America’s Most Contaminated Nuclear Site Is Vulnerable To Earthquakes

Nearly 2,000 capsules containing radioactive waste at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation need to be relocated. That’s because the site was built in an area that’s prone to earthquakes. How could this happen? The facility, located in in southeastern Washington State, was the world’s largest producer of plutonium during the Cold War. Today, it is America’s…

These Mesmerizing GIFs Look Like They Come From An Alternate Reality

Inspired by physics and math, French engineering student Hugo Germain has created some of the oddest GIFs we’ve seen in quite some time — from incoming asteroids that can change direction to gravity-defying coils. Germain says his GIFs are a way to get people interested in subjects typically considered too inaccessible. His animations demonstrate such…

​Afflicted Is A Vampire Story That You Actually Need To See

If there’s possibly a more overused genre than “found-footage horror” flicks, it’s the glut of vampire movies we’ve seen over the past decade or so. So I know your reaction to hearing that Afflicted is a found-footage vampire flick is to avoid it. But all you’d be avoiding is a damn fine film. Two friends…

Blood Glacier Is A Movie About A Glacier Made Of BLOOD

Pulling inspiration from The Thing, the new practical effects-laced horror movie Blood Glacier has our attention. Because of the title, and the monsters. So many monsters! Check out the trailer now. Here’s the official synopsis: Gore descends upon the Alps in this grisly tale of snowbound terror. Janek (Gerhard Liebmann), a prickly, lone-wolf technician, is…

Your Guide to Witnessing the Biggest, Brightest Mars in Over Six Years

On April 8th, Earth will soar between the Sun and Mars. When it does, the Red Planet will reach what astronomers call “opposition” in the night sky. Just a few days later, Earth will be closer to Mars than it’s been in more than six years – and during a total lunar eclipse! Here’s how…

This Is Outrageous: The Jem Movie Is Filming In Three Weeks?

We’ve waited 29 years for a live action Jem movie. But now every piece of news we hear about this project makes us want to rip out our pink hair and weep. The new Jem movie announced last month is now filming in three weeks! How is this possible? What is going on? Where are…

One Map Showing Where the Water Shortages Will Hit

When we talk about a future of drought and water shortages, we’re not just talking about the amount of water. We’re also talking about how it’s distributed — a feature that this world map of the per capita renewable water resources in each country illustrates nicely. The map, which is the work of the UN’s…

Watch the City of Los Angeles Metastasize into Sprawl

Over the past hundred years, Los Angeles has grown from a tiny desert city to a sprawl of suburbs that stretch deep inland and down the southern coastline of California. In this quietly disturbing video, you can watch the city creeping outward over time. This is just one of three visualizations from NYU’s Stern Urbanization…

Astronomers Publish Study On Extraterrestrial Zombies

While some scientists fritter away their time searching for extraterrestrial life, two astronomers have performed a genuine public service for Earth by calculating the likely number of nearby planets inhabited by the undead. The study—written by Stephen Kane (who divides his time between San Francisco State University and the Center for Global Extinction Pandemic Control)…

10 Shocking Ways the Second World War Could Have Ended Differently

Decisions during wartime are monumental things. Each move and countermove has the potential to change the course of history. Here are ten shocking ways the Second World War could have unfolded differently than it did. Listed in rough chronological order. 1. Germany Invades Britain Instead of the Soviet Union Hitler’s invasion of the Soviet Union…

Scientists been warning about human-caused climate change for at least 36 years. One of the earliest articles appeared in the February 1978 issue of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and is now available online with contemporary commentary.

Captain America 2 Is One Of The Best Action Movies I’ve Ever Seen

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a brilliant action movie, that serves up a huge dose of wish fulfillment along with its bravura fight scenes. The wish fulfillment isn’t just being a face-kicking badass and blowing shit up, but the notion that we could all live in Steve Rogers’ world, where political conundrums are simple.…

This Ridiculously Accurate Clock is the New U.S. Time Standard

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has unveiled a new atomic clock, and boy howdy is it accurate. Dubbed NIST-F2, the clock uses a fountain of cesium atoms to determine the length of a second, and will neither gain nor lose a second in 300 million years of operation, making it three times as…

The Anti-Racism Exercise That Taught Kids to Be Racist

In 1968, Jane Elliott was teaching a class of 8-year-olds, and one of them asked why “that King” had been shot, referring to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. Elliott was unsure how to explain the context of what happened to elementary school children in Riceville, Iowa, so she made up an impromptu exercise.…

It’s An Attack On the Clones In This New Orphan Black Trailer

Season 2 of BBC America’s fantastic clone drama Orphan Black premieres on April 17th, and it looks like all the Tatiana Maslanys are in serious trouble. Honestly, I don’t know if I’m more excited to see where the story is going or just to see three Tatiana Maslanys acting opposite each other again.

Come On In, GIFs! Your Party Begins Now

Welcome to the party, Graphic Interchange Format-enthusiasts! What were you up to this week? Did you start a new project, see or learn something incredible, or just find the perfect GIF to explain it all? Share your news and GIFs with us now, because it’s our party and we can GIF if we want to.

Astronomers Release Image Of “Serial Killer” Galaxy

The European Southern Observatory has released a detailed image of galaxy NGC 1316, which has engulfed several other galaxies in its violent history… and has the battle scars to prove it. The image — created by combining several individual photos taken by a 2.2-meter telescope in Chile — shows NGC 1316 alongside a small spiral…

Watch Last Night’s Perfect GI Joe-Style Opening Of Community

Actually, last night’s episode of Community — which was not only animated like the classic cartoon, but also contained several shockingly accurate ’80s GI Joe toy commercials — was pretty much perfect all the way around. But if you missed the show, you at least need to watch the wonderful opening. At least. And here’s…

Who’s The Secret Villain Of Guardians Of The Galaxy?

Batman Vs. Superman adds some more star-power to its cast. Jesse Plemons may be out of the running for Star Wars. And there are photos showing Summer Glau in an interesting new costume on Arrow. Plus, the Captain America 2 writers talk about the Agent Carter pilot. Spoilers now! Batman Vs. Superman We’ve got more…

Watch an X-Class Solar Flare Ignite the Skies Over Iceland

On February 25th, the Sun let loose an X4.9-class solar flare. It was our parent star’s most violent outburst of the year. When the debris from the ensuing coronal mass ejection collided with Earth’s atmosphere, it produced one of the most colorful auroral displays in recent memory. It was a spectacle to which Henry Jun…