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Stephen King Awarded National Medal Of Arts

The White House has announced that author Stephen King will be one of ten recipients of this year’s National Medal of Arts. President Obama will present the award to this year’s recipients during a ceremony in the East Room on September 10th. King was cited for his prolific work as an author: Stephen King for…

Get Lost in the Swirling Green Seas of a Massive Algae Bloom

The summer of 2015 will probably be remembered as one of fire, drought, and hot, hot weather. But it’s also been a summer of frightfully voracious, microscopic life forms. From Lake Erie to the North Atlantic, tiny green algae are multiplying like crazy. And there’s no better way to appreciate the sheer immensity of these…

Why We Can’t Stop Seeing Aliens on Mars

A crab! A spoon! A crashed UFO! Clearly, the Curiosity Rover is busy excavating the remains of an alien luau, and NASA totally didn’t tell us. The proof is right there! Except not exactly. You see, there a much simpler explanation for those infuriating alien artifacts that keep cropping up on the Red Planet. It’s…

In No-A, A Robot Risks Everything For Its Creator

No-A is a short student film directed by Liam Murphy. In it, a hulking robot risks everything to save its creator from an army of faceless soldiers. It’s a really neat CGI film with some really outstanding designs in it. Overall, this feels like a bit of a sliver from a much larger story, and…

The Mythbusters Play With Lasers In Their Latest Star Wars Episode

On tonight’s episode of Mythbusters, Adam and Jamie return to Star Wars for some inspirations. Among the things they figure out? Just how fast a blaster shot moves, and how people can dodge out of the way. In the clip below, Adam explains how they came to find out just how fast blaster bolts travel.…

Man Spends 14 Hours Riding the Longest NYC Subway Route

New Yorkers aren’t exactly known for taking leisurely strolls, but leisurely subway riding? The concept is as foreign as ketchup on pizza. That’s why most city slickers will have no idea that the longest non-repeating subway route is 155 miles and includes over 54 transfers. Why should they? Who on Earth is ever going to…

LG’s Watch Urbane Luxe Is 23-Karat Gold Bonkers

Android Wear watches are cool and all, but none of them are especially fancy. (Even the new Moto 360, with its flat tire screen.) Until now, at least. An alligator leather wristband, 23-karat gold plating, and a $1000-plus price tag mean the LG Watch Urbane Luxe is a particularly niche geek accessory. The only chance…

Intel’s New Skylake Processors: What You Need To Know

Stop. Don’t buy that new Windows laptop or tablet. Don’t pull the trigger unless you’re getting a truly amazing deal. Because today, Intel’s launching its latest processor—Skylake—and you may want one in your next PC. Why? Let me count the reasons. And afterwards, I’ll help you understand how to tell a Skylake chip apart from…

Whatn-E Is Stranded On Mars In This Mashup Trailer For The Martian

In some alternate universe, Pixar’s Wall*E was about a small robot stranded on an uninhabited Earth, voiced by Matt Damon. Someone’s mashed up the trailer for The Martian with the animated flick, and it works out pretty nicely! As a bonus, the video’s creator put the two side-by-side: [Andy Weir]

Soon, We’ll Learn Why C-3P0 Has A Red Arm

Since May, we’ve known that C-3P0 has had gone through some replacement parts in the three decades since the end of Return Of The Jedi. Now, Marvel promises that they’ll tell us exactly how that happened. Really. In December, Marvel Comics will publish a one-shot comic, C-3P0, written and drawn by James Robinson and Tony…

Google OnHub Review: Your Router Sucks, But Do You Trust Google?

Your router is the most horrible technology you deal with every day. This essential tool keeps your home connected to the internet, and yet, you keep it thrust in a dusty corner because it’s a wretched, opaque box of confusion. Google’s OnHub is a critical step towards helping you take control back from those miserable…

My Eyes Can’t Handle the Insanity of the Philips AmbiLux UHD TV

The Philips AmbiLux UHD grabs your eyeballs by the…er…balls and puts them through some sort of kaleidoscopic interdimensional warp hole. Despite the glitzy launches and top flight devices, it’s all been a bit, well, safe at this year’s IFA, especially around televisions. While other manufacturers focus on 4K delivery systems and HDR standards, it’s taken…

There’s Maximum Extermination In The Latest Doctor Who Trailer

The BBC has released a new teaser for the The Magician’s Apprentice, the first episode of Doctor Who’s 9th Season. People are looking for the doctor, there’s creepy hands growing in the dirt, there’s a gladiator fight and a bit more. Business as usual for the Doctor! Series 9 of Doctor Who airs on Saturday,…

The Ultimate Guide to Today’s Coolest New Star Wars: The Force Awakens Toys

Force Friday is finally upon us! Yes, Disney and Lucasfilm have deemed today as the ultimate Star Wars consumer holiday, and unleashed a swathe of new The Force Awakens goodies to empty your wallets on. Want to get a look at the hottest toys out today? Here’s our guide, just in time for you to…

You Can Snuggle With a Sith Lord Thanks to Star Wars Pendleton Blankets

I know! You didn’t buy anything for Force Friday because you’re practical: You were holding out for something really useful when it came to Star Wars merch. When winter comes and your bedroom is as cold as Hoth you’re gonna need a blanket. Why not have it be one of these Star Wars Pendletons? Just…

Earth’s Oceans Could Look Completely Different by the End of the Century

Beneath the swelling blue surf, ocean life is on the move. Marine species are swimming into new new communities and forcing others out. By the end of the century, the ecosystems that cover 70% of our planet’s surface will look completely different. “The changes we’re seeing in response to climate change are much faster than…

Someone Hacked Open Sphero’s BB-8 To See How It Works Inside

If you were lucky enough to find one of Sphero’s wonderful BB-8 toys on Force Friday and are curious how it works, the folks at uBreakiFix were kind enough to hack theirs open to explore its inner workings—so you don’t have to sacrifice yours. There aren’t too many surprises inside BB-8, though. His spherical body…

The four year evacuation of the Japanese town of Naraha has officially ended. All of the town’s 7,400 residents were sent away in 2011, after the nearby nuclear disaster at Fukushima. Today, the government says radiation has fallen to safe levels within the town. But it’s still unclear whether former residents will feel the same.…

Huawei Mate S Hands-On: Force Touch is Great, But With One Big Problem

You’ve got to hand it to Huawei. Just a week out from Apple’s iPhone 6S launch, it’s revealed the Mate S, which has almost certainly stolen a bit of the Apple phone’s thunder by including its iOS rival’s expected lead feature. The Force Touch control exclusive to the top-of-the-line 128GB Mate S is of course…

Dragon Con Day 1: Cosplayers Create a World Full of Terror and Wonder

Dragon Con is in full swing in Atlanta, and hordes of cosplayers are strutting their stuff. From popular culture favourites to original creations, here’s what we found while shuffling along crowded lobbies and dodging traffic on the streets. Muldoon and Dr. Sattler (Angela Schulz and Megan Fisher) respond to the latest breakout from Jurassic Park.…