NASA Chief Scientist Predicts We’ll Find Signs Of Alien Life By 2025

Here’s the full quote, as delivered by NASA Chief scientist Ellen Stofan at Tuesday’s panel discussion on the Agency’s search for habitable worlds and alien life: “I think we’re going to have strong indications of life beyond Earth within a decade, and I think we’re going to have definitive evidence within 20 to 30 years.”…

Here’s What It Really Looks Like When Classic Comics Get Recolored

Earlier today, Marvel unveiled its “remastered” edition of the 1977 comic adaptation of Star Wars. Many were unhappy to see the art of Howard Chaykin redone with a modern comic’s color palette, including writer John Gholson, who took to Twitter to show how much a comic loses when it’s recolored. The thrust of Gholson’s main…

A Soldier Killed At Waterloo Has Been Identified 200 Years Later

An amateur military historian is claiming that the identity of a 200-year-old skeleton found near the site of the Battle of Waterloo was Friedrich Brandt, a soldier with a curved upper spine who was fighting for the King’s German Legion of George III. Image: Reuters/Dominique Bosquet/SPW-DG04 As Reuters reported back in 2012, the remains —…

#IAmaScientistBecause is currently trending on Twitter, and submissions thus far have been pretty wonderful. Check out the latest Tweets here, or peruse this collection of outstanding explanations, as curated on Storify by Michael Halpern. Contact the author at [email protected].

What Science Fiction Story Helped You Through A Difficult Time?

Science fiction doesn’t just give us powerful ideas about our future; it can also help us through our present. When did a science fiction story — a book, a movie, a comic, anything — give you something to cling to during a troubling period in your life? I’ve mentioned this before, but after my brother…

Huzzah! Syfy Just Lost Wrestling!

In bad news for the channel yet extremely good news for its science fiction-loving fans, Syfy lost the rights to air WWE wrestling programs in 2016. WWE Smackdown will head to Syfy’s fellow NBCUniversal network USA. And if we’re very lucky, they might just replace it with science fiction. Crazy, right? The new comes from…

Director Alex Garland Explains Why Ex Machina Is So Disturbingly Sexy

You’ve probably seen some pretty sexy robotic imagery from Ex Machina — and yet, it’s kind of weird and off-putting as well. The new film from 28 Days Later and Dredd writer Alex Garland, takes the “sexualized robot” archetype and makes it weirder. We talked to Garland about why his robot is both sexy and…

Lost Key & Peele Sketch “Aliens On The Run” Is A Movie Rock Masterpiece

Beloved comedy duo Key & Peele had a fantastic idea for a sketch that they couldn’t get produced, but thankfully it’s been recreated in animation. And if you loved ’90s movie anthems — TMNT: Legend of the Ooze-style — you’re going to love Key & Peele’s “Aliens on the Run.” Entertainmet Weeklyanimated this never-before-seen sketch…

A Chart Showing You How Much Water It Takes To Grow All The Food You Eat

How much more water does it take to produce an ounce of bread, than a ounce of juice? The answer is not quite what you might expect. This chart is the work of Kyle Kim over at the LA Times, and it breaks down just how much water goes into producing different kinds of common…

This Pregnant Rhino Is Part Of The ‘Largest Rhino Airlift Ever’

In an “admittedly desperate bid” to save about a hundred rhinos from the persistent threat of poachers in South Africa, conservationists are air lifting these endangered animals to safer parks in Botswana, where the danger posed by poaching is less severe. Photograph by Beverly Joubert, featured by permission of National Geographic. This pregnant rhino was…

A New Record Has Been Set For Deep Sea Treasure Recovery

Underwater salvage company Deep Ocean Search has successfully salvaged the treasure ship SS City of Cairo. Found at a depth of more than 17,000 feet, the ill-fated World War II-era steamship was loaded with 100-tons of silver coins. Top image: Deep Ocean Search/Bassemayousse As reported by Taylor Zajonc at his blog, Expedition Writer, the ship…

The Channel That Brought Us Misfits Is Developing Two New Scifi Shows

Misfits may be over, but E4, the channel that brought these superpowered juvenile delinquents to the small screen, isn’t done with offbeat science fiction TV. The channel has commissioned two new series, including one that sounds a bit like Sliders with more drugs and an alien comedy from the producers of Misfits. Bleeding Cool snagged…

Looks Like Tonight’s Person Of Interest Will Kick Us In The Teeth Again

Here’s an exclusive clip from tonight’s brand new episode of Person of Interest — in which Reese tries to teach Finch a skill that Finch does not want to learn. But more importantly, you can see just how desperate things have gotten, and how much Reese is trying to prepare for the very, very worst.

Olivia Wilde And Garrett Hedlund Will Return For Tron 3

We’re all still pretty baffled about the existence of Tron 3, but it sounds like they’re getting the band back together. Olivia Wilde, Garrett Hedlund will join director Joseph Kosinski yet again to make another Tron movie. THRis reporting that the acting duo will both reprise their roles for the third film. If you remember…

Want To Create A Matriarchy That Works? Learn From Animals

We tend to think of nature as being both brutal and patriarchal. Animals struggle to survive and mate, and we assume that means that males will dominate. But some non-human species actually have matriarchies, that work out pretty well. Here’s what nature can teach us about the secrets of making matriarchy work. Who Does What?…

Joss Whedon Says Avengers: Age Of Ultron Has No Post-Credits Scene

When Avengers: Age of Ultron premieres on May 1st, you don’t need to stay until the lights go up. Director Joss Whedon has just admitted that there will be no post-credits scene at the end… although you’ll definitely want to stick around for the mid-credits scene, whatever that is. Here’s Whedon and Marvel Studios president…

Find Out Why Everybody Is Freaking Out About Ken Liu’s Grace Of Kings

Ken Liu is one of the most award-winning and acclaimed writers of the past few years. And today sees the publication of his first novel, The Grace of Kings, which is already getting rave reviews. We’ll have a review later this week, but first here’s an an exclusive excerpt. Chapter Five The Death of the…

Rumors are circulating that geneticists have modified the DNA of a human embryo. If true, it could allow scientists to hack the human germ line, resulting in heritable genome modifications. Critics warn it could lead to unforeseen consequences, while advocates say it’s the next step in medical evolution. Image: Lightspring/Shutterstock

10 Geological Forms We’ve Studied For Years And Still Don’t Understand

Geology is full of strange mysteries, from towering structures to small formations. The more we examine these deceptively complicated phenomena, the less we understand their origins and the processes that created them. Here are 10 geological forms that we still don’t understand, even after years of careful study. Top image: Stone rings in Norway are…

Ryan Reynolds Reveals Deadpool’s Face, Fixes Everything X-Men Did Wrong

The Deadpool movie is currently filming in Vancouver, which means scads of photos are pouring from the set, revealing fun spoilers for all die-hard fans. This included one incredibly great look at Ryan Reynold’s’ new character face for Wade Wilson beneath the Deadpool mask. For those of you unaware, one of the many skills Deadpool…