You Wouldn’t Like This Hulk When He’s… Wet

Those ‘just add water and watch it grow’ toys have been a staple of kids for years now. But if you thought you outgrew such a childish novelty, ThinkGeek might change your mind with this wonderful desk toy that brings the Incredible Hulk to life with nothing but a container full of water. Patience is…

It’s a Long Way Down to the Surface of Mars

Pell tried to focus on the repairs, but every time she passed Tharsis Colony in orbit, she had to pause and admire the view. She’d grown up in the vast subterranean silos, but from here, they were just lovely disks carved into the surface. Concept art by Win Campos. Astronaut [Win Campos on CGHub via…

Lupita Nyong’o has reportedly met with J.J. Abrams about a role in Episode VII. We’ve been hearing a lot of intriguing names popping up as potential stars in the next Star Wars film, but this may be the most exciting: word has it that the Oscar-winning star of 12 Years a Slave has met with…

Official Weather Forecast for Baltimore is Hilariously Apocalyptic

On Wednesday, the National Weather Service issued an official evening forecast for the Baltimore/D.C. area that sounded like the freaking end of days. Excerpted from the NWS’s Area Forecast Discussion for Baltimore MD/Washington DC, issued Wednesday March 12 at 9:43 AM EDT: ht Wired//Nadia Drake

What’s the right mix of science and fiction in science fiction?

Parsing out just the right ratio of science to fiction in science fiction is a long-standing question, with no easy answer. Here’s how the Adult Swim animated show Rick and Morty deals with that conundrum. Justin Roiland, co-creator of Rick and Morty, stopped in for a Q&A today where he answered this question about the…

Brazilian astronomers have discovered a “very bright” new comet

Fresh off the heels of ISON’s untimely demise, Brazilian astronomers have announced the discovery of a new and luminous comet. Called C/2014 E2 (Jacques), they found it using the SONEAR observatory near Oliveira, Brazil. The discovery was made by Cristovao Jacques, E. Pimentel, and J. Barros. It’s the second comet detected by this team. The…

And Now, Batman Villains drawn as Cartoon Sharks.

No, we don’t know why. But artist Jeff Victor has drawn Batman villains as Sharks. Good night, everybody! [via Geekologie]

Beautifully Designed Olympic Posters from 1896 to Today

The Olympic Games celebrate feats of athleticism and endurance — but nobody would care about these contests if they weren’t promoted by great accomplishments in graphic design. Check out all the stunningly designed posters for the past 120 years of Olympic Games. 1896, Athens (via Britannica Kids) 1900, Paris (via Amazon) 1904, St. Louis (via…

First look at the action figures of Michael Bay’s TMNT

We’ve seen the character designs for the Michael Bay-produced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, but these new action figures have revealed a few secrets of their own. Here, take a look… So… 1) Michaelangelo is definitely wearing a hoodie around his waist. A hoodie that can’t possibly fit him. 2) I think Donatello is wearing…

Gaming Deals: Born of the Gods, Dwarven Forge, SOI&F RPG & more

The savvy tabletop gamer can find lots of great deals on games, terrain, and more. Luckily, I’ve done most of the work for you. Check out these excellent springtime game sales. Note: a few of these sales are affiliate links, but none of them are paid ads, just some deals I found. The Song of…

Watch out: this book is dangerously addictive!

Have you ever had the thing where you’re so absorbed in reading a book that you try to keep reading it while walking around on the street, only to come close to being hit by a bus? I had a bit of that with the new young-adult fantasy novel Half Bad by Sally Green. Top…

You don’t know what true wilderness is

When you hear the word “wilderness,” usually you imagine vast expanses of untouched nature, full of beautiful plants and untamed animals. But according to historian William Cronon, you’ve got the wrong idea. Photo by the Pinedale Ranger District of the Bridger-Teton National Forest In fact, misunderstandings of wilderness may be causing problems for environmentalists who…

Our brains deliberately make us forget things, to prevent insanity

The ability to retain and recall information is an imperfect process even at the best of times — a shortcoming that now appears to be no accident. A new study shows that our brains are actively making us forget unimportant details, and that if it didn’t, we’d probably go insane. Indeed, people with so-called “photographic…

The little girl from The Ring shows up in Wonderland, all grown up!

Wonderland tied up a few lose ends by randomly linking characters again this week. Which was unsurprising, but still interesting. Then the chick from The Ring showed up, in a well. Spoilers ahead. I think I’ve nailed down the thing that bothers me on this show. How ludicrously convenient everything is — even though the…

What’s your favorite moment where a hero receives a just reward?

Being a hero is a thankless task. Often, heroes go unrecognized — or even misunderstood and reviled. Some heroes refuse any thanks or reward. But there’s somthing satisfying about seeing someone’s good deeds get acknowledged. What’s your favorite moment where someone actually gets some recognition? Please include a picture or clip (or book cover) for…

The Continuum season premiere answers all your most urgent questions

At long last, time-traveling cop show Continuum is coming back — and the first episode launches with a bang. Check out a 10-minute sneak peek, and then read on for our absolutely spoiler-free impressions. We get lots of answers. The good news is, without giving anything away, the season opener of Continuum does a lot…

J.K. Rowling has released History of the Quidditch World Cup online!

Folks itching to see J.K. Rowling return to the world of Harry Potter are in for a treat today. The author has released the first part of her two-part essay, History of the Quidditch World Cup, which builds out the universe’s popular sport. The one catch is that, to read the essay, you’ll need to…

Watch a volcano eruption up close, as filmed by a drone!

Drones have been capturing some spectacular nature photography lately, but this video of a drone getting up close and personal with an exploding volcano is pretty astonishing. The video was shot by Shaun O’Callaghan and offers a different view of just how powerful a volcanic eruptions can look from directly above. Pretty incredibly, he says…

This is a poorly performed magic trick (but you’ll fall for it anyway)

Like many feats of visual trickery, the secret behind psychologist Richard Wiseman’s “Tube of Mystery” boils down to a few not-so-mysterious tricks of the trade. What makes this illusion interesting, though, is how well it works even when performed badly. The Tube of Mystery says a lot about the limitations of human perception and attention.…

Does your dog’s breed really determine its personality?

Dog enthusiasts will frequently tell you that certain dogs have certain characteristics: Golden Retrievers are friendly, German Shepherds are protective, and Corgis are smarter than a fifth grader. But is a dog’s breed really such a great predictor of its personality? This is Skoda—or Dr. Emil Skoda if you want to be formal. He is,…