A Video Unleashes The Power Of Math To Whack Mars Conspiracy Theorists

Geophysicist Stuart Robbins, who writes the blog Exposing PseudoAstronomy, has produced a video that looks at the Cydonia Region of the Red Planet, and opens up a can of scientific whoop-ass on the “Mars anomalists” who claim that aliens created representations of complex equations on the planet’s surface. The video takes you through the “evidence”…

Sigourney Weaver Is Interested In Alien 5! Plus Details From Avatar!

Emilia Clarke and Pedro Pascal break down the latest Game of Thrones episode. Ben Foster describes his Warcraft character. Doctor Who’s latest director talks about what she brings to the set. Check out another Guardians of the Galaxy trailer. Plus, new details from the filming of Terminator: Genesis. Spoilers now! Top image: Game of Thrones…

This Alethiometer Tattoo Is Easier to Read Than the Actual Thing

I mean, it’s missing the arms that let you actually ask questions, but you can’t have everything. [920 Tattoo Company]

Supercut Captures the Most Sublime Expression of Rage: The Table Flip

Ahh, the table flip. Has film brought us a better short hand for “uncontrollable anger” than the table flip? No. It has not. And while this supercut only features movies (and thus leaves out a few of the true greats of table flipping), it is still epic.

Compare the Wealth of Comic Book Characters With This Infographic

All hail comics’ most wealthy: Black Panther. Buddy Loans created the infographic below from a bunch of sources including Forbes, Wikipedia, and Comic Vine. I never thought that his comparatively low wealth would be a reason to feel bad for Magneto. Now, while fun, there are a few problems that jump out immediately: A) it…

And Now: The Four Hyena Species Explained

Not as epic as the series on cats (apparently there are a lot of cat species), but now mythbri‘s finished a series of posts on the four species of hyenas. These posts are gold for completionists, really.

Nocturnal Transmissions: Let’s Talk About Childhood Favorites

Let’s get nostalgic! What stands out in your memory as your childhood favorites? And have you revisited them since then and found them wanting? Still good? Embarrassingly bad? Hidden depths? This is Nocturnal Transmissions, your nightly open thread.

Is This Really The Worst Movie Special Effect Of All Time?

It’s certainly a leading contender. This moment from Jaws 3-D is laughably bad, and sort of the opposite of the beautiful practical effects that distinguished Spielberg’s original movie. But is it actually the worst? Bloody Disgusting makes a pretty strong case that this glass-shattering bit goes beyond embarrassing into some uncharted territory of shame: This…

The U.S. military is funding research into developing brain implants that will regulate human emotions. The idea is to locate and “stop” feelings experienced by soldiers and veterans, including depression and fear. What could go wrong?

In Time Lapse, Total Idiots Find A Camera That Photographs The Future

What if you found a camera that allowed you to take photographs of tomorrow? Whatever you pointed it at, you’d get a polaroid of that spot, 24 hours later. Then imagine, what if a group of total idiots found such a camera? That’s the premise of Time Lapse. It’s actually gratifying to watch people use…

Salem Finally Introduces A Genuinely Frightening Puritan

Somehow Cotton Mather continues to be the most reasonable, rational person on Salem—and it’s pretty weird. But at last we’re getting a Puritan who kills accused witches first, asks questions later, and quite literally expects God to sort them out. One of the oddities of Salem is how little we’ve gotten to know the village…

She Walked Inside the Tree Trunk, and Found Herself in a Maze

What had seemed like a bunch of fallen logs from the outside slowly resolved itself into a series of tunnels that seemed lined with the castoff boards from a thousand cheap construction projects. The further she walked, the more confusing the passages became. At last she came to a crossroads. This is the work of…

That Time Will Eisner Drew An Oversexed M-16 Comic Book for the Army

The M-16 was billed as a wonder weapon—a light, lethal rifle that would give U.S. troops a battlefield advantage in Vietnam. But soldiers initially encountered problems with the new rifle, prompting the Army, in desperation, to hire Will Eisner to create a comic book training manual. As the blog War Is Boring explains, the M-16…

True Blood Finale Trailer Tries To Get You To Love Vampire Bill Again

Loads of new footage in this True Blood trailer heralds the return of fun Bill Compton. Remember him? Of course not, it’s been 10,000 years since the old bag of bones has “dropped fang” in a fun way. Either way, we missed you non-god complex Vampire Bill! Also, Alcide doesn’t have a shirt on in…

Does 0.999… Really Equal 1? A Mathematician Explains

When you have an infinitely decreasing number does it ever hit a point where it is indistinguishable from the number it’s approaching? Does 0.999999999…, for instance, ever finally just become 1? A mathematician has an answer for us. Mathematician Jordan Ellenberg joined us today to take our questions about math in everyday life, including one…

The Greatest, Most Scientifically Accurate Dick Joke Of All Time

Whether you’re a fan of Mike Judge’s late-night HBO comedy Silicon Valley or not, you should know it has contributed the greatest dick joke of all time to pop culture. Why? Because it uses math. Watch above and learn, my friends. The best part? Actor/comedian Kumail Nanjiani, who plays Dinesh on the show, revealed it…

Scientists have teleported quantum information between two bits of diamond located 10 feet apart. It’s a prime example of “spooky action at a distance” — and an achievement that could lead to quantum networks exponentially more powerful and secure than today’s supercomputers. Image: Artistic impression of quantum teleportation of a spin state between two distant…

Slum Life In New York City During the Nineteenth Century’s Gilded Age

Wealth flowed during the 1880s and 90s, but only to the upper echelons of society. A vast gulf opened between rich and poor, earning this era the nickname “the Gilded Age.” One immigrant photographer captured what it was like for New York’s poor during this time, and his images remain arresting today. The Danish-born carpenter…

FIFA’s New World Cup Ball Is The Fastest And Most Aeodynamic Yet

When the 2014 FIFA World Cup gets started on June 12 in Brazil, the world’s greatest soccer players will be booting around one of the most advanced balls ever created for the sport — and the science proves it. Called Brazuca, it was developed by Adidas. Here’s what makes it unique: It has six polyurethane…

You Can Finally Own ​Anime’s Biggest New Hit — And I Mean Biggest

You may have watched it already on Netflix, Cartoon Network, or online. Let me tell you that if you’ve seen the smash anime Attack on Titan, you almost certainly need to own it, and if you haven’t seen it, you’re almost certainly going to want to. Tomorrow’s your chance! • Attack on Titan: Part One…