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“If you know yourself, you are doomed” — Alexey Brodovitch Such was the attitude with which legendary designer and photographer Alexey Brodovitch, the long-time art director of “Harper’s Bazaar”, approached each new project and transformed graphic design in the 20th century. Brodovitch was known foremost for his work on “Harper’s”, but his legacy extended far…

Get Your Instagram Photos Out of the Cloud and Onto Something Awesome

Instagram pictures have invaded every corner of your socially networked world. So it’s only fitting that those snazzy, heavily dusted images start popping up in real life—city skylines and poached eggs should look great on a pillowcase, right? Right? Here’s everything you can do with those Instagram pictures you’re so very proud of. Prints Obviously,…

Some women may perceive millions more colors than the rest of us. Are you one of them?

The average human can perceive one million different colors, but researchers suspect that a small percentage of women may be capable of seeing one hundred times that amount. Finding out who these women are, however, will be no easy task. The science of super-vision all boils down to cones — special neurons, located in your…

Scientists use ‘molecular sex’ to create first genetically evolved semiconductor parts

Researchers at UC Santa Barbara have successfully manufactured semiconductor material by using a process called “directed evolution,” in which enzymes take shape by following Darwinian processes of selection. And this breakthrough could help scientists use DNA to grow unique and highly specialized materials for use in electronics and solar panels. Daniel Morse and his colleagues…

Your Launch Day iPhone 4 Warranty Is Expiring Soon

Did you buy an iPhone 4 with AppleCare around launch day back in 2010? Bad news, your warranty’s about to expire. Good news, Apple is pretty generous with replacing defective phones. Head over to Cult of Mac for a list of common replacement-triggering maladies. Yes there’s almost definitely going to be a new iPhone out…

A Size Comparison Chart of 20 Real-Life Spaceships With the Starship Enterprise

Check out this elegant infographic by Invader Xan, molecular astrophysicist and master of ceremonies at astronomy blog Supernova Condensate. Here, silhouetted in colors that correspond to their present state of operation, you’ll find twenty iconic spaceships and space stations situated beneath the only fictional spacecraft of the bunch: the U.S.S. Enterprise. What’s great about this…

How Can These Gorgeous Crumpled Faucets Possibly Work?

They certainly catch your eye, but Italian designer Lorenzo Damiani’s unique folded faucets will also have you wondering how they let more than just a trickle of water pass through. Wormholes? Good old-fashioned wizardry? We’ve no idea. As kids we all learned that kinking a hose was the easiest way to foil a spray attack,…

David Brin’s Existence will make you think about the future a whole new way

David Brin has created some of the greatest classics of recent science fiction, including Startide Rising, plus the short stories “The Crystal Spheres” and “Thor Meets Captain America,” the latter of which was the basis of the graphic novel The Life Eaters. So Brin’s first novel in a decade is cause for celebration. The other…

One of the earliest adult cartoons was gonzo even by today’s standards (NSFW)

The avid pornography viewer knows that the adult film industry is expanding crystallinely into a latticework of niche kinks, like a sordid snowflake made of ménage à troises with lost cable repairmen. If you want to film a XXX adaptation of the musical 1776, A.) nobody will blink; and B.) chances are some dude in…

Why There’s No Public Transit in iOS 6—Yet

By now it is public knowledge that there will be no replacement for Google’s public transportation routes built into the Apple Maps in iOS 6. Indeed, if you’re holding an an iPhone running iOS 6 (that somebody maybe has left in a bar) and you try to plan a route from point A to point…

If Only Nixon’s Audio Gear Sounded As Good As It Looks

Nixon is best known for its designer watches. And while the company’s audio gear shares the same design sensibilities that go into its fashionable timepieces, we’ve found they don’t actually sound that great. Which is unfortunate, because this TPS speaker is lovely. Back in November we pitted Nixon’s Apollo ear goggles against other budget headphones,…

Spider-Man turns into a Spider-jerk in the first full-length Amazing Spider-Man clip

The biggest different between Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire’s superhero spidey is the snark. Garfield’s Spider-Man is full of anger, which he takes out on the criminals of New York — for example, in this full-length “Car Thief” scene from Marc Webb’s Amazing Spider-Man. But which Spidey do you prefer? [via Bleeding Cool]

The Science of Being Scared to Death

Fear isn’t just the mind-killer… it can actually kill your body as well. The notion of being scared to death may sound like a myth, but it does happen to people — and animals. The authors of Zoobiquity: What Animals Can Teach Us About the Health And Science of Healing examined the question in detail.…

This Ice Cream Maker Is Your Gettin’-Ready-For-Summer Deal of the Day

I used to camp a lot when I was a kid. We’d go with these huge groups of people. I never enjoyed it. Even when we bought a big camper that had a TV in it. I would’ve almost always preferred to be back at home playing video games or watching paint dry. Still, the…

The USS Iowa Battleship Will Be a Museum That Lets You Blow Stuff Up

The USS Iowa recently arrived in Los Angeles, completing the last voyage of its storied career. Now the ship will be transformed into a museum. We know what you’re thinking: borrrring. Not so! There are plans to create a crazy-sounding, multiplayer game room that recreates the ship’s history. The USS Iowa is a very important…

First Details About Gareth Edwards and Timur Bekmambetov’s Robot Movie

Over two years ago news broke that Wanted director Timur Bekmambetov and indie movie maker Gareth Edwards of Monsters were collaborating on a post human adventure. But the details were scarce, until we caught up with the producer on the project Bekmambetov while doing press for his latest film Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter. In our…

Does a galaxy filled with habitable planets mean humanity is doomed?

Last week, we reported on the astounding confirmation that all solar systems in the Galaxy probably have planets, and that Earthlike planets are more common than previously thought. While this seems like good news for SETI-enthusiasts, the revelation is actually quite disturbing. Given that we have yet to meet any extraterrestrials, the finding could mean…

9 Things a Microsoft Tablet Needs to Succeed

Today, Microsoft will—reportedly, hopefully—finally unleash its tablet on the world. But other than that it might possibly exist, not much is known about Redmond’s iPad and/or Kindle Fire fighter. Since we don’t know what it is, let’s talk about what it should be. Here are the nine pieces to the tablet puzzle that Microsoft needs…

This Adjustable Chair Keeps Musicians Comfy During Long Concertos

A push for better ergonomics has vastly improved office chairs, so interior design professor David Brothers took those same ideologies and created a better chair for musicians. Not only does it improve their posture making it easier to sit longer, but it also helps improve their performance. Musicians in an orchestra are accustomed to all…

Will Microsoft’s Major Announcement Be a Xbox Surface Tablet?

Microsoft is announcing something today and no one has any idea what it will be. Barnes and Noble officially said that they have nothing to do with whatever is happening today so the rumor mound is eagerly hopping to the next rumor: a Xbox Surface tablet. It’s a 7-inch tablet that’s probably going to play…