James Gunn says we can still “save the world through science fiction”

Author and science fiction scholar James Gunn has a new book out, Transcendental. And he gave a fantastic interview to SFSignal, in which he talks about the history of the genre. Including the never-ending battle between optimism and pessimism in science fiction. Gunn says: Science fiction always has had strains of pessimism and optimism weaving…

New discovery brings us one step closer to preventing HIV infections

In a breakthrough six years in the making, an international team of researchers has determined the precise atomic structure of a cell-surface receptor that’s used by most strains of HIV to infect human immune cells. The finding could result in medicines that block the process. HIV researchers have been making great strides recently — and…

Say Hello Alcoholism with the official Hello Kitty Beer

Do you like booze, fruit flavors, and cute cartoon cats with disturbingly large heads? Then you’ll probably love the new line of Hello Kitty beer just released in China. They’re only half the alcohol content of regular beer, and come in six fruit flavors, including lemon-lime, passion fruit and banana. A banana-flavored, half-alcoholic beer sounds…

Escape from Tomorrow: a Movie Shot at Disneyland, Without Permission

We’ve been absolutely ravenous to check out any footage from Escape From Tomorrow, a surreal piece of black-and-white fantasy shot entirely at Disney theme parks. But without any approval from the Mouse House. Everything in Escape From Tomorrow was shot at either Disneyland or Disney World. In order to trick the security (which is everywhere…

8 Heroes Who Should Have Been Arrested for Child Endangerment

Heroes are known for battling evil, but there’s one crime they never seem to get around to fighting — child endangerment. Several heroes, super or otherwise, have somehow convinced themselves to take underage kids as sidekicks, despite the obvious risks, and the inevitable consequences. Here are eight “heroes” Child Services should probably look into. 1)…

When did the church accept that the Earth moves around the sun?

We know that the Catholic church has a troubled history with the idea of heliocentrism, but when did this history become history? What year would Galileo have gotten away with publishing his book? In 1632, Galileo and the Catholic Church had a little spat. You may have heard about it. It was partly because he…

Stare into the lifeless, CG face of the new Sabrina The Teenage Witch

It’s been a live-action series, an animated show and now Sabrina the Teenage Witch defeats mortality once again. She will be reborn as a computer-generated monster on The Hub! TVLine has the first images of the newly rebooted series which will premiere this October on the 12th. The other big change for Sabrina is that…

The most accurate 3D map of our galaxy reveals a peanut-shaped core

Our solar system is located in an offshoot of one of the Milky Way’s spiral arms, so we don’t have a clear sense of what our galaxy looks like edge on. Now, two groups of astronomers have pooled their data to create the most detailed map yet of the galaxy’s core — and its shape…

After careful scientific analysis, the Wirecutter’s Tim Barribeau has determined that the very best pen on Earth is the Uni-ball Jetstream. He’s written a seriously in-depth essay explaining why, which is a must read for any pen geeks.

DC Adventures RPG gives you every hero you ever wanted

The four books that comprise the DC Adventures RPG present you not only with a tried and tested superhero RPG, but also an incredibly deep roster of DC characters and the most comprehensive overview of the DC universe I’ve ever seen. DC Adventures doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. It uses the Mutants & Masterminds…

The Chronicle writer is pitching a Wonder Woman movie

Max Landis, the writer behind Chronicle, wants to pen a Wonder Woman movie for Warner Bros. Why not? We liked Chronicle and this world desperately needs a new Wonder Woman. Sure, okay. Now that Fox has passed on Landis’ take for Chronicle 2, the writer has some free time for new projects. While talking to…

J.K. Rowling is writing a new movie in the Harry Potter-verse

Warner Bros. has just announced a new Harry Potter movie that probably won’t actually star Harry Potter. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is the first in a new series of movies set in the world of Harry Potter, and the screenplay will be written by J.K. Rowling herself. Potter-philes surely know the title…

This frog got WAY too close to last week’s NASA rocket launch

Last week, NASA set its LADEE spacecraft blazing on a course to the Moon. While the launch was visible from much of the East Coast, those spectators nearest the VA launchpad were afforded the most breathtaking views. One amphibious Virginian, in particular, was especially moved by the spectacle. https://gizmodo.com/east-coasters-watch-tonights-nasa-launch-from-your-ya-1259914226 The frog in question can be…

Hide your greater sins by listing your lesser ones

Have you screwed up a lot of different things? Do you want to hide the worst of your screw-ups? There’s an easy way — just tell people only your smallest mistakes. When people have to remember a long list of things, you can erase some of the items on their mental list by prompting them…

48 Names for Things You Didn’t Know Had Names

Loving this roundup of little-known words from Mental Floss’s John Green. Tons of strange terms and designations in this collection, from the scientific to the anatomical to the socio-cultural. https://gizmodo.com/learn-odd-and-obscure-words-with-this-illustrated-alpha-5923286 Some highlights: • Petrichor – that amazing rain smell • Gam – the collective noun used to describe whales (but what do you call a…

One of the world’s first true robots has sold for $27,660 at auction

Its name is Cygan — and it certainly doesn’t look like much. But this robot from the 1950s was state-of-the art back in its day. It has now been sold to a U.K. buyer for much more than anticipated. Cygan was built in Italy in 1957 by designer Ing Fiorito and then brought to the…

Why James Spader’s “Eerily Calm” Voice Makes Him the Perfect Ultron!

That’s what Joss Whedon says, explaining why the actor was his first choice for the villain of Avengers 2. Steven Moffat says Matt Smith’s Doctor Who swansong will break your heart. J.J. Abrams gives a thumbs-up to one potential Star Trek 3 director. Jamie Foxx reveals the humanity of Amazing Spider-Man 2’s Electro. Spoilers! Top…

Leak: Next-Gen 4K Blu-Ray Discs Pack 100GB of Data

While the Blu-ray Disc Association may not have made any official noises about the existence of 4K Blu-ray discs, a leak from a disc manufacturer reveals that they’re on the way—and they pack 100GB of delicious data. TechRadar reports that disc manufacturer Singulus has stated that it will provide “the machine technology for three-layer Blu-ray…

Nice Night for a Space Walk

Sure, it’s a little chilly out there, but the light looks so pretty. And the Earth is so shiny at this time of night, with all the bioluminescent cities. What say we go out and get into some trouble? Artwork by Minyi on Deviant Art, creator of the Shadow Sprinters webcomic.

If all kids were this ambitious, we’d probably have time travel by 2030

Redditor elbostonian’s son was asked to draw up a list of personal goals for his fourth year of primary school. What he came up with was a check list that every one of us could probably stand to aspire to. Here it is transcribed, for those who can’t read third-grader: 1. Learn the gases pushed…