For the night is bright and full of beauty. Amateur photo of M42, the Orion Nebula, taken by photographer Andrew Kirk. See more of his astrophotos here.

New Science Magazine Is All About The World’s Coasts And Their Residents

Hakai Magazine is a newly launched science publication that will report on science, society, and the environment along the world’s coastlines, which are home not only to nearly half of the planet’s human population, but countless other species of plants and animals. Our stories are about the coast—past, present, and future. Around the globe, coastal…

Breaking Bad Creator Turns To Fantasy For A Jack And The Beanstalk Flick

Now this is an interesting meshing of creator and fable. Disney has purchased Vince Gilligan’s (showrunner for Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul) new Jack and the Beanstalk story. *Insert Jack selling meth to the giant jokes here.* According to Deadline, Gilligan’s “revisionist” take on the classic fairy tale has perked the interest of Disney…

Phil Isn’t The Only Crazy Person On Last Man On Earth Anymore

One of the premises of The Last Man on Earth is that Phil is not his best self when you start throwing other people into the mix. But the latest addition to the cul-de-sac hasn’t just disrupted Phil’s life. It has also sent another survivor spiraling out of control. “Friggin’ Phil.” It’s a phrase that…

A Magical War Begins In Full Trailer For Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

Susanna Clarke’s magical alternate history Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell comes to television soon, and this trailer gives us a hint of what the return of English magic will look like. Meet Gilbert Norrell, Jonathan Strange, the Gentleman with the Thistle-Down Hair, and all the people in their magical orbit. BBC One commissioned the series,…

People Used To Work Inside Hamster Wheels

Perhaps the better way to phrase this is, “Hamsters now work inside person wheels,” because the person wheel definitely came first. These comic-looking but useful devices helped build many of the landmarks we now cherish. The treadwheel crane first made its appearance in Rome in 25 BC. It flourished with the Roman Empire, and could…

The Most Terrifying Fish Dishes Ever Served

We all love seafood — but the ocean can be a terrifying place. The ocean depths are home to some deadly and poisonous creatures… so of course, people always try to eat them. Here are the scariest fish dishes you could possibly eat. One of the most deadliest dishes ever: Fugu (blowfish), the fish that…

The US Movie Adaptation Of Horror Manga Death Note Lands A Director

Another beloved manga is apparently getting a US makeover. This time it’s Death Note, Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata’s comic about an ambitious young man who receives a mystical killer notebook. You’re Next and The Guest director Adam Wingard has signed on to direct the US feature version. The Hollywood Reporter has broken the news…

This Hybrid “Knork” Utensil Was Also An Important Medical Invention

Knife, fork, spoon: This is the holy trinity of silverware and (while the occasional spork may jostle for inclusion), in general, these are all you’re likely to see. There is, however, another hybrid utensil you may not know: The Knork. And its creation owes as much to modern medicine as to dining habits. Commenter Brightmotor…

Which Movie Would Be Better If It Was More Kid-Friendly?

Movie buffs tend to equate an R-rating with realness — if a movie is too violent or sexed-up for kids, then that proves the film-makers are keeping it real. A “hard R” equals a real edge. But sometimes, focusing on all the splatter and nudity can just get in the way of the story. Which…

Medieval Combat Has Been Turned Into An International Sport

For the past five years, medieval combat enthusiasts have gathered together for the Battle of Nations — a for-real, full contact competition with actual weapons, metal armor, and a standardized set of rules. It’s an effort to turn medieval combat into an actual sport. The Battle of Nations, founded in 2009, is held in a…

Men Quake In Peril As Hasbro Debuts All-Female Transformers Team 

Women. These nefarious creature have come for our videogames, they’ve come for our comic books, and now they’re coming for the Transformers. An entire team of six new female Transformers debut in the IDW Combiner Hunters comic and then be released as toys later on. Like so many Transformers teams, these six new characters will…

Thousands Of Chickens Once Wore Glasses To Stop Them Killing Each Other

“Eyeglasses” for chickens were once sold in the thousands — and they weren’t decorative. Rather, they were the only way to stop chickens from murdering each other. Learn why these lenses stopped chickens from killing, and see old film footage of hen specs. In The Egg And I, a funny if dated memoir, Betty MacDonald…

The Complete History Of The Joker’s Many, Many Incarnations

Jared Leto’s prison-tattooed version of the Joker made a big splash the other day — but a radically transformed Joker is nothing new. Batman’s most iconic foe has undergone many revamps, reimaginings, updates and interpretations over the past 75 years. Here’s the complete history of the ever-changing face of the Joker. 1940’s and 50’s Although…

Johnny Depp Makes For A Terrifying Dinner Guest In Black Mass Trailer  

Johnny Depp has played Dillinger and Donnie Brasco, and this fall he’ll take on another famous gangster, Whitey Bulger. The trailer for Black Mass suggests the action will take place during Bulger’s 1970s heyday, but his tale has a contemporary hook: he was captured just four years ago after 16 on the lam. He was…

If Outlander’s MacKenzies Fought Game Of Thrones’ Starks, Who Would Win?

We drank Scotch with Outlander’s most complicated character Dougal MacKenzie, played by the delightful (and quite tall) Graham McTavish. And while we had him on the couch imbibing the good stuff, we couldn’t help but ask who would win in a fight against Dougal? He answered. Full scotch tasting and Dougal questioning (complete with me…

How I Forgot My Email Password In A Dream

If you think dreams can’t actually hurt you, then this might make you reconsider. Last night, I dreamed that I forgot my password. When I woke up, I had actually forgotten my password. Top image: Little Nemo in Slumberland The dream wasn’t anything spectacular. I was at my computer, about to check my email, and…

Age Of Ultron Is Getting An Extended Cut And Alternate Ending On Blu-Ray

Might as well resign yourself to watching Avengers: Age of Ultron twice — once when the movie premieres in theaters this Friday, and again when it comes out later this year on Blu-ray… as an extended edition with a new, different ending. Somehow I imagine this won’t put too many of you out. The news…

This Week’s TV: JK Rowling’s Post-Harry Potter Story Comes To Television

The miniseries based on JK Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy arrives this week, as does the premiere of Penny Dreadful’s second season. Plus, get ready for the season finales of Powers and The Last Man on Earth, and see what’s ahead for The Flash, Arrow, Game of Thrones, and more. Top image from The Flash. Tonight…

Alan Moore’s Intro To His New Favorite Fantasy Novel Is A Glorious Rant

Alan Moore really, really loves the fantasy novel The Vorrh by B. Catling, which he calls the new century’s first landmark work of fantasy. He’s so spellbound by Catling’s strange vision, he’s written a long, beautifully ranty intro. Read Moore’s intro exclusively at io9 — and listen to him reading it aloud! The Vorrh comes…