Curiosity Just Found A Key Component For Life On Mars

While running a standard sample analysis of some Martian dust, the Curiosity rover made a wonderful discovery — there is nitrogen, one of the essential ingredients for life, on Mars. The Curiosity rover was testing samples of sand and analyzing their chemical components when they found nitric oxide which, while often found on Earth, had…

We Should Be Able To Detect Spaceships Moving Near The Speed Of Light

A pair of engineers say it’s possible to detect the signatures of spacecraft traveling at relativistic speeds, and we can do so using current technologies. The trouble is, their new analysis also suggests that moving through space at ludicrous speed is more hazardous than previously thought. Illustration: Sins of the Prophets/Annihilater102/MODDB A new paper by…

Agents of SHIELD Is Full Of Shattered Identities And Torn Relationships

Last night’s episode of Agents of SHIELD delved a lot deeper into one of the main themes of season two: People who have lost themselves, or had their identities wrecked, and the absolutely terrible relationships they find themselves in. And it turns out dealing with people who aren’t true to themselves carries a high cost.…

Jesse Eisenberg Looks Fantastic As Batman V. Superman‘s Lex Luthor

I had my doubts about director Zack Snyder casting the young Jesse Eisenberg as Superman’s arch-villain Lex Luthor in Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice. But this first picture of Eisenberg as the evil mastermind has completely shut me up. He looks shockingly sinister. (And bald, too.) Damn. I would not want to meet that…

A Girl Inherits A Wizard’s House—And Discovers A War Happening Inside

When Henrietta Achilles, the protagonist of Haiko Hörnig’s webcomic A House Divided, learns that she has inherited the estate of her “uncle,” she’s understandably suspicious. After all, she’s never heard of him. But that’s the least of her concerns when she shows up at the house and discovers there’s a war going on. A House…

Better Fake Knife Wounds Through Chemistry

My days of knifing people are over. (What can I say? I’m on my third strike.) But when I get nostalgic, there is a way to make fake knife slashes on a person that look real. And better yet, you can use it so it appears right as you draw a (fake) knife across a…

What’s The Most Amazing Natural Phenomenon You’ve Ever Seen?

Space may have the best reputation for strangely gorgeous sights, but there’s plenty to dazzle us here on our planet. Today, we want to know about the weird, beautiful, and quirky natural phenomena that you’ve glimpsed. Whether you want to shed a light on a little known natural phenomenon from your locale, share some of…

Bird Experts “Horrified” To Discover Meat-Eating Rainbow Lorikeets

Like hummingbirds, Australian rainbow lorikeets eat pollen and nectar. In fact, they have a specialized tongue that allows them to do so. So imagine the surprise of bird experts after discovering of a population of lorikeets who have taken to eating meat. http://io9.com/5968998/this-is-what-a-lorikeets-tongue-looks-like-that-is-all Photos: Matt Watson. As noted by Griffith University Professor Darryl Jones in…

A Live-Action Star Wars TV Show Could Be Happening After All!

There’s a crazy rumor about the role that Matt Smith plays in Terminator Genisys. More Age of Ultron rumors discuss a new Marvel hero who may have a cameo. Plus, David Ramsey talks wedding bells on Arrow, and what’s to come on Flash and Orphan Black. Spoilers away! Top image: Star Wars: The Force Awakens.…

William Gibson On His Rejected X-Files Pitch

Well, now that we know that The X-Files is officially returning, he could pitch it again. It’s unlikely that not enough people would get what a “website” is these days. Gibson and co-writer Tom Maddox did write two X-Files episodes, “Kill Switch” and “First Person Shooter.” The former was pretty good the latter … was…

This Is the Ultimate in Octopus Hair Accessories

These adorable creations are from Kirstie Williams’ etsy shop CuriousCephalopods, where you can also commission ones in any color you wish. Not only are they awesome — look at those tentacle curls — I am counting on one to provide protection from nature’s most intelligent sea creatures. Here’s another available on etsy: While only these…

The Porcelain Basin Hot Springs Create an Ethereal Spring In Yellowstone

Taken just a few days after the official start of spring, this photo of the Porcelain Basin Hot Springs (named after the milky white mineral deposit) almost looks like the national park is steaming off winter in favor of spring. Porcelain Basin by Jim Peaco/Yellowstone National Park/flickr/CC BY 20

Inspector Gadget Trailer Makes Us Want to Pull a Buzzsaw Out of Our Hats

So, Netflix released the trailer for the new Inspector Gadget. And it’s … not good. In fact, it’s very, very bad. Putting aside the eldritch abomination that is Brain — and, make no mistake, the way that dog is animated will haunt your nightmares. And putting aside the how off Chief Quimby’s voice is. And…

Alien Vs. Flying Worm Baby Vs. Chow Yun-Fat

This clip from 1986’s The Seventh Curse is the reason why we are all alive on this planet. A group of Chinese adventurers in a Northern Thai temple get attacked by a demon that looks like a Xenomorph from Alien. Then the Xenomorph fights a flying worm baby. But the best bit is when Chow…

Japanese researchers claim they can use worms to detect cancer in human urine. “In existing tests, people must have different examinations according to the type of cancer they have,” research leader Takaaki Hirotsu toldNew Scientist “Our odor-based test detected all nine types of cancer we tested.” Contact the author at [email protected].

A Classic Novel By The Strugatsky Brothers Is Out In English At Last

Most of us know Boris and Arkady Strugatsky from their novel Roadside Picnic — but their fantastic output was much greater than that. And now at last, there’s an English-language edition of their trippy book The Dead Mountaineer’s Inn, translated by Josh Billings with an introduction by Jeff VanderMeer. As NPR’s Juan Vidal explains: First…

This Floating McDonalds Has Sat Empty For 28 Years

The McBarge was a floating McDonald’s restaurant constructed for Expo ’86 in Vancouver, but after the expositions ended, it never saw another bag of french fries. Today, the McBarge sits empty in British Columbia’s Burrard Inlet, although its owner hopes to someday turn it back into a working restaurant. Top photo by Taz (CC BY…

How This Bicycle Bell Took Over America, And Why It Disappeared

The reverberating ring of bicycle bells ranks up there with ice cream truck music, in the pantheon of our favorite summer sounds. But is the bicycle bell that you remember still the one you hear around? Think carefully before you answer. In a discussion about on-screen sound effects, commenter q-Tzal noted that, while the standard…

It Should Be Legal To Hack Your DNA

A group of geneticists has called for a moratorium on research into modifying heritable human DNA — a practice that could lead to so-called “designer babies.” But as scientists consider this drastic proposal, they should also recognize the potential benefits this technology could afford – and the risks of an outright ban. Before we begin,…

A Mind-Melting Supercut Of Movie Dream Sequences

Dream sequences are an amazing way of breaking down the walls of reality — even in a supposedly “realistic” film. Film editor Gabriel Adelman has put together a supercut of the most beautiful and disturbing dream sequences from over a century of film, and the results are amazing. [via Slate]