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Hitting semiconductors with a superfast electric pulse massively increases their efficiency

Researchers from Kyoto University have discovered a new technique that could dramatically improve the efficiency of some semiconductors. They took gallium arsenide, and blasted it with a terahertz range electric field pulse for just a picosecond, which lead to a 1,000-fold increase in exciton density. An exciton is a pair of an electron and a…

io9 Tim Barribeau

Are your corporate overlords controlling you with light and sound?

Many corporate work environments are designed to encourage optimum efficiency. Managers want to encourage productivity with the amount of light and music, or discourage socializing by erecting walls. Do any of these tactics work at all? And if they do, how is your work environment influencing you? Top image by 79Silver on Deviant Art. Soothing…

io9 Keith Veronese

Every Single Batman Costume Ever, In One Chart

Behold every single “significant” Batsuit ever created, since the Dark Knight’s first appearnce in 1939, all in one glorious infographic. Which batsuit is your favorite? Created over at ScreenRant.

Movies Meredith Woerner

Happy winter solstice, everybody – now, the countdown to apocalypse begins

It’s the winter solstice! Well, technically the winter solstice occurred a few hours ago, at 05:30 GMT (that’s 12:30 a.m. EST), but you get the idea. The point is, the winter solstice just happened, and that means a few things for those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere. First of all, it means that…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

A tear-jerking tale of a Star Wars Christmas, circa 1980

In this heartstring-tugging short, singer and Star Wars fan Darren Hayes recalls the Christmas of 1980, when times were lean for his family. When you’re eight years old, an Ugnaught can mean the world. Hayes grew up to be the lead singer of this band, so things worked out pretty well for him. Hat tip…

io9 Cyriaque Lamar

We must destroy Mars before it destroys us!

Let’s face it: It’s only a matter of time until Mars comes after us. We’ve got lots of water. It doesn’t. We’ve got life. It doesn’t. All this might have been okay, but then we alerted Mars to our presence with our various satellites and rovers, and now it’s just a matter of time. Here…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

How a predator bird and its prey came together to fight a common enemy

Kestrels and jackdaws are natural enemies. Jackdaws are scavengers that will gladly steal and eat kestrel eggs, while kestrels are aggressive birds that will fight anybody. And yet, somehow, these two would-be foes have carved out a shockingly efficient truce. Researchers at the University of Palermo in Italy and Canada’s University of Manitoba noticed that…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

Harrison Ford and Abigail Breslin lead the parade of Ender’s Game casting updates!

David Fincher explains the appeal of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea… and why he won’t film it in IMAX. Doctor Who could have multiple fiftieth anniversary specials. Plus check out new images from The Dark Knight Rises, Prometheus, and The Hobbit! Spoilers from here on out! Top image from The Hobbit. The Avengers Stellan Skarsgård,…

Television Alasdair Wilkins

Picture of the Day: December 21, 2011

FROZEN SHOWDOWN | Hope you brought a lot of arrows. Concept art by Frank F. Hong Want to read today’s io9 stories a different way? Check out our blog view. Or visit Observation Deck, our general discussion forum.

io9 Charlie Jane Anders

Bradley Manning and the Future of Punishment

Bradley Manning is an Army intelligence analyst accused of leaking thousands of U.S. diplomatic cables to Wikileaks. Depending on your perspective, he’s become a symbol for high tech whistleblowing, or dangerous cyber-crime. Either way, you should be paying attention to his pre-trial hearing, which unfolded this week. Manning’s case represents a convergence of issues that…

io9 Annalee Newitz

Frankincense is on its way to extinction

Myrrh and frankincense have bewildered countless generations of children who have no idea what they are, nor why they’d be given as a present to the baby Jesus in the Biblical myth that’s celebrated on Christmas. Now, future generations will be even more confused, because Balthazar’s present of frankincense may be on its way to…

io9 Tim Barribeau

What is the greatest J.R.R. Tolkien-inspired song of them all?

The best part of the new Hobbit trailer was easily the chill-inducing dwarf sing-a-long. Not only did it transplant us right back into Middle Earth, but it’s quite lovely. But which J.R.R. Tolkien-inspired song (from the Tolkien movies) is the greatest of them all? Take the poll now. Here are the lyrics for the song…

Movies Meredith Woerner

Underwater neutrino detector will be the second largest structure ever built

Plans are afoot to build a gigantic, state-of-the-art neutrino detector beneath the Mediterranean Sea. This particle-hunting behemoth would be taller than the Burj Khalifa and the second biggest structure ever built, second only to the Great Wall of China. Concept art from Monster Hunter 3. The structure is the work of a consortium of forty…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

Knowing a painting is forged changes how your brain sees it

Unless you’re an art expert, your brain is completely unable to distinguish between a genuine masterpiece and a convincing forgery. But if you’re told you’re looking at a forgery, your brain goes haywire trying to deal with being duped. That’s the finding of Oxford researchers, who scanned the brains of fourteen volunteers as they looked…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

Watch this African Bullfrog exact sweet, sweet revenge on its goading owners

It took this bullfrog all of 20 seconds to deduce that the insects crawling around on the screen of its owner’s cell phone weren’t insects at all, but rather digital projections of bugs, used to make a mockery of its keen hunting instincts. And as this video clearly demonstrates, African Bullfrogs — dignified creatures that…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

Last Minute Holiday Gifts You Can Buy Or Make

Right now the stores are flooded with shoppers trying to squeeze in some last-minute gift shopping. So what’s a discerning science fiction fan to do? Don’t settle for the final scraps at the stores — we’ve compiled a list of presents you can make or purchase online, without any threat of “out of stock” signs.…

Movies Meredith Woerner

A “research cruise” could recruit tourists to study tsunami debris

Research scientists, especially environmental scientists, are always looking for funding. A recent project, studying how debris move and decay in the ocean, has come up with a controversial way to bankroll their project. They’ll take tourists on a cruise of the March tsunami debris. The tsunami in Japan, which struck on March 11th of this…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Nostalgia for cyberpunk haunts The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the second retelling in less than a decade of Stieg Larsson’s preternaturally gripping book about hackers, investigative journalists, rape and murder. Larsson’s novel, published posthumously in 2005, spawned a Swedish film, an international cult following, and finally David Fincher’s Hollywood flick, out today, complete with terawatt star Daniel…

Movies Annalee Newitz

Holy hell, is it harrowing to be groomed by baby mountain gorillas

During a stay in Uganda’s Bwindi National Park, John (the fellow who made this video) found himself groomed by a curious gang of juvenile mountain gorillas. Sounds like a hoot, but this all occurred under the watchful gaze of a silverback. [Via MeFi]

io9 Cyriaque Lamar

Here’s your chance to take one last look inside space shuttle Atlantis

Last Friday, after 27 years of service, NASA powered down space shuttle Discovery for the very last time. This week, space shuttle Atlantis — which five months ago today touched down at Kennedy Space Center, marking the end of the US Space Shuttle Program — will share the same fate. In the coming weeks, Atlantis…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

Hitting semiconductors with a superfast electric pulse massively increases their efficiency

Are your corporate overlords controlling you with light and sound?

Every Single Batman Costume Ever, In One Chart

Happy winter solstice, everybody – now, the countdown to apocalypse begins

A tear-jerking tale of a Star Wars Christmas, circa 1980

We must destroy Mars before it destroys us!

How a predator bird and its prey came together to fight a common enemy

Harrison Ford and Abigail Breslin lead the parade of Ender’s Game casting updates!

Picture of the Day: December 21, 2011

Bradley Manning and the Future of Punishment

Frankincense is on its way to extinction

What is the greatest J.R.R. Tolkien-inspired song of them all?

Underwater neutrino detector will be the second largest structure ever built

Knowing a painting is forged changes how your brain sees it

Watch this African Bullfrog exact sweet, sweet revenge on its goading owners

Last Minute Holiday Gifts You Can Buy Or Make

A “research cruise” could recruit tourists to study tsunami debris

Nostalgia for cyberpunk haunts The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Holy hell, is it harrowing to be groomed by baby mountain gorillas

Here’s your chance to take one last look inside space shuttle Atlantis

‘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

Scientists Discover Hidden Behavior in Water That Helps Explain Why Ice Floats

The ‘Paradise’ Season 2 Finale Paved the Way for a Wildly Sci-Fi Season 3

A $1 Samsung Galaxy Smartphone Lands at Mint Mobile With Unlimited Data at 50% Off in a Clearance Push

Your Wimpy Workouts Aren’t Cutting It, Scientists Say

Anker Prime Power Bank Drops to an All-Time Low (200W, 20,100mAh, 3-Port) as Amazon Clears Out Remaining Spring Sale Stock

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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