How Interstellar‘s Robots Were Made With Hardly Any CGI

If you’ve seen Interstellar, then you know that the best characters are the wise-cracking robots. Unassumingly boxy and faceless, they somehow end up stealing the show. Wired has a fascinating behind-the-scenes look on bringing the robots to life—largely without the help of CGI. Minor spoilers ahead. Interstellar’s F/X coordinator, Scott Fischer, reveals that 80 percent…

Why Do Rivers Curve?

Relatedly, why do branching river channels form fractals? Check out this latest installment of Minute Earth to find out. https://gizmodo.com/can-you-guess-the-subject-of-this-photograph-5973265 See also: The Control of Nature, by John McPhee, specifically the book’s first section, which centers on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ repeatedly inadequate efforts to divert the flow of the mighty Mississippi River.…

Listen to an Excerpt from Brandon Sanderson’s Legion: Skin Deep

Stephen Leeds, the man with a thousand (superpowered) personalities, is back in this sequel to Brandon Sanderson’s novel Legion. Now he’s up against new bad guys — and has a creepy new mystery to solve. You can listen to an excerpt now! The book comes out November 24. Here’s the official description: Stephen Leeds, AKA…

10 Characters Who Should Have Read The Damn Instruction Manual

Sometimes you get hold of a nifty new piece of gear, and you just want to try it out without wasting time with the manual. After all, what’s the worst that could happen? A lot, it turns out. Here are 10 science fiction and fantasy stories where people didn’t read the instructions… with disastrous results.…

Deals on the Books You Want and the Devices to Read Them On

If you’re planning on buying a Kindle with this $40 off deal, or you already have one, and just need some reading material for your holiday travel, Amazon’s knocked six extremely popular titles down to $3 today. The Fault in Our Stars [Kindle] ($3) | Amazon Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a…

Felicity Just Can’t Catch A Break On Last Night’s Arrow

In “Draw Back Your Bow,” Arrow’s most beloved character gets so incredibly screwed over that the episode is almost a comedy. We’ll take a look at the convoluted reasons why the psycho-of-the-week has a better chance at finding love than she does. Felicity Smoak is gorgeous, brilliant, funny, brave, and puts her heart into everything…

What’s Actually In Your Pumpkin Spice Latte?

Is it the tang of the passing of the seasons — and, hence, our own impending demise — that gives pumpkin spice lattes their distinct flavor? The tears of hipster baristas? Actual pumpkin and spices? (AHA HA HA HA no.) What gives a pumpkin spice latte its distinct notes of flavor is actually a very…

Sugary drinks are now the number one source of junk-food calories for kids, says a new report from Yale’s Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity on the amount and kinds of sugary drinks being knocked back today. While soda consumption has fallen a bit, energy drinks just keep on picking up.

The Last Starfighter Re-Cut Into A Modern Trailer Is Totally Badass

What if The Last Starfighter came out today? Well the trailer would probably recut from its awesome ’80s glory into this re-cut badassery. Watch a trailer for The Last Starfighter, retooled for modern times. Created by YouTuber Tim Gonzales, I think the one thing that remains constant in this version of The Last Starfighter is…

​House Passes A Bill That Restricts Scientists From Advising The EPA

By a vote of 229-191, the House has just passed a GOP-sponsored bill to ensure that a more “balanced panel of experts” will advise the Environmental Protection Agency. But critics say it will reduce the participation of independent scientists in favor of those with financial ties to industry. Established by Congress in 1978, the EPA’s…

Ridley Scott Says There’ll Be A New Type Of Alien In Prometheus 2

While Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender’s severed head journey through the cosmos, Sir Ridley Scott is hard at work at chronicling their adventures in his script for Prometheus 2. And now he’s dropped a fascinating bombshell about the movie: It’s going to have a new type of alien we’ve never seen before. Here’s what Scott…

Week three of DC Comics Lego variant covers

Eight more of the latest DC Comics with variant Lego covers have hit the racks. The list and links to purchase them at Midtown Comics are below. If you missed them, some of week one and week two are still available. Batman and Robin Vol. 2 #36 Batman Superman #16 Harley Quinn Vol 2 #12…

An Astounding History of Scientific Space Art from the Past 200 Years

Ron Miller’s new coffee table book The Art of Space is a gorgeous history of scientific illustrations, full of retro rockets and stunning planetscapes. It’s also a glimpse back at the cutting-edge astronomy of yesteryear. We’ve got a gallery of some of the most striking work from the book. Top image by Chesley Bonestell The…

The Highlander Reboot Wants Tom Cruise As Its Ramirez, Pretty Please

In other news, the Highlander reboot also wants a major star for the role of Connor MacLeod, world peace, and a pretty pony. I’m not sure any of these things are going to happen, as the movie has languished in limbo for years and the current director is the second unit guy from Snow White…

Singing Pirate Christopher Walken Is The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Peter Pan Live! has released even more dancing and singing footage from the dress rehearsal of their soon-to-be-live and televised musical show. If there was any doubt that there is magic in this world, please let the pausing and mugging Walken clear that up for you. Casting Walken in this role was probably the smartest…

​What Old Tech Inspires The Most Undeserved Amount Of Nostalgia Ever?

Lots of by-gone technologies pull their own little cults of fierce nostalgia around them (yeah, we see you over there, record player people and telegram fans.) But which old technology deserves its current following the least? Whether it’s phone booths (inconvenient and frequently broken), typewriters (seriously, just how often does that ribbon need to be…

Take A Tour Of London On The Back Of This Eagle

In commemoration of its efforts to protect endangered species, the International Union for Conservation of Nature set up a remarkable tour of London by strapping a GoPro camera to the back of an Eagle. The result is a very impressive birds-eye-view of the city’s most iconic landmarks. The eagle flew by many of the capital’s…

Big Casting News for Jessica Jones, Once Upon a Time, And Orphan Black!

The list of possible Jessica Drews includes someone already playing a comic book character on TV. Once Upon a Time adds an Alias alum as a villain, and there’s a picture of her in costume. Keanu Reeves may be starring in another thriller. And when will get answers on Agents of SHIELD? Spoilers now! Top…

Cat Finds Heaven In a Radiator

If you’re in a part of the world that’s literally freezing right now, then you’ve got to sympathize with this cat. We’re all thinking of just relocating next to the heaters, right? https://gizmodo.com/watch-this-gigantic-wall-of-snow-engulf-buffalo-new-yo-1660348339 A few months ago, I moved my cats from sunny southern California to the east coast. They’ve never had radiators or true…

Sony Pictures Has Abandoned Aaron Sorkin’s Steve Jobs Biopic

The Steve Jobs film we’ve been anticipating for a very long old time indeed looks like it won’t happen as soon as expected—if at all. https://gizmodo.com/christian-bale-just-bailed-on-the-steve-jobs-movie-1654099985 Variety reports that Sony Pictures has pulled its backing from the project. That leaves Aaron Sorkin stood on his own with just a script, still lacking a lead actor…