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We don’t talk about the woman with no arms in the woods

The latest issue of Apex Magazine is out, and it includes Genevieve Valentine’s fantastic story “Armless Maidens of the American West.” Valentine’s story takes place in a small town, with a diner and a golf course… and a mysterious woman with no arms, out in the woods. Valentine shows us how the presence of the…

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders

Why the guillotine was the first “egalitarian” execution tool

You’ve probably seen the guillotine in historical epics and Dickens adaptations. But were you aware that it struck a blow for egalitarianism in more than one way? The French believed the guillotine’s angled blade was both a scientific and social innovation. Here’s why. Most of us know the basics of the guillotine – it’s a…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Check out test footage from the Back To The Future: Part II hoverboard chase

In the 1989 flick Back To The Future: Part II, Marty McFly travels to the far-off year of 2015 and gets roped up in a thrilling Hoverboard chase with a gang of bionic hooligans. But before director Robert Zemeckis could film the scene, the crew practiced their hoverboard stunts in fields and studio lots. Watch…

Movies Cyriaque Lamar

Would you pay to be infected with diseases from celebrities? The trailer for Cronenberg’s Antiviral thinks so

Here’s the trailer for Antiviral, which was directed and written by David Cronenberg’s son, Brandon. It’s apparent that the body horror apple didn’t fall far from the tree that screams when you nail a birdhouse to it. Starring Caleb Landry Jones (Banshee from X-Men First Class) and set in the near future, Antiviral shows what…

Trailers Meredith Woerner

Three Strange Theories About Why America’s Crime Rate Is So Low

Despite its reputation as a hive of gun-toting murderous maniacs, the United States has enjoyed a tremendous drop in crime over the past twenty years. The murder rate alone is half what it was two decades ago, but all types of crime have plummeted. What could be causing this unexpected long-term trend? Social scientists have…

io9 Annalee Newitz

American Cyborg documentary ventures into the pioneering world of basement body hackers

Ben Popper has put together an intriguing short documentary for The Verge in which he visits the bizarre and mysterious world of “basement body hackers.” Called Cyborg America, the short film explores the mindset and work of pioneering DIY transhumanist body modders, in addition to offering background insights into the movement and the key players…

io9 George Dvorsky

Did you know the Joker once built his own utility belt filled with crap?

As far as superhero schticks go, Batman’s laid claim to the all-purpose utility belt. It’s been his gimmick throughout the decades, even though other comic book characters have attempted to replicate the Caped Crusader’s ever-prepared prowess. (See: the pouch-drunk 1990s. I swore I saw Cable pull a tub of hummus out of his thigh pocket…

Books & Comics Cyriaque Lamar

ALF is getting his own movie

The makers of the hyperactive, self-aware Smurfs movie, are turning their lens to yet another 1980s pop culture staple, ALF. Yes, the hairy survivor of planet Melmac (and cat-eater) is getting his own movie. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sony just purchased the rights to the sitcom. Their plan is to get The Smurfs producer…

Movies Meredith Woerner

Evidence that Americans have been obsessed with caffeine for 1,000 years

Nearly 1,000 years ago, the peoples of the ancient city Cahokia lived on the banks of what is today called the Mississippi River. Today, new research suggests these people were ritualistically imbibing the “Black Drink”, a hot, super-caffeinated beverage that did a lot more than make you alert. Black Drink is a brew associated with…

io9 Tim Barribeau

How astronomers use the world’s largest x-ray generator to create white dwarfs on Earth

The Z Machine is the largest x-ray generator in the world. At twenty feet in depth and over 100 feet in diameter, the circular apparatus is capable of generating some of the most phenomenally powerful electrical currents known to man — for a few nanoseconds at a time. While it was originally designed to test…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

How to build a twinned rainbow in your backyard

Never stop complaining that CGI looks fake, people. It gets results. While Disney was funding research into making CGI rainbows look more realistic, the researchers found a mechanism to create rare twinned rainbows! Twinned rainbows are not double rainbows. Although both include two rainbows for the price of one, double rainbows stay separate from each…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

New Doctor Who set photos reveal unexpected guests for this year’s Christmas special!

And could Neil Gaiman be returning to Doctor Who? (Probably not, but there’s a new rumor.) Kick-Ass 2 finds one of its heroes after watching Scrubs reruns. Deadpool just slips further and further away. Plus Catching Fire, Ninja Turtles, and Haunted Mansion updates! Spoilers from here on out! Top image from Hansel & Gretel: Witch…

Television Alasdair Wilkins

Picture of the Day: August 8, 2012

SUMMER LIGHT | A gorgeous sketch of the ships that arrive in summer by Giuseppe Severino. Want to read today’s io9 stories a different way? Check out our blog view Or watch the io9 show. Or visit Observation Deck, our general discussion forum.

io9 Annalee Newitz

Hot damn, this book is pure geeky fun

You probably know Jim C. Hines as the guy who recreated the absurd poses that women strike on the covers of fantasy novels a while back. But now he’s written a new fantasy novel about a guy whose power comes from books — and it’s actually way more fun than you could have expected. https://gizmodo.com/macho-fantasy-novel-covers-as-reenacted-by-a-normal-du-5904770…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders

Breakthrough “genetic circuits” bring us closer to synthetic human cells

We’re one step closer to building artificial cells. Synthetic biologists have found a new way to assemble “genetic circuits,” components that perform logical operations in living cells. This breakthrough could facilitate the development of artificial cells designed to solve problems in medicine, energy, and the environment. This new technique, which was developed by Boston University…

io9 George Dvorsky

Singaporean ad campaign promotes sex in this awkward music video

In the dystopian future, as the human population plummets, we’ll need PSAs to remind us to get laid. Apparently that future is here, at least in Singapore, a nation whose birth rate is one of the lowest in the world. Now a local ad agency, with the help of Mentos, is trying to jumpstart a…

io9 Annalee Newitz

How to make any room look more science fictional

I recently turned one wall of my house into a Space Invaders game with the help of Blik, a company that sells decals you can stick pretty much anywhere for instant awesomeness. Turn a blank ceiling into a star field, or your bed into a gothic fantasy zone. Here are a few of the patterns…

io9 Annalee Newitz

10 TV Shows that Survived After Their Original Showrunners Left

We’re watching the final ever episodes of True Blood with Alan Ball at the helm right now — Ball is stepping away for next season. And soon enough, we’ll get to see what Community looks like without Dan Harmon as showrunner. In other words, the televisual sky is falling! https://gizmodo.com/alan-ball-retires-from-writing-true-blood-5888590 https://gizmodo.com/dan-harmon-fired-from-community-not-cool-not-cool-5911678 But actually, plenty of…

Television Charlie Jane Anders

In elementary school, these eerie dioramas would’ve won you a trip to the child psychiatrist

We tend to stereotype dioramas as two shoebox lids crudely rubber-cemented today, but these miniature scenes here transcend base macaroni art. French sculptor Marc Giai-Miniet crafts tiny tableaus that are equal parts beautiful, industrial, and unnerving. If you look carefully, you can find scant signs of (doll) life, but these traces aren’t promising — imagine…

io9 Cyriaque Lamar

Ben Affleck to direct the Justice League movie?

Warner Bros. is desperate to find a way to do a Justice League movie to match Marvel’s Avengers. But now that Christopher Nolan has made it clear he’s not going to be dispensing Justice, who’s going to step up and be Warners’ answer to Joss Whedon? Rumor has it, the answer is Daredevil himself, Ben…

Movies Meredith Woerner

We don’t talk about the woman with no arms in the woods

Why the guillotine was the first “egalitarian” execution tool

Check out test footage from the Back To The Future: Part II hoverboard chase

Would you pay to be infected with diseases from celebrities? The trailer for Cronenberg’s Antiviral thinks so

Three Strange Theories About Why America’s Crime Rate Is So Low

American Cyborg documentary ventures into the pioneering world of basement body hackers

Did you know the Joker once built his own utility belt filled with crap?

ALF is getting his own movie

Evidence that Americans have been obsessed with caffeine for 1,000 years

How astronomers use the world’s largest x-ray generator to create white dwarfs on Earth

How to build a twinned rainbow in your backyard

New Doctor Who set photos reveal unexpected guests for this year’s Christmas special!

Picture of the Day: August 8, 2012

Hot damn, this book is pure geeky fun

Breakthrough “genetic circuits” bring us closer to synthetic human cells

Singaporean ad campaign promotes sex in this awkward music video

How to make any room look more science fictional

10 TV Shows that Survived After Their Original Showrunners Left

In elementary school, these eerie dioramas would’ve won you a trip to the child psychiatrist

Ben Affleck to direct the Justice League movie?

School Forced to Replace Toilets After Kids Flush Vapes

‘Scream 7’ Just Won’t Stop Making Money as ‘Scream 8’ Gets Started

The Curtain Has Closed on Meta’s Movie Rating-Inspired Content Filters

Good News! You Can Finally Change That Ridiculous Gmail Address

ExpressVPN Just Launched ExpressAI: Your Prompts Are Now Invisible

VR Just Took Another Massive Body Blow

The Best Gadgets of March 2026

‘Supergirl’ Will Feature David Corenswet’s Superman in a Sort of Big Brother Role

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound

Asus ROG’s Massive Swift OLED Gaming Monitor Epitomizes Excess in the Best Way

The Ikea Varmblixt Smart Lamp Fills a Donut Hole in My Life

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