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Have You Ever Lived A Lie Online?

Lies! On the internet?! Believe it or not, it happens. Come unburden yourself in Chatroom—make a burner account if need be. Of course we’ve all probably stretched the truth online. We might post a blissful picture from a beach vacation that implies we’re having the time of our lives when the reality of the trip…

Camp Wandawega: Summer Camp For Adults

“Lodgings that offer comfortable beds, air conditioning, modern plumbing, and protection from predators are a dime a dozen,” reads Camp Wandawega’s Manifesto of Low Expectations. Its owners used to go to summer camp here, bought it and set about returning it to its former dilapidation. “Why on earth do folks want to come here? The…

There Are Too Many Must-Read Science Fiction And Fantasy Books In July!

Seriously, cut it out, publishers. Are you trying to ruin us? There are so many incredible books coming out this month, it’s unreal. China Mieville, Charles Stross, Austin Grossman, Jesse Ball, William T Vollmann… it’s all happening. Here are July’s must-read science fiction and fantasy books. Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit) Robinson returns once…

The Beautiful Secrets of Tears, Revealed By a Microscope

What does a tear look like at the microscopic level? It’s more interesting—and beautiful—than you might expect. Dutch photographer Maurice Mikkers recently captured a few really amazing close-up images of the most precious human body fluid: tears. The project is a lovely illustration of how our emotions, from pain to joy, are reflected in the…

This photo of F-15 fighter jets looks more like an oil painting

Because of the heat and haze and jet fuel power, the left side of this photo of F-15 Eagles on a runway looks more like an oil painting than a photo. It’s like an artist added some visual style and flair to the image. I like it. The US Air Force: Several F-15 Eagles from…

Archaeologists working in the Golan heights have discovered 2,000-year-old imprints made by the boots of Roman soldiers. The imprints were made in the still-wet mortar of the fortifications at the Hellenistic city of Hippos. The boots, including one that was a size 9, left studded footprints, and were standard issue at the time,. Image: M.…

Cobalt Was So Murderous That it Was Named After Evil Spirits

Cobalt is named for the German word “kobold,” or goblin. The association wasn’t innocent. It got the name because cobalt was responsible for the horrible and mysterious deaths of miners. People have been intentionally using cobalt forsix hundred years. The element is a dirty silver color on its own, but when combined with other elements…

These Ghoulish Crimes Inspired Ultra-Scary Aussie Horror Film Wolf Creek

Lots of horror films carry the not-so-subtle message that city slickers, especially good-looking youths thirsting for adventure, shouldn’t linger in the backwoods—including 2005 Australian entry Wolf Creek. It’s a gruesomely scary flick. And it was inspired by genuinely frightening real-life killers. First was the case of Ivan Milat, said to be one of Australia’s most…

The Truth About the Scientific Method: It’s Much Messier Than You Think

Scientific labs are in the business of uncovering truths. But, when you look a little closer at how they work, there’s another truth coming out of them: The process to getting there is a lot messier than it looks from the outside. io9’s comment of the day comes from commenter Tenaj, who shared this tidbit…

Solar Impulse Broke the Nonstop Solo Flight Record Today

Earlier today, pilot André Borschberg set the record for the longest nonstop solo flight, while completing the ambitious Pacific leg of the Solar Impulse’s journey around the world. On Monday, the sun-powered Solar Impulse plane set off on what would become a 120 hour-plus flight from Nagoya, Japan, to Hawaii. Now, over 76 hours into…

We Now Know Some Of The Plot Before Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Years ago, we thought the destruction of the Death Star at the end of Return of the Jedi marked the beginning of peace in a galaxy far, far, away. Unfortunately for our heroes, it didn’t and now we know a little bit of what happened between that and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The first…

This Action Figure Finally Gives the Venus de Milo Her Arms Back

Have you ever wondered what the Venus de Milo looked like before the sculpture’s arms were broken off? Besides offering a version of the famous piece for your own private gallery, this six-inch figure includes a set of articulated arms letting her point, scratch her head, and even hold things again. The second figure in…

4 Droughts Happening Right Now That Are Worse Than California’s

California and the American West are not the only places suffering from drought—in fact, there are several places in the world right now where overtaxed aquifers, severe pollution, and lack of rainfall are creating extreme water insecurity for residents. In some places, water is so scarce that municipal supplies are being rationed or shut off…

This Little Seahorse Will Teach Us How To Build Better Robots

It’s hip to be square if you’re a seahorse—or rather, it has certain adaptive advantages. Cylindrical tails may be much more popular in the animal kingdom, but the seahorse’s bizarre square-prism tail has far better mechanical properties. “Almost all animal tails have circular or oval cross-sections—but not the seahorse’s. We wondered why,” said Clemson University…

Paddling The Mississippi During Flood Season

My boyfriend and I are paddling all 2,552 miles of the Mississippi River in a pair of kayaks. And the near-constant rain is creating some serious flooding. That makes the paddling difficult and dangerous, sure, but there’s other hazards too. Since our departure from Minnesota’s beautiful Twin Cities 20-odd days ago, the Mississippi — a…

What is a Terrestrial Planet?

In studying our Solar System over the course of many centuries, astronomers learned a great deal about the types of planets that exist in our universe. This knowledge has since expanded thanks to the discovery of extrasolar planets, many of which are similar to what we have observed here at home. Above: The terrestrial planets…

Amazon Might Pay Self-Published Authors Less Than a Cent Per Page Read

So, remember that new Amazon payment scheme that’s going to revolutionize self-publishing by dolling out royalties based on pages read rather than copies sold? Remember how that was going to reward authors who can keep readers hooked rather than folks who can crank out 500 page-tomes that nobody has the gusto to finish? There’s one…

Saga Creator Brian K. Vaughan is Going to Write a Walking Dead Story

For its entire 12 year run so far The Walking Dead comic has been written by one person: Robert Kirkman. That’s about to change, however—for the first time, another writer is coming to the comic, and it’s none other than Saga and Y: The Last Man’s Brian K. Vaughan. The one-shot issue was announced at…

Your Burning Questions About The Plot of Terminator Genisys, Answered!

Did you walk out of Terminator Genisys with a ton of questions about the plot? It’s a time travel movie, so it would be kind of crazy if you didn’t. Thankfully, we asked the film’s two writers and its director some mega-spoilery questions, and now you can read their explanations for the latest Terminator movie’s…

Bubble Wrap’s New Design Is Unpoppable And It’s All Our Fault

Our ruthless new era of super-efficient global shipping has made it irrelevant. The new product is called—hold your boos until the end, please—iBubble Wrap. It’s a version of an unpoppable wrap that’s been around for a few years, but as an interesting story by the Wall Street Journal’s Loretta Chao explains today, now it’s being…