The Most Fascinating Behind-The-Scenes Photos Of Your Favorite TV Shows

The TARDIS and the starship Enterprise feel like enchanted places that we visit in our imaginations. But the reality of working on a TV show involves long hours in a studio, and the magic takes a lot of work. Just check out these revealing behind-the-scenes photos from our favorite fantasy and science fiction shows. We…

Our Spoiler-Free Review of the First Episode of Penny Dreadful

Showtime’s new Victorian Gothic series Penny Dreadful has been shrouded in mystery, but yesterday the network leaked the pilot. Without giving away the good stuff, let’s talk about some of Penny Dreadful’s greatest mysteries and wonders. Mystery: What’s even going on? In a nutshell, everything’s creepy, and it’s up to an enigmatic woman and some…

Charles Michael Davis Tells Us About Playing One Of TV’s Best Vampires

Sorry, Klaus and Elijah fans — our favorite character on The Originals is probably Marcel, the former slave-turned-deposed-vampire-king. We were lucky enough to talk to Charles Michael Davis, who plays Marcel, and he explained Marcel’s tangled relationships, and what’s next for the once (and future?) King. Spoilers for past episodes of The Originals, plus some…

Physics Students Describe How to Make a Force Field with Today’s Tech

A group of physics students from the University of Leicester have calculated that the laser-deflecting shields used by spaceships in Star Wars are not only theoretically feasible, but could also be constructed using today’s technology. However, there are some problems that would require some creative workarounds. The students made some simple assumptions based on watching…

What If You Piled Every Human On Earth Into The Grand Canyon?

There are more than seven billion human beings living on Earth. That sounds like a lot until you imagine all of them sitting in a pile in the Grand Canyon. Vsauce created this “species portrait” as part of their latest episode, “How Many Things Are There?” It also informs us that each of us will…

Who Do You Think The New Cast Is Playing In Star Wars Episode VII?

Now that the brand new cast of Star Wars Episode VII has been announced, it’s time to pick each actor out one-by-one. Decide who they are playing, and what they are doing. Thankfully, the first official image from the production gives us a few clues. What do you think? The image released looks like it’s…

This Is Why Your Bread Goes Stale

Bakers, food service workers, and sandwich enthusiasts know the heartbreak of stale bread. A top scientist investigated this all the way back in the 1800s. We’ll tell you his conclusions. Jean Baptiste Boussingault is one of the reasons you are well-fed today. A 19th century agricultural scientist, he came up with modern ideas of crop…

How Scientists Could Be Fooled Into Thinking They’ve Found Alien Life

One of the more promising techniques for detecting alien life is by scanning the atmospheres of distant planets for biosignatures. But as new research shows, astrobiologists could very easily be deceived into thinking they’ve found extraterrestrial life when a moon is involved. Top image: Artist’s impression of the first exomoon candidate known to astronomers. Such…

Forget The Movies, This Is What A Real-Life Spider-Man Looks Like

My problem (one of my problems) with the Spider-Man movies is that the wire stunts and CG webslinging are so obvious. He just seems weightless and looks fake to me. This is why I want you all to join me in watching Ronnie Shalvis, a Spider-Man suit-owning parkour expert in action. Sure, not all of…

Taissa Farmiga Is A Creepy Serial Killer Who Outwits A Psychic In Anna

Jeez, this first trailer for Anna (the movie formerly known as Mindscape) is creepy as hell. Taissa Farmiga (American Horror Story) is Anna, a narcissistic weirdo who may have killed three girls. And Mark Strong is the guy who has the power to get inside your memories. He doesn’t stand a chance. Here’s the official…

The Deepest, Weirdest, Hugest Megadungeons Ever Created

The megadungeon is a cornerstone of fantasy role-playing games. Level upon level of twisting corridors and nefarious rooms filled with monsters, traps, puzzles, and magical treasures. These are the best megadungeons of all time, from D&D and beyond. Undermountain This was my first exposure to the megadungeon concept, and it was love at first sight.…

The Heinz Dilemma Might Reveal That Morality Is Meaningless

There’s a famous moral thought experiment, the Heinz Dilemma, that is supposed to tell us about a person’s moral development. What it might actually tell us is that moral development doesn’t matter. Lawrence Kohlberg was interested in one of the stickier areas of the human mind – morality. As a psychologist, he wanted to know…

1960s Retrofuture Short Film Inspired By The Oldest Story About Robots

Karel Čapek’s seminal 1919 play R.U.R. coined the term “robot” and was set 50 years in the future, making it 1969. Chase Masterson of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine stars in R.U.R.: Genesis, set in a flirty 1960s retrofuture where artificials conspire against humans. Writer and director James Kerwin has plans for a feature-length R.U.R.…

Greenpeace Envisions A Nightmarish Future Populated By Robotic Bees

As part of Greenpeace’s “Save the Bees” campaign, the environmental organization is showcasing a faux advertisement depicting a future in which robots have replaced natural pollinators. But while well-intentioned, it’s a rather myopic view of where we’re likely headed. The video is not as outlandish as it appears (though the suggestion that robotic bees will…

10 Questions From Science Fiction That We’re Glad Were Never Answered

We tend to think of science fiction and fantasy as being like mystery novels — the story is over when you solve the case. So we obsess over questions that have no answers. But here are 10 questions that are better unanswered, either because the possibilities are fascinating or because the answers would be terrible.…

Will China Purchase A Piece Of The Arctic?

China has two related policy priorities: Obtain more sources of energy, and gain a foothold in the Arctic, which is rich in natural resources. So, it comes as no surprise that Beijing is rumored to be interested in a piece of private property on a Norwegian Arctic archipelago that’s been put up for sale. The…

Kurt Vonnegut, Kindle Sale, Humble Image Comics Bundle, Spider-Man

Amazon is running quite the sale on Kindle Books today, the highlight of which for many will be several Vonnegut classics while we’ll link to directly. Of course, we recommend browsing the whole selection. [Amazon] Breakfast of Champions | $2 Welcome to the Monkey House | $2 Deadeye Dick | $2 Bluebeard: The Autobiography of…

The hearts of genetically modified pigs could soon be transplanted into humans. A research team, who tweaked the DNA of pigs to make the organ more compatible to humans, grafted a pig heart into a baboon more than a year ago — and it’s still doing fine. The idea of xenotransplantation, while a good near-term…

Hey Star Wars — Where the Hell Are the Women?

This morning we all delighted in the casting announcement for Star Wars VII. And then the reality set in: There is only one new female character being added to what is arguably the world’s most beloved mythic series. It’s as if 51 percent of the population cried out in pain, and was suddenly silenced. Let…

Warner Bros. Has Nine DC Movies Planned Including Sandman and Fables

Looks like Warner Bros. is getting its act together. The Wall Street Journal reports WB has nine DC comics movies planned, including the already announced Batman Vs. Superman and Justice League films, and now confirmed movie adaptations o Sandman and Fables. While a Fables movie sounds awesome (and we know what creator Mark Buckingham wants…