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Gorgeous photo of a resupply ship docking to the Space Station

We’ve seen so many simulated spaceship-to-space station docking in movies and on television, but it’s rare to see such a lovely photo of a real-life docking. This is the European Space Agency’s ATV-3, just as it’s about to dock to the International Space Station. This glowing space pixie is an Automated Transfer Vehicle, an unmanned…

io9 Lauren Davis

Doctor Who clockwork android cosplay is delightfully creepy

Sometimes the scariest thing is the face behind the mask. Reddit user hpierce snapped this clockword android, from the Tenth Doctor episode “The Girl in the Fireplace,” which has escaped 18th century Versailles and invaded Boston for PAX East. [reddit] Edit: Clara Kim, the creator of this wonderful costume, emailed me a link to her…

io9 Lauren Davis

The 2012 Hugo Nominations have been announced!

The nominations for this year’s Hugo Awards are up, with big nods for George R.R. Martin, China Miéville, John Scalzi, Doctor Who, Community, and io9’s own Charlie Jane Anders. Here is full list of nominees, announced today: Best Novel (932 ballots) Among Others by Jo Walton (Tor) A Dance With Dragons by George R. R.…

io9 Lauren Davis

Indonesia’s acid volcano is beautiful but deadly

Located in East Java, Indonesia, the Kawah Ijen volcanic crater has an eerie beauty to it. But its turquoise waters are filled with deadly acid thanks to the volcano’s sulfuric output. That doesn’t stop sulfur miners from braving the toxic gases. Top photo by Bertrand Claude. In fact, the sulfur gives the waters of Kawah…

io9 Lauren Davis

Mama dog rescues her pup from drowning

Okay, so the puppy in this video probably wasn’t in danger of actually drowning, but he was obviously in a panic until his mother came along and lent a helping paw. I love that mama dog was clever enough bump junior up onto the edge and then pulled him out of the pool, only to…

io9 Lauren Davis

How Las Vegas missed out on a life-sized Starship Enterprise

In 1992, plans were in the works to create a life-sized Starship Enterprise in downtown Las Vegas. The model ship would have been roughly as long as the Eiffel Tower is tall, and would have contained all the key rooms and areas from the original Star Trek series. Vegas business owners loved the idea, and…

io9 Lauren Davis

Concept Art Writing Prompt: A robot unmasked at a fancy dress ball

Today’s Concept Art Writing Prompt reaches back to the pulp era, where we encounter a masked man wearing a more complicated disguise than his dance partner expected. Can you think up a short story based on this robotic party goer? Post it right here in the comments. This week’s concept art comes from Virgil Finlay…

io9 Lauren Davis

Watch a laser set off a firecracker inside a balloon, without popping the balloon

What happens when you ignite a firecracker inside a transparent balloon? YouTube user WorldScott sets his blue laser to the task, and amazingly, the balloon makes it out intact. In the video details, WorldScott explains why this trick works with transparent balloons, but not opaque ones: Further details about this video: The balloon used in…

io9 Lauren Davis

Dream casting choices for superhero movies from another universe

If you could cast any actor in any superhero (or supervillain) role, who would it be? That’s the question that Comic Book Resources has been posing to their readers. A handful of illustrators have kindly created movie posters to match those reader suggestions, imagining a very different breed of superhero movie. So we might have…

Movies Lauren Davis

Awake really is the best show you’re not watching

Every once in a while, one TV show comes along that does it all: explore characters at a deep level, delve into major philosophical issues in a fresh, meaningful way, and keep you white-knuckled with suspense. Awake is one such show, and if you’re not watching it, you’re missing something extraordinary. The last two episodes,…

Television Charlie Jane Anders

The Mystery of the Glow-in-the-Dark Civil War Soldiers

The American Civil War Battle of Shiloh left 16,000 soldiers dead and 3,000 soldiers wounded, and some of those wounded soldiers are part of an odd mystery. Some of the soldiers had eerily glowing wounds, which healed more quickly than the non-glowing wounds. So what strange battlefield science was at work? It took two days…

io9 Lauren Davis

Seeking a friend for the end of the world? Try survivalist dating sites

A well prepared partner might be the key to surviving the apocalypse, but how do you make sure that your special someone is as serious about proper food storage and basic medical training as you are? Consider posting a profile on a survivalist dating site. With dating sites for every community, hobby, and quirk, it…

io9 Lauren Davis

Vitamin B-6 may help people remember their dreams

Tired of waking up in the morning with nothing you can use to bore your co-workers or classmates? Sick of restful sleep unburdened by the constant thought of waking life? A lot of rumors, and one study, indicate that Vitamin B-6 might be for you. Although supposedly we dream every night, the substance of these…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

When we uplift dogs, these are the text messages they’ll send

For now, dogs are man’s best friend, but what happens once they gain sentience and an unlimited data plan? Text from Dog is a collection of interspecies communications between our canine pals and their human companions, who don’t know where Mr. Duck is and aren’t hunkering beneath the couch to look for it. Text from…

io9 Lauren Davis

Webcomic SuperMutant Magic Academy proves high school angst is the same everywhere

When the students of Hogwarts and Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters aren’t fighting for survival, they’re battling ennui, insecurity, and their own hormones. Jillian Tamaki’s SuperMutant Magic Academy captures all of the teen angst you’ll find at a school for magical mutants — or any school at all. Jillian Tamaki illustrated the moodiness of an…

Books & Comics Lauren Davis

Sugary Game of Thrones dioramas sing a song of Peeps and Fire

It’s Easter weekend, the time of year when people celebrate bunnies and chicks with plastic grass, colored sugar, and unnaturally shaped marshmallows. (Sorry, Passover-celebrating peeps; Peeps aren’t kosher.) Food site epicurious has decided to pay tribute to the Peep in its own way, by illustrating scenes from the first season of Game of Thrones with…

io9 Lauren Davis

Watch zombie Don Draper market brains and seduce Lori Grimes

Do AMC’s popular Mad Men and The Walking Dead taste great together? Walking Dead Mad Men answers that question in the undead halls of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, where the men are zombies, the women are chow, and Lori Grimes is still awful. I’m not sure how much this mashup really required the aid of…

io9 Lauren Davis

Super Best Friends Forever returns and Optimus Prime turns on humans

What a great week to be an adult and watching cartoons. Transformers: Prime features a runaway, evil Optimus Prime, the members of Young Justice head to Europe, the Green Lanterns take on the very real problem of a planet-killing asteroid, and Lauren Fraust’s Super Best Friends Forever makes a return as a DC Nation short…

io9 Keith Veronese

Help Wanted: io9 Seeks Science and Culture Writer

PLEASE NOTE: This job search has been closed. We are no longer accepting applications. io9 seeks a full-time writer to cover the intersection of science, culture, and the future. The job involves reporting, researching, and writing several stories per day, and the science/culture writer’s beat includes everything from the latest scientific discoveries and futurist predictions,…

io9 Annalee Newitz

Study reveals that people over 65 are smoking more pot than ever before

As the psychedelic warriors of the 60s and 70s continue to age, it should come as no surprise that these shifting demographics mean that older adults are now more likely to have used drugs in the past, and to continue to do so. A new study of over 50s in Britain looked at past and…

io9 Tim Barribeau

Gorgeous photo of a resupply ship docking to the Space Station

Doctor Who clockwork android cosplay is delightfully creepy

The 2012 Hugo Nominations have been announced!

Indonesia’s acid volcano is beautiful but deadly

Mama dog rescues her pup from drowning

How Las Vegas missed out on a life-sized Starship Enterprise

Concept Art Writing Prompt: A robot unmasked at a fancy dress ball

Watch a laser set off a firecracker inside a balloon, without popping the balloon

Dream casting choices for superhero movies from another universe

Awake really is the best show you’re not watching

The Mystery of the Glow-in-the-Dark Civil War Soldiers

Seeking a friend for the end of the world? Try survivalist dating sites

Vitamin B-6 may help people remember their dreams

When we uplift dogs, these are the text messages they’ll send

Webcomic SuperMutant Magic Academy proves high school angst is the same everywhere

Sugary Game of Thrones dioramas sing a song of Peeps and Fire

Watch zombie Don Draper market brains and seduce Lori Grimes

Super Best Friends Forever returns and Optimus Prime turns on humans

Help Wanted: io9 Seeks Science and Culture Writer

Study reveals that people over 65 are smoking more pot than ever before

Sun’s Latest Outburst Complicates Planned Launch of Artemis 2

Instagram Will Finally Let You Lurk to Your Heart’s Content—for a Price

Popular Sweetener Found in Protein Bars Tied to Stroke, Blood Clot Risk

HBO’s Boss Has Yet to Be Approached About Partnering on ‘Doctor Who’

AI Agent Runs the ‘I’m Being Censored’ Playbook After Getting Banned from Wikipedia

‘Scream 7’ Comes Home With Deleted Scenes We Hope Will Improve the Movie

A QR Code Too Small to See Hints at a New, Non-Annoying Use for the Format

Andy Weir Apologizes After ‘Star Trek’ Comment Backlash

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

Nothing Headphone A vs. Headphone 1: Which Pair of ANC Wireless Headphones Wins?

Asus ROG’s Cetra Open Wireless Gaming Earbuds Might Be Better Than Wearing a Headset

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