Moroccan Meteorite May Be a 4.4-Billion-Year-Old Chunk of Martian Crust

Mars is often referred to as the Red Planet, but its signature color is only skin-deep. Beneath its rusty regolith, Mars has many other hues, including large dark regions formed by ancient lava flows. Now, researchers believe they may have found a pieceof Mars’ dark plains here on Earth, in the form of a meteorite…

Read Roald Dahl’s Powerful Pro-Vaccination Letter (From 1988)

Roald Dahl – author of such books as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, and Matilda – lost his eldest daughter, Olivia, to measles in 1962. Twenty-six years later, he penned a cogent and gut-wrenching plea to parents, urging them have their children vaccinated against the disease. In light of measles’…

12 Monkeys‘ Heroes Both Do The Unforgivable, But We Still Root For Them

Last night’s episode of 12 Monkeys went to an incredibly dark place, showing both Cole and Cassandra Railly doing things that are basically unforgivable. It’s actually hard to say whose transgression was worse. And yet, we still manage to sympathize with both of them, which is kind of impressive. Spoilers ahead… In “The Cassandra Complex,”…

Shaun Of The Dead Outtake Features Simon Pegg As John Lennon

This is so silly I can hardly stand it: An outtake from Shaun of the Dead, in which Simon Pegg and Peter Serafinowicz pretend to be John Lennon and Paul McCartney (instead of Shaun and Pete). This may be old footage, but it’s new to me – and really, who can’t get on board with…

Planet Earth In Infrared, At 4k Resolution

Here’s something you don’t see every day: An ultra-HD time-lapse of Earth, as seen in infrared. James Tyrwhitt-Drake is perhaps best known for his stunning microscopy work (this matryoshka-like GIF of a scanning electron microscope zooming in on an amphipod, a diatom, and, finally, a microscopic bacterium is a favorite of mine), but the University…

This Is The Funniest Tweet We’ve Read This Week

This tweet from Priscilla puts a whole new spin on the original 1980s V series. A lot of things about Diana’s plans are suddenly starting to make a lot more sense.

Check Out Crash Course Astronomy, A New YouTube Series From Phil Plait

Throughout the year, as Earth progresses through its orbit around the sun, one can witness stars in the night sky rise and set at different times. It’s an example of an astronomical cycle visible to the naked eye, and the first of three subjects in Episode 3 of Crash Course Astronomy, a new series by…

The Vampire Diaries Can Still Go Straight For The Heartstrings Sometimes

The Vampire Diaries is basically doing its own version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s “The Body.” But thanks to some genuinely razor-sharp writing and some strong acting from Candice Accola in particular, it’s still incredibly moving and effective. Just check out this crazy-intense clip from last night’s episode. Spoilers… So yeah, Caroline’s mom is dying…

“Dragon” Dinosaur Was 50 Feet Long, Had Most Epic Neck Ever 

Before you get too excited on the heels of today’s Game of Thrones news items, we’re not talking actual fire-breathing monsters here. However, it’s possible this newly discovered dinosaur species could have inspired the dragons that populate Chinese folklore. The Canadian team that studied the skeleton, which was found in central China, dubbed it “Qijianglong”…

Get to the chopper! Geologists from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory rush to board a helicopter as fountains of lava erupt in the background, in the 1984 eruption of the Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii. This picture was recently featured in the U.S. Geological Survey‘s #ThrowbackThursday series. (Photo: R.B. Moore.)

“A scorpion’s anus is at the end of its tail. If the tail breaks off, the scorpion can never poo again.” – Ed Yong, describing a newly documented case of autotomy (i.e. self-amputation) in scorpions. If talk of collateral anus amputation doesn’t make you want to read about scorpion tails, what the hell are you…

Why English Changes More Slowly Today Than It Did A Thousand Years Ago

As languages acquire new speakers, spread to new geographic areas, and mingle with other languages, they change. But is that change happening as quickly as it once did? Top image: A 15th century edition of Recuyell of the Histories of Troy from Brandeis University’s Special Collections Linguist John McWhorter joined us today to answer questions…

On This Week’s Archer, It’s A Bloody Great Sterling And Pam Road Trip

This week’s episode, “Edie’s Wedding,” is all about relationships. It’s also the most brutally violent ep yet in season six. Coincidence? NOPE. Some spoilers ahead! In our pre-season interview with Archer executive producer Matt Thompson, he dropped some serious hints about this particular episode: https://gizmodo.com/whos-back-and-whats-new-in-archer-season-six-the-insid-1669383651 One of the things I missed most in season five…

This Alien Comedy Is India’s Biggest Movie Of All Time

In PK, an alien (played by Aamir Khan) shows up naked, except that he’s carrying a kind of futuristic boombox. Then he meets a cute girl and… well, you can probably guess the rest. This goofy comedy from the director of 3 Idiots has just become the most successful Indian film of all time. Judging…

These Light Painting Videos Look Like Classic Video Games On Speed

We’ve seen some amazing light paintings that make the real world look magical and surreal. But what’s even cooler than a static light painting? A whole video, where beings made of pure light burst into existence and run around. Here are the most eye-popping and dazzling light-painting videos on the internet. https://gizmodo.com/light-paintings-that-make-the-real-world-look-like-tron-1524262774 A music video…

Game Of Thrones Season 5 Photos Reveal New Characters And Storylines

On the heels of the season five trailer for Game of Thrones comes a batch of new photos, ripe for the analyzing. Where’s Sansa Stark now? Also behold Doran Martell and the High Sparrow! Can it please just be April already? Above image: Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark and Aidan Gillen as Littlefinger – photo…

io9 Newsstand: Best stories for the Week of January 25 – 31

This week’s stories are about identity and rage, fire and ice… and the threat and consequences of death. To Fall, and Pause, and Fall by Lisa Nohealani Morton | Fireside Magazine On each screen, a woman comes out from behind the camera and around the table to sit down. It’s the same woman on every…

When You Lose Weight, Where Does The Fat Actually Go?

The answer to this question may surprise you. And in fact, according to a recent British Medical Journal article discussing this issue, few health professionals — including doctors, dieticians, and personal trainers — know the correct answer. First, let’s back up for a minute. When you consume calories beyond what your body needs, you will…

Martin Starr Is Trapped In Slow-Motion In This Great Short Film

Martin Starr, of Freaks and Geeks and Party Down fame, stars as a man who is forced to live his life at half-speed in this fun short titled Leonard in Slow-Motion. It’s not his ideal situation, obviously, but it does have its perks, as you’ll see. In related news, Martin Starr needs way more work.…

This Scientific Paper Proves That Nature Never Stops Weirding Us Out

Every now and again, when reading about nature, you come across a fact that you would never, ever believe if you were to read it in fiction. A science fiction novel that featured a creature which used its eyes to eat – literally to push food down its throat – would be ridiculous. But that’s…