NASA scientists are optimistic we’ll discover alien life within decades. On Monday, a panel of NASA scientists and engineers discussed the roadmap to the next generations of telescopes,…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Jul 16 '14

The Apollo 11 Launch Wasn’t Just Historic, It was Beautiful

Today is the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 11launch for the moon. On this day in 1969, Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr. were propelled by a Saturn V rocket into orbit. Their liftoff was not just historic; it was photogenic. Photograph from an Air Force EC135N chase plane. Look familiar?…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Jul 16 '14

An Aurora Dances in the Latest Vine from Space

I haven’t mentioned astronaut Reid Wiseman in over a week. Clearly, that means it’s time for him to spring a new bit of beautiful, soothing, incredible timelapse video of an S-curve aurora dancing above the southern hemisphere. This is a six-second loop I am completely content to leave on repeat for the next unconstrained period…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Jul 15 '14

Celebrate the Moon Landing With Apollo 11 Astronauts

Do you want to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landings with NASA up-close and personal with Apollo 11 astronauts? You can. NASA Social is a program specifically to reach out to social media users, giving them an avenue to reach audiences neglected by traditional media. Are you big on Twitter? The…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Jul 15 '14

Just Another Gorgeous and Successful Rocket Launch

SpaceX had another successful launch today, delivering a commercial payload into orbit. At this point, it’s starting to feel like a forgone conclusion — of course the launch was successful, what are you fussing about?! — marking yet another way that living in the future is awesome. Following on the heels of a picture-perfect commercial…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Jul 14 '14

Orbital’s Cargo Run to the Space Station is Picture-Perfect

After a giggle-worthy moment earlier in the week, Sunday’s rocket launch was a complete success. Orbital Sciences Corporation is fulfilling their second cargo delivery mission, Orb-2, carrying food and scientific equipment to the International Space Station. Launch of the Antares rocket and Cygnus cargo capsule for the Orb-2 mission on Sunday, July 13, 2014. Photo…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Jul 13 '14

A Quick Guide to Predicting Earthquakes

It is simultaneously incredibly easy and outright impossible to predict earthquakes. It all depends on how much detail you expect in your predictions. Sichuan Quake, China. Credit: Lam Yik Fei/Ghetty Images Geophysicists can predict where earthquakes will happen, the characteristics of earthquakes, and even their probability of occurrence, but they cannot use science to predict…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Jul 12 '14

Dusting the Exterior of Skylab

In 1973, astronaut Owen Garriott clambered around outside of Skylab to collect interplanetary dust particles. Because dusting isn’t just a household chore when you’re in space; it’s an opportunity to collect samples for science. Skylab was the first American space station. The list of mishaps that plagued the station is a story for another day,…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Jul 11 '14

This Snapshot of Coastal Processes in Australia is Lovely and Surreal

This striking image isn’t a piece of watercolour abstract art. It’s an estuary in Western Australia and a gorgeous example of utility of data beyond the visible spectrum. By combining wavelengths from deep blue through infrared, this Landsat image can be used to asses coastal processes and vegetative health. One of the things I love…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Jul 11 '14

Distributed Rocket Science is a Thing Now

How long does it take to dissolve 1 kilogram of nitrogen in 15 kilogram of hydrazine? A not-so-little spacecraft called out for help, and in less than two hours, the internet found an answer. ISEE-3, the spacecraft from the 1970s that a crowdfunded project is trying to hijack into doing more science, needs your cleverness.…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Jul 10 '14

Declassified Memos Debate Naming the Shuttle “Enterprise”

Star Trek and NASA have a long, productive relationship of increasing diversity in space programs, but naming the first test space shuttle Enterprise wasn’t a quick decision.

Tech News Mika McKinnon Jul 10 '14

NASA is WAY Too Excited About Its Next Rocket Launch

NASA exuberantly celebrated the erection of an Antares rocket today in preparation of the upcoming Orb-2 launch. Now my inner 13-year-old can’t stop snickering. Glad you’re excited for the launch, NASA! I’m just not sure it’s appropriate to show me just how excited you are… Aside from being exceedingly happy to see you, Orb-2 is…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Jul 10 '14

Dive Through Ice Caves and Skip Over Crevasses

Glaciers are an exotic world of beauty. In this video, a drone flirts with light filtered through translucent walls, capturing that ethereal mix of blue ice, white snow, and chilly brightness that defines glaciers. Take five minutes to ride along, swooping through caves and dancing around icy crags. Glaciers fascinating me. The various textures of…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Jul 9 '14

Can We Please Stop Blaming Fracking For Every Induced Earthquake?

Injecting fluid into the Earth can trigger earthquakes, but not every injection well is related to fracking. While the controversial process has brought a particular method of resource extraction into our day-to-day vocabulary, other types of injection wells can be just as guilty of triggering unintended consequences. Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) well site in Colorado. Photography…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Jul 8 '14

Natural Disasters Are the Hottest New Trend in Wedding Photography

First it was wildfire, then tornadoes. What will be the next crossover photo shoot between natural disasters and weddings? Not every disaster will work: this is my analysis of which disasters are best suited to join the growing genre of natural disaster wedding photography. A wildfire in Oregon brought the fire brigade to the wedding…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Jul 7 '14

Carnival of Space #361

This week’s Carnival of Space celebrates Cassini’s birthday, bringing citizen science to a Maker Fair, getting up close and personal with the new Orbital Carbon Observatory, and more. Read on for stories on new technology, citizen science, and astronomical prettiness. Astronaut Reid Wiseman captured just how intimidating Arthur is, even from space. Carnival of Space…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Jul 6 '14

Topographic Tables Mix Geology With Interior Design

Layering wood, concrete and glass to make contoured landscape furniture is a trend I can totally get behind. Driftwood Rivers Greg Klassen finds inspiration in the driftwood littering the beaches of the Pacific Northwest, using the organic shapes to dictate the lakes and rivers for his River Collection of furniture. The wood is harvested from…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Jul 6 '14

A Hypnotizing Timelapse Captures An Atmospheric Standing Wave

Lenticular clouds are the visible manifestation of an atmospheric standing wave. This hypnotizing timelapse captures the clouds pulsing and reforming in a fixed location in space, mountains of clouds mirroring the mountains of rock in the landscape below. Lenticular clouds form when moist air cools as it rises over a topographic obstruction (like a mountain),…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Jul 5 '14

Oklahoma Now Has More Small Earthquakes than California

Oklahoma now produces more small magnitude three earthquakes than California. A new study links four massive injection wells in Oklahoma to a swarm of earthquakes. For once, the wastewater is not related to fracking, the controversial resource extraction technique. Fracking is a petroleum industry technique where high-pressure fluids are used to fracture the bedrock. Afterwards,…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Jul 4 '14

Mika McKinnon

Relive The Moon Landings, Even If You Weren’t Alive in 1969

Next Generation Telescopes Take Us Closer to Finding Alien Life

The Apollo 11 Launch Wasn’t Just Historic, It was Beautiful

An Aurora Dances in the Latest Vine from Space

Celebrate the Moon Landing With Apollo 11 Astronauts

Just Another Gorgeous and Successful Rocket Launch

Orbital’s Cargo Run to the Space Station is Picture-Perfect

A Quick Guide to Predicting Earthquakes

Dusting the Exterior of Skylab

This Snapshot of Coastal Processes in Australia is Lovely and Surreal

Distributed Rocket Science is a Thing Now

Declassified Memos Debate Naming the Shuttle “Enterprise”

NASA is WAY Too Excited About Its Next Rocket Launch

Dive Through Ice Caves and Skip Over Crevasses

Can We Please Stop Blaming Fracking For Every Induced Earthquake?

Natural Disasters Are the Hottest New Trend in Wedding Photography

Carnival of Space #361

Topographic Tables Mix Geology With Interior Design

A Hypnotizing Timelapse Captures An Atmospheric Standing Wave

Oklahoma Now Has More Small Earthquakes than California

Philips All-in-One Bluetooth Turntable With Built-in Speakers Gets an Early 33% Discount, Rare Deal for a New Model on Amazon

The ‘For All Mankind’ Spin-Off’s New Trailer Is Dripping With Cold War Paranoia

HP’s Copilot AI Laptop Is Now Nearly 50% Off With Microsoft Office 365 Included, Priced Like Used but It’s Brand New 2026 Edition

NASA’s Curiosity Rover Spots Strange Fish-Scale Patterns on Mars

The First Look at the ‘Elden Ring’ Movie Set Reveals an Infamous NPC

Data Centers Used to Be Movie Set Pieces. Now They’re the Villain

Google Nest Doorbell (3rd Gen) Now at Black Friday Prices on Amazon for 2025 Model Clearout, an Easy Entry to Google Home Security

Anker SOLIX C300 Portable Power Station Is Back at a Record Low, No Need to Carry Multiple Small Power Banks With This One

Watch a Game Collector Recreate 1974’s Nintendo Arcade Target Shooter ‘Wild Gunman’

Watch the ‘Game of Thrones’ Cast Film Their Final Scenes

HP’s EliteBoard Keyboard-Computer Proves We Can Stick a PC in Anything

Sleep-Tracking Earbuds Didn’t Fix Me, but They Did Open My Eyes

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