The Thunderbirds Cooperative Board Game is Go!

It’s the official 50th anniversary of Thunderbirds, a beloved British TV series from the ’60s featuring a family of mildly creepy marionettes as they save the world. A new series starring equally creepy CGI characters will debut in April, and publisher Modiphius is joining the celebration with their co-op board game. The game will allow…

Fan Series Grayson: Earth One Returns To Tell The Tale Of Jason Todd

It’s been nearly two years since Hissoni Johnson’s Nightwing-origin webseries made its début, but it’s returned at last. However, it’s not here to give you more Dick Grayson, actually, but to reveal the story of Jason Todd in a world where Batman works alone. The premise, if you don’t remember (understandable given the gap in…

What Is The Greatest Cartoon Of All Time?

Whether you want to throw your two cents in for a well-loved classic or for an under-appreciated potential classic we want to know: What’s your very favorite cartoon series, ever? Tell us in the comments what the cartoon was, when it aired, and a little about why you loved it. Was it the animation style,…

This Is The Tiniest Fight On The Planet

The CSIRO gives us a scanning electron microscope image of the world’s smallest battle to the death. Are you not entertained?! The above fight is one we rarely get to see, because both combatants are just under one millimeter in size. Facing us is a two-spot spider mite, which some of you will recognize as…

The Game Of Thrones Death That Even The Actor Didn’t See Coming

Joss Whedon explains why there’s “way more Hulk” in Avengers 2. Mike Colter talks about playing Luke Cage in AKA Jessica Jones. Just how successful was Coulson’s gambit in the last Agents of SHIELD? Norman Reedus re-opens the discussion surrounding Daryl’s sexuality on The Walking Dead. Spoilers, ho! Top image: Avengers: Age of Ultron. Avengers:…

Disney’s Live-Action Beauty and the Beast Gets A Beast And a Gaston

Yeah, yeah, Dan Stevens (Downtown Abbey) is supposedly going to be the Beast opposite Emma Watson’s Belle. But the important question is really “Who is going to be Gaston?!” Both of these casting announcements come with the usual “in negotiations” caveat, butThe Hollywood Reporter says that Stevens will play the Beast. No word on whether…

It Takes Very Little to Take an Owl From Menacing to Goofy

That is one disapproving owl. If he had glasses, he’d be peering at us over them. This is a photo of a Ninox strenua, or “Powerful owl.” And yet, with one head movement, this same species becomes an instant clown. Ready? Here we go: Just a raised head and opened eyes, and the “powerful owl”…

Welp, Lions Can Open Car Doors. Humans Are Screwed.

Look, I don’t want to promote fear of lions, which are amazing creatures. But they can open car doors, and that’s just terrifying. While at a safari park in South Africa, a family got a bit of a shock when a lioness casually wandered up to the car and opened the door with her teeth.…

The Mystery Deepens, in the Latest Episode of Haphead

io9 is proud to be presenting weekly episodes of Haphead, the story of a gamer in dystopian future Toronto. In this week’s episode, Maxine investigates the death of her father. Things start to get seriously disturbing, especially when she visits a mall that only allows people from the “right” income bracket. Next week is the…

Latest Batch Of Terminator Genisys Rumors Are The Most Bonkers Yet

What in the world is going on in Terminator Genisys? A script leak — therefore plenty unreliable, so grains of salt and all that — has revealed a pile of possible plot details. If they’re true, this movie is going to be completely banana pants. Possible spoilers ahead. Among other, smaller things — a reference…

The Top 10 Emerging Technologies Of 2015

Bernard Meyerson, chief innovation officer of IBM and chair of the World Economic Forum’s Meta-Council on Emerging Technologies, today published the Meta-Council’s list of the Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2015. Above: In November 2014, the 3D printer aboard the International Space Station became operational, marking the orbital outpost’s first foray into additive manufacturing. Via…

It’s Hard For Satellite Technicians Not To Get Distracted By The View

The helmets were designed for optimal focus, so that technicians could only look ahead. But Liu had customized hers with see-through paint. In between blasts from her torch, she would sneak peeks at the universe. Concept art by David Sladek. “Satellite Technician” is featured with permission and was spotted on r/ImaginaryScience.

This Video Lets You Follow A White Blood Cell On Its Strange Path

We don’t usually think of cells as particularly dramatic. But, as you can see in this video, the life of a white blood cell is fraught with hidden strangeness, beauty, and, yes, drama. This video, which was nominated by commenter Kaeleira in response to a callfor the most useful scientific visualizations, comes from Harvard University’s…

The Crazy-Ass History Of A Boring-Ass Chemical

You now might use saltpeter if you want an old stump in your yard to decompose faster, but for a millennium it was the cause of wars, massacres, and great grassroots scientific efforts. It changed the history of the world. Saltpeter, or saltpetre, is also known as potassium nitrate. It’s simply a potassium atom, a…

Field Cameras Catch Deer Eating Birds—Wait, Why Do Deer Eat Birds?

Deer aren’t the slim, graceful vegans we thought they were. Scientists using field cameras have caught deer preying on nestling song birds. And it’s not just deer. Herbivores the world over may be supplementing their diets. When researchers in North Dakota set up “nest cams” over the nests of song birds, they expected to see…

You Can Play This Music For Your Cat (And Your Cat May Actually Like It)

Cats seem pretty apathetic about a lot of things. You might think music is one of them. But according to a new study, it’s not that cats don’t care about music – it’s that they don’t care about YOUR music. So what kind of music do cats appreciate? We’re so glad you asked. A recently…

These Ingenious Buildings Were All Built Using Recycled Materials

Sometimes choosing to limit yourself to recycled materials can make your building more interesting. These buildings are made from a wide range of reclaimed materials, from concrete pipes and discarded doors to plastic bottles and bags. The four-story Prahran Hotel in Melbourne, Australia, designed by Techné Architects and made using reclaimed concrete pipes. (via Prahran…

Researchers have cross-referenced a 3D model of Sophie, the world’s most complete stegosaurus specimen, with data on the masses of living animals to calculate that the animal weighed approximately 1,600 kg (3527 pounds, about the weight of a small rhino) in life. Their findings are published today inBiology Letters.

The Most Incredible Images And GIFs From The New Avengers 2 Trailer

Still drooling over the newest Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer? Yeah, we don’t blame you. We’ve been doing it ourselves, combing through the footage for the greatest clues, moments, and GIF-able glory it has to offer. Care to join us? First up, here’s Ultron on his throne. It’s nice to see that even though his…

This Disturbing Post-Apocalyptic Cartoon Won A Danish Academy Award

Ten years ago, a plague wiped out all of the women and children in a secluded mountain town and transformed the men into monsters. Now only two orphans, Albert and Jonas, remain, hiding from the monsters and telling tales of the girl who will save them all. This short is most definitely NSFW. Also, content…