Cremation Urns Replicate The Deceased As Action Figures

If you have any doubt that 3D printing is a transformative technology, then look no further than the cremation industry where companies can rapidly customize urns designed to be enduring keepsakes. But, one Vermont company has gone to the extreme by duplicating your loved one’s head for urns shaped as action figures. Yes, we’ve seen…

All The Clues And WTF Moments In The New Jurassic World Trailer

The Jurassic World trailer gave us some amazing dinosaur action, but also raised lots of questions. We’ve broken it down, frame by frame, to try and find some answers. And we need to have a serious discussion about Chris Pratt’s raptor biker gang. Wild speculation ahead! The Jurassic World trailer was a very emotional experience…

When Should a Psychiatrist Refuse to Treat a Patient?

If you were a psychiatrist assigned by the government to make torturers feel better about their lives, what would you do? That’s not a rhetorical question. Back in the 1950s, the psychiatrist and philosopher Frantz Fanon was forced to answer that question, in his own life. Photo: Algiers, 1960. By Nicolas Tikhomiroff These days Fanon…

Stunning Drone Footage From Beneath The Ice Of Antarctica

Scientists use a range of techniques—from satellite observations to drilling holes—to measure sea ice thickness. Usually, such efforts look down at the sea floor. But, by equipping an underwater drone with upward-looking sonar, researchers were able to create the first high-resolution 3D maps of Antarctic sea ice. This video footage shows the 6.5-foot-long SeaBED autonomous…

Gotham Has Fully Succeeded In Justifying Its Kid Bruce Wayne Character

So Gotham is basically a live-action cartoon, and in addition it is pure crack at this point. And last night’s episode showed just how far the “young Bruce Wayne” element has come, from its troubled beginnings. Spoilers ahead… As long as Barbara Kean and Renee Montoya stay in bed together (and off camera) for a…

30 Years of Amazing Criterion Collection Art Packed Into a Single Book

Today the Criterion Collection released a 306-page book full of the designs it has commissioned since 1984, including covers, supplemental art, concept art, and more. Criterion Designs is a coffee table book we can all believe in. And maybe you want this for Christmas? You definitely want this for Christmas. Or you could buy it…

This is definitely the most heartwarming story you’ll read today. A woman adopted a paralyzed stray dog she found dragging himself across a beach in Thailand. Now healthy, with a wheelchair, Leo the dog is living the squirrel-chasing life in Canada. The Dodo has the story.

“Infodump,” “Mary Sue” And Other Words That Authors Are Sick Of Hearing

Science fiction and fantasy readers are in a constant dialogue with their favorite stories. At conventions, workshops, and online, people geek out about their favorite books. But sometimes, authors get a little tired of the same old memes. Ten authors told io9 about the writing terms they’d like to see retired. https://gizmodo.com/10-writing-rules-we-wish-more-science-fiction-and-fan-5879434 Top image: Blue…

io9 Book Club Is in Session! Let’s Talk About Prince Lestat!

Welcome to the monthly meeting of the io9 Book Club. In November, we read Prince Lestat, by Anne Rice. Jump into comments to get started talking about it! For those unfamiliar with the io9 book club, here’s how it works: You read the book. We create a special book club post on io9 when the…

That Time Scientists Electrocuted Twins to Learn About Arachnophobia

Spiders are the most feared animals in the world, despite the fact that they are overwhelmingly helpful rather than harmful. Scientists decided to investigate why, by shocking a bunch of twins. Twins the world over can make some decent extra money volunteering for experiments. Identical twins are the perfect subjects with which to tease out…

This Is The Actual Seal That Secured King Tutankhamun’s Tomb

Imagine being an archaeologist exploring ancient shrines in Egypt and stumbling upon this 3,245-year-old unbroken seal. Such was the sight that greeted Howard Carter in 1923 as he prepared to enter King Tut’s astounding shrine for the first time. This incredible photograph was taken by Harry Burton in 1923. It shows a still-intact seal made…

Sleepy Hollow Has Completely Lost the Plot

Heading into the fall finale with “Magnum Opus,” we expected some unanswered questions. We did not expect the Headless Horseman to fight a Gorgon, though given how gleefully off-the-rails this episode is, maybe we should have. Let’s get one thing clear right off the bat: the plot for this episode is honestly incomprehensible. A quarter…

10 Standalone TV Episodes We Wish Would Become Spin-Off Series

Whenever a TV show becomes popular, people try to force spin-offs from it. Some work (Angel) and some fail (the back end of Caprica). But meanwhile, here are 10 dynamite episodes of science fiction and fantasy shows that could have spawned amazing spin-off series. 10. “Thank You” – True Blood When the show ended, it’s…

The U.S. Military Has Deployed A Laser Weapon To The Persian Gulf

As part of its annual training exercises in the Persian Gulf, the U.S. Navy has begun testing a prototype of its High Energy Laser (HEL) weapon. The futuristic device could be used to shoot down drones and small attack boats. The weapon, which has been fitted to the USS Ponce, is the first laser system…

The New Doctor Who Christmas Special Has A Title And First Promo Pic

The BBC has announced the title of this year’s Doctor Who Christmas special will be “Last Christmas,” perhaps a point in favor of the rumors that it will be Jenna Coleman’s final outing as the Twelfth Doctor’s companion Clara. Maybe Nick Frost’s Santa Claus will hitch a ride on the TARDIS for a while, hmm?…

Why Tonight’s Person Of Interest Will Make You Sympathize With Elias

One of the most fascinating characters on Person of Interest is the erudite crime boss, Elias, and he takes center stage in tonight’s gut-wrenching episode. We talked to actor Enrico Colantoni, and he told us what Elias has been doing since he was busted out of prison. Minor spoilers ahead… We’ve seen tonight’s new Person…

No, Iran Is Not An Apocalyptic Nuclear Cult

Yesterday, negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program failed to meet the deadline. Talks have been extended, but already an emerging chorus of “I told you so” says that it’s pointless to negotiate with a fanatical religious regime that views nuclear war as holy martyrdom. It’s time to put this myth to rest. For the moment, the…

Peter And Hook Are BFFs In The Bizarre First Trailer For Pan

Since everybody’s freaking out about the Jurassic World trailer, almost no one’s paying attention to the first trailer for Joe Wright’s strange Peter Pan prequel movie. I don’t know if that’s good or bad, because Pan looks incredibly weird. First, there’s Hugh Jackman’s eccentric pirate Blackbeard, then there’s the fact that young Peter seems to…

Physics Students Scrutinize Planetary Stability In Super Mario Galaxy

The world’s most famous plumber ventured into space with the release of Super Mario Galaxy. The 3D game used a physics system to endow celestial objects with their own gravity so our hero could circumnavigate tiny worlds without falling off. But to maintain surface gravity, how dense would these planets have to be? Fortunately, a…

Star Wars Rebels Reminds Us Just How Tempting The Dark Side Can Be

This week’s Star Wars Rebels picks up where our cliffhanger left off, with the Rebels moving their asset and the Empire in hot pursuit. But when the Ghost’s Jedi crew members have another encounter with the fearsome Inquisitor, we’re reminded the Dark Side doesn’t just have cookies; it’s also pretty damn powerful. When last we…