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Aphids may be the only insects that can photosynthesize

Plants, algae, and bacteria have a clear advantage over the animal kingdom when it comes to their powers of photosynthesis. A certain species of sea slug can steal photosynthetic DNA from algae, but animals don’t photosynthesize on their own. At least that’s what we thought. New evidence has come to life suggesting that a species…

io9 Lauren Davis Aug 18 '12

This Map Shows Where the Assholes On Twitter Are From

You can use Twitter for a lot of things, but two of the most basic are saying “good morning” and saying “fuck you.” They’re both simple sentiments, but each hails from a different end of the courtesy spectrum. Now you can see what parts of the U.S. favor which one. This Twitter heat map by…

Tech News Eric Limer Aug 18 '12

Do You Read Like a Geek Or Like a Luddite?

I just got a few books in the mail. Physical books. Made out of dead tree. They aren’t the most convenient thing to be hauling around, but I think there’s a nice sense of completion when you finish a real book and get to put it up on your bookcase, all the while deluding yourself…

Tech News Eric Limer Aug 18 '12

Concept Art Writing Prompt: The Creature He Brought into the Waiting Room

What is the creature sitting on this gentleman’s lap? An alien potted plant? A pet? A new and bizarre discovery? And why has he brought it to this particular waiting room? See if you can think up a story based on this illustration. This piece, by artist Peter Ferguson (found via Super Punch), is titled…

io9 Lauren Davis Aug 18 '12

The Worst Opening Lines from Imaginary Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels

Each year, San Jose State University’s English department sponsors the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, named for Victorian novelist Edward George Bulwer-Lytton, whose novel Paul Clifford opens with the now-cliché phrase, “It was a dark and stormy night.” The competition looks for the worst opening lines people can come up with for their terrible imaginary novels. And…

Books & Comics Lauren Davis Aug 18 '12

Alan Rickman is awesome even when he’s making tea in extreme slow-motion

Alan Rickman is commonly termed a “phone book” actor because so many people would be happy to listen to him read the phone book. But would you watch him make tea in super slow-motion while the soundtrack to Inception plays? Well, here is your chance. This video is part of artist David Michalek’s Portraits in…

io9 Lauren Davis Aug 18 '12

The Shape of the Sun, Miracle Cures, Hidden Pyramids, and More

This week, archaeologists found new pyramids in Egypt, scientists discovered that the sun actually isn’t the shape we thought it was, and we found the most bizarrely effective way to deal with bug bites. What did you do? Read these stories? If not, dive in and catch up. An Openly Biased Review of Android Jelly…

Tech News Eric Limer Aug 18 '12

Game of Thrones casts a Roman dictator as Mance Rayder

One of the characters that we’re especially excited to see in the third season of Game of Thrones is Mance Rayder, the Night’s Watch deserter turned King-Beyond-the-Wall. Now the identity of the actor portraying Mance Rayder has been revealed, and it’s a veteran HBO ruler. EW reports that Ciarán Hinds, who played Julius Caesar on…

Television Lauren Davis Aug 18 '12

Celebrate Shark Week with this hilarious compilation of movie shark attacks

This past week marked the 25th anniversary of the Discovery Channel’s celebration of all things shark. Sharks warrant attention for their prehistoric majesty as well as the need to conserve many species, but it’s hard to ignore both the factual and fictitious aspects of the shark attack. HuffPo Green put together this supercut of their…

Movies Lauren Davis Aug 18 '12

Researchers Cram 700 Terabytes of Data Into One Gram of DNA

We’ve known DNA could be a viable solution for data storage for a while now, but Harvard researchers have just discovered how wildly efficient it could really be by fitting 5.5 petabits, or 700 terabytes, of data into just one gram of DNA. https://gizmodo.com/scientists-turn-dna-into-rewritable-memory-5912237 The whole process is pretty simple, in theory at least. You…

Tech News Eric Limer Aug 18 '12

NASA commissioned these bizarre and beautiful photographs of our Martian future

The Mars rovers should be credited as co-creators of Mars: Adrift on the Hourglass Sea, the latest series by artists Nicholas Kahn and Richard Selesnick. Some of the photographs Curiosity has taken of the Martian surface were included in these compositions, depicting a strange, silvery future of human life on Mars. The artists told Wired’s…

io9 Lauren Davis Aug 18 '12

This Mini-Vase Looks Poised To Dart Across Your Living Room

Let’s say that you wanted to set up your living room so that everything looked like it was being subjected to a gale-force wind. Or one where everything looks like it’s trying to escape at high speed. This is the perfect vase for your absurd fantasies. This Rosenthal porcelain vase, part of a very distinct…

Tech News Eric Limer Aug 18 '12

M.C. Escher’s Impossible Structures, Printed in 3D

M.C. Escher’s two-dimensional renderings of impossible feats of architecture are endlessly fascinating to look at, precisely because they could not exist as three-dimensional objects. Or could they? Gershon Elber, a computer science professor at the Israel Institute of Technology, has manipulated Escher’s optical illusions so that they can be fabricated with a 3D printer. So…

io9 Lauren Davis Aug 18 '12

A group of alien strangers — and one little girl — are marooned on a deserted world in the webcomic Red’s Planet

Alien abduction isn’t always a nefarious affair. Sometimes aliens kidnap humans not to experiment on them or keep them in zoos but completely by accident, making humans mere collateral plunder of alien thieves. That is how Red, the orphaned human protagonist of Eddie Pittman’s webcomic Red’s Planet begins her journey into outer space. But that…

Books & Comics Lauren Davis Aug 18 '12

How To Break into Your Own House

You don’t fool around with home security. The front door locks automatically when you leave. And there’s no way you’d be a big enough sucker to hide a spare key beneath the welcome mat. But what will you do if you lock yourself out? Smash your own window? Not a chance. Instead, plan to pop…

Privacy & Security Andrew Tarantola Aug 18 '12

Will Aquaman triumph in Robot Chicken‘s DC Comics special?

As it was done to Star Wars, so shall it be done to the DC Universe. Robot Chicken will be poking both the Justice League and the Legion of Doom in the superpowered eyeball on September 9th at midnight on Adult Swim. In this blood and urine-soaked trailer, the other superfolks aren’t letting Aquaman join…

Trailers Lauren Davis Aug 18 '12

If President Obama could choose a superpower, what would he choose?

Nearly everyone has asked themselves the question at some point: If I could have one superpower, which one would I choose? Flight? Invisibility? Superstrength? Telekinesis? But what about our current Commander-in-Chief? Would he select a superpower that would help him in his current political office, or something that would let him battle his opponents physically…

io9 Lauren Davis Aug 18 '12

Predict the Future With the Apple Vs. Samsung Verdict-O-Matic

Apple vs. Samsung. Who will win? It’s the great question of our age. “Who is John Galt?” Pfft. “Where’s Waldo?” Who cares. If you can’t wait for a verdict any longer, this handy infographic from The Joy of Tech can help, help you feel like you have the slightest idea of what’s going on anyway.…

Tech News Eric Limer Aug 18 '12

Gravity Falls takes on National Treasure and a Ghostbusters parody on Ultimate Spider-Man!

This week in the world of cartoons, Gravity Falls takes a shot at Nick Cage’s National Treasure franchise, Adventure Time gets really trippy, and we receive what might be the best episode of Ultimate Spider-Man episode yet. For your retro-cartoon enjoyment, we also have a rather interesting episode of She-Ra: Princess of Power featuring Hordak,…

io9 Keith Veronese Aug 18 '12

Pack Some Heat With This Sweet Gunbrella

When you’re on your way home from a long day of work and the sky opens up on you, sometimes you just want to shoot someone. With the Howdah Pistol umbrella, you can pull the trigger and not, you know, go to prison or something. Personally, I tend to imagine that my umbrella is a…

Gadgets Eric Limer Aug 18 '12

Aphids may be the only insects that can photosynthesize

This Map Shows Where the Assholes On Twitter Are From

Do You Read Like a Geek Or Like a Luddite?

Concept Art Writing Prompt: The Creature He Brought into the Waiting Room

The Worst Opening Lines from Imaginary Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels

Alan Rickman is awesome even when he’s making tea in extreme slow-motion

The Shape of the Sun, Miracle Cures, Hidden Pyramids, and More

Game of Thrones casts a Roman dictator as Mance Rayder

Celebrate Shark Week with this hilarious compilation of movie shark attacks

Researchers Cram 700 Terabytes of Data Into One Gram of DNA

NASA commissioned these bizarre and beautiful photographs of our Martian future

This Mini-Vase Looks Poised To Dart Across Your Living Room

M.C. Escher’s Impossible Structures, Printed in 3D

A group of alien strangers — and one little girl — are marooned on a deserted world in the webcomic Red’s Planet

How To Break into Your Own House

Will Aquaman triumph in Robot Chicken‘s DC Comics special?

If President Obama could choose a superpower, what would he choose?

Predict the Future With the Apple Vs. Samsung Verdict-O-Matic

Gravity Falls takes on National Treasure and a Ghostbusters parody on Ultimate Spider-Man!

Pack Some Heat With This Sweet Gunbrella

Latest news

John Grisham’s New Legal Drama Is a Real Life Fight Against AI Audiobooks on YouTube

Salesforce Has an AI Vaporware Problem

Here’s How That ‘Obsession’ Scene Came Together

99% of CEOs Expect AI-Driven Layoffs in the Next Two Years

Nicolas Winding Refn is Finally Making His ‘Maniac Cop’ Movie

Apple Is Reportedly Making AirPods Less Frustrating to Control

‘Stranger Things’ Has One More Place to Go: The Smithsonian

Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max Review: Wireless Earbuds With Enough Features to Make Your Head Spin

Latest Reviews

Anker Solix E10 Review: No Power? No Problem

Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker Review: Sonos Can Start Sweating Now

Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar Review: A Boisterous Stab at Dominating Home Theater

Dell’s XPS 16 (2026) Is Almost Everything I Could Have Asked for… Almost

Smart Glasses With Subscriptions Are As Bad as They Sound

iBuyPower’s Trace X Gaming PC Is the Fishbowl You Want to Swim In

Govee Ceiling Light Ultra Review: AI Art Ain’t It

JBL Live 780NC Review: Solid Wireless Headphones You Can Live Without

Let us help you find what you’re looking for...

Latest

Aphids may be the only insects that can photosynthesize

This Map Shows Where the Assholes On Twitter Are From

Do You Read Like a Geek Or Like a Luddite?

Concept Art Writing Prompt: The Creature He Brought into the Waiting Room

The Worst Opening Lines from Imaginary Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels

Alan Rickman is awesome even when he’s making tea in extreme slow-motion

The Shape of the Sun, Miracle Cures, Hidden Pyramids, and More

Game of Thrones casts a Roman dictator as Mance Rayder

Celebrate Shark Week with this hilarious compilation of movie shark attacks

Researchers Cram 700 Terabytes of Data Into One Gram of DNA

NASA commissioned these bizarre and beautiful photographs of our Martian future

This Mini-Vase Looks Poised To Dart Across Your Living Room

M.C. Escher’s Impossible Structures, Printed in 3D

A group of alien strangers — and one little girl — are marooned on a deserted world in the webcomic Red’s Planet

How To Break into Your Own House

Will Aquaman triumph in Robot Chicken‘s DC Comics special?

If President Obama could choose a superpower, what would he choose?

Predict the Future With the Apple Vs. Samsung Verdict-O-Matic

Gravity Falls takes on National Treasure and a Ghostbusters parody on Ultimate Spider-Man!

Pack Some Heat With This Sweet Gunbrella

John Grisham’s New Legal Drama Is a Real Life Fight Against AI Audiobooks on YouTube

Salesforce Has an AI Vaporware Problem

Here’s How *That* ‘Obsession’ Scene Came Together

99% of CEOs Expect AI-Driven Layoffs in the Next Two Years

Nicolas Winding Refn is Finally Making His ‘Maniac Cop’ Movie

Apple Is Reportedly Making AirPods Less Frustrating to Control

‘Stranger Things’ Has One More Place to Go: The Smithsonian

Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max Review: Wireless Earbuds With Enough Features to Make Your Head Spin

Anker Solix E10 Review: No Power? No Problem

Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker Review: Sonos Can Start Sweating Now

Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar Review: A Boisterous Stab at Dominating Home Theater

Dell’s XPS 16 (2026) Is Almost Everything I Could Have Asked for… Almost

Smart Glasses With Subscriptions Are As Bad as They Sound

iBuyPower’s Trace X Gaming PC Is the Fishbowl You Want to Swim In

Govee Ceiling Light Ultra Review: AI Art Ain’t It

JBL Live 780NC Review: Solid Wireless Headphones You Can Live Without

Let us help you find what you’re looking for...

Here’s How That ‘Obsession’ Scene Came Together