Did JJ Abrams Have This Star Wars Poster Hung On Set As A Cute Threat?

We keep hearing all sorts of rumors and supposed leaks from the set of Star Wars: Episode VII. Now this anti-spoiler propaganda poster has appeared the film’s set as a jocular warning: spoil this movie and we’ll sic Vader on you. Frank Marshall, filmmaker and husband of Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, snapped this photo at…

How Hard Can a Robot Hit You Before It Becomes Illegal?

This is a question that is already becoming relevant as robots enter the workforce in larger numbers. And the answers proposed by standards bodies are about as strange as it gets. Over at Technology Review, Tom Simonite reports on a discussion at last week’s Robot Industry Association conference about new rules for robot safety proposed…

A Viscous Arm of Plasma Punches Its Way Out of the Sun

Last week, a solar flare flashed on the surface of the sun, just as our star erupted with a massive amount of burning ejecta. The twin explosions, captured by a NASA satellite called the Solar Dynamics Observatory, make for a gorgeous and violent portrait of our sun. NASA explains: NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this…

Daniel Radcliffe Gets Naked In A Dirty, Sexy New Clip From Horns

We know that some of Daniel Radcliffe’s demonic powers in the upcoming film Horns will end in violence, but the latest clip from the film is all about the sexy times, with Radcliffe’s character Ig recalling happier times with his girlfriend. The clip is NSFW for sexual nudity: You can also check out more images…

A Theory About How Marvel’s Next Chapter Of Avengers Will Unfold

Today, we got some interesting news about just how the upcoming Avengers movies might make it to our screen. But does that detail reveal even more than intended about just how the plot will play out? (Caution: Spoilers ahead.) After learning that the next Avengers movie could potentially be spun out into two separate movies,…

Could Fox Be Working On A Live-Action X-Men TV Show?

Please grab the biggest possible grain of salt available — perhaps you could steal a salt lick from a deer or something — but rumor says Fox is “in deep development” on a live-action X-Men TV series. There are no details, but there are many expectations we can manage with a bit of common sense.…

Introducing the world’s first solar battery. The device — which is part solar cell, part battery — recharges itself using air and light. Nano-scale holes allow air to enter the battery (inset), while rods of titanium dioxide gather light (larger image). The researchers from Ohio State say it’ll help tame the costs of renewable energy.

The Purge 3 Is Happening Because We’re All Bad People

The success of The Purge movies has only reinforced the message of The Purge: that we are all terrible people who enjoy watching terrible things happen to other humans. Congratulations! Deadline is reporting that director James DeMonaco will return helm the third Purge installment. DeMonaco has already directed The Purge and the sequel, The Purge:…

The Real Top Predator of the Dinosaur Age Was Not T. Rex

Deinosuchus could snack on T. rex for dinner. That’s how badass this ancient ancestor of the American alligator was. In this short video from Brian Switek, author of My Beloved Brontosaurus, you’ll find out exactly how the perfect predator came to rule the swamps of Utah 75 million years ago. This is part of a…

20th Century Spanish Pulp Covers Are Possibly the Greatest in the World

Garish colors, screaming titles, smooth robots and bold, bulbous rockets — who could ask for more in a pulp cover? Of all the nations producing pulp fiction in the 20th century, Spain stands out for having the very best packaging for these tales of aliens and outer space. Illustrations of Boixcar (Guillermo Sánchex Boix, 1917-1960)…

8 Actors who nearly played Comic Book heroes on the Big Screen

Joaquin Phoenix isapparently out of the running for Marvel’s Doctor Strange movie – and he’s joining a long list of actors who almost got to play some of the biggest heroes on the Big screen today. Here’s 8 of Hollywood’s almost-superheroes. 8. Anne Hathaway – Black Cat If Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man franchise had made it…

Why Are Scientists Always the Bad Guys in Movies?

You just can’t have a dystopian science fiction film without some evil scientists lurking behind the scenes — or even right out front. Remember the good old days when Satanists and corporate overlords were responsible for everything terrible? Why are scientists turning into bad guy clichés? It’s one of those things that has become so…

You Can Step Inside Chris Nolan’s Interstellar Spaceship Right Now

Can’t wait to see more of of Chris Nolan’s Interstellar? You’re in luck, Oculus Rift has set up a public Interstellar experience where you can float in virtual zero gravity through the very ship that Nolan built for the film, the Endurance. Plus, WORMHOLE TRAVEL. The virtual experience mimics the actual set of the Endurancethat…

New “Programmable” Antibiotic Targets Drug-Resistant Genes

A fundamental drawback to antibiotics is that they indiscriminately target all of the bacteria in your body, including the good ones. So how cool would it be if we could engineer a smart antibiotic that targets specific strains of bacteria? Researchers at Rockefeller University have just taken us one major step forward in that direction.…

Saturday Morning Cartoons Aren’t Dead. They’re Everywhere, All the Time

This past weekend was the first in over 50 years without Saturday morning cartoons on nationwide broadcast TV in America. But that doesn’t mean the sugary-cereal-soaked childhood ritual of settling in for a block of animated entertainment is dead. Hell no. In 2014, it’s always cartoon o’clock. The death of the Saturday morning cartoon block…

This Minecraft Map Of Great Britain Was Built Using 83 Billion Blocks

Joseph Braybrook, who works at the UK Ordnance Survey, has proven himself to be the ultimate builder of worlds, with the creation of this amazing rendering of Great Britain, using extensive geographic data. You can download the map for free from the UK Ordnance Survey website, which says that Braybrook’s work “has been highly praised…

The Cartoon That Shocked Me Into Realizing Animation Wasn’t for Kids

We know that animated stories and movies are for people of all ages. And yet — many kids are raised on a diet of cartoons. Which means that at some point, every kid realizes that cartoons can be just as scary and bewildering as grown-up live action tales. What cartoon gave you this realization? For…

What Do You Get When Your Fairytale Princess Is Tone Deaf? Unicorn Puke

When a unicorn comes across an adorable young princess in the woods, he’s delighted, until he realizes the horrifying truth about this particular royal. Unlike those Disney animated princesses, this one can’t even carry a tune. In fact, her voice is rather deadly. You Na Kang and Manuel Zapata made Tone Deaf at Ringling College…

Sideshow’s newest Batgirl statue is almost perfect

Another day, another expensive bit of beauty from the world of nerdy Merchandise to look at – and Sideshow’s new ‘Premium Format’ Batgirl Statue is definitely one worth taking a look at, as it’s absolutely fantastic. The statue, which feature’s Barbara’s classic look, is about 22.5″ tall, and like of the rest of the Premium…

That Time Louis Pasteur Won a Giant Prize for Designing a Bottle

Louis Pasteur is well-known for saving lives by pioneering pasteurization and researching bacteria. He’s less well-known for collecting a large sum of prize money for a contest that ended in an epic battle of scientific theists. Louis Pasteur’s swan-necked flask, above. Well into the 1800s, people thought that, under the right conditions, life could be…