Sharks And Cats Combine To Form The Most Adorably Terrifying Creatures

On the list of questions we’ve never thought to ask ourselves is what kind of critter you’d get if you crossed cats with various species of sharks. Fortunately, artist Brynn Metheney has asked and answered that question with these marvelous shark-cat creations. Full disclosure: Metheney is a personal friend. She also happens to be a…

Do the Over-the-Top Twitter References In Chef Totally Ruin the Movie?

I finally got around to seeing Chef, the Jon Favreau film about a chef who joins Twitter and (SPOILER ALERT) starts a food truck. Now food trucks and Twitter go together like Korean BBQ and tacos but in this film the tweet-integration was ridiculously blatant—really, to the point of distraction. So much so that when…

Here’s The Perfect Dock for Your Enchanted Vessel

She thought her troubles would be over after she rigged her old houseboat up with a levitate spell. But she hadn’t considered the fact that every boat, even one that floats on air, still needs a port. So she posted a want-ad online: Seeking dock space for flying boat. Send pictures. Ekaterina Frovola is a…

Vampire Diaries Finally Acquires A Plot… And It’s A Pretty Decent One

Only eight episodes into the season, The Vampire Diaries has finally spun up its might plot engine to give us some actual stakes, beyond just whether Damon and Elena will be together. And the good news is? It’s actually a pretty good plot, that justifies a lot of the slow buildup. Spoilers ahead… The bad…

Can A Terrible Book Make A Great Movie?

A great book doesn’t necessarily make for a great movie, but can a great movie come from a not-so-great book? In response to this review of the newest addition to the Hunger Gamesmovie trilogy, commenter SmoothieKing asked a question: Can a book you didn’t enjoy be turned into a movie you do enjoy? Sure, said…

Netflix Nabs a Tina Fey-Created Series From NBC

Saving shows that networks stupidly cancelled has been kind of a thing for the new wave of content creators, like Yahoo famously taking the reins of Community. In a slightly different twist, Netflix has snapped up a midseason replacement from NBC, starring Ellie Kemper and created by Tina Fey. The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt was created…

Why Doesn’t Robert Wise Get More Props As A Science Fiction Director?

When people talk about the great directors in science fiction, names like Kubrick and Spielberg get bandied about… but Robert Wise seldom gets enough love. The director of The Day The Earth Stood Still, The Andromeda Strain and Star Trek: The Motion Picture deserves more attention, argues Den of Geek. The great Den of Geek…

The ESA Is Homing In On Philae’s Final Resting Place

After bouncing around Comet 67P late last week, the Philae lander eventually settled far from its intended site. Exactly where it’s resting remains a mystery, but ESA mission controllers have narrowed it down to this tiny area. ESA controllers have yet to make a visual identification of Philae. Rosetta is still scanning from above, so…

Warren Ellis’ Global Frequency Is Getting A TV Pilot—Once Again

Back in 2005, Warren Ellis’ comic book series Global Frequency was adapted as a television pilot, but wasn’t picked up for a full series. Now the tale of crowdsourced covert intelligence is getting a second shot at the small screen, with the creator of Farscape and Defiance behind the wheel. Deadline is reporting that Global…

This Panda Understands What Is Best in Life

When asked what is best in life, this giant panda at the Toronto Zoo had a good answer: To crush the snow, to see it driven before you as you slide down a hill, and to hear the chompy noises of bamboo being eaten.

Video Proof That We Must Restore The Original Battlestar Galactica

What would the original Batttlestar Galactica series look like if it was remastered, and rereleased? It would look a lot like this, and this is awesome. Thanks to Ain’t It Cool News, we were alerted to this amazing reel of restored original BSG, created by Adam “Mojo” Lebowitz. This video is just a proposal, a…

Come party with us! If you’re in San Francisco on Tues. Dec. 2, we wanna meet you. io9 is having a meet-up at Borderlands Cafe @ 870 Valencia, from 6 to 8 PM. We will eat all the cookies. Don’t miss it!

A Change In Congress Has Increased The Chances Of A Europa Mission

Rep. John Culberson (R-TX) is now chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee for Commerce, Justice, and Science. His Houston district is close to the Johnson Spaceflight Center, so he’s enthusiastic about NASA—and he’s especially excited about a mission to Jupiter’s moon, Europa. Scientists have long speculated that the ice covering the surface of Europa conceals…

Here’s What It Really Looks Like When Birds Attack

Nothing embodies the beauty of the hunt more than a bird attacking its prey. Here is some of the most incredible footage ever captured of what happens when these predators attack. An osprey catches a fish Hawk attacks a drone Aggressive and hungry A red-tailed hawk catches some flesh: And a miss: Golden eagle Eagle…

When Two Universes Collide, A Man Meets His Dream Girl’s Exact Double

One day, our universe starts to merge with an alternate universe and gradually, duplicate versions of every human being on Earth start to appear. It’s disorienting at first, but then one office worker meets the dopplegänger of the girl of he’s in love with. Jacob Motz wrote and directed Doubles, which keeps its magical realism…

Which Mutineer Or Traitor Actually Had A Valid Point?

Nobody likes a turncoat. When somebody abandons their friends and becomes an enemy, we always assume they’re a monster. But what if they’re right? Which characters from science fiction and fantasy had good reasons to betray or abandon their comrades? Please include a picture, poster, clip, book cover, comics panel, or some other illustration of…

Is Economics The Most Misogynist Of The Sciences?

Economists routinely get away with saying things that would be considered outrageously misogynist in other contexts. Is economics the worst academic field for women? Stony Brook University finance professor Noah Smith has an article on Bloomberg today laying out the evidence. The article is a well-considered discussion of the kinds of sexism that are fairly…

The Most Common Myths About Household Pets, Debunked

Do you own a hypoallergenic dog? I thought I did, too* – but surprise! Apparently they don’t exist. Above: My non-hypoallergenic dog, Lucca, sated and indescribably pleased with herself for eating two loaves of bread and a cheese scone while I was at work. (The dairy did not go over well with her digestive system,…

The Best View You Can Get Of Comet 67P, Without Being The Philae Lander

If you’re a robotic spacecraft that was hurled out of a larger spacecraft towards the briskly moving face of a comet, then keep on walking friend. Nothing new for you to see here. If you’re not a comet-landing space robot, though, have we got something for you. The ESA has continued its tradition of creating…

Watch As This Ferret Psychs Itself Up For An Impossible Jump

Spoiler alert: Our courageous little ferret doesn’t quite make it across the abyss.