NASA’s Orion May Not Launch With a Crew Until 2023

NASA’s next-gen spacecraft, Orion, was originally scheduled to launch with astronauts aboard in 2021, but owing to the space agency’s history of running into unexpected problems, it has decided to delay this important test flight by two years. The $6.77 billion Orion project is an effort to expand human space exploration, including possible missions to…

The Walking Dead Gives Us A First Glimpse At The Show’s Next Big Badass

George Miller is already being rumored for another DC movie. How many of the original songs will appear in the new Jungle Book? Marvel confirms that Misty Knight is in Luke Cage. Plus, set pictures from Rogue One, Game of Thrones casting, and a new clip from The Martian. So Many Spoilers! Gambit Director Rupert…

Attack of the Butterfly Woman | This is either the greatest photo ever, or the most insane—or both. This was taken outside the Nathaniel Paul fashion show, during New York Fashion Week. Model unknown. Photo: Jenny Anderson/Getty.

Daffodils Are Getting Revenge on Florists With Ground-Up Kidney Stones

One of the major complaints among florists is what’s known as “daffodil itch.” Cut down too many daffodils and they will make you pay for it. And they’ll accomplish this by using the major component of kidney stones. Daffodils are poisonous. This usually isn’t a problem, because people don’t usually try to eat daffodils. Usually.…

The First Reported Alien Abduction Is Finally Getting The Movie It Deserves

On September 19, 1961, Betty and Barney Hill claimed to have been taken aboard a UFO, experimented on, and returned with missing memories. It was the first time an abduction like that had ever been reported, and now the story is becoming a feature film. Gotham/Principal, one of the companies that produces The Maze Runner…

How to Watch Tonight’s Republican Debate Online

Cordcutters who wanted to watch the Facebook/FOX News Republican debates a few weeks ago were forced to scavenge for illegal streams or cry real tears into their Make America Great Again hats. Not tonight! CNN will be streaming the debates for all. The circus begins tonight at 8pm ET/5pm PT. You can watch on CNN.com,…

Genius on Genius | Nikola Tesla mural painted on the Genius Central building in St. Petersburg, FL, as part of the Shine St. Petersburg Mural Festival. Photo by CityofSt.Pete/Flickr/CC BY 2.0

Forget Godzilla Vs. King Kong—The Showdown We Want Is Cyborg 009 Vs. Devilman

Two of manga and anime’s greatest icons are crossing over in October, in Cyborg 009 vs. Devilman. Cyborg 009’s team of nine superpowered cyborgs, created by Shotaro Ishinomori, will square off against Devilman, the teenager who’s possessed by a demon, created by the legendary Go Nagai. According to Crunchyroll, Cyborg 009 vs. Devilman will be…

The Latest Stephen King Book To Become A Fatally Disappointing TV Show Is…

Stephen King and TV haven’t always had the best relationship. In fact, the track record of adapting the author’s work to the small screen is, overall, pretty bad. Sure there’s a good miniseries here and there—but for the most part it’s been a dismal line-up. Now a new King story is coming to TV: The…

Which Supposedly Lame Superpower Could Actually Be Awesome?

Flight, invisibility, and super-strength are all well and good, but it’s also really easy to make them look cool. And then there are things like “rodent manipulation” and “color absorption.” Which power do other people laugh at— but you know it could actually be great, if you used it right? For inspiration, seek out the…

These Butterflies Put Only A Minimal Effort Into Avoiding Interspecies Mating

Closely related butterflies all look so alike that they often confuse lepidopterists. In fact, they even confuse each other—and they have special adaptations to make sure they’re not actually breeding with closely related species, instead of their own species. Except when they don’t bother. Butterflies are known for their ability to imitate each other. Looking…

Seriously, Hunger Games Marketing Department? Seriously?! 

So there’s a new The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part II trailer out today, and it’s fascinating. It’s fascinating because it’s awful, and it’s awful because—well, well, to explain it would be to spoil a major moment in the movie, but even just watching this trailer could spoil you! So unless you’ve read the books (or…

Michelle Gomez Wants To Keep Playing Missy on Doctor Who For Years

Doctor Who’s biggest innovation in recent years is probably transforming the Master, that evil Time Lord, into an evil Time Lady named Missy. And the show obviously aims to capitalize on that surprise, because Missy is back in the two-part season opener, right after the show killed her off in the last season finale. We…

Charlie’s Angels is Coming to the Big Screen (Note: Not a Headline from 15 Years Ago)

About 20 years elapsed between the original TV version of Charlie’s Angels and its first, spy-fi film adaptation. Now, it’s taken less than five. The franchise, which had a short-lived TV reboot in 2011, will once again be reimagined for the big screen. Elizabeth Banks, the talented actor turned blockbuster director, will produce and probably…

Does Canned Food Ever Really Go Bad?

Why, hello! We’re so glad to see you made it past the velociraptornadoes, sinkhole maze, and fire ants made of literal fire to join us here in our Survival Week bunker. Please help yourself to a single (one, please!) rationed water bottle as we discuss our now increasingly urgent question: Does tinned food go bad?…

What can ancient stories tell us about modern disasters? Hakai magazine took a look at the history of indigenous stories about long-ago earthquakes, and what they can reveal to us about the long history (and possible future) of earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest.

At Last, Zoo Claws Its Way to an Appropriately Silly and Insane Finish

Zoo ends with an episode titled “The Great Big Hill of Hope,” but dares to suggest that “hope” will spring from an irritatingly catchy 1990s pop song. However, there are baboons, survivalist goons, a really cute old pug, and evan a few mild surprises. Spoilers follow! We begin “Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean,” as the…

These Beautiful Special Book Collections Will Part You From Your Money

If anyone else is like me—a compulsive book buyer with not enough shelf space—the discovery of the Juniper Books’ gorgeous book covers is going to be both wonderful and painful. The top image is for the “Science Fiction Classics” set, which will run you $250 and includes the works of Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, H.G.…

Close Calls: Three Times When Humanity Barely Escaped Extinction

Today it looks like humans will have to launch themselves into space to get enough room for our collective population, but we weren’t always so robust a species. There are three times in history during which humans nearly went extinct. Here’s what threatened us, and how we survived. 1.2 Million Years Ago: Humanity Before We…

Don’t Hold Your Breath For That Pacific Rim Sequel

Fans who’ve been polishing their Jaeger waiting for the sequel to Guillermo del Toro’s 2013 film, Pacific Rim, may want to slow down. It seems the sequel, which was set for a 2017 release date, has been “halted indefinitely” and may not get made at all. Last week, Latino Review ran a rumor that Pacific…