The Movie You Really Want to See This Weekend

In the mood for a futuristic film this weekend? Something with a lot of explosions and a little bit of sexy stuff? Something randy? Here’s the latest summer blockbuster you didn’t know you wanted. And it’s in IMAX. [h/t @BobbyRobertsPDX]

The Angels Continue To Be Pricks On ​Dominion

Dear me, Dominion. What happened to the insane, pretending-a-hotel-chain-is-a-sign-of-royal-lineage madness? What happened to the weird? This week, Dominion revealed a few interesting tidbits about a few characters, but mostly it just talked. And yes, the angels are all still being dicks. I was excited about this episode because I thought we would be privy to…

A Robot That Gives You the Two Extra Fingers You Always Needed

There are lots of robots that try to replicate human movement. But we’re especially excited about robots that don’t just mimic human function but add to it — like this attachable cuff that gives your hand two extra, functioning fingers, that work along with your existing five. Just like your fingers move in concert to…

I Origins Shows That The Science Vs. Spirituality Debate Is Played Out

Writer-director Mike Cahill made an impression with Another Earth, which used a science-fiction premise as the backdrop for a personal story. In his second feature, I Origins, the science-fictional premise is front and center — and you can see the downside of trying to tell a personal story about huge science-fiction ideas. I’m going to…

Religious Kids Are More Likely To Think Magical Protagonists Are Real

Results from a study published in the latest issue of Cognitive Science suggest that 5- and 6-year-old kids from religious backgrounds judge fact from fiction differently than those with non-religious upbringings. Photo Credit: ex_magician via flickr | CC BY 2.0 Unsurprisingly, when children were presented stories that depicted “ordinarily impossible events brought about by divine…

Neil Gaiman’s Fragile Things Is Becoming An Off-Broadway Play

This week in crowdfunding, we have two documentaries for your financial consideration: one about San Francisco’s boy hero Batkid and one about the people behind D&D. Plus, there’s a Neil Gaiman off-Broadway play and a beautiful art book featuring diverse fantasy women. Top image: Crop from Julie Dillon’s “Fortune’s Favored” from Imagined Realms. Batkid Begins…

“I Can’t Decide If This Movie Is A Work Of Genius Or Just A Mess”

There’s a fine line between genius and madness… and it can be hard to tell a brilliant masterpiece from a giant disaster, sometimes. What’s the movie where you just can’t decide if it’s a brilliant work of art or a huge steaming pile of offal? Please include a picture, poster or clip for this maybe-brilliant,…

​Mood Indigo Takes You Into a Twee Posthuman World

Michel Gondry sucked us into his surreal world with movies like Be Kind Rewind and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Now he’s back with Mood Indigo, an eye-popping fairy tale about a magic world where everything is mutable — except cancer. There’s a lot to love in this film, especially in the first half,…

Climate-Denying Physicist Compares Carbon Dioxide to Jews

During an appearance on CNBC, Physicist William Happer was asked about his view that human beings are not causing climate change. His response: “The demonization of carbon dioxide is just like the demonization of the poor Jews under Hitler. Carbon dioxide is actually a benefit to the world, and so were the Jews.” Happer, a…

The Shining Prequel Will Be Directed By Mark Romanek

If you were dreading The Shining prequel, we have good news for you! Mark Romanek of Never Let Me Go, One Hour Photo and the brilliant but never aired Locke & Key pilot will be directing it. If it’s going to get made, we’re glad it’s with him. Variety is reporting that Romanek will direct…

Could This Lunar Cave Provide Shelter for a Future Moon Colony?

What you’re looking at here is not an impact crater. It’s a large hole on the Moon’s surface that formed when the ground above a lava tube collapsed. NASA believes these pits widen underground and contain tunnels — which would be very handy for the first wave of lunar colonists. https://gizmodo.com/behold-the-incredible-places-where-well-build-cities-in-884807373 Since 2009, NASA’s Lunar…

[Updated] Marvel’s New Avengers Line-Up Contains Less…

CORRECTION: Sorry, folks. This is apparently just a promo image of Marvel characters who will “play a prominent role” in the comics moving forwards as part of a publishing initiative called “Avengers Now.” The confusion came from the fact that 9/10th of all Marvel comics are currently titled So-And-So Now, so it appeared for all…

Why JK Rowling Should Open Harry Potter Up To Other Writers

Earlier this month, Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling released a short piece of prose that offered a quick look at Harry Potter and his Hogwarts classmates as adults. The response indicated that fans are still hungry for stories of the wizarding world—and perhaps it’s time for someone other than Rowling to give it to them.…

Should We Deliberately Edit The Genes Of Wild Animals?

A powerful new technique called a “gene drive” is opening up incredible possibilities for the control and manipulation of wildlife. Leading researchers say we need to have a debate now about whether we should be shaping the genetics of whole populations of wild animals. A number of technologies have come together in recent years that…

Pokémon Shaming Is The New Pet Shaming

What do you do when your fire-type Pokémon sets fire to your couch or your psychic Pokémon starts broadcasting all your dirty thoughts? You take a cue from pet shaming folks and force them to wear a sign detailing their bad behavior. Top image by too-much-green. Pokémon shaming is the latest meme to sweep Tumblr…

10 Actors Who Kept Their Characters Alive In Books After Cancellation

The greatest heroes and villains of science fiction and fantasy live on in our hearts and minds, long after they’ve left our screens. That’s often thanks to actors who really invest in these characters — to the point where the stars want to keep the stories going, too. Here are 10 science fiction and fantasy…

​io9 Newsstand: Best Short Stories for the Week of July 14 – 19

I swear it’s just a coincidence that multiple vampire stories caught my attention this week. But it put me in mind of those who are destructive and suck the lifeblood from society, which coincidentally is a theme of the other stories on this list. Leeching is in the air, kids! image credit: Vampire by Bastian…

New Lunar Photos Offer a Stunning 3D Flyby Of The Apollo 11 Site

Forty Years after touching down near the Sea of Tranquility, the trails of disturbed regolith created by the Apollo 11 astronauts are still clearly visible in photographs taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Scientists used those and other images to create this amazing virtual model of the landing site. The 3D flyby was made with…

Deals: 1960s Batman, Jodorowsky’s Dune, Mel Brooks, Goat Simulator

Some days you just can’t get rid of a bomb, but you can lock in your preorder price on the upcoming Batman The Complete Series Limited Edition Blu-ray, which is already the best-selling blu-ray on Amazon. As always, you get preorder price protection, and you won’t be charged until shipping. $189. [Batman Complete Series] Today…

FlowingData’s list of “19 Maps That Will Blow Your Mind and Change the Way You See the World. Top All-time. You Won’t Believe Your Eyes. Watch.” May actually be the most important list of maps and what they tell us about the world of all-time. You won’t believe your eyes. Watch. Related: