Are We There, Yet? The Challenges Of Landing On A Comet

After traveling for more than ten years and four billion miles, Rosetta became the first spacecraft in history to rendezvous with a comet. But, it some ways, the spacecraft’s work has only just begun. One of the next challenges will be selecting a safe spot for Rosetta’s lander, Philae. [Image: NASA] [Image: ESA] Over the…

For a measured take on the ongoing Ebola outbreak, follow Tara C. Smith. The infectious disease epidemiologist is the author of Ebola and Marburg Viruses, and has done a standup job of keeping misinformation about the disease in check. Her most recent post, in which she debunks five common Ebola myths, is a must-read.

A Student Film Suppressed By Anti-Vaxxers Has Finally Been Released

Two years ago, students at Carlsbad High School began filming a documentary, The Invisible Threat—a report on the “science of disease and the risks facing a society that is under-vaccinated.” But it is only now that the public is able to see the film, which became the target of a national anti-vaxxer campaign. The 40-minute…

The Aberration of Starlight Explains Why the Stars “Jump”

In the 1600s, astronomers noticed that the stars seemed to jump in a way that made no sense. During certain months, stars seemed to leap out of place through no phenomenon that they could understand. Then along came James Bradley, who used wind and rain to explain what he called the aberration of starlight. In…

This Staircase Disappears When Viewed From The Perfect Angle

From most angles, this set of steps resembles any other staircase. But relocate to a specific spot in the room, and the stairway becomes enshrouded by its supporting beams. This imaginative twist on perspectival anamorphosis was created by Milan-based design studio Storage Associati. Anamorphic illusions come in all shapes and sizes. Some are small enough…

Lee Pace Will Lead The Alien Resistance In Prisoner of War

Now this is what we’re talking about, Lee Pace is set to star in an aliens vs. humans action hero movie called Prisoner of War. Finally we’ll get to see those eyebrows in action. Deadline is reporting that Pace is replacing Alex Russell of Chronicle for the lead in Prisoner of War. The film is…

Black And White Photos From The First World War, Now In Color

To commemorate the World War I centenary, the Open University enlisted a photograph restoration expert to painstakingly colorize black and white images found in archives around the world. Staring at us from across a century, the people in the images convey iconic moments on battlefields and at the home front. A trench on the Albanian…

The Latest Batman V. Superman Rumor Has A Surprising Wonder Woman Twist

Now we know when we’ll learn the truth about Peter Quill’s father. Peter Mayhew makes bold claims about Star Wars: Episode VII. The premiere of Agents of SHIELD will bring back a old foe. And 12 Monkeys, The Flash, and Bitten all add new characters and cast. Spoilers now! Top image: Batman v. Superman: Dawn…

Snake Insistently Plays Dead, Is a Giant Ham About It

Playing dead is a common defensive move among animals. But the hognose snake is insistent about it. At the end of the video, they try to flip the snake the right way around, and it almost instantly ripples its body so that it’s on its back. As if it’s saying, “I’m DEAD, okay? Leave me…

With the Sequel Annouced, Sharknado Is Officially an Annual Tradition

This is it, everyone. Sharknado 3 has been officially announced as coming to our screens in July of 2015, making it three years in a row. We’re going to run out of coastal cities before they run out of films. I look forward to the explanation of how sharks get to Chicago. Sharknado 2 was…

Reminder: The Women of Game of Thrones Can Kill You In All Sorts of Ways

“The Women of Game of Thrones” series by artist Leann Hill is a great reminder of all the different kinds of strengths and skills utilized by the female characters. The style is great while also highlighting very different feels for each character. The top image is a composite of all the pieces in Hill’s series.…

Desiccated Plants Spring to Life When Given Water in Timelapse Video

Selaginella lepidophylla is a desert moss that forms tumbleweeds, curling in on itself in the absence of water. When it finally gets a drink, it unfurls back to its normal shape, as this timelapse video captures. The video is by Sean Steininger, who says in thecomments on vimeo that it took weeks to make: It…

Concept Art Of The Alien Race That Was Cut From Guardians Of The Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy nearly featured the Badoon, one of the most fearsome warrior races in the Marvel Universe — and here’s the concept art (by Goran Bukvic) to prove it. Plus check out more of Bukvic’s concept art, covering weapons and and a cool table. Minor spoilers below… Bukvic seems to have been mostly…

Otherworldly Winners From National Geographic‘s Traveler Photo Contest

The winners of the 2014 National Geographic Traveler’s Photo Competition have been announced. This year’s prizewinning images are, as always, superb. Above: “The Independence Day,” photographed by Marko Korošec, who captured the image while approaching the storm near Julesburg, Colorado on May 28th, 2013. In 2014, the competition received more than 18,000 entries from around…

Will Bee Disappearances Lead To A Honey Shortage?

As our bee populations dwindle, could we also be facing down the prospect of a honey shortage? Entomologist May Berenbaum joined us today to take our questions about bee behavior and disappearances, including a question about what we might expect to happen to our stores of honey as bee populations continue to falter: The short…

Full Fathom Five Confirms Max Gladstone As An Author To Watch

Full Fathom Five, the third entry in Max Gladstone’s Craft sequence is a modern fantasy thriller that has some interesting things to say about the world around us, and it’s one of the best fantasy novels of the summer. Spoilers below… Gladstone’s new novel isn’t a sequel to the first two books in his Craft…

Marvel Wins, As DC/WB Moves Batman V. Superman‘s Release Date

I knew it. I knew DC/WB didn’t have the guts to keep Batman V. Superman’s premiere on May 6th, 2016, the same date as Captain America 3. Warner Bros. has moved BvS to March 25th, 2016, so the two superhero movies won’t cannibalize each other’s box office, and oh, by the way now DC/WB has…

Charles Yu’s Insanely Helpful Advice On “Getting Stuck” While Writing

What do you do when you’re in the middle of working on your writing, and you get stuck? And then you start beating yourself up, which only makes it worse. This happens to everybody — but Sorry Please Thank You author Charles Yu has some terrific advice on how to cope. Talking to Suvudu at…

The Weirdest Micronations That Have Ever Existed

Living in a regular country, with a normal government, can get annoying sometimes. Taxes, laws, political disputes… it’s all kind of a bummer. So why not go live in a tiny country of your own? Some people have done it — and here are the most creative and strangest tiny nations on Earth, past and…

See a College-Aged Stephen Hawking in First Theory of Everything Trailer

It is a great year for nerd icons in Hollywood. We’ve already had a look at Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing, and now, we’re finally getting a peek at Stephen Hawking, co-ed, in the first full-length trailer for The Theory of Everything. From what we can see so far, the movie is going to attempt…