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It Only Takes 70,000 Dancers at Burning Man to Make an Earthquake

Hordes of party-minded hipsters are heading out to Black Rock City this weekend for the annual Burning Man festival — possibly as many as 70,000, if past growth trends hold. And according to British seismologist Paul Denton, that’s enough frenzied dancing feet to generate a small earthquake measuring about 0.5 on the Richter scale. That…

Lego Has Officially Revealed Its Star Wars: The Force Awakens Sets

If you’ve been following our coverage of what Lego has in store for the new Star Wars movie, today’s reveal probably doesn’t bring too many surprises. But at least we now have official pricing info. However, Lego is slowly revealing these sets one-by-one throughout the day. So you’ll want to check back periodically as we…

Google Now Tells You About All the Possible Illnesses You’re Suffering

If you’d rather Google the weird thing growing on your hand than go see your friendly neighbourhood healthcare professional, good news: Google is announcing support for a bunch more medical conditions, without having to ever leave search results. Illnesses have ben part of Google’s Knowledge Graph, the thing that pops up relevant information right into…

Here’s All the New Star Wars Figures You’ll Be Fighting Little Kids For

Whether you’ll be hitting the stores at midnight, or waiting until the crack of dawn to begin your The Force Awakens toy hunt, try and remember that this will be the first Star Wars collecting adventure for some kids, so try not to trample any little ones as you reach for that last Rylo Ken.…

I’m Looking Forward to Bank Robbery Footage Featuring This Roaring Chewbacca Mask

Now don’t get us wrong, we’re not advocating bank robbery as an easy way to resolve your financial difficulties. We’re just really looking forward to the first security camera footage of a perp using this electronic Chewbacca mask to hide their identity behind authentic Wookiee roars. Available now for 30 well-spent dollars, this battery-powered mask…

The Return of Star Wars Also Heralds the Return of Micro Machines

Second only to Lego as the worst possible thing to step on in bare feet (see Home Alone) the Micro Machine brand has made various random appearances since Revenge of the Sith left theaters. But it’s returning with a vengeance for The Force Awakens with a line of new and classic vehicles. The most interesting…

Hasbro’s Remote Control BB-8 Doesn’t Need a Smartphone or Tablet

We haven’t seen more than a couple teasers, a trailer, and a few TV spots for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but it already seems clear that BB-8 is going to be a fan favorite alongside R2-D2. But if Sphero’s $150 self-balancing BB-8 toy is too rich for your blood, Hasbro’s got you covered. For…

Hot Wheels Also Has Some Great Star Wars Toys That Don’t Roll

In addition to a line of character cars that sees Star Wars characters mashed up with hot rods, trucks, and convertibles, Hot Wheels also has a line of tiny but wonderfully detailed spaceships including everything from Poe’s new X-Wing to a gold-plated version of Fett’s Slave I. And for the imaginationally-challenged Hot Wheels is even…

The Nerf Version of Chewbacca’s Bowcaster Works Like a Real Crossbow

What would Star Wars be without all of those crazy intergalactic weapons like blasters and lightsabers? It wouldn’t be a ‘war’ and there definitely wouldn’t be a reason for Nerf to create a bunch of new dart guns. So deep down, we’re hoping that peace never actually comes to that far away galaxy. The most…

Clear Your Toy Shelves and Make Room For a New Fleet Of Star Wars Vehicles

One of the things that sets Star Wars apart from all of the other space operas that have come and gone are its wonderful ships and vehicles. The iconic X-wing is easily as recognizable as Darth Vader is, so of course The Force Awakens is going to usher in a whole hanger full of new…

You Can Finally Pilot Your Own Flying Millennium Falcon and X-Wing

We’ve brought you lots of custom-built X-Wing and Millennium Falcon drones, but for those of who don’t know the difference between a servo and a Dremel, these new flying toys from Air Hogs will let you easily fly a couple of classic Star Wars spaceships. For amateur pilots the $110 Millennium Falcon quadcopter might be…

This Chewbackpack Is the Best Way To Carry Home Your Star Wars Treasures

Not sure if you can pull off a full Chewbacca hoodie? This Chewbacca backpack is a nice compromise because the furry hood is detachable for those times when you’re not waiting in line with hundreds of other understanding Star Wars fans. The back is covered in faux fur, partly because it helps keep the backpack’s…

It Turns Out There’s a Much Cheaper Interactive BB-8 That Rolls and Talks Too

Sphero’s BB-8 will undoubtedly be one of the most sought-after toys heading into the holidays, but it turns out it’s not the only company who’s figured out how to bring BB-8 to life. This larger version of the droid isn’t remote control, but it can still roll, talk, and interact with kids through simple voice…

Congratulations Don DeLillo! The indispensible author of postmodern/slipstream novels (with the occasional foray into straight-up science fiction) is receiving a lifetime achievement award from the National Book Foundation. To celebrate, here are Noma Bar and Dutch Uncle’s DeLillo cover designs. Contact the author at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @CharlieJane.

We’ve Never Seen This Many Massive Storms on the Pacific at Once

It was a historic moment in meteorology late last week, when three Category 4 storms were simultaneously spotted marching across the Pacific. As if that wasn’t ominous enough, a tropical depression has just added itself to the mix. Yesterday, NASA’s GOES satellite captured this beautifully ominous image (below) of one typhoon (Kilo), one hurricane (Jimena),…

Inside California’s Crystal Ice Cave

One of the most unique environments on earth exists in a seldom-visited corner of northern California. Lava Beds National Monument is home to over 700 caves, some of which are full of rare ice formations or play home to solitary biomes like this fern cave. They also allowed a tribe of Indians to make one…

The FBI Now Needs a Warrant To Use Its Phone-Sniffing Stingray Boxes

Privacy took a blow last week when the NSA got permission to keep operating a massive dragnet. Here’s some better news: As of today, federal agents should have a harder time using Stingrays to spy on cell phones. Today, the Department of Justice issued a new policy that requires federal agencies to get a search…

What’s the Weirdest Thing You’ve Ever Bought or Sold on eBay?

It’s a special day, and I’m not just talking about Force Friday Eve: It’s my birthday! I’ve known for years that I share my birthday with a few interesting entities like Charlie Sheen. But there’s one thing I did not know I shared a birthday with until today: 20 years ago, a little company named…

Michigan Newspaper Claims the Large Hadron Collider Is Being Used as a “Stargate”

Bad news, citizens of Earth: those evil physicists at CERN are once again hellbent on vaporizing the Earth and ending the universe as we know it as the Large Hadron Collider ramps up to unprecedented energies. That’s according to Lonnie Robinson, intrepid correspondent/prophet of doom for The Daily Reporter in Coldwater, Michigan, who sees the…

How To Use Simple Sand Art to Create Otherwordly Landscapes on Screen

Sure, sand art is amusing—and maybe even mesmerizing for a few minutes. But the DIY effects wizards at Shanks FX have a new video showing how sand art can be used to mimic dramatic landscapes on film—like an evening sandstorm on Mars. As Shanks FX shows in this new video, you can add new backgrounds…