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GoPro for Mouse Brains Records Neural Circuits in Real Time

An implantable miniature microscope lets researchers track the brain activity of mice in real time, as the animals forage for food or navigate a maze. It’s like a tiny GoPro for the rodent brain. Dubbed the nVista system, it’s the brainchild of Mark Schnitzer, a professor of biology and applied physics at Stanford University, who…

A Fire-Breathing Dragon Scorching Gnomes Is the Only Garden Decor You Need

The appeal of decorating a garden with a bunch of ceramic gnomes is completely lost on us. But a fire-breathing dragon ferociously burninating a small gang of gnomes? No garden can have too many of those. This original ThinkGeek creation is made of resin, not ceramic, so it should easily survive both the elements and…

Giant Clams Light Up Like Plasma Screens, Only Better

I bet you’ve never thought about how giant clams will revolutionize future technology. It’s okay. You probably didn’t know about the incredible way these massive mollusks turn sunlight into power. Neither did scientists, until a team of researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara decided to study the iridescent cells some giant clams use…

Watching Drones Fly Through This Glowing Neon Course Is Better Than Drugs

If you weren’t aware that people were actually racing drones competitively, you’re in for a treat. Following CES, the XDC_2 Xtreme Drone Circuit Races were recently held in Las Vegas, and watching the first-person footage of the quadcopters navigating the glowing neon course is better than an acid trip. To make it easier to fly…

The Real Dystopia Is When Advertising Starts Invading Your Dreams

Studio Smack’s “Branded Dreams” taps into a nightmare I didn’t even know I had. This feels like it takes place in the same future as the product placement-fueled Minority Report. People selling ad space in their dreams. [Vimeo Staff Picks] Contact the author at [email protected].

GE’s New $10,000 App-Powered Pizza Oven Is My American Dream

Imagine a world where pizza didn’t come from the pizza store. Imagine if you could pop down into your spacious kitchen, toss some toppings on dough, and throw it all into your very own internet-connected pizza oven. This future is finally possible—but it’s expensive. GE’s new Monogram Pizza Oven promises “professional-style pizzas any time.” It…

120,000-Piece Lego Model of the Titanic Breaking in Half Is Heartbreakingly Beautiful

Not since James Cameron put Leo and Kate on-screen in his disaster flick have we experienced so many feels for the Titanic tragedy. But Lego Jedi Ryan McNaught also manages to infuse some humor into his 120,000-piece model of the doomed ship breaking in half before sinking. The massive model is peppered with countless Lego…

The power of Star Wars is such that, even a month after release, high-res stills from The Force Awakens are big news. As part of an interview with Neal Scanlan about the 110 practical alien creatures made for the film, USA Today has a gallery of new images showcasing some of the most prominent aliens.

The Reason Why We Still Haven’t Seen Civil War‘s Version of Spider-Man

Stan Lee talks about a Star Wars/Marvel crossover movie, because of course he does. Maisie Williams adds another twist to Game of Thrones’ worst kept secret. Ben Affleck offers a mysterious comment about directing the solo Batman film. Plus, Wonder Woman set pictures, and a long wait for Sherlock. Spoilers now! Captain America: Civil War…

Taser Pulse Is a Compact Electroshock Weapon For Consumers

Taser, the company that’s sold electroshock weapons to some 18,000 law enforcement organizations all over the world for years, has made its smallest weapon ever. And it’s not for cops—it’s for regular people like you and me. Meet the Pulse, the Taser designed for purses, and back pockets. The new $400 weapon is impressively tiny,…

Even Astronauts Take Selfies When They Go For a Spacewalk

Last week, astronauts Tim Peake and Tim Kopra scrambled around the outside of the International Space Station to replace a failed voltage regulator. The hard work didn’t prevent Peake from taking a selfie, though. The astronaut found time during the 4 hours and 43 minutes of spacewalking to snap what must be one of the…

When You’ll Probably Die, Visualized

You’ve already found out how you might die—but when’s it going to happen? This visualization of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should give you a better idea. Created by Nathan Yau from Flowing Data, the interactive visualization takes your sex, race, and age, then simulates how things might play out for…

Apple, Samsung and Sony Linked to Child Labor Claims in Cobalt Mines 

A new report by Amnesty International claims that Apple, Samsung and Sony are consistently failing to perform the basic checks which are required to ensure that mining operations for essential minerals do not take advantage of child labor. The report focuses on cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)—the origin of 50 percent…

Twitter Suffers Widespread, Sporadic Outage

Twitter has been suffering a widespread but sporadic outage during the early hours of this morning, The problems started at around 3:20am EST, with error messages claiming that the network is both “over capacity” and suffering an “internal error” both on desktop and mobile. Twitter confirmed the outage, even managing to tweet about the issue,…

Inside Amazon Prime Air: Multiple Drone Models, Smart Flightpaths, 5-Pound Parcels

Amazon’s delivery drone service has been under development for some time. Now, in a big interview with Yahoo Tech, its vice president for global public policy, Paul Misener, has explained in more detail than ever how the scheme will work. While he did admit that the company hadn’t “priced out” how much drone deliveries would…

Android Experiment Lets You Install Apps Directly From a Google Search

Heading to the Play Store is such a pain in the ass sometimes. That might be why Google is experimenting with a new feature that lets you install apps directly from a quick Google search instead. Android Police reports that Google is rolling out a feature to some users that provides the option to install…

Watch How Astronauts Still Make Coffee in Space, the Old-Fashioned Way

You might have thought that by now astronauts were quietly sipping at steaming cups of Lavazza espresso when they wanted a coffee in space. But the reality is still foil-packed containers of pre-mixed “coffee with cream and sugar substitute.” Tasty. In this video, astronaut Tim Peake shows us how a cup of regular joe is…

The 25 Most Popular Passwords of 2015: We’re All Such Idiots

It’s 2016 and you may have thought we’d all be a little older and wiser than this time last year. But as you read this list of 2015’s most popular passwords, you will shake your head, mumble unmentionables and reach the firm conclusion that, no, we are in fact all still complete and utter morons.…

Shooting an Entire Film With Just a Prius Backup Camera Is a Terrible Idea

If you’ve ever sat front seat in a Prius, or really any moderately new Toyota, then you’ve experienced its rear-view camera that pops up whenever you throw your auto in reverse. But what if someone had more artistic aspirations for that camera? Turns out that’s probably a bad idea. LA-based sketch comedy group Mommy Comedy…

Working for a Wizard Is Bad Enough When They Do Pay You

All we’re saying is that this looks like a bad situation to walk into. Even if you do need the college credit. This art is by Phil McAndrew and is from his book Crying in Front of Your Dog and Other Stories. See more of Phil’s art at his website. Contact the author at [email protected].