The New, In-Canon Star Wars Comic Just Did Something Completely Insane

Oh my god. Today’s issue of Star Wars #6, written by Jason Aaron, contains a surprise that changes one of the series’ main characters completely — a change that, thanks to the new Disney mandate that everything is 100% official, is now Star Wars canon. Get ready to have your mind blown. **** **** Ready?…

This Beetle Accidentally Fertilizes His Mate With Another Male’s Sperm

Nature is both endlessly inventive and endlessly bone-headed. You want proof? The male flour beetle can, by accident, impregnate his mate with his rival’s sperm. It’s not unusual for females of a species to mate with several males. Getting to such females before anyone else does isn’t always an option, so mating success (in terms…

What Are The Best Scientific Experiments That You Can Do At Home?

Not every experiment requires a lab to complete it. In fact, plenty of them work out just as easily in your own home. Maybe you want to suggest an experiment for the young scientists-to-be in your life. Or maybe you have something to suggest for the fully-grown amateur scientists out there who want to see…

Space May Be A Vacuum, But It’s Still A Surprisingly Noisy Place

There’s no air in space, which explains that whole “no one can hear you scream” thing. But as this SciShow Space video explains, there are plenty of other things that scientists can “listen” for that are streaming across the celestial void.

The Reason Behind Batman’s Appearance In Suicide Squad

What is the second Star Wars spinoff about? Two female writers join the new Transformers creative team. Get a load of some new Ant-Man footage. Michael Dorn reveals details from his proposed Star Trek spin-off show. Plus, Robert Buckley talks iZombie, and casting news for Outlander. To me, my Spoilers! Suicide Squad Heroic Hollywood is…

A Tendril of Gas and Dust Snakes Through Space

Five light years wide, but over 280 lightyears in length, the G49 filament winds through space. Where it is brightest, it is also coolest, and that’s where stars are being created. Image: ESA/Herschel/PACS/SPIRE/Ke Wang et al. 2015 Contact the author at [email protected].

The Major Character George R.R. Martin Wishes Were In Game of Thrones

George R.R. Martin laid out five characters he misses from the books when he sees the show. While a few have had their plots given to others, one big one stands out. Huge spoilers ahead! Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Martin says that he misses a warrior in Daenerys’ entourage, Strong Belwas, and Jeyne Poole, whose…

The Short That Aired With Star Wars Is Getting Its Own Movie Remake

If you saw The Empire Strikes Back in Europe or Australia, you also got to see the 25-minute short Black Angel. If you didn’t catch it then, you may have seen it when it resurfaced online last month. And if you still haven’t seen it, maybe a new, full-length version will be more your speed.…

ABC’s The Whispers Entirely Misses The Point Of Ray Bradbury’s Story

ABC’s latest science fiction drama, The Whispers, is loosely based on a short story by Ray Bradbury. But as our guest recapper — author Ellen Kushner (Swordspoint) — explains, this formulaic horror/procedural show misses what’s great about Bradbury’s original tale. Spoilers ahead… I cannot believe I let Charlie Jane talk me into doing a Recap…

In This Short Film, Your Drone Really Is Trying To Kill You

If you’ve ever had your hand sliced open by a low-flying drone, it can seem a little too much like your quadrotor toy is out to kill you — even if you’re just a crummy pilot. But in this movie trailer, your pet drone really does have it in for you. The trailer is for…

The Biggest Question About “Diverse Books”: Diverse To Whom?

The #WeNeedDiverseBooks hashtag and campaign have sparked some amazing conversations recently. There was a panel at BookCon (which Tor.com summarizes), aroundtable discussion at Book Smugglers, and a BEA Panel (which Cecilia Tan summarizes.) And one participant brings up an excellent question: Diverse from whose point of view? Talking to Book Smugglers, M. Sereno says: I…

If you’re in San Diego tomorrow evening, you should stop by this evening of “strange collisions and alien transmission,” featuring a talk by Jeff VanderMeer!

A Timid Insurance Salesman Tries Convince God To Stop The Apocalypse

In this short comedy film, a very ordinary insurance salesman named Ike receives a very unusual honor: He gets to talk to God. But when he hears what God has to say, Ike finds he has to do some very quick thinking. Eli Shapiro wrote and directed Ike Interviews God, and it’s a fun bit…

These Amazing Videos Show What Happens When You Befriend A Wild Animal

Most of us have had a beloved pet at some point, or lived among domesticated creatures. But there’s nothing more amazing and heart-warming than a lifelong friendship between a human and a wild creature. See for yourself! The Wolf Man, Shaun Ellis, from Devon, England, integrated himself into a pack of wild wolves Mark Dumas…

This Video Of Water Heating Up On A Stove Is Weirdly Hypnotic

This oddly beautiful video shows us how water warms over a heat source in little slow-motion eruptions. Watch the dye rise up from the hot plate and spread over the water like the world’s most benign mushroom cloud. The first part of this video is predictable. The hot water rises, carrying the dye with it.…

The Entire Process Of Creating A Comics Panel, Shown In One GIF

Just how do you go from an idea in your head to a fully-realized comics panel? This GIF takes us through the whole process — from storyboards right up to a full-color finished product. Commenter JohnGreenArt shared this GIF with us in a recent io9 show-and-tell thread. Using a panel from the graphic novel he…

New Wal-Mart Guidelines Call For The Humane Treatment Of Farm Animals

Wal-Mart is asking its suppliers of meat, deli, dairy, and egg products to honor a new set of guidelines calling for the humane treatment of livestock and a reduction in the use of antibiotics. Supporters say this could revolutionize animal agriculture — but will Wal-Mart’s suppliers follow through? The retail giant has done stuff like…

Ask The Dark Net Author About the Internet’s Underworld, Here Right Now

The darknet is often sensationalized as a digital haven for crooks, perverts, freaks, and anarchists, but it’s also a crucial tool for privacy advocates, political dissidents, and journalists. Few people are as familiar with the subcultures and nuances on the internet’s fringes as Jamie Bartlett. Bartlett, the author of The Dark Net: Inside of the…

Finally, Groot Is Getting His Own Comic Series This Week!

Sure, DC might be beginning the first wave of their Post-“New 52” comic books this week, and Marvel themselves might be kicking off another batch of Secret Wars tie-in comics. But the coolest thing in an otherwise normal week of new comics is Guardians of the Galaxy’s Groot getting his first solo series! Dark Horse…

Ms. Marvel Will Make Her Animation Debut in the Avengers Cartoon

Kamala Khan is unstoppable! The popular new Marvel heroine will be one of several heroes joining Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in the third season of Disney XD’s Avengers Assemble cartoon, titled Ultron Revolution, including her namesake Captain Marvel, Black Panther, and more. The reason the new Ms. Marvel gets top-billing over my beloved Carol Danvers in…