No, that’s not the Eye of Sauron — it’s a planetary system being born. It’s one of the first images captured by SPHERE, a new planet-finder installed in Chile last month. The image shows the protoplanetary disc surrounding star HR4796A — just one of many astounding discoveries SPHERE is sure to make. (Image: ESO/J.-L. Beuzit…

Why Do We Laugh?

In this short documentary for The Atlantic, longtime laughter researcher Robert Provine tells filmmaker Sam-Price Waldman about some of his most notable observations and conclusions. Photo Credit: Trey Ratcliff via flickr | CC BY 2.0 It also features one of the more convincing fake laughs I’ve heard in some time (like smiling, it’s hard to…

Emily Blunt Nearly Killed Tom Cruise For Real In Edge Of Tomorrow

As you likely know from the trailers, the scifi movie Edge of Tomorrow is about Tom Cruise reliving a single day until he can somehow change the course of a battle against alien invaders. To do so, he trains with Emily Blunt, who kills him whenever they need a “reset.” Apparently she took her role…

Concept Art Writing Prompt: A Dragon-Powered Journey

This week’s writing prompt finds us traveling by an odd conveyence: a dragon-drawn cart. What sort of fellow gets around thanks to a tatter-winged wyrm? The illustration above is “Journey” by Ivan Smirnov. As always, we invite you to come up with your own short story inspired by this image and post it in the…

Who Cares If Science Fiction Actually Predicts The Future?

Science fiction has an impressive track record when it comes to predicting the future, having called out everything from electric submarines to the dawn of credit cards well before their time. But do those predictions and their success say anything about the genre, or are they just trivia? Today, io9’s George Dvorsky and Nexus author…

We’ve Found Traces Of The Massive Impact That Created The Moon

At long last, scientists have found the chemical fingerprints of Theia, the object the size of Mars which is believed to have crashed into the young Earth, creating debris that later formed the Moon. Above: Artist’s depiction of a Mars-sized body hitting Earth in the solar system’s early history. Credit: CORBIS Evidence for the so-called…

In This Corporate Dystopia, The Worst Crime You Can Commit Is Breathing

The animated short film Last Breath plays like a fever dream—or really, more like a nightmare. In a city run by a corporate mascot, one man realizes that he has become a social outcast because he’s one of the few humans who still breathes. The film is NSFW in some spots. Mak Ying-Ping directed Last…

An Argentinian UFO Hovers Mysteriously Over a Forested Hill

This UFO was captured in the skies above Tucumán, Argentina. What kind of craft could zoom so close to the treetops and then into the skies? Inexplicata has the story: A mysterious dot of light – manmade, natural or alien, take your pick – was photographed by Javier Lopez Posse on May 24, 2014 in…

Sharknado 2 Teaser Is Even More Ridiculous Than The Original

We didn’t think it was possible, but Sharknado 2 has really raised the whole “sharks in tornados” aspect for the follow-up movie. This teaser trailer for the sequel really sets the bar high when it comes to hitting people with sharks falling out of the sky. Also, Sharknado is now doing good in the world…

The U.S. Government Inflicted Horrible Atrocities On Cthulhu’s Followers

Chances are, you’ve read tons of stories in the Cthulhu Mythos — but “The Litany of Earth” by Ruthanna Emrys is still something special. It’s set in a world where the U.S. government destroyed Innsmouth, closed Miskatonic University, and imprisoned the true believers. And now, one survivor of the camps is trying to rebuild her…

Why Search For Aliens? A Beautiful Answer, In Under 30 Seconds.

Jill Tarter, who inspired the main character in Carl Sagan’s Contact, has been searching for extraterrestrial intelligence for close to 40 years. Here, in a brief but compelling video, she explains why she and so many others are driven to look for alien life. Why do we search for aliens? Says Tarter: We should be…

The Bulging, Twisty Future, As Imagined by Designer Luigi Colani

These incredible works of the 86-year-old German-born designer Luigi Colani reveal vehicles, homes, tools and machines from the future. A Colani-BMW 700, the world’s first car with a self-supporting plastic monocoque car body, 1963 (via Carstyling) Colani C-Form, 1968 Poly-Cor plastic chair, 1968 A spherical kitchen, 1968 A Le Mans prototype from 1970, with the…

“I Didn’t Think I Liked This Genre, Until This Story Came Along”

It’s easy to write off a whole genre of books, comics or movies. You hear about the sexy vampires, or the killer dragons, or the massive starships, and you just decide it’s not for you. Until you come across one special story, that just blows your mind. Which genre did you think you hated, until…

The Stand Movie Will Be Three Hours Long

Hollywood has toyed with re-adapting Stephen King’s The Stand forever. But instead of a TV miniseries (hopefully better than the 1994 ABC version), we’re getting a movie. A three-hour-long movie. We have no idea if this will work. In an interview with Vulture, The Stand director Josh Boone (currently stumping for his new film Fault…

The success or failure of an upcoming U.S. ballistic missile defense test could affect when the Pentagon deploys 14 more ground-based interceptors to defend against possible missile threats from North Korea. The test— planned for June 22—will focus on the “kill vehicle,” which is supposed to destroy incoming missiles.

Short But Sweet Guardians Of The Galaxy Trailer Includes New Footage

This new TV spot for Guardians of the Galaxy is only 30 seconds long, but most of it is brand-new footage we haven’t seen yet. So if you’re as excited for more Rocket, Groot and Nova Prime Glenn Close (!) as we are, then this is going to be 30 seconds well spent.

We May Finally Know Why Sleep Improves Memory

Countless tests have shown that a good night’s sleep makes it easier to recall what you’ve learned. But we don’t know why. For decades, scientists have hypothesized that sleep strengthens our brains’ neural corrections, but direct evidence for this has been lacking. Now, we may finally have that evidence. What Makes A Memory? Decades of…

DC Comics Finally Gives Batman Co-Creator Bill Finger A Cover Credit

You know, DC Comics is so often in the news for doing something weird, bad, or outrageously inappropriate, but I’m happy to applaud them when they do something right — like give Batman co-creator Bill Finger a long overdue cover credit on a Batman comic. Bill Finger, as not even all comic fans know, helped…

Google Glass Will Allow Guns to Shoot Around Corners

If you’ve ever dreamed of a gun that could shoot around corners or over barricades, Google Glass is here to help. Now, if you link your smart gun to your Glass, you can aim for targets that are out of visual range. The Daily Beast’s Janelle Dumalaon has the story, about a company called Tracking…

Scooby Doo Backgrounds Sans Characters Are Simply Stunning To Look At

The Mystery Inc. team may have been aces at debunking weekly monster mysteries, but right now we’re much more impressed by the gorgeous backgrounds they solved crimes in front of. Check out this lovely collection of Scooby-less Scooby Doo settings. I loved the animated series (which ran from 1969 to 1971), but now I’m finding…