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Know Your Trolls: A guide to troll science from the director of TrollHunter

Norwegian horror film TrollHunter looks set to be one of the summer’s coolest movies, so we were excited to learn more about the film’s mythology. Director André Øvredal shared some exclusive concept art, and answered our pressing questions. Like: How do you kill a Raglefant troll? Why does a Tusseladd troll have 3 heads? How…

io9 Meredith Woerner

Which summer movie will be this year’s huge flop?

It happens almost every year: a movie comes out with a big budget and hot talent attached to it… and it fizzles horribly. Case in point: Speed Racer had a reported $120 million budget and made only $44 million domestically. Actually, we quite liked Speed Racer, which had a lot of heart and a genuine…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders

Why does pool water turn your hair green? The Statue of Liberty holds the answer.

People believe that it’s the chlorine in a pool that turns hair green. That’s not true. Fair hair turns green in a pool for the same reason the Statue of Liberty turns green: copper. Long summer months in the pool often have an unpleasant side effect on fair-haired people. After a certain number of long…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Listen to a live conversation between two legends of human evolutionary science

Tune in at 6:30 ET today to catch a conversation between two major figures in the field of human evolution and paleontology, Donald Johanson and Richard Leakey. They’re having a conversation about the importance of new discoveries in human evolution at New York’s American Museum of Natural History. Johanson discovered the game-changing “Lucy” skeleton fragments…

io9 Annalee Newitz

Everything you wanted to know about Thor (but were too afraid to ask)

Are you confused by all those crazy space vikings running around in the Thor preview? Don’t know what a Mjolnir is? Well, put on some Ride the Lightning, because here’s a crash course in all people, places, and things Asgardian. First off, here’s the latest trailer (in case you haven’t seen it). Also, I’ve omitted…

io9 Cyriaque Lamar

The Best- and Worst-Dressed Dinosaurs

Just because your species is extinct doesn’t mean your dress sense has to be, too. Dinosaurs can be dapper too! And let’s be honest, if you’re going to bother putting clothes on a dinosaur, they ought to be stylish. Sad to say, nobody is being the Mr. Gladwell for the dino set. So here’s our…

io9 Michael Ann Dobbs and Charlie Jane Anders

The cost of keeping SETI’s radio telescopes going – a price comparison chart

Due to funding cuts, SETI’s Allen Radio Telescope Array will no longer be scanning the skies for signs of intelligent life. All the group needs is $5 million to keep working. Sound like a lot? Not really – let this chart put it all into perspective for you. https://jalopnik.com/with-seti-shut-down-is-the-search-for-extraterrestrial-5795888 via Microcosmologist

io9 Annalee Newitz

We may have discovered humanity’s parent species

We can trace our evolutionary heritage back millions of years, but it’s surprisingly tricky to say with certainty which hominid species came directly before us. Now it looks like one of our evolutionary cousins is actually our parent species. When we say “parent species”, what we really mean is the most recent common ancestor of…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

3 X-Men: First Class character profiles will make you forget the mutant Photoshop of horrors

Matthew Vaughn’s mutant movie X-Men: First Class is finally releasing more footage, and it looks a whole hell of a lot better than the ugly posters. Meet the first members of the X-Men: Banshee, Havok and Beast. https://gizmodo.com/everyone-hates-the-new-x-men-posters-think-you-can-do-5780221 Click on each arrow to watch the footage, we have to admit it’s starting to look like…

io9 Meredith Woerner

The Genre Mashup We’d Like to See: Evil Overlord Romance!

We need a sexy new genre to replace all the tired old hybrids. Vampire love stories? That hot, sticky vein is tapped out. Zombies+literature? Long since decapitated. Whatever-punk? As Dirty Harry might say, we’re not feeling lucky. Someone needs to cast a whole new shiny mold, into which scores of authors and screenwriters can pour…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders

Cybernetic cat ears read your brainwaves and let the world know if you need a cheeseburger

We’ve looked into the great abyss and seen the future of fashion — and the future is robotic mood-swing cat ears. Behold the awesomeness that is Neurowear: wearable cat ears that respond to human brainwaves. Here’s some footage of a bunch of people trying on the latest style. They look like the cat’s pajamas. Get…

io9 Meredith Woerner

Man and Superman: The Riddick DVD Collection

We first met Richard B. Riddick back in 2000 in an excellent little SF action movie, Pitch Black. He was introduced to us as a ruthless killer and the most badass criminal alive. But he was a lot more than that. Riddick was a man who through intelligence and sheer force of will had made…

io9 Richard Kadrey

Helmet-wearing treehoppers are the weirdest insects around

All winged insects look more or less the same: a main thorax that’s split into three segments, two legs on each segment, and four wings. But there’s one exception, and it’s spectacularly weird. Meet the massive “helmets” of treehopper insects. In normal winged insects, those four wings are found on the rear two segments of…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

Tomb Raider movie gets Iron Man writers… but who will play Lara Croft?

Iron Man screenwriters Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby have been hired to write a Lara Croft origin story. So who will Hollywood get to fill in Angelina Jolie’s old thigh-holsters? The trades are reporting that the writers are gunning for an “Origin story for Lara Croft that solidifies her place alongside Ellen Ripley and Sarah…

io9 Meredith Woerner

10 Coolest Bounty Hunters in the Galaxy

Bounty hunters are the ultimate anti-heroes. They’re tough as titanium and hard to kill, and they can find anyone, no matter how much you try and hide. Their only loyalty is to whoever can afford their services. It’s easy to see why bounty hunters are such a popular part of so many science fiction and…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders

If Only More Civil War Reenactments Involved Vampires

Not every book is special enough to merit its very own moving picture trailer, but then again not every book is about our 16th president butchering vampires with an axe. Fortunately for history lovers and gore fans alike, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is such a book. Now is your chance to not only read about…

io9 Sponsored post

Are we surrounded by Dyson Spheres?

In this week’s “Ask a Physicist,” we’ll explore an awesome mash-up of exoplanets, supercivilizations, and dark matter, and try to figure out whether the “missing mass” in the universe is really advanced aliens with a cloaking device. It’s not often that I get a question that is straightforward, reasonable and terrifying as hell. Reader Marc…

io9 Dr. Dave Goldberg

Will global warming spawn super-giant, flying ants? Science (sort of) says yes.

The fossil of one of the biggest ants ever has been discovered in Wyoming. Over fifty milliion years ago, it crossed the arctic to get there. Scientists have analyzed the data, and believe that a hot planet fosters the spread of super-sized ants. It’s funny how size affects the way people think of things. An…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Robots evolve sharing, altruism, might not be plotting our downfall

Usually when we hear about robots learning a new skill through evolutionary programming, it makes us fear for the coming robopocalypse. But just this once it appears they may be learning something friendly, too. A program in Switzerland has put simple robots through hundreds of generations of simulated evolution, and they’ve learned how to share.…

io9 Tim Barribeau

Full-Length Conan the Barbarian Trailer: Tentacle Monsters and Blood Oaths!

What is cheesiest in life? Watching this brand-spanking-new Conan the Barbarian trailer should give you a pretty good idea. Conan can swing a sword so hard, it makes a giant boulder fly. He can withstand a million arrows. And yes, he can cope with the darkest sorcery, the nastiest dust devils, and what appears to…

Movies Charlie Jane Anders

Know Your Trolls: A guide to troll science from the director of TrollHunter

Which summer movie will be this year’s huge flop?

Why does pool water turn your hair green? The Statue of Liberty holds the answer.

Listen to a live conversation between two legends of human evolutionary science

Everything you wanted to know about Thor (but were too afraid to ask)

The Best- and Worst-Dressed Dinosaurs

The cost of keeping SETI’s radio telescopes going – a price comparison chart

We may have discovered humanity’s parent species

3 X-Men: First Class character profiles will make you forget the mutant Photoshop of horrors

The Genre Mashup We’d Like to See: Evil Overlord Romance!

Cybernetic cat ears read your brainwaves and let the world know if you need a cheeseburger

Man and Superman: The Riddick DVD Collection

Helmet-wearing treehoppers are the weirdest insects around

Tomb Raider movie gets Iron Man writers… but who will play Lara Croft?

10 Coolest Bounty Hunters in the Galaxy

If Only More Civil War Reenactments Involved Vampires

Are we surrounded by Dyson Spheres?

Will global warming spawn super-giant, flying ants? Science (sort of) says yes.

Robots evolve sharing, altruism, might not be plotting our downfall

Full-Length Conan the Barbarian Trailer: Tentacle Monsters and Blood Oaths!

‘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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