Why Is This Small Town In Russia Getting Blue Snow?

Snow: It comes in all textures, consistencies, and shapes, but the color, at least, is remarkably consistent. But in Chelyabinsk, Russia, residents have been alarmed to see snow suddenly showing up in shades of baby blue. Just what’s going on here? Residents of Chelyabinsk (whose name you may remember from a couple years ago, when…

Why Do We Need More Science Fiction By LGBT Writers?

Last year, Lightspeed Magazine had a special issue in which “Women Destroy Science Fiction” (and horror, and fantasy.) Now, Lightspeed is following up with “Queers Destroy Science Fiction.” And today’s the last day to support the Kickstarter. But why should you care about getting more LGBT SF? The editors of the issue explain. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lightspeedmagazine/queers-destroy-science-fiction Mark…

This Week’s TV: Joker’s Story Begins On Gotham And Archer Visits Area 51

This week’s Gotham involves a clown fight, the Flying Graysons, and perhaps our first real glimpse of the Joker. Vikings returns for a third season of war-filled historical fiction. Archer ends up at Area 51, Gravity Falls does a bit of ghostbusting, and a character from the comics turns up on Walking Dead. Top image…

One Of The Ways The Bubonic Plague Kills You Is By Stealing Your Iron

The bubonic plague kills you all kinds of ways. One of the more fascinating ways it kills you is engaging in a protracted war with your cells over the mineral rights to your body. When virulent bacteria enter a host alone, they have almost no resources, and they use whatever resources are on hand. One…

The Walking Dead Crew Finally Faces A Foe They Can’t Decapitate

Actually, there are two foes that the group fights in “Them” that are more deadly than zombies, governors, or even passive-aggressive cannibals. The first is thirst, as the group has run out of water. The second is depression, as Maggie, Sasha and Daryl must decide whether surviving is even worth the trouble. Given that TWD…

The Game Of Thrones TV Show Is Gonna Start Killing New Characters Now

We have been warned. George R. R. Martin, with a cruel smile on his face, has announced that when the fifth season of Game of Thrones begins this April, it will be killing characters who don’t die in the A Song of Ice and Fire books (although it’s probably more accurate to say they haven’t…

What Extinct Animal Would You Most Like A Chance To See?

Dinosaurs may capture the most attention, but there are all kinds of strange, amazing, and gone animals — ranging from the Wooly Mammoth to giant armadillo Glyptodon —that are just as fascinating. Today, we want to know which one you most would have liked to see. Tell us in the comments which animal it was,…

Watch This Water Droplet Pulse And Form A “Star”

You’ll have heard of this effect in high school, but you probably haven’t seen this manifestation of it. It makes an ordinary water droplet pulse like it has a heartbeat. And sometimes, it makes the drop form into a pulsing star. If you were to know that the water droplet in the clip above is…

Which Member Of The X-Men Is Guest-Starring In Deadpool?

Orphan Black’s new season offers a look at what’s in store for the Clone Club. An alleged extra on The Force Awakens teases some Han Solo dialogue. Plus, news from Fox’s Minority Report show, Preacher and Supergirl. Lo, there are Spoilers in our midst! Top image: Orphan Black. Deadpool Now that this movie is actually…

Get ready for the Star Wars cruise! Disney Cruise Lines will launch Star Wars Day At Seain 2016, filling their ships with Star Wars activities — including Mos Eisley-themed club night. So book your trip on Western Caribbean sailings, on the Disney Fantasy cruise ship, and for the few dates January through April 2016 that…

Emma Watson Reveals Dark Repressed Memories to Ethan Hawke In Regression

In this trailer for Alejandro Amenábar’s Regression features Emma Watson’s Angela Gray recounting what could be a memory of something very wrong in her childhood. Ethan Hawke’s Detective Bruce Kenner seems to not only believe her, but find evidence that something huge has happened. Given the title of this movie, it really seems that we’re…

This Is What Mars Looks Like When It’s Not Being “The Red Planet”

This photo from the European Space Agency’s Mars Express is of the planet’s south pole, and the layers of white are frozen water and carbon dioxide. As much as the pole looks smooth here, it’s surface is usually compared to swiss cheese. Photo credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin / Bill Dunford The ESA describes the Mars’ ice…

This Is How Many Seagulls Fly Past a Single Window In An Hour

Videographer Paul Parker filmed seagulls flying past his window in Cornwall, England, for an hour. He compressed the hour into the short film you see above. This is not a video for ornithophobics, because, wow, are there a lot of birds here. Parker also used the “echo effect” in After Effects to show the flightpaths…

Suicide Squad May Have Found Its New Rick Flagg in Joel Kinnaman

Ever since Tom Hardy dropped out of Suicide Squad, we’ve heard all sorts of names as a possible replacement Rick Flagg. And now it seems that Warner Bros. may finally be circling a replacement: Joel Kinnaman. The Wrap reports that Kinnaman is “in negotiations” to play Rick Flagg. Of course, no one’s confirming this and,…

Terminator Genisys Toys Reveal The Terminator’s Time Machine 

Terminator Genisys does one thing that no other Terminator movie has done so far: reveal the actual time machine that zooms naked robots and humans back to the beginning of time. And now thanks to Mattel’s Toy Fair booth we can get an even better look. We’ve seen glimpses of the official time machine from…

The Webb Telescope’s “Golden Spider” Is Giant And Gorgeous

Behold, the GIANT GOLDEN SPIDER! Ok, this shiny marvel is actually a 2012 look at the James Webb Space Telescope under construction at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center: The golden-colored thermal blankets are made of aluminized kapton, a polymer film that remains stable over a wide range of temperatures. The structure that looks like a…

The Powerball lottery jackpot soared over $500 million last week, leading bright and broke minds everywhere to wonder if math could be deployed to get ahold of some of that cheddar. Here’s a handy, graphics-heavy strategy guide … and hey, invite us to your mansion party when you win, won’t ya?

A Monstrous Problem Complicates A Sweet Italian Romance In Spring

Indie horror filmmakers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead had the buzziest segment in last year’s V/H/S: Viral (skaters vs. skeletons brawl “Bonestorm“). Next up: monster romance Spring, about an American drifter who meets the woman of his dreams … or nightmares? … while backpacking through Italy. The filmmakers, whose previous feature was 2012’s Resolution, told…

Here Are Some Wild Ponies, Just Chillin’ On The Moor

This peaceful shot of a group of endangered Exmoor ponies comes courtesy of British Flickr user Tom Lee. The photographer reports: These beauties were on MOD [Ministry of Defence] land at Pippingford (I was on the public side of the fence). The light was so good and benign I had to take my camera. We…

If you’ve noticed the amount of science news in your Facebook feed is on the uptick, here’s one reason why: in a survey of nearly 4,000 scientists, 87 percent agreed that “participation in policy debates and engagement with citizens and journalists is necessary to further their work and careers.” The study also found that “a…