Do we need a Space Party?

We’ve got a Green party to advocate for environmental causes on Earth. But what about a Space party? With a burgeoning private space industry, and the International Space Station in full flower, maybe it’s time for space advocates to represent their interests politically. What would that look like? Let’s do a thought experiment. Image by…

What if you had superpowers, but only when you were having sex?

Follow-up question: Do you think you could manage to rob a bank while having sex? I think it would be awkward, but we’ll find out thanks to Matt Fraction’s naughty new Image series. Plus Powerpuff Girls, drunken ninjas and mini-Marvel heroes, all in this week’s comics! New Issues Dark Horse: • Criminal Macabre: Eyes of…

A Western set on Mars? Yes please! The CW is developing Red, a frontier story about the first settlement on Mars, from The Mentalist creator Bruno Heller. Characters include a female sheriff, a doctor and a criminal. Could be fun!

Princess Leia fights alone in a brand new Star Wars book

As readers of the recent Brian Wood Star Wars comics know, Princess Leia is no pushover. And now she’s getting her own standalone novel — to be followed by solo adventure novels starring Luke and Han. We’ve got an exclusive excerpt, right here. Razor’s Edge: Empire and Rebellion by Martha Wells is out today, and…

The Art and Science of State Fair Foods

I love the fair. The rides, the people, the all butter replica of Neil Armstrong’s moon landing (I’m looking at you, Iowa). But most of all, I love the food. It’s fried, fun, and totally unique. I have a piece up in Modern Farmer explaining how chefs come up with new state fair foods. (HINT:…

The Greatest Out-of-Print Tabletop RPGs That We Still Love

A lot of our love for tabletop games comes down to nostalgia. A game we played in the 80s might have terrible rules and a hackneyed game world, but we love it all the same. Sadly, many of those classic RPGs are long out of print. Here’s a look at the best of these lost…

This Week, Sleepy Hollow Gets a Batcave!

Last week on Sleepy Hollow, a grumpy pair of crimefighters with an enormous height difference were brought together by magic and exposition to defeat the Headless Horseman, and two characters were killed! This week, the show does takebacks on at least one of those things. Spoilers ahead! What the show is not going to do…

10 Unsung Heroes in the History of Doctor Who

As we celebrate Doctor Who’s 50th birthday, we’ll be justly singing the praises of all the people who made the British TV show the cultural powerhouse it is today. But certain people will probably receive less adulation than they deserve. Here are 11 unsung heroes who helped bring Doctor Who to life. Feel free to…

Everything We Know About BBC’s Atlantis TV Show Is Wrong

Okay, not everything — it’s still set at least partially on the lost city of Atlantis. But based on the previews, we thought it was a classic fantasy-adventure show, like Hercules or Xena. So why is the first clip set in the present? Is Jason a time traveller? Has the legendary Argonaut been reincarnated? Is…

7.7 magnitude quake in Pakistan just created a new island

A massive, 7.7 magnitude quake struck south-central Pakistan on Tuesday afternoon local time. The USGS warns that there will high casualties and economic losses, requiring international response. Seismologists have also confirmed that the quake raised a new island, about 30-40 feet high, off the coast. The island is about half a mile off the coast…

A remarkably detailed fake study of Wolverine’s regeneration abilities

It’s a shame we don’t have actual superheros in our midst. Otherwise, scientists would put out research papers that look something like this amazing six-page study examining the discovery of a novel protein associated with the regenerative abilities of none other than Wolverine. Right off I gotta say that the work put into this parody…

Meet the Samurai ThunderCats of ancient Japan in this awesome fanart

The new ThunderCats cartoon was sadly canceled after a single season; perhaps they should have looked to Phil Postma‘s radical samurai-themed redesigns for inspiration. Here’s a massive gallery of Postma’s ancient Japanese ThunderCats, as well as their nemesis Mumm-Ra. First of all, I love how anytime someone redesigns the ThunderCats, Mumm-Ra in his Ever-living form…

Earth’s Mysterious Third Radiation Ring Driven By ‘Different Physics’

Earlier this year, NASA scientists discovered a “previously unknown surprise circling Earth” — an ephemeral third ring of radiation surrounding our planet. Now, some eight months later, UCLA scientists say they know what’s going on — and it’s unlike anything physicists have ever seen before. https://gizmodo.com/nasa-weve-discovered-a-previously-unknown-surprise-c-5986821 Top image: The third ring between the two belts.…

Tesla gets a monument in New York, one of many recognitions to come

Serbian president Tomislav Nikolic unveiled a monument to Nikola Tesla yesterday at the Serbian-born scientist’s former Wardenclyffe laboratory in Long Island. The ceremony comes not long after Matthew Innman, creator of webcomic The Oatmeal, succeeded in raising the funds required to buy back Tesla’s old laboratory. https://gizmodo.com/the-oatmeals-tesla-museum-campaign-has-totally-oblitera-5937950 With the help of an $850,000 matching grant…

The future of Firefly will finally be revealed in a new Serenity comic

There have been plenty of Firefly/Serenity comics, but only now will you get to see the rest of the story. Dark Horse has announced the first-ever continuation of the Firefly series, with a new Serenity comic set after the events of the beloved (if somewhat devastating) movie. Here’s the summary: As the series begins, Mal…

What Will Our Monument to History Be?

The ancient Egyptians left behind the pyramids and the Romans, the Colosseum. What will our monument to history be? It could be a stadium or a mall. It could be one of our actual monuments. It could be the swirling vortex of trash, leftover plastic tabs, and bits of shopping bags that make up the…

The most astonishing timelapse of Burning Man you will ever see

Burning Man 2013 may have come to a close, but now’s the time when all the cool videos start to come out. Case in point is this stunning timelapse of Blackrock City as seen from the peak of Old Razorback, a height of 1,888 feet. The week-long countercultural festival, which is held every year at…

Are some of Star Wars‘s most beloved aliens returning for Episode VII?

Tom Hiddleston explains why Loki is slightly different from King Henry V. Duncan Jones has some more intriguing names in mind for World of Warcraft. Alex Winter offers a Bill & Ted 3 update, while director Francis Lawrence talks Catching Fire. And a classic dystopian novel gets adapted. Spoilers ahoy! Top image from Catching Fire.…

Bubble mansions are popular in the asteroid belt this year

These are not “McMansions.” Their domes are made with 100% organic polymer chains, fabricated by artisanal molecular foundries. And the homes inside are all sustainably manufactured out of locally-mined carbonaceous compounds and minerals. So they’re good for the asteroid belt environment, and great for you! This is a 1980 image by Robert McCall from an…

Your Daily Recommended Dose of Steampunk Murder!

Remember that steampunk finishing school on an airship, where proper young ladies are taught to curtsey, spy and occasionally assassinate? It’s back! Gail Carriger is publishing the second book in the Finishing School series, Curtsies and Conspiracies, and we’ve got an exclusive excerpt. https://gizmodo.com/the-finishing-school-on-the-airship-where-they-teach-y-5973004 “We are lowering for a refuel and groundside layover. Students will…