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Terry Pratchett’s Troll Bridge, as it was meant to be seen

Many have loved Terry Pratchett’s short epic “Troll Bridge,” about Cohen the Barbarian, a once-mighty warrior who has become a tottering old man, out of step with the post-barbarian times. Now a group of talented filmmakers want to adapt it. And you can help make their crazy-ass vision a reality! Even Terry Pratchett has given…

Movies Annalee Newitz

The stars are falling over Greece in amazing time-lapse video

The stars are always moving through the night sky, but the effect is so slow that it’s hard to really grasp it. That’s why there’s this video, which throws in various Greek landmarks just to be even more ridiculously beautiful. Star trails are some of the most visually arresting artifacts of time-lapse photography, as the…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

New Green Lantern trailer shows off the Guardians of the Universe

The second Green Lantern trailer is packed with new footage characters and FX shots, including your first taste of Michael Clarke Duncan as the voice of Kilowog, a first look at Angela Bassett playing Dr. Amanda Waller, and the Guardians! Slowly but surely, this movie is starting to gel — we love the super suit…

Movies Meredith Woerner

10 ridiculous moments from an ancient X-Men toy commercial

While scanning my news feed yesterday, I came across a TV spot for Toy Biz’s 1991 line of X-Men action figures. The ad featured Wolverine (forever bearing a constipated, plastic rictus grimace) stopping Magneto from conquering a toll bridge. Sure, most retro toy ads were seemingly written by Madison Avenue brain trusts flying high on…

Books & Comics Cyriaque Lamar

Koalas have exactly the same fingerprints as humans

Humans, along with our closest relatives chimps and gorillas, are pretty much the only animals that have fingerprints. The only other is the koala, an adorable marsupial that is separated from us by 70 million years worth of evolution. Since we share these distinctive marks with our primate cousins, it’s quite likely that fingerprints first…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

The Doctor Says to Take the 2011 Gawker Media Census and Win an iPad 2

A lot of poking and prodding last year revealed that when you, dear io9 readers, aren’t delving into the unanswerable questions proposed by science fiction, 71% of you are knee-deep in breaking tech news. The newest widgets, thingamabobs and doodads can wait. Help us emulate the Doctor and fix what ails you. Take a moment…

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Ancient chemical weapons that were ahead of their time

Even in the early days of humanity, people were lazy. They wanted a way to kill each other without having to go to all the trouble of bashing each other’s heads in with rocks. So they turned to better living (briefly) through chemistry. Find out how wolf crap and chilis won wars. No one knows…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

The real-life superheroes of Salt Lake City are charming and/or terrifying

We’ve seen a few real-life superheroes in recent times, including Seattle’s Phoenix Jones and Tennessee’s The Viper. Now, an eclectic mix of suburban dads and ex-hoodlums known as the Black Monday Society are patrolling Salt Lake City’s crime-strewn thoroughfares. https://gizmodo.com/real-life-seattle-superhero-phoenix-jones-thwarts-carja-5725432 https://gizmodo.com/real-life-superhero-the-viper-defends-tennessee-town-5581307 Unlike most spandex-clad homegrown heroes, members of the Black Monday Society dress like Slipknot.…

io9 Cyriaque Lamar

The Meathook galaxy has been torn apart by a supernova

This gorgeous image of the Meathook Galaxy captures the bizarre distortion in what was once a spiral galaxy. But a recent supernova, combined with ancient encounters with other galaxies and birthing stars, has given it this strange S shape. The Meathook Galaxy is about 50 million light years away from Earth. ESO explains: The Meathook…

io9 Annalee Newitz

Long-distance relationships of the future will be more depressing, thanks to this Japanese kissing machine

Researchers at Japan’s Kajimoto Laboratory at the University of Electro-Communications are developing a device that allows the user to engage in some telepresence smooching by furiously tonguing an apparatus that resembles an electric toothbrush or talk box. Sexy futurism? Additionally, the kissing styles can be recorded for posterity. Your children’s children will know that Keith…

io9 Cyriaque Lamar

Read an exclusive excerpt from John Scalzi’s new novel Fuzzy Nation!

A new John Scalzi novel is always a cause for celebration, but Fuzzy Nation is also a “reboot” of a beloved 1962 Hugo-nominated novel, Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper. Can Scalzi win over the devoted fans of Piper’s original vision, and convert a whole new legion of readers who are unfamiliar with the nearly…

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders

Happy Star Wars Day: May The 4th Be With You!

It’s Star Wars day! Grab your favorite DIY Cantina cosplay and let your inner Wookiee out! Don’t forget to wish your friends, family and co-workers a happy “May The 4th Be With You.” Images via Unnecessary Umlaut, Wampa Dude Flickr, and WTF Costumes.

Movies Meredith Woerner

What are the craziest, most experimental science fiction novels out there?

Over at Jeff VanderMeer’s Ecstatic Days blog, VanderMeer asked his readers to name the “craziest or most experimental” science fiction novels of all time — and the answers are pretty diverse and fascinating. If you’ve been feeling the need for more novels along the lines of Dhalgren or House of Leaves, you could do worse…

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders

Tons of New Green Lantern trailers and action-packed Spider-Man Pics. Plus Joseph Gordon-Levitt explains Looper’s time-traveling action!

Four new Green Lantern promos remind us that there are some actual humans in the movie. Plus casting updates for the Fantastic Voyage remake, the adaptation of Stephanie Meyer’s non-Twilight book The Host, and Oz the Great and Powerful! Spoilers from here on out. Top image from Green Lantern. Thor We already covered all the…

Television Alasdair Wilkins

Just for fun, let’s count all the events in last night’s episode of “The Event”

Things moved glacially in last night’s episode of The Event, and right-minded people were left yearning tragically for Simon and Sterling to – I dunno – fall in love, or get their own spinoff, or something. They are the only characters I care about! A brief semi-erotic fantasy Maybe the boring white dudes could be…

Television Annalee Newitz

ROUNDUP

THE NEW COLOSSUS | Giant robot concept art by Tim Flattery, via ConceptRobots. The Secret Origin of Captain Planet! https://gizmodo.com/the-secret-origin-of-captain-planet-5798325 A poor bunny rabbit is exposed to the molecular duplication ray — and its evil opposite is created, in this amazing clip from Captain Planet and the Planeteers. The new Captain Planet DVD set is…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders

The Secret Origin of Captain Planet!

A poor bunny rabbit is exposed to the molecular duplication ray — and its evil opposite is created, in this amazing clip from Captain Planet and the Planeteers. The new Captain Planet DVD set is full of equally ludicrous moments. Like the making-of documentary, which explains that Ted Turner is the second smartest thing on…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders

Priest shows how the Catholic Church created a dystopian future

Say what you will about Paul Bettany’s slice-em-up vampire Western Priest, we’re sluts for interesting world-building. And this new trailer has heaps of it. Watch how the Church changed the vampire-besieged world forever! Gotta love the prison cell computer-generated confessional. As long as they keep fleshing out this dark new holy land, we’ll continue to…

Movies Meredith Woerner

A tale of eco-terrorists, doomed romance, and very strange science

Apex Magazine has just published my short story about a young materials scientist who develops a very peculiar superpower: vaporizing cars. It’s called “Twilight of the Eco-Terrorist.” Here’s how the story begins: The first time I vaporized a car, it was because I was in love. I was seventeen, and Lawrence had eyes like chips…

io9 Annalee Newitz

Kenneth Branagh explains why Thor really is like Shakespeare…and the royal wedding

The director, writers, and cast of Thor recently sat down to explain why Thor is the first superhero that’s actually science fiction, how to make an Asgardian prince relatable, and what lies ahead for the characters in future movies. Cast members Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Thomas Hiddleston (Loki), Anthony Hopkins (Odin), Idris Elba (Heimdall), Jaimie Alexander…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

Terry Pratchett’s Troll Bridge, as it was meant to be seen

The stars are falling over Greece in amazing time-lapse video

New Green Lantern trailer shows off the Guardians of the Universe

10 ridiculous moments from an ancient X-Men toy commercial

Koalas have exactly the same fingerprints as humans

The Doctor Says to Take the 2011 Gawker Media Census and Win an iPad 2

Ancient chemical weapons that were ahead of their time

The real-life superheroes of Salt Lake City are charming and/or terrifying

The Meathook galaxy has been torn apart by a supernova

Long-distance relationships of the future will be more depressing, thanks to this Japanese kissing machine

Read an exclusive excerpt from John Scalzi’s new novel Fuzzy Nation!

Happy Star Wars Day: May The 4th Be With You!

What are the craziest, most experimental science fiction novels out there?

Tons of New Green Lantern trailers and action-packed Spider-Man Pics. Plus Joseph Gordon-Levitt explains Looper’s time-traveling action!

Just for fun, let’s count all the events in last night’s episode of “The Event”

ROUNDUP

The Secret Origin of Captain Planet!

Priest shows how the Catholic Church created a dystopian future

A tale of eco-terrorists, doomed romance, and very strange science

Kenneth Branagh explains why Thor really is like Shakespeare…and the royal wedding

Sun’s Latest Outburst Complicates Planned Launch of Artemis 2

Instagram Tests Letting 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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