Stargate Didn’t Become a Great Universe Until It Was on Television

It was never in the cards that the rebooted/reinvigorated Stargate movies would keep all of the continuity from the TV shows. And that’s a shame, since the TV franchise did a lot more with the premise than anyone could have expected. While a new version of the continuity doesn’t mean that the old shows disappear,…

Crackers Made From Giant Isopods Are Now a Thing in Japan

There seems to be no shortage of ideas when it comes to the manufacturing of new and unique foods. Case in point, these Japanese senbei rice crackers made from giant isopods—those oversized bug-like crustaceans from the ocean’s depths. As reported in The Japan Times, these snacks are now readily available and are becoming quite popular.…

Human Torch Drone Is a Crazy Dangerous Combination of Blades and Fire

The only time you get to see mutant powers in action is on TV or in a movie courtesy of special effects. But to promote the new Fantastic Four movie, Marvel turned a flying drone into a real-life Human Torch that streaked across the sky while completely engulfed in flames. There was an abundance of…

How the Associated Press covered the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The AP has posted three articles from its archives about the US dropping two atomic bombs in August 1945 and the subsequent surrender of Japan, so we can see what many Americans read in the wake of the destruction. [via MetaFilter]

The Live-Action American Naruto Movie You Always Dreaded Is on Its Way

I’m surprised it’s taken this long, but it’s finally happened: An American studio has finally signed the rights to ruin make a live-action movie out of Naruto, one of the best-selling manga in the world and one of the biggest anime hits in the U.S. And they already have a completely unknown director lined up,…

Two Teens Hide a Pregnancy in a World Where Heterosexuals Are Persecuted

The short film Pink Moon belongs to a genre of LGBT cinema set in alternate universes where same-sex relationships are the norm and heterosexuals are subject to bullying and prejudice. But this short adds a twist to that concept: abortion is illegal and one of our lead characters has just discovered she’s pregnant. Sal Bardo…

How We Discovered Alzheimer’s Disease

Today we hear a great deal about Alzheimer’s disease, but relatively little about its discoverer. Its discoverer had little idea how famous his few case studies would become. Here’s how Alzheimer’s went from a medical anomaly to one of the most known and feared medical conditions in the world. Auguste Deter Auguste Deter was only…

The Victorian Hugos: 1893 Was to Books What 1977 Was to Movies

Science fiction books in 1893 are where science fiction film was in 1977. In both cases, the genre was… perhaps “in the doldrums” is too harsh a judgment. Certainly, enough significant work had appeared before 1893 and 1977 that one could, in those years, speak of the science fiction genre, in both media, as a…

Legos Are Surprisingly Effective at Explaining Synthetic Biology

The emerging discipline of synthetic biology is poised to change many aspects of our lives, from the production of medicines and bio-fuels through to genetic engineering and the development of completely new biological systems. It’s a technologically daunting prospect, but this video from Grist uses Legos and skateboards to make it all so perfectly clear.

How Do the Guardians of the Galaxy Understand Each Other? Now We Know

Isn’t it crazy to think Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is only a year old? Released August 1st last year, the film became such a cultural phenomenon that Rocket and Groot are now almost as recognizable as Captain America and Iron Man. The movie has become so popular in fact, it feels like every single…

The Hobbit Wants To Kill Your Butt With Extended Edition Cinema Showings

I’m not sure there’s anyone out there who was eagerly anticipating even longer versions of the Hobbit trilogy, even the people who actually liked them. But you can relive the magic of being stuck in a theatre seat for what feels like eons this October, with new showings of the extended Hobbit trilogy. The showings,…

8 Craziest Mega-Engineering Projects We Could Use to Rework the Earth

Humans have been modifying the Earth for thousands of years, but we’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s possible. Here are eight dramatic ways we could change the face of our planet. For the purposes of this list, we’re limiting the discussion to megaprojects involving the Earth’s geology, atmosphere, and biosphere. This means no technological…

The Martian Astronauts Decompress After 10 Days in Pre-Trip Isolation

This fall, America is going to send a manned mission to Mars, and it’s not going to go well. But before all that, any astronauts slated to take this trip would obviously undergo lots of tests—one of which might be an extended period in isolation. And that’s the subject of the latest viral video for…

The threatened cilantro crisis has officially hit. The CDC confirmed almost 400 case of Cyclospora infection in clusters around the country all linked to cilanto. While our friends over at Gizmodo may beg to differ, we (and our salsas and chutneys) are waiting anxiously for the threat to our favorite herb to pass.

Write Some Six-Word Science Fiction Stories for Us!

Tell me a story, please! Involving robots, lasers, futuristic sharks, sunless worlds, sentient plants, or anything else you’ve got a mind for—and do it in just six words. Write and then post your very own six-word science fiction mini-epics below, and then all there’s left to do is to start reading and star all your…

The Dungeons & Dragons Movie of Your Dreams Is Rolling Your Way

Fifteen years ago, there was a Dungeons and Dragons movie. And it sucked. Well now, Warner Bros. has cleared up the rights issues and announced they’re moving forward with a new movie not just based on the RPG, but on its immensely popular Forgotten Realms setting. The fact that the film will be set in…

How Much Whale Oil Is There in Space? More Than You’d Think.

This is a real question. Whale oil is a wonderful industrial lubricant and remains liquid at extremely low temperatures. It was almost certainly used in some NASA technology over the decades. But how much whale oil have we sent out into the cosmos? While it’s more likely that NASA currently uses synthetic lubricants meant to…

The New Spider-Man Reboot Won’t “Revisit” His Origin Story At All

Rumors about Scoot McNairy’s Batman v Superman character resurface again. Spider-Man may have a bigger role in Civil War than previously thought. Charlie Hunnam wants less spectacle in Pacific Rim 2. Plus, Ron Perlman still wants Hellboy 3, and Legends of Tomorrow casts a new DC superhero. Spoilers! Captain America: Civil War Birth Movies Death’s…

For all your medieval world-building needs: Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources. Knightwine is particularly inspiring. [via Metafilter]

London’s New Baby Sloth Is Named After Edward Scissorhands

Look at that adorable slow mover! That is little baby Edward, a sloth who needs a lot of help to survive since his mother stopped producing milk. So Zookeeper Kelly-Anne Kelleher and a stuffed sloth toy give him food and love. Here’s Edward in very slow motion: [via Tastefully Offensive] Contact the author at [email protected].