Pokémon, in the style of Tim Burton

What if the cheery world of Pokémon was designed by gloom-and-doom moviemaker Tim Burton? It would probably bear a resemblance to Vaughn Pinpin’s artwork. Check out this adorable collection of Burtonized Pokémons with sad little eyes and vacant expressions. Perfect for the nebbish leading man who wants to cautiously sputter-whisper, “Gotta catch em all… if…

What if rapper DMX sang the Reading Rainbow theme song?

This is the new stupidest thing on the internet, yet I can’t stop listening to it. Someone thought it would be an idea to place the surly bleating of rap artist DMX over the theme song to PBS’ venerable pro-literacy program. Now I want to see LeVar Burton and the most unheralded carnival barker in…

The eyeball-stroking 8k televisions of the future are still years away, but at least the spec has been approved! [Verge]

“Naked Darth Vader” is the most bizarre science press release we’ve ever seen

As someone who deals with academic press releases on a frequent basis, I have to sympathize with journal and university press offices. They have to put together a press release that’s attention grabbing enough to pique the interest of writers, is clear enough to explain the concepts to the untrained, but doesn’t lose the science…

Remarkable video captures the flow of proteins inside an individual neuron

This is absolutely incredible. Molecular biologists at USC have captured video footage of a neuron so finely detailed, you can actually observe the transport of individual proteins throughout the cell’s structure. This offers the researchers an unprecedented look at how neurons restore themselves on a day-to-day basis. They describe their novel imaging technique in the…

Rivendell from Lord of the Rings, made out of 50,000-plus LEGO bricks

It took 100 hours of prep time, but LEGO builders Blake Baer and Jack Bittner were able to depict the Elven paradise of Rivendell out of more than 50,000 pieces. This diorama weighs 120 pounds and is 40 inches by 30 inches, so you can simply drop this it on any Nazgûl who come a-knocking.…

Is Divergent the next big YA movie franchise? Plus Falling Skies brings in big names for season three!

Emperor Palpatine wants in on the Star Wars TV show. Eli Roth is turning his fake Grindhouse trailer into a real horror film. Billy Crystal reveals the world of Pixar’s Monsters University. Plus a casting update for Syfy’s Defiance! It’s spoilers all the way down! Top image from Falling Skies. Divergent With the Twilight franchise…

Prominent scientists sign declaration that animals have conscious awareness, just like us

An international group of prominent scientists has signed The Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness in which they are proclaiming their support for the idea that animals are conscious and aware to the degree that humans are — a list of animals that includes all mammals, birds, and even the octopus. But will this make us stop…

Watch what happens when you play Cypress Hill through a squid’s fin

Cephalopods like squid and octopuses change their appearance with color-changing cells called chromatophores. Chromatophores can be stimulated via electrical signals — like the ones coming out of the headphone jack of an iPhone playing Cypress Hill’s “Insane in the Brain.” I think you know where this is going. This amazing mashup of neuroscience, music, and…

A Post-Apocalyptic Book That Raises the Bar on Bleakness

In some ways, The Dog Stars by Peter Heller is a cozy sort of post-apocalyptic novel. As the novel begins, the main character has a pretty comfortable life, with plenty of supplies and a safe place to sleep. He has a pet dog and a buddy who helps keep him safe from the roving bands…

How The Dark Knight Rises should have ended

It’s time for another “How it should Have Ended” webisode. This one focuses on the problems and loop holes in The Dark Knight Rises. Some of these hits come a little too easy, but we will agree about the brilliant plan to put every cop underground. Ah well, can’t win them all.

Nic Cage’s Ghost Rider deleted scenes show his insane commitment to be the flaming skull

We are in love with these deleted scenes from Nic Cage’s Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. Especially because they show how Nic Cage looked when he was acting with a fully lit head. It’s pretty spectacular — especially when you watch Cage try and suck our your soul. [Via Comic Book Movie]

The world’s first looping roller coasters were basically torture devices

The early days of theme parks were rife with ambitious mechanical amusements…and minimal safety concerns. In fact, the one of the first inverted roller coasters, The Flip-Flap Railway, attracted thrill seekers in the late 1890s thanks to its 25-foot, circular loop-de-loop. And despite the neck injuries this whiplash device inflicted upon passengers, the ride managed…

How The Apparition Turned Draco Malfoy Into a Paranormal Investigator

There are two reasons to be excited about The Apparition, the horror movie that comes out tomorrow: 1) Tom Felton playing a paranormal investigator type. 2) It’s got a college science experiment gone wrong, that unleashes some horrible supernatural presence that grows stronger the more people believe in it. If you love Draco Malfoy and…

Sex, Anarchy, and Robert Pattinson’s Hair Haunt David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis

There are two kinds of people who will like five-minutes-into-the-future flick Cosmopolis: People want to take revenge on Robert Pattinson’s hair after the Twilight movies, and people who are David Cronenberg completists. Cronenberg’s latest film is a spare, unsettling tour of a New York City on the brink of collapse, trashed by Occupy-style anarchists and…

Are antibiotics making your kids obese?

The science of studying the human gut microbiome is still in its early days — but research into this area is beginning to reveal some pretty startling things. Take two recent studies published in Nature and the International Journal of Obesity, both of which indicate that the use of antibiotics in young children could be…

Seriously unsettling clip from the disturbing new children’s film Toys in the Attic

We had no idea the Czech film for children Toys in the Attic was this scary. A bunch of toys come to life when the humans aren’t looking (naturally) and the gang rallies together when one of their own is kidnapped. We have the exclusive clip of their sweet little friend getting captured, by what…

This Fall’s Must-Read Science Fiction and Fantasy Books

What do science fiction and fantasy books have in store for you this fall? There are new fantasy series by Tad Williams and Jacqueline Carey. A brand new Culture novel by Iain M. Banks. Collaborations between Cory Doctorow and Charles Stross, and Larry Niven and Gregory Benford. A classic Gene Wolfe novel. A massive Ursula…

Astronomers discover Milky Way’s twin, Magellanic Clouds and all

As a spiral galaxy, the Milky Way is far from unique. But what makes our galaxy particularly special is its pairing with the Magellanic Clouds — two irregular dwarf galaxies that are orbiting around it. Astronomers have never been able to find anything quite like it — at least not until now. A new paper…

Watch as clouds convince you that you’re underwater

When you look at this film you know what lobsters must feel like. Looking at the sky above this golf course you can see the clouds literally roll over the sky like ocean waves. What causes these incredible waves to move across the sky? These crazy rolling waves should be enough to convince people that…