The First College in the U.S. to Open Without Any Books in its Library

Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland has just opened, with 550 students attending the first day of classes this week. The newly-built campus has a gorgeous library building, but no plans to stock it with books. Instead, it will be the nation’s first all-digital college library. But it gets weirder than that. It’s a scenario that…

​The Race Begins To Find A Landing Site On Rosetta’s Comet

On August 6, the Rosetta probe rendezvoused with Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Now comes the hard part: picking a suitable location for the spacecraft’s Philae lander. The site must be chosen soon because, as the comet gets closer to the sun, its icy surface will begin to change. Churyumov-Gerasimenko is on a 6.5-year orbit around the Sun and…

Even Before The Rapture, No One On The Leftovers Was Particularly Happy

This week, The Leftovers flashed back to the time just before the Sudden Departure, and showed us what was going on with our characters just before two percent of the population disappeared. It turns out that there was still already of desperation going around. Up until the very end, this was the least supernatural episode…

How To Rescue Doctor Who‘s Most Shamefully Underused Companion

The history of Doctor Who is full of supporting characters who were never allowed to develop. Most of the time, the show only has one star. But I can’t think of a character who had more untapped potential than Nyssa, companion to the Fourth and Fifth Doctors. Here’s how her story could have been something…

First Ant-Man Easter Egg Spotted!

The first Ant-Man Easter Egg has been spotted, and it is adorable. Mild spoilers ahead! Thanks to ComicsBlog, we have a look at the first ever Ant-Man movie Easter Egg, and it was spotted in the wild. For those of you unaware, please refer to the above clip from The Incredible Hulk (starring Ed Norton…

HBO Making Shutter Island Series With Martin Scorsese Back To Direct

HBO and Paramount TV are teaming up to bring Martin Scorsese’s creepy horror flick Shutter Island to the small screen. Deadline is reporting that the new series, possibly titled Ashecliffe, is centered around the creation of the island-located mental institution. So this would predate the 1954-set film starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Rumor has it Scorsese will…

How Much Innuendo Do Kids Understand?

Almost all of us have, as adults, gone back to the stuff we watched as a kid and realized it contained some “dirty” stuff that went over our heads. Innuendo in kids comedies is pretty common. But how much innuendo do kids understand? Above is an infamous scene from Animaniacs, a popular kids show in…

The Movie and TV Release Calendar, August 25 Update

The Walking Dead Season 4 Limited Edition preorder is down to $80 today, its lowest price so far. The season comes out tomorrow, and there’s a good chance the price will shoot back up after release. [Walking Dead Season 4 LE, $80] We’ve also got the Best Buy exclusive Walking Dead Season 4 with limited…

Why Does Your Food Cost So Much?

You know how much money you spend on buying food, but just where does that money go? This graphic shows you exactly where your dollar ends up. The USDA has put together a series of “Food dollars” showing how the costs of your food breakdown. More than half of the average dollar that you spend…

Walking Dead Showrunner Writing “Romantic” Omen Sequel Series

Get ready to fantasize about the Anti-Christ! Lifetime is making an Omen sequel penned by former Walking Dead showrunner Glen Mazzara. Only one question will remain: will you be on Team Damien or Team Jesus? Deadline is reporting that Lifetime has ordered 6 episodes of an Omen sequel series titled Damien. Honestly, we’re shocked this…

Secrets of the Manhattan Project Leaked 1500 Times During World War II

The World War II program to develop an atomic bomb was the largest secret project ever undertaken by the U.S. government. But newly-declassified documents reveal how it hard it was to keep things secret as the weapon neared completion. Information leaks were everywhere, even in church sermons. Trinity Test plutonium bomb image courtesy of Truman…

Did these earthquake scientists deserve to go to prison for six years? David Wolman has a fascinating article in Matter today about the Italian geologists who were imprisoned for manslaughter after residents of a city sued them for not warning them strongly enough about quake risks.

Insane Video Takes You Inside the Cockpit of a Blue Angels Jet

The Blue Angels are the stunt pilots of the US Navy and Marines, showing off the very best aviation tricks every year at airshows. They soar, swoop, and turn upside down — all in formation. It’s incredible to watch from the ground, and it’s just blisteringly insane from inside the cockpit. I love watching the…

​The Strain Finally Had A WTF Moment And It Was Worth The Wait

I don’t know that it makes up for the interminably slow and lackluster season so far, but I do know for the first time ever I can genuinely say I’m excited to see what the hell happens next week. Before the ending — and I’ll get to that in a bit, if you’re one of…

It’s Ridiculous To Say Science Fiction Books Aren’t Based On Real Life

One of the most annoying fallacies about science fiction and fantasy books is that they’re less connected to reality than “realistic” fiction. In fact, SF and fantasy authors draw on real experiences and facts all the time, as some of the top authors told Jeff VanderMeer. Writing in the L.A. Times, VanderMeer talks to Ann…

​7 Reasons Batman Needs to Shut Arkham Asylum Down Forever

If you’re a lunatic in the DC universe, then you know all about Arkham Asylum. Ostensibly a place to cure the world’s worst and craziest supervillains, it’s never successfully accomplished anything other than giving Batman more work to do — here are the reasons why. 1) First of all, it’s terrible at its job. No…

Bond, Civ: Beyond Earth, Godzilla vs. The Criterion Collection [Deals]

The Bond 50 23-film box set is back down to $110 today. Not an all time low, but enough to put you on an all time high. [Bond 50] Get these deals and more, and earlier on Deals.Kinja. Connect with us on Twitter and Facebook to never miss a deal, check out our Gaming and…

What’s The Best Way To Deal With A Haunted House? Give It A Makeover

When a girl wanders into a haunted house to escape a storm, she’s horrified…by how dirty the house is. In this short webcomic by Jemma Salume, the best way to deal with ghosts is not with violence or mystical rites, but with a bit of sprucing up. You can see the first few pages of…

This Classic Science-Denying Scandal Shows Why Too Much Testing Is Bad

Ever heard of AD-X2? There’s no reason you should. It was useless. But that didn’t stop people for calling for tests on it for over a decade, and kicking up a scandal that (unjustly but temporarily) claimed the job of the director of the National Bureau of Standards. It was 1947, and World War II…

This Week’s TV: Can Peter Capaldi’s Doctor Make Us Fear Daleks Again?

This week, the new Doctor tackles the Daleks, but will they be toothless or terrifying? Plus, Defiance gets a potentially deadly season finale while Teen Titans Go! reveals the adorable face of evil. Check out all the details below! Tonight Teen Wolf (10 PM, MTV) If you missed last night’s premiere of the latest episode,…