Great Unintended Scientific Discoveries

In the latest episode of Mental Floss, Derek Muller is on loan from Veritasium to dish out two dozen unintended scientific discoveries, including a few you’ve probably heard of (like penicillin*) and a bunch you probably haven’t (like Viagra). https://gizmodo.com/meet-the-scientific-accident-that-could-change-the-worl-5987086 https://gizmodo.com/7-scientific-accidents-that-led-to-world-changing-disco-5739235 *While we’re on the subject of penicillin, there’s more to its discovery than you’ve…

Science Fiction Book Cover Redesigns We Wish We Could Put on the Shelf

Over at Artsy Musings, there’s a great roundup of science fiction book cover reimaginings that ought to be actual book covers. Including this beautiful design by Luke James. Check out a few more of our favorites below. Left: Hannes Beer. Right: Wayne Dorrington. Left: Kevin Tong. Right: Paul Murray. Both images by Kevin Tong. Check…

Synthetic animals will save the planet

A recent project by designer Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg proposes that bioengineered creatures be released into the wild to save endangered species and clean up pollution. And she’s already designed four organisms to do it, including soil-scouring slugs and seed-dispersing porcupines. All images: Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg. Synthetic biology is not a new concept. Craig Venter proposed…

The Top 101 Science Fiction Adventures

Book editor and critic Joshua Glenn has worked to bring classic early science fiction back into print with his Radium Age Science Fiction Series. Now here’s his definitive list of the best adventure stories of all time! (Remember — these are not just scifi, but action/adventure scifi.) Top image: Sparth Below, please find a list…

Own William Gibson’s bomber jacket! Did you covet the Buzz Rickson MA-1 bomber jacket that cool hunter Cayce Pollard wore in William Gibson’s novel Pattern Recognition? Now a similar jacket can be yours, as designed by Gibson, for just $690.

Is nutrition research a pseudoscience?

Everyone agrees “eating right” is a good idea – what we can’t agree on is what the hell it means. (Whole wheat is now a healthy diet option or “probably killing you,” depending on who you ask.) What does science have to say about good dietary habits? According to University of South Carolina researcher Edward…

New book Fortune’s Pawn is like Firefly told by Lois McMaster Bujold

Readers are in for a ride with Rachel Bach’s entry into science fiction, Fortune’s Pawn, which has been called a Firefly-meets-Lois McMaster Bujold tale. It’s fun, rough and tumble, and has an exciting cast of characters — though the plot itself is a little uneven. Mild spoilers ahead. It’s easy to see the similarities to…

Sean Bean is playing Macbeth in a dark new reimagining

Check out our first look at Sean Bean as the Scottish lord misled by witches, Macbeth, in a brand new movie, Enemy of Man. See also some pictures of James D’Arcy as Banquo. These pictures come via Bleeding Cool, which points out that Michael Fassbender is also starring in a big-screen Macbeth film. Can either…

Behold the majesty of the official Walking Dead zombie footie pajamas

When there’s no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth… and then they’ll sleep in comfort, thanks to these adorable pajamas from The Walking Dead! They’re adult-sized, cover the feet completely, and come with a hood you can pul down for that complete zombie look. They’re also a mere $38 over at…

Stephen Fry’s Insane Look in Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Entertainment Weekly just released a collection of new Hobbit 2 images. Including one particularly interesting shot of Stephen Fry with an epic hairstyle. Just call him Stephen Fry: Master of Laketown, and the Comb-Over. Plus look who learned how to do the fishtail braid: Legolas!

10 Key Terms That Will Help You Appreciate Fantasy Literature

Fantasy novels and stories cast a spell on readers, with their vivid worlds and complex characters. But just like any other kind of spell, there are different types, and rules. You need a magical lexicon. So here are 10 commonly used terms you’ll need to know, that describe the different sorts of fantasy worlds and…

The cognitive bias that allows people to justify genocide

Why would we rather justify our bad deeds than apologize for them? Social psychologist Carol Tavris has just written a great essay on the “design flaws” in our brains that cause us to lie to ourselves about horrific mistakes we’ve made — and then make them again. Decades after Isaac Asimov imagined that psychohistory would…

How Self-Replicating Spacecraft Could Take Over the Galaxy

Forget about generation ships, suspended animation, or the sudden appearance of a worm hole. The most likely way for aliens to visit us — whatever their motive — is by sending robotic probes. Here’s how swarms of self-replicating spacecraft could someday rule the galaxy. Top image by Alejandro Burdisio via Concept Ships. Back in late…

The world’s first big cats came from Asia, not Africa

A recent fossil discovery in the Himalayas has pushed back the clock on big cat evolution by as much as seven million years. But not only that, the discovery of this previously unknown ancient leopard shows that these apex predators arose in Asia, not Africa. This new species, the elegantly named Panthera blytheae (named for…

This is a video of a dolphin masturbating with a decapitated fish

Did I stutter? This one does exactly what is says on the tin, folks. Hit the jump for the clip, if you dare, then we’ll discuss what we can learn from the footage. Because you’re damn right there’s a teaching moment to be had here. All right, so between YouTuber alexandros malikides‘s choice of music…

Russell Crowe turns the Bible’s Noah into an action hero

“The end of the world… is just the beginning.” BWAH HA… oh wait this is real. We’re still kind of in shock that Darren Aronofsky (who is fantastic) is directing this biblical disaster porn flick. Maybe it’s going to be awesome, or maybe it will look like this poster which appears to be a blend…

​I’ve figured out all the problems with Agents of SHIELD

Let me be upfront and say anyone expecting “The Hub” to be as epic as all its “Level 8 Clearance” promos implied it was going to be was surely disappointed. But despite my early misgivings, I ended up liking the episode a lot, although probably not for the reasons the showrunners hoped. But what most…

Yes, you are allowed to hate Iron Man

The post-apocalypse is getting chilly as the winter comes. If you manage to survive whatever vague Armageddon wrecks the world, here’s a helpful tip: Make friends with the biggest nerd you can find. He may be annoying, but man, his complete run of Rom: Spaceknight and a Bic lighter will see you through many a…

Hyenas may be using bacteria to communicate

We all have bacteria that live in our bodies, helping us by breaking down food, flushing out toxins, and regulating our weight. But for hyenas and other animals with specialized scent glands, bacteria may have an additional, important role: They could be allowing hyenas to communicate with each other. https://gizmodo.com/could-the-microbes-in-your-gut-be-making-you-gain-weigh-1255281287 Top image via Chris Eason/Flickr.…

Why scientists need to search for alien life on purple planets

Billions of years ago, when microbial life first emerged on Earth, our planet would have appeared purple from space. Armed with this knowledge, scientists now say we should be on the lookout for exoplanets tinged in a similar purple hue — a possible sign of extraterrestrial life. Back during the Archean era, some three billion…