The 4th Wizard of Oz TV adaptation, Dorothy Must Die, is the weirdest

You guys there are TOO MANY Wizard of Oz adaptations running around. Too many. This is the fourth and it’s all about how Dorothy has decided to rule over Oz like some sort of fascist dictator, who must be killed. Huh? Deadline is reporting that The CW is working on a Oz based drama from…

This iodine clock reaction happens so fast it looks like magic

The iodine clock is a common chemistry experiment in which two clear liquids are mixed together to produce a dark, opaque color. But as you’ll see in this video, the speed at which this reaction happens is nothing short of remarkable. https://gizmodo.com/the-iodine-clock-is-uncanny-in-at-least-two-different-w-5941243 This effect is the result of two different reactions, with one being exhausted…

Probably the most viscerally satisfying thing you’ll watch today

We could watch acetone devour styrofoam all. Day. Long. Although, technically speaking, the acetone isn’t devouring anything. Styrofoam is made of up countless interconnected styrene molecules that together make up a material known as polystyrene. In the mid-20th Century, Dow Chemicals came up with a process that turns small, spherical polystyrene beads into a closed-cell…

The Bone Season surrenders to fantasy writing’s worst instincts

21-year-old author Samantha Shannon is living the dream. Her novel The Bone Season debuted at #7 on the New York Times bestseller list, and it’s already been optioned by Andy Serkis’ production house. But what’s really behind the hype on this dystopian fantasy novel? A lot of amazing, but also a lot of problems. On…

Want to know more about the science of food? Scientific American has just finished its food week, and has launched a blog devoted entirely to food science. Learn about everything from astronaut nutrition and food health scares, to why we should eat horses.

Here’s the massive work that went into making Game of Thrones‘ dragons

Wired got a glimpse of how German VFX company Pixomondo created Daenerys’ three dragons, and the terrifying amount of work that went into it. Researching how big the wings needed to be, figuring out flight patterns, waving tennis balls on sticks at the actors — all this and more was required to bring Drogon, Rhaegal,…

It was the biggest Burning Man ever, and this is what I saw there

Early last week, I returned to the Toronto area after attending my second Burning Man — an annual countercultural festival set in Nevada’s remote Black Rock Desert. Here’s the story of my remarkable trip — in photos. https://gizmodo.com/what-will-human-cultures-be-like-in-100-years-453934475 Top image: Black Rock City 2013. This was the largest version of the city to date, with…

An Exclusive Look at Catherynne M. Valente’s Next Fairyland Book

Catherynne M. Valente’s “Fairyland” books have captured the imaginations of readers of all ages. And in case you’ve missed out, we’ve got the exclusive debut of a book trailer that explains the series. Plus here are the first two chapters of her brand new book, The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon…

Yahoo’s Screen App for iOS Lets You Channel Surf on Your iPad

Yahoo wants to make browsing its mobile video content feel more like channel surfing on the old-fashioned tube. The new iOS app out today should help. The app uses a swipe-to-browse interface that lets you quickly flip between channels (up and down) and episodes (side to side). Yahoo’s got a pretty big collection of exclusive…

Meet the Maleo, the bizarre bird that can fly the moment it hatches

You’ve probably never heard of the Maleo – the endangered creature is found exclusively on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. But it is a fascinating animal. This New York Times piece calls the maleo a “chickenlike bird,” which, sure, we suppose is a decent enough comparison, in the sense that they’re both egg-laying vertebrates with…

The 24 Worst-Dressed Members of G.I. Joe and Cobra

G.I. Joe is a team of highly trained soldiers. Cobra consists of the world’s most ruthless terrorists. But what they both have in combat skills they lack in fashion, because holy hell do a lot of them dress like imbeciles. Here’s two dozen members of Joe and Cobra who desperately need a new set of…

David Cronenberg wants you to try this creepy new brain implant

David Cronenberg, who scarred the psyches of a generation with movies like Videodrome, Scanners, The Fly, and A History of Violence, is back with this bizarro art project about a mysterious “self improvement” technology called POD. Of course it is designed to network with your brain. I think there might be more than a little…

There are college classes on The Walking Dead now

Because everything has to be timely and pop culture-centric in order to make the kids want to study, University of California, Irvine has offered up a FREE online course all about The Walking Dead. Oh, and it’s not graded, so you don’t really have to try. It’s available to all over at the UC Canvas…

This Week’s TV: Legend of Korra returns. Plus Syfy gives us RoboCroc!

Two shows make their long-awaited returns this week, including Legend of Korra. But meanwhile, there are dueling TV movies. In one, a space shuttle crashes into the sun with the First Lady on board, sending the Earth back to the Stone Age. In the other, nanotech turns a regular crocodile into… RoboCroc. Truly, we are…

A hundred Tim Burton cakes too creepy to eat

To celebrate the spookiest director’s 55th birthday, Cakenweenie has collaborated with 100 different culinary artists to build a giant blog of Burton Cakes. They’re crazy clever. Here are a few of our favorites! More cakes over at Cakenweenie.

Human urine contains more than 3,000 distinct chemicals

Researchers from the University of Alberta have shown that urine is a far more complex concoction than we ever imagined. The new comprehensive study chronicles the presence of over 3,000 chemicals in human urine — which is 30 times more than previously known. Metabolomics is a relatively new area of study in which scientists look…

Ancient Roman coins depict sundry sexual acts, but what were they for?

The Romans loved sex. The wrote graphic poetry about it, and scrawled x-rated graffiti on their city walls. They even emblazoned currency with depictions of sexual acts. But what purpose did this coinage serve? Fair warning: numismatic pornography after the jump – potentially NSFW. https://gizmodo.com/the-lost-city-of-pompeii-pictures-of-an-alien-world-f-5825459 https://gizmodo.com/the-graffiti-of-pompeii-was-downright-raunchy-and-abso-5929627 The racy coins in question are known as “spintriae.”…

Behold the Hulk Poodle from Ang Lee’s Hulk

Remember when the father released the Gamma Dogs on Bruce Banner in Ang Lee’s Hulk? Probably not, but that’s okay. Little known fact about the much maligned 2003 movie, within the pack of mutant Hulk Dogs was a poodle. A Hulk Poodle! And here is the concept art to prove it. As you can kind…

The pygmalion effect and the golem effect

What’s a way to bring out the best in those around you? Expect them to already be the best, and let that attitude show. They will perform up, or down, to your expectations. There are two named effects concerning how people react to their observers — the golem effect and the pygmalion effect. Naturally the…

Watch as SpaceX’s Grasshopper scares the crap out of a herd of cattle

SpaceX has released a new video of last month’s remarkable Grasshopper test flight in which the reusable rocket performed an incredible 300-foot lateral maneuver. The zoomed-out view puts the feat into better perspective — while also showing how effective the rocket is at terrifying the local livestock. https://gizmodo.com/watch-as-grasshopper-sets-a-new-record-by-hopping-ove-700418705 https://gizmodo.com/dammit-grasshopper-stop-being-so-amazing-already-1138743614 [Via The Verge]