Did a Case of Scientific Misconduct Win the Nobel Prize for Physics?

The test meant to measure the electron might be one of the world’s most perfect experiments, or it might be the most successful case of scientific misconduct in history. It all depends on how you interpret the scandal surrounding Robert Millikan and the oil-drop experiment. The Charge of the Electron Around the turn of the…

This Swarm Of Insect-Inspired Microbots Is Unsettlingly Clever

They’re incredibly fast, can run directly up the wall, and coordinate easily among themselves. This swarm of insect-inspired microbots in action is both useful, and a little bit alarming. The magnetically-activated microbots from SRI International move quickly (you can see them moving in the video at realtime speeds of up to 35 cm/ second) and…

These Eavesdropping Drone Tanks Have Something to Tell You

If you want to get an up close and personal feel for what it means to live in a surveillance society, then pay a visit to the Berlinische Galerie, where, in a cavernous gallery, German artist Nik Nowak has set loose a pair of drones to snoop on museum-goers. Nowak has made a career out…

Fan TV’s Slick Cable Box Replacement Is Coming to Time Warner Cable

It’s been nearly a year since Fan TV told us about its plan to to revolutionize the way we watch live TV with a set-top-box. Today, Time Warner customers become the first to get access to the platform. It turns out that making your cable work better comes at a hefty price. The interface your…

This Moody Fan Film Goes Inside The Mind Of Harley Quinn

When Harley Quinn finds herself comatose with guilt, she retreats into her own mind, where she must confront her original persona and a Joker-like manifestation of her subconscious. Sheridyn Fisher, who stars as Harley Quinn, co-wrote Red Queen, which is apparently just the first episode in the adventures of this symbolically liberated Harley. The film…

10 Science Fiction And Fantasy Stories That Editors Are Tired Of Seeing

To you, your short story is unique and perfect. To editors, it’s “the third steampunk time-travel story we’ve seen this week.” But which trends should you try to avoid? To find out, we asked some of the top editors in the field which type of science fiction and fantasy stories they’re tired of seeing. Here’s…

Why Are There 60 Minutes In An Hour? 60 seconds in a minute? The sectioning off of time may seem arbitrary (and has only been used, practically, for about 400 years), but it was actually hugely important to the advent of modern science, as Robert Coolman explains in an engrossing piece over at LiveScience.

io9 Book Club Reminder: Meeting 5/6 to Discuss Life After Life

This month, the io9 Book Club is reading Kate Atkinson’s Life After Life. We’ll be meeting May 6 to talk about it. Join us! We’re hoping Atkinson will join us later that week to talk about the book. What is this io9 Book Club all about? We meet once a month to discuss a book…

In The Redemption Engine, We Visit an Anarcho-Capitalist Fantasy City

In his latest novel, The Redemption Engine, James Sutter’s “misotheist” hero Salim Ghadafar visits a catacomb-riddled city to solve a mystery involving missing souls. He talked with us about the novel, and atheist characters in worlds full of gods. James L. Sutter is the managing editor for Paizo Publishing and a co-creator of the Pathfinder…

Ancient Antarctica Was As Warm As Today’s Florida And California

During the Eocene epoch, Antarctica featured high concentrations of atmospheric CO2 and a subsequent greenhouse climate. By using a new measuring technique, scientists from Yale University have now learned that Antarctic seawaters were once as warm as as those registered in Florida and California today. Top image: Antarctic-Australasian dinosaurs of the Cretaceous, a warm era…

Joel Hodgson Wants To Resurrect Mystery Science Theater 3000 In 2014

Tucked away in this fantastic Wired article about the history of MST3K comes the amazing news that creator Joel Hodgson is trying to bring back the beloved series — this time online, and with a brand-new host. Here’s the proof: [Wired:] But this year Mystery Science Theater may finally get a long-­rumored, heavily anticipated reboot.…

All The Kepler Planets Graphed By Their Ability To Support Life

There are 1,780 confirmed planets that exist beyond our solar system. But of those planets, how likely are they to be able to support life? National Geographic put together an interactive graphic that takes two of the most basic planetary features for supporting life — size and temperature — and graphs out where each of…

Does Researching Casual Marijuana Use Cause Brain Abnormalities?

Last week, a study was published that claimed to establish a link between casual marijuana use and abnormalities in the brains of recreational users. Intrigued by a claim made by one of the paper’s authors in the wave of ensuing press coverage, UC Berkeley computational biologist Lior Pachter decided to take a closer look. In…

These Are The Most Uninhabited Places In The United States

Population geographers typically create maps showing us where all the action is. This map, on the other hand, does not. This map was put together by Nik Freeman using census data from 2010. All those green areas you see are census blocks in which nobody lives (a block being the smallest area unit used by…

Syfy’s Trailer For The Post-Apocalyptic Angel Drama Dominion Is Insane

Set in the year 25 “A.E.”, Earth’s post-apocalyptic future is run by an angel army, and the Angels are super pissed at mankind. Watch the very first trailer now. Inspired by the ridiculous film Legion, here’s the basic premise: Archangel Gabriel has built an angel army and descended onto Earth to kill everybody. Archangel Michael…

What’s Your First Memory Of Using The Internet?

Yesterday, we watched a timelapse of the internet spreading to different countries in the world. Now we want to know when the internet arrived in your life. Whether the internet has been around for all of your life or it arrived later in your life, we want to know about your first internet memory. Tell…

This Map Shows Why the US Is Critical to China’s Energy Needs

In recent years, China has awakened to a growing dilemma. The country is increasingly dependent on energy imported through maritime straits that are kept secure by other navies — notably the United States in the Persian Gulf. As a new report published by the Brookings Institution notes, China’s extraordinary economic growth has led to a…

This Cute Little Guy Desperately Wants To Poison You

Perhaps a better way to phrase it would be “he wants to envenomate you”, since this recently “extinct” little creature can bite you and pump you full of venom. It’s one of the few venomous mammals on Earth, and perhaps the only one that injects venom exactly the way a snake does. The particular solenodon…

The First Live-Action Lupin the Third Footage Looks Eerily Perfect

The very first footage of the live-action adaptation of the long-running manga and anime Lupin the Third is here, and damned if it doesn’t seem like they’ve gotten the gentleman-thief and his samurai and gunman cohorts exactly right. I’ve had my doubts about this movie, mainly because I’m a big Lupin fan and wasn’t sure…

Marc Webb Opens Up About The Ending Of Amazing Spider-Man 2!

Simon Kinberg says the new Star Wars movies will totally disregard the Expanded Universe. Fantastic Four’s going to be a mix of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man and Chronicle. Terminator: Genesis starts filming, and there are new X-Men: Apocalypse details. Plus more about Agents of SHIELDand Arrow. Spoilers now! Top image: The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Star Wars…