The Ninja Turtles Squander Their Ninja Powers Shilling For Pizza Hut

You’d think that a bunch of teenaged, mutated turtles who have been rigorously trained in the art of ninjutsu would have better things to do than break into a random Pizza Hut store and recreate the company’s “Cheesy Bites” pizza — like, say, fight Shredder — but apparently not. Even still, it’s nice to see…

​The Morbid Messages Hidden in Beloved Nursery Rhymes

Many of us can probably recite, “Pop! Goes The Weasel” by heart. Passed down across the centuries, the anachronisms in the lyrics sound like playful nonsense words. In truth, this and other rhymes were practical lessons for children, trying to survive amid death, plague, crime and poverty. The Londonist explores the origins of several popular…

The Guardians of the Galaxy Set Got Us Excited For Space Movies Again

Last year, we headed to Shepperton Studios to watch James Gunn film Marvel’s first real space adventure, Guardians of the Galaxy. And we did not expect to get quite as excited as we did. Here’s what we saw, and why it’s good for our new batch of space scoundrels. It’s Still Going To Be A…

Are Implanted False Memories Permanent?

The 1980s saw psychologists discovering a lot of “repressed” memories in patients. As it turned out, they weren’t so much memories as inventions. Are all those patients stuck with false memories of Satanic abuse and alternate personalities forever? In 1973, the book Sybil took the world by storm. A pioneering psychiatrist took a very troubled…

Short Romantic Comedy Reveals How Time Travel Will Screw Your Love Life

As soon as time travel is invented, people start abusing it by going back in time to fix their romantic relationships before they even begin. Naturally, it’s a train wreck, but a fun one to watch. Time Travel Lover was written by Elisha Yaffe (who also plays Matt) and directed by Bo Mirosseni, and it…

Top 10 Greatest Motion-Capture Characters Of All Time

This weekend, we’ll witness the evolution of Caesar, the ape revolutionary played by Andy Serkis in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. And next month, we meet Vin Diesel’s Groot. But motion-capture has a proud history of innovation and great performances. Here are the 10 greatest mocap characters of all time. Runner Up: Snow…

The io9 Book Club Is In Session! Let’s Talk About The Memory Garden

Welcome to the monthly meeting of the io9 Book Club. In June, we read The Memory Garden by Mary Rickert. Jump into comments to get started talking about it! For those unfamiliar with the io9 book club, here’s how it works: You read the book. We create a special book club post on io9 when…

Pine nuts are key to a delicious pesto, but some people claim that they also sometimes leave behind a lingering metallic taste. Why? Over at Wired they’re taking a look at the phenomenon of “pine mouth” and the neurochemistry of just how tastes can be transformed in our minds.

Republicans Believe Uber Will Help Them Win Back America’s Cities

With each passing year, the population of urban areas is growing — and most of those cities are run by Democrats. But a key Republican believes the ride-sharing service Uber is the killer app that can create a future wedge between labor unions and Democratic politicians, driving them from power. The theory comes from the…

How Electronic Engineers Are Helping Us Unravel The Human Brain

Electronic engineers are emerging as important contributors to our understanding of the workings of the human brain — a scientific development that could lead to breakthroughs in medical treatments of brain disorders and artificial intelligence. But how is this even possible? Neuroscientists measure the brain’s electrical activity using technologies such as Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging…

Read J.K. Rowling’s First-Ever Story About Harry Potter As An Adult

J.K. Rowling gave us a brief epilogue about Harry Potter’s adult life at the end of The Deathly Hallows, but now, for the first time since that final book, Rowling has written a story that features Harry not as a teen wizarding student, but a 34-year-old Auror. Like many of Rowling’s recent writings at the…

First Details On DC’s Klarion The Witch Boy Comic And All-New Catwoman

There’s a shake-up coming to the DC universe. io9 can exclusively reveal that Catwoman writer Ann Nocenti will helm a new comic starring Klarion the Witch Boy in October — while author/io9’s own Genevieve Valentine takes over Catwoman! We were able to talk to both writers about their series and what’s in store. Created by…

Is 3D Ever Worth It?

There are a lot of reasons to dislike 3D: The prospect of wearing a stranger’s glasses for two hours, the extra $5 tacked onto the price of your ticket, the occasional headache. So when is it worth it? Today, we want to know when (if ever( you prefer seeing movies in 3D. Tell us in…

Behold The Largest Bird To Have Ever Flown

Introducing Pelagornis sandersi, an extinct giant bird that lived some 25 to 28 million years ago. With an estimated 24-foot (6.4 meters) wingspan, the enormous albatross-like creature is now considered the largest bird to have ever taken to the skies. The giant seabird, which was twice the size of the Royal Albatross (the largest flying…

Creepy Real-Life Doll From The Conjuring Gets Her Own Film

Remember that creepy doll from The Conjuring, which is allegedly very real and still lives with the real-life ghostbusters The Warrens? Well she’s getting her own movie! Variety is reporting that Annabelle will premiere this Octoberl no word on who is directing, but James Wan and Peter Safran are producing.

This Newest Guardians Of The Galaxy Trailer Is Criminally Awesome

Not sure how you could be looking more forward to Guardians of the Galaxy? Watch this new extended trailer, which features the first look of Michael Rooker as Yondu, the first time we’ve heard Lee Pace’s Ronan the Accuser, er, accuse things out loud, and so much Rocket Raccoon being completely awesome. Not all the…

Sequel Watch: News On Avengers 2, Transformers 5 And Planet Of The Apes

Joss Whedon reveals his Age of Ultron inspiration. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was originally a very different movie. Tons of new Guardians of the Galaxy footage, described. Taylor Swift opens up about her Giver character. Plus hints for Game of Thrones season five. Spoilers now! Top image: Dawn of the Planet of…

Why Not Have a Wombat Do Your Laundry?

This video comes from the Sleepy Burrows Wombat Sanctuary in New South Wales, Australia. And while all the wombats’ antics are adorable, we’re mostly still stuck on the beginning, where the wombat empties the washing machine. As cute as these are, I’m no longer able to look at wombats without remembering that their poop is…

Concept Art for the Forbidden Planet Remake That Never Was

In 1995, Irvin Kershner tried to make a remake of the classic Forbidden Planet. The project never materialized, but Kershner had already marshaled the artistic talent of Ralph McQuarrie, John Eaves, Mark McCreery, Syd Mead, and Stan Winson. And the early concept work of McQuarrie and Mead is readily accessible today. McQuarrie concept art was…

New Species Found in an Everyday, Store-Bought Mushroom Packet

DNA testing on the contents of a dried porcini bag revealed three species without scientific names. Apparently, there are new mushrooms everywhere, including in your salad. Mycologists Bryn Dentinger and Laura Martinez-Suz (of the Kew Roayal Botanical Gardens) discovered the species by sequencing the DNA of a commercial packet of dried Chinese porcini that they…