Latest

This Meteorite Settles a Question About Which Elements Made Up the Early Universe

Scientists from the University of Chicago have taken a look at the Curious Marie, a bit of meteorite containing perhaps the most valuable ceramic in the world. These ceramic elements can tell us whether the early universe created heavy particles—without containing any of those elements. The journal Science Advances contains images of an unremarkable-looking rock.…

Tech News Esther Inglis-Arkell

This New Blackest Black Material Is Even Blacker Than What We Thought Was the Blackest Black Material

Surrey NanoSystems is famous for creating Vantablack, a material so black that it absorbs all but 0.035 percent of visible light. That’s a lot. Things basically disappear when coated with the Vantablack carbon nanotubes. And yet, they’ve somehow made the material even blacker. Yes, the blackest black material has become even blacker. Surrey NanoSystems writes:…

Sploid Casey Chan

Spider-Man Movie Spinoff Venom Is Back in the Works

If the moviegoing public is willing to stand for yet another Spider-Man reboot, surely there’s also some room for one of Spidey’s greatest foes. But don’t get too excited, webslingers: Venom is moving ahead as its own stand-alone franchise, unrelated to the next Spider-Man movie starring Tom Holland. The villainous Venom—who’s long been bandied about…

Movies Cheryl Eddy

This Visit to an Alien World Is the Most Soothing Thing in Ages

“Vessels-4 AM” by Chloe Hayward is like being on a tourist spaceship touring a volatile world. And, as it navigates water, ice, and lava, to music, it’s somehow perfectly lovely. [Vimeo Staff Picks] Contact the author at [email protected].

io9 Katharine Trendacosta

El Niño Might Deliver After All Thanks to ‘Miracle March’ Storms

If there’s one thing we’ve come to expect from El Niño, it’s that we should expect pretty much anything. After a dry, hot February convinced everyone that El Niño had left the building—or ditched California completely—a new set of storms have provided a glimmer of great wet hope. This is coming soon to a West…

Tech News Alissa Walker

Watch a Gun Safe Get Cracked Open with Just a Paper Clip

Hmm. That’s not supposed to happen like that. And yet this gun safe—a GunVault GVB1000 approved by the California Department of Justice that uses a biometric fingerprint sensor to unlock itself—can be easily opened with just a paperclip. It’s a method that simply involves tricking the bypass lock to open the latch. That is way…

Sploid Casey Chan

That 21 Jump Street–Men In Black Crossover Is Actually Happening

It sounds too crazy to be real, but it’s actually coming true. The crossover between 21 Jump Street and Men in Black, which was first revealed by the Sony hack in 2014, is now going forward as a possible film. And they found a perfect director. When this possible crossover was first leaked a couple…

Movies Charlie Jane Anders

Which Amazing Book Series Just Went On Too Damn Long?

The only thing better than one awesome book is ten awesome books set in the same world… right? Well, not always. Sometimes, the law of diminishing returns kicks in, and the tenth book in a series isn’t quite as good as the first. Which book series did you love—until it overstayed its welcome? Please include…

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders

Flint Just Replaced Its First Lead Pipe (Only About 8,000 More to Go)

The long journey to restore safe water to the city of Flint, Michigan has finally begun: The first lead service line was swapped with copper pipe today. Following a press conference at the residential site, a lead pipe was excavated and replaced by workers, who were easily outnumbered three-to-one by members of the media. Assisting…

Tech News Alissa Walker

The Frosting on This Dessert Is Almost Too Beautiful to Eat

The decoration on these desserts are so perfect that it almost, almost makes you not want to eat them. But then you realize that the art is just delicious frosting and that both will eventually be destroyed so you make a sacrifice and begin to stuff your mouth with as many intricately designed pieces as…

Sploid Casey Chan

Watch SpaceX’s Fifth Attempt to Launch Its Falcon 9 Rocket Live, Which Will Make You Question the Very Nature of Reality [Updated]

For the fifth time in just over a week, SpaceX is trying to launch its Falcon 9 Rocket. Am I stuck in a timeloop? Is any of this real? Am I here? Are you? SpaceX attributed the first four scrubbed launches to problems with their liquid oxygen system, heavy winds, and a boat straying too…

Space & Spaceflight Ria Misra

Why Self-Fertilizing Worms Have Shorter Lifespans

Self-fertilization isn’t uncommon in the animal world. Nematode worms have made the switch from sex to self-fertilization several times. A new study found that switching to self-fertilization shaves time off lifespans in a population, and researchers have a few ideas as to why. Multiple species have managed to get along without males. Many are anomalous,…

Biology Esther Inglis-Arkell

Italy Wants the United Nations to Recognize Its Pizza as a Protected Landmark

Along with the Pyramids in Giza and the Colosseum, Italy has asked the United Nations to add another item to UNESCO’s list of protected landmarks: Pizza. The Guardian reports that Italy is submitting a new application to UNESCO that would add Neapolitan pizza to its list of recognized cultural landmarks. Although UNESCO’s world heritage list…

Tech News Ria Misra

Data Conclusively Proves That The Force Awakens Is Just A Newer Hope

In other news, a bear shits in the woods and the Pope is Catholic. Okay, that’s a bit dismissive of a fair amount of actual data analysis. McGill University computer science professor Derek Ruths mapped the similarities between the two movies by figuring out how many scenes each character had and how often they interacted…

Movies Katharine Trendacosta

The Beautiful Bureaucrat Is an Utterly Nightmarish Literary Masterpiece

There’s been something of a Kafka resurgence in American literary fiction the past 15 years or so, led by people like George Saunders. Oppressively surreal worlds, with strange, totalizing institutions and mind-numbing bureaucracies. But few books make this motif as straight-up nightmarish as Helen Phillips’ The Beautiful Bureaucrat. Seriously, everything in this book feels like…

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders

15 Things I Would Like to Smash With Baseball’s Stupid Selfie Bat

Here is a thing that exists in the world: The SnapBat, a baseball bat that is also a selfie stick. Goddammit. Though it’s apparently been around since this summer, the SnapBat landed in the spotlight once again today after Snapchat announced it would be partnering with Major League Baseball to give fans an “inside look”at…

Tech News Sophie Kleeman

California’s Bullet Train Gets Delayed, Leaves Door Wide Open for Hyperloop

California’s high-speed train has just been delayed by three more years. The first leg of the state’s high-speed railis now set to finish by 2025, not 2022 as planned. This could mean that Hyperloop—the Golden State’s other, even more futuristic transit plan—could beat the bullet train to the station. That first leg of California’s bullet…

Tech News Bryan Lufkin

Disney’s Live-Action Nutcracker Looks Like It Could Be Fresh and Exciting

Disney’s picked Lasse Hallström to direct The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, a live-action adaptation of the classic Christmas story. Amazingly, this is a live-action project that isn’t simply another take on one of its classic animated features. Hallström (What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen) will direct a script from Ashleigh Powell.…

Movies Katharine Trendacosta

Han Solo Now Has His Own Marvel Miniseries

Princess Leia had one. Lando had one. Chewbacca had one. Poor Luke hasn’t had one. Now Han Solo himself is getting his own, err, solo miniseries from Marvel. From Monstress writer Marjorie Liu and artist Mark Brooks, Star Wars: Han Solo follows the smuggler and his Wookiee co-pilot in between the events of A New…

Books & Comics James Whitbrook

The Iconic Shots of Steven Spielberg

If you’ve ever wondered why you knew the name Steven Spielberg before you knew anything about movies, just remember how much fun you had watching his movies. His eye for specific shots and his films’ visual style set the template for what we all enjoy in movies. Here are 30 of his most memorable from…

Sploid Casey Chan

This Meteorite Settles a Question About Which Elements Made Up the Early Universe

This New Blackest Black Material Is Even Blacker Than What We Thought Was the Blackest Black Material

Spider-Man Movie Spinoff Venom Is Back in the Works

This Visit to an Alien World Is the Most Soothing Thing in Ages

El Niño Might Deliver After All Thanks to ‘Miracle March’ Storms

Watch a Gun Safe Get Cracked Open with Just a Paper Clip

That 21 Jump Street–Men In Black Crossover Is Actually Happening

Which Amazing Book Series Just Went On Too Damn Long?

Flint Just Replaced Its First Lead Pipe (Only About 8,000 More to Go)

The Frosting on This Dessert Is Almost Too Beautiful to Eat

Watch SpaceX’s Fifth Attempt to Launch Its Falcon 9 Rocket Live, Which Will Make You Question the Very Nature of Reality [Updated]

Why Self-Fertilizing Worms Have Shorter Lifespans

Italy Wants the United Nations to Recognize Its Pizza as a Protected Landmark

Data Conclusively Proves That The Force Awakens Is Just A Newer Hope

The Beautiful Bureaucrat Is an Utterly Nightmarish Literary Masterpiece

15 Things I Would Like to Smash With Baseball’s Stupid Selfie Bat

California’s Bullet Train Gets Delayed, Leaves Door Wide Open for Hyperloop

Disney’s Live-Action Nutcracker Looks Like It Could Be Fresh and Exciting

Han Solo Now Has His Own Marvel Miniseries

The Iconic Shots of Steven Spielberg

Latest news

‘Scream 4’ Is Back, and on Tape

Iran Threatens to Attack U.S. Tech Companies Starting April 1

Amazon Clears Out Netflix-Licensed Nebula Capsule 3 Mini Projector at 32% Off, Dolby Audio Home Theater for Less

Anker 160W Laptop Charger Briefly Returns to Black Friday Pricing in a Last-Minute Amazon Spring Sale Deal

The New ‘Backrooms’ Trailer Is Packed Full of Endless Dread

Logitech Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Combo Falls Under $25, a Budget Bundle Deal in the Final Hours of Spring Sale

Liquids Crack With an Audible Snap, Study Finds

Dyson V15 Detect Plus Cordless Vacuum Is a Late Spring Sale Deal at a Record Low on Amazon

Latest Reviews

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

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

Let us help find what you are looking for...