​Celebrate the other scifi classic that had an anniversary this weekend

Mystery Science Theater 3000 had its 25th anniversary on Sunday, and Shout Factory is celebrating it with a brand-new special edition that includes six classic episodes. Plus there’s wolf children, knights on motorcycles, and more, all in This week’s DVDs! • Mystery Science Theater 3000: 25th Anniversary Edition Okay, the episodes include the Hammer scifi…

Watch a 9-year-old ninja fight dystopian police, in this great video

If you need a futuristic fight scene to perk you up, then we’ve got you covered. This catchy new song from Five Knives, “The Future,” comes with a terrific video that shows a scary future world of authoritarian police, rigid conformity — and 9-year-old ninjas who fight back against the system! Video director Lance Drake…

First teaser trailer for the 2nd season of Orphan Black

One of Orphan Black’s clones got a new hair cut! Or is that a new clone entirely? We may never know until the new season premiere, this April! Not too much to see besides some new blonde streaks (or should we say old streaks, put back in) and it looks like she’s shaved the side…

Doctor Who‘s regeneration history may be more insane than you thought

After revealing that the Doctor’s history was even more complicated than we already knew, in the recent “Day of the Doctor,” showrunner Steven Moffat has finally clarified just which number of Doctor Matt Smith is. But a new rumor indicates things are crazier than you ever realized. Possible spoilers below… So Doctor Who first explained…

Could we detect signs of alien life on a dying planet?

Scientists say that we should be on the lookout for purple planets, a possible sign of primordial extraterrestrial life. But what about the biosignatures of exoplanets that are dying? A recent study concluded that it is indeed possible — we just have to recognize the signs. https://gizmodo.com/why-scientists-need-to-search-for-alien-life-on-purple-1463585808 Astrobiologist Jack O’Malley-James at the University of St.…

Our last views of Comet ISON will be the most beautiful

ISON has continued to brighten in recent days, becoming visible to the naked eye in the early-morning sky above the eastern horizon. Recent footage of the comet has been spectacular, but ISON could become harder to spot as it continues on its inexorable dive toward the Sun. https://gizmodo.com/ready-comet-ison-approaches-1464629583 https://gizmodo.com/how-to-spot-comet-ison-in-the-early-morning-sky-1250301611 Bright though ISON may be, it’s…

First Look at Optimus Prime with his big Robot Sword

Mark Wahlberg, the white guy in the obligatory Transformer’s lead leather jacket, some sort of fashion model and Optimus Prime join together on the cover of Empire Magazine’s latest issue. What does a giant alien robot with awesome strength need with a sword? Your guess is as good as mine. This will be Michael Bay’s…

All the Toys and Collectibles You’ll Hate to Give Away This Year

Are you already panicking about what to buy your friends and family for the holidays this year? Don’t. First of all, it isn’t even December yet, and second of all, we’ve assembled yet another guide of 20 great gift ideas for the people in your life who know receiving toys on Christmas never goes out…

Blue Screen of Insomnia. Designers Chris Noessel and Nathan Shedroff analyzed screen colors in tons of science fiction movies, and concluded that future computer screens would be tinted blue. Which is bad news, since our eyes are hypersensitive to blue light, and it keeps us from sleeping.

Here are 20 fantastic tips that can help you interpret scientific claims. Science and scientific studies are becoming increasingly relevant to everyone’s lives. You owe it to yourself to check out these simple guidelines that explain a lot about what comes after the phrase “scientists say . . . “

Tomorrow’s wind turbines could look like enormous owl wings

Engineers often take inspiration from animal designs because they’re more efficient than machines are. In the case of owl wings, nature has a major advantage over human engineering: owl wings are uncannily quiet. Now, researchers are considering outfitting wind turbines with an upscaled equivalent – if they can figure out how to do it. https://gizmodo.com/darpa-just-obliterated-the-landspeed-record-for-the-fas-5941367…

2 episodes left, and Witches of East End drops a bunch of plot bombs

And they were amazeballs. It doesn’t really matter that they practically came out of nowhere — all the crazy reveals in this episode were just what the early episodes of this show were missing. That gif is us, trapped in the warm, magically animated, coat arms of this show. Spoilers ahead. . . Witches are…

In 1988, Kim Jong-Il gave a speech exhorting North Koreans to write SF

And that’s just one fascinating fact about North Korean science fiction contained in a brilliant overview, over at SinonK.com. Also: North Korean science fiction never features aliens — or, perhaps not surprisingly, dystopian settings. In fact, North Korean science fiction sounds as though it’s closer to “mundane” science fiction than most of what we produce…

Yes, One Person Could Actually Destroy the World

Apocalyptic weapons are currently the domain of world powers. But this is set to change. Within a few decades, small groups — and even single individuals — will be able to get their hands on any number of extinction-inducing technologies. As shocking as it sounds, the world could be destroyed by a small team or…

The great 1872 expedition that proved the North Pole was frozen solid

In the nineteenth century, many people believed that the Arctic Sea was open water, ringed by ice. The country whose merchant vessels could find their way through that ice, and across the North Pole, would have a fantastic shipping route. Image of the expedition via the European Library But then one expedition dashed those hopes.…

Over 176 Pounds? The morning after pill probably won’t work for you.

The effectiveness of morning after pills like Plan B One Step is liable to be much lower for women who weigh more than 165, with effectiveness dropping close to zero for anyone over 176. Shocked? Maybe you shouldn’t be. The mechanism of action for emergency measures like Plan B is the same as it is…

8 Hit Movies That Failed to Launch Their Own Genres

Hollywood’s always looking for the next big thing. So when a movie does well, you often see a flood of imitators in its wake. How well does this strategy generally work out? Not great. Here are eight huge hit movies that failed to launch successful genres. https://gizmodo.com/10-influential-movies-where-everybody-copied-the-wrong-1172586696 Once upon a time, Star Wars started a…

FDA may begin seizing home DNA testing kits

The FDA has given personal genetics company 23andme 15 days to comply with health regulations, before the federal agency begins seizing the company’s DNA testing kits. The FDA says 23andme is offering an untested “diagnostic” device in violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. For $99, 23andme will send you a DNA collection…

All the Funniest One-Star Reviews for Time Bandits

Most of us either love Terry Gilliam’s Time Bandits or have a lot of fondness for it — but Captain Max and Jinx have collected all of the movie’s most scathing one-star reviews from Amazon.com, so you can peer into the minds of people who feel very differently. https://observationdeck.kinja.com/1-star-movie-reviews-time-bandits-1470210020

This Week’s TV: Who lives and who dies in the Walking Dead finale?

There’s tons on television this week. Like Lady Gaga and the Muppets! A new Star Wars special! Dean Winchester becoming a virgin! Bizarre TV movies! A MST3K marathon! The Walking Dead midseason finale! But we still want to put in a special plug for a must-watch show: Nikita. Seriously, if you’re not watching Nikita in…