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The Loony Math of the Look-And-Say Sequence

This weird, simple, math sequence is also known as the Audioactive Sequence, presumably to make it sound less goofy than ‘speak-n’-spell.’ It is that simple, and it is that funny. When a million mathematicians take a million pieces of chalk to a million blackboards, we’ve already seen some the results. They’re much crazier than Shakespeare’s…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Dec 22 '11

Of Course Santa Trains Like a Top Gun Pilot

By some estimates, Santa has to travel 3,000 times faster than the speed of sound to deliver billions of gifts in one night. So it’s not surprising that even he needs to log some time in a sleigh simulator. Between dealing with the elf union, keeping track of who’s been naughty or nice, and maintaining…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski Dec 22 '11

Future MacBooks Could Be Powered by Fuel Cells

The latest patent application to come out of Cupertino could allow for new Macbooks that are slimmer, lighter, greener and could provide power for days without a charge. What’s the magic ingredient? Fuel cells! Dredged up by Apple Insider, Apple’s patent indicates that hydrogen fuel cells would be used to send and receive power from…

Tech News Adrian Covert Dec 22 '11

Vote for the most excellent beefcake of 2011

This was the year of beefcake. Sorry, Sucker Punch — the biggest genre spectacles of the year were all about half-naked men, with bodies so sculpted that they look like the muscles on Tim Burton’s Batsuit. But which science fiction and fantasy properties had the best half-naked men? There’s only one way to decide… with…

Movies Charlie Jane Anders Dec 22 '11

Pentagon Kills Big Airborne Laser, Now Wants Small Laser Drones

The Boeing 747 Airborne Laser project has been mothballed despite successfully destroying a ballistic missile and other targets. But don’t despair, pew-pew destruction fans: the US Missile Defense Command now wants to use small high altitude drones armed with lasers. https://gizmodo.com/boeing-airborne-laser-weapon-fires-for-the-first-time-5100377 The Airborne Laser projects started in the 1990s. Installed in a Boeing 747-400F, the…

Tech News Jesus Diaz Dec 22 '11

Report: BlackBerry’s Last Hope Is Totally Screwed (Updated)

Not even RIM’s top executives dispute that the company’s had a rough few months. But just hold on, they say, until BlackBerry 10. That’s the rudder that’ll turn this ship around. But if BGR’s insider report holds up, that new course might head right smack into an iceberg of suck. BlackBerry 10 has already had…

Tech News Brian Barrett Dec 22 '11

Watch the first trailer for Ridley Scott’s Prometheus now!

Ready to jump back into the bleak hell that is a Ridley Scott science fiction movie? Check out the first official trailer for Scott’s Alien prequel Prometheus! Follow a gang of unsuspecting space travelers as death and darkness awaits at every turn! And always remember that in space, no one can hear you scream. UPDATE:…

Trailers Meredith Woerner Dec 22 '11

Uncomfortable Retro Mouse Should Help Cure Internet Addictions

Modern mice, what with their sleek lines and ergonomic designs, make it easy to stay online for hours. Thankfully, mousing comfort wasn’t always a concern, and after 15 minutes with this retro mouse you’ll be too sore to surf. The $20 boxy mouse turns its nose up at any modern wireless conveniences, instead preferring to…

Gadgets Andrew Liszewski Dec 22 '11

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 Dec 22 '11

Best Buy Is Ruining Christmas

Best Buy is completely dropping the ball this holiday season. We’re hearing reports that customers who bought items on BestBuy.com on Black Friday (yes, nearly a month ago) will not be receiving their orders this year, with some of them even being cancelled right before Christmas. Congratulations Best Buy! You are the Grinch. Best Buy’s…

Tech News Casey Chan Dec 22 '11

UPS Will Deliver 26 Million Packages Today

UPS says it expects to make 120 million deliveries this week, and today will be its busiest day of the year. The shipping giant says it plans to make 26 million deliveries—that’s roughly 300 deliveries per second. UPS is adding 400 flights just to keep up. Whoa. How much fruitcake?[AuctionBytes] image via UPS

Tech News Mario Aguilar Dec 22 '11

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 Dec 22 '11

How Fleece Conquered the World

There was a time in the late 1990s when fleece suddenly became ubiquitous in my life. I blame Old Navy. Their boldly-hued, fuzzy pullovers dominated every commercial break during the holidays and clothed everyone in my high school. Before then, the Mark Zuckerberg favorite was a material for people who did things outdoors. But once…

Tech News Rachel Swaby Dec 22 '11

I Feel Panic Just Watching These Suicidal Mountain Bikers Go

Watch these nutters riding their mountain bikes down the the tiniest cliff path possible. If you don’t get unnerved, you are probably as crazy as they are or have no self-preservation instinct whatsoever. [Stellar via Kottke]

Tech News Jesus Diaz Dec 22 '11

I Feel Panic Just Watching These Suicidal Mountain Bikers Go

Watch these nutters riding their mountain bikes down the the tiniest cliff path possible. If you don’t get unnerved, you are probably as crazy as they are or have no self-preservation instinct whatsoever. [Stellar via Kottke]

Tech News Jesus Diaz Dec 22 '11

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 Dec 22 '11

I Feel All Shades of Panic Just Watching These Suicidal Mountain Bikers Go

Watch these nutters riding their mountain bikes down the the tiniest cliff path possible. If you don’t get unnerved, you are probably as crazy as they are or have no self-preservation instinct whatsoever. Either way, good luck. [Stellar via Kottke]

Tech News Jesus Diaz Dec 22 '11

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 Dec 22 '11

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 Dec 22 '11

I Am Not Brave Enough To Stick This LED Contact Lens in My Eye

While YouTuber bkraz333 claims this contact lens with an embedded LED he made was an attempt to add a rudimentary VR display to his eye, I think I know the real inspiration behind it—Terminator cosplay. If the thought of sticking a regular contact lens in your eye makes you uncomfortable, you might want to be…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski Dec 22 '11

The Loony Math of the Look-And-Say Sequence

Of Course Santa Trains Like a Top Gun Pilot

Future MacBooks Could Be Powered by Fuel Cells

Vote for the most excellent beefcake of 2011

Pentagon Kills Big Airborne Laser, Now Wants Small Laser Drones

Report: BlackBerry’s Last Hope Is Totally Screwed (Updated)

Watch the first trailer for Ridley Scott’s Prometheus now!

Uncomfortable Retro Mouse Should Help Cure Internet Addictions

Hitting semiconductors with a superfast electric pulse massively increases their efficiency

Best Buy Is Ruining Christmas

UPS Will Deliver 26 Million Packages Today

Are your corporate overlords controlling you with light and sound?

How Fleece Conquered the World

I Feel Panic Just Watching These Suicidal Mountain Bikers Go

I Feel Panic Just Watching These Suicidal Mountain Bikers Go

Every Single Batman Costume Ever, In One Chart

I Feel All Shades of Panic Just Watching These Suicidal Mountain Bikers Go

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

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

I Am Not Brave Enough To Stick This LED Contact Lens in My Eye

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