Warner Bros. is developing a Carl Sagan biopic. They’ll have the help of Ann Druyan, Sagan’s widow, who is going to be a producer on the film. [The Tracking Board]

In the Antarctic, a Tiny Aurora Shimmers in the Night Sky

At the very southernmost point of Earth is Concordia Station, a joint French-Italian inland Antarctic research station with isolation, long stretches of darkness, and low oxygen levels that allow research into the adaptation of human psychology and physiology. Despite all this, it is beautiful. This photo was taken by Doctor Beth Healey, a European Space…

Important PSA: No, You Can’t Take Your Batarangs Through Airport Security

See? This is why Batman has to be Bruce Wayne, multi-billionaire. He has to be able to afford the Batplane because you lose all credibility once the TSA is patting down your utility belt. These four batarangs were seized by the TSA last week in Boise (yes, Boise. No, we don’t know what the Dark…

Well, At Least the Minority Report TV Show Looks Great.

In a new featurette, the cast and crew of Fox’s new Minority Report earnestly explain how the show takes the premise of the movie forward. They’re certainly committing a lot of resources to getting the look right. The one thing no one seems to be explaining in this video is how the show can have…

This Carpenter Bee Can’t Sting You, But He’s Certainly Giving You the Eye

He looks like a bumble bee, but this is Xylocopa virginica, the Virginia Carpenter Bee. While females have a stinger, the males don’t, but they do step to other males who invade their turf, watching over females and young. “Carpenter” comes from the bees’ nesting habits: they tunnel into wood to lay eggs. Photo credit:…

Solving an “Unsolvable” Math Problem

Until recently, there were just 14 known convex pentagons (nonregular, five-sided shapes with outward-pointing angles) that could “tile the plane” (be arranged with flush sides on a flat surface, with no gaps or overlaps). But last month, some thirty years since the 14th was discovered, a 15th was identified. The convex pentagon in question and…

The Bologna Stone Was a Glowing Mystery for 400 Years

The Bologna Stone was discovered in 1603, at the base of a dead volcano near Bologna. When treated with heat, and exposed to sunlight, it would glow for hours—sometimes days. It took 400 years to figure out why. In 1603, Vincenzo Cascariolo was digging in the volcanic rock near Bologna, Italy. The man was a…

Gray Goo Scenarios and How to Avoid Them

The prospect of self-replicating nanobots devouring the Earth is a frightening one, indeed. But as Idea Couture foresight strategist Jayar LaFontaine explains, there are some practical things we can do to prevent such nightmares from happening. In a lecture delivered in 1948, mathematician John Von Neumann first described the potential for machines to build perfect…

What Is the Most Baffling Decision a Scientist Has Made in a Science Fiction Movie?

Scientists in science fiction movies are often brimming with esoteric knowledge and incredible skills, but some of them… some of them are very poor decision makers. What is the most perplexing choice made by a fictional movie scientist? There are certainly a lot to choose from. (Hell, Prometheus could be subtitled “Scientists Doing Dumb Things.”)…

This is What Happens to Your Body When You Stop Exercising

It takes a lot of hard work to stay in shape, which is why it’s important to exercise on a regular basis. But it’s not always possible to remain active, and sometimes a few days off can turn into a more… extended hiatus. Here’s what happens to your body when you suddenly stop exercising. Measuring…

Arrow‘s Starling City Is Getting A Comic Book Name Change

When Arrow first began, it was reticent to show off its comic past—Oliver Queen was a snarly Batman-type, the Green Arrow became “The Hood” and “The Vigilante”, and Star City became Starling. But as the show increasingly embraces its roots, those things have changed (okay, not Ollie)—and now the city has too. Yes, just as…

Get a Load of This Goddamn Sneaky Octopus

Cephalopod experts at UC Berkeley have discovered that the larger Pacific striped octopus—seen here outstretched—employs a rare hunting strategy. Instead of pouncing on its prey with all eight arms (a common technique among octopuses), it extends a single limb, like a grabby toddler, and startles its prey into clutches. Below, you can watch the octopus…

Want to See More LGBT Superhero Comics by LGBT Creators? Support This Anthology

Oath is an upcoming collection of comics featuring original LGBT superheroes written and drawn entirely by LGBT creators. The black-and-white anthology sounds massive: over 240 pages long with work from over two dozen creators. Oath editor Audrey Redpath just launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund the project. The artists and writers announced so far run…

A Glorious 3D Glimpse of a Massive Martian Canyon

India’s Mars Orbiter Mission has sent back a dramatic image of the Ophir Chasma terrain on Mars, giving us an unprecedented 3D look at one the Solar System’s largest canyons. The feature is part of the Valles Marineris canyon system on Mars, a massive gash along the equator that’s nearly as long as the United…

Scooby-Doo Will Return to the Big Screen the Way He Should: Animated

Over a decade has passed since everyone’s favorite, slobbery, mystery-solving dog was on the big screen—and even then Scooby-Doo was presented in an unfamiliar, live-action form. Warner Bros. has now announced he’s coming back to theaters in 2018 the way he should, in a feature-length animated film. Warner Bros. Pictures, under the Warner Animation Group,…

UK Doctors Actually Got Together and Studied How Much Ears Grow as We Age

A group of UK doctors got together and measured ear growth with age. Then they decided to teach us all the European terms for big ears. Because why not? We all know that ears and other body parts made of cartilaginous material grow as we age, but no one really knew how much it grew.…

This Week’s TV:  Fear the Walking Dead Reveals How the Zombie Apocalypse Began!

Kim Dickens battles a zombie horde in LA the series premiere of the Walking Dead spinoff Fear the Walking Dead. Astronauts Wives Club and Killjoys end their first seasons, and an Autobot created by fan committee makes her animation debut! All on This Week’s TV. Tonight Wander Over Yonder (9PM, DISNEY XD) “Wander heroically faces…

Not to be outdone by June which just had its warmest temperatures ever recorded, July has now smashed all its own previous temperature records. NASA just confirmed that the 2015 Julywas the warmest one ever seen. It’s getting pretty warm up in here, folks.

An Imaginary Friend Considers Retirement When His Creator Starts to Grow Up

In the short film So You’ve Grown Attached, Ex is the only person that moody kid Izzy likes, and he’s not really person—he’s her imaginary friend. But now that Izzy is getting older, Ex’s boss is encouraging him to retire. Ex is reluctant to leave Izzy’s side, but is he just holding her back? Kate…

Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover Explain How Bandette Can Be Bright and Fun and Scary All At Once

Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover are the writing and art team behind Bandette, named for the costumed teen thief who battles sinister master criminals and stays one step ahead of the law in its pages. We talked to Coover and Tobin about what it takes to make the relentlessly charming Bandette work. io9: Describe Bandette…