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Ancient Humans Had More DNA Than We Have Now

Our ancestors weren’t blessed with smartphones, WiFi and Amazon Prime, but for what it’s worth they did have a little extra DNA. According to a study published today in Science, Homo sapiens have shed about 40.7 million base pairs of DNA since migrating out of Africa nearly two million years ago. The human genome’s 3…

Tapeworms: Bad for your guts, good for your brain? The intestinal worm Hymenolepsis diminuta appears to protect against memory loss in rats, researchers reportinBrain, Behavior and Immunity. It’s the latest example of how parasitic worms might be harnessed for therapeutic purposes. Contact the author at [email protected].

How Coastal Cities Are Preparing for Cataclysmic Floods

When it comes to flood preparation, what seems like a good solution today might be making things worse in the long run. A pair of studies in Science this week look at the way cities in coastal areas are preparing for the cataclysmic flooding and storms that will threaten them over the next few centuries.…

The Most Enlightening Explanations of Cyberwalls From Twitter

During the debate this evening, presidential hopeful (and former HP executive) Carly Fiorina surprised us all by asking that we “tear down that cyberwall.” Especially Russian and Chinese cyberwalls. WTF? Fiorina’s response came after a bizarre question about how terrorists “hide behind cyberwalls.” Immediately, Twitter seized upon the new meme. It was especially exciting for…

The Best Worst Presidential Campaign Merchandise

The world imploded when it was discovered that Republican presidential hopeful Jeb! was selling a cheap plastic bowl for $75 (especially seeing as one could buy24 of the same cheap plastic bowls for $36). But it’s not the most egregious product being sold by a candidate. Just in time for tonight’s debates, here are worse…

Our Favorite Android, iOS, and Windows Phone Apps of the Week

Welcome to another week of great apps where Android plays catch up, legendary apps on iOS get even better, and Windows Phone adds a selfie app that can rival the best out there. It’s The Best Apps of the Week. Take a look. Android Genius Back in January 2014, Genius—the web service known for annotating…

This video of a Soyuz flight to the ISS is simply outstanding

This is so cool. Stitched together from both old and new clips of Soyuz launch footage over the years, this video shows what a Soyuz flight from Earth to the International Space Station looks like. And it’s absolutely incredible. You get to see the launch, approach and how it docks to the ISS from multiple…

Don’t Have Cable for The Republican Debate? Try Periscope, If You Dare

If you don’t have a cable subscription, you won’t be able to watch tonight’s Republican Presidential debate on Fox News.Which feels so 20th century. But if you’re a cordcutter who’s really desperate, we might humbly suggest you try Periscope. People are already streaming the “kids’ table” version of the Presidential debates on Periscope now. The…

The 50 Most Cringe-Worthy Moments In Comic-Book Movie History

There have been hundreds of movies based on comic books, going back to the earliest days of both media. And that cinematic flood has come with a certain amount of “holy crap, what was that” moments. Here are the 50 most shudder-inducing comic-book-movie moments… according to you. Check out our new video, created in honor…

Crazy people chainsawed a frozen lake to make a spinning ice carousel

Winter makes people desperate. Being surrounded by snow for months saps the fun out of the world. Walking on a frozen ice lake is not comforting. But screw it all. Because people need to be, well, people, crazy folks that were sick of winter this year decided to chainsaw up a frozen lake and make…

The Worst Apple Store Customer Horror Story

We asked for nightmare tales of the Apple Genius Bar—from both sides of the bar. One Apple Store employee submitted a customer encounter that makes us despair about mankind. The majority of Gizmodo commenters sang the praises of Apple’s in-house customer service, reporting helpful, pleasant interactions with Genius Bar and Store staffers. The horrors often…

It Has Been Zero Days Since the US Government Was Last Hacked

Same as it ever was. [August 6, 2015] Contact the author at [email protected].

Here is a Cactus Bribing a Bat to Help it Have Sex 

The deep, bell-shaped flowers of the saguaro cactus use a strong melony scent to tell the bats that pollinate them they’re open for business, but they hide the nectar the bats want to lick up deep inside their base. If the bat wants to eat, it has to shove its face into the dozens of…

Scientists Turn Skin Cells into Brain Cells, Using Alzheimers Patients

You are looking at freshly-made human neurons, or brain cells. But they used to be common skin cells. And their existence could change how we treat Alzheimers. Using a special mix of small molecules, two groups of scientists in China have successfully turned human skin cells into neurons. They hope that their technique could one…

This Zombie Printer Was Hacked To Broadcast Radio Waves

All electronic devicesemit radio waves when they’re powered on, even if they don’t connect to the internet or Bluetooth. Governments have been using these accidental waves to spy on each other since the 1960s—but this week, a computer scientist at the Black Hat hacker conference took the idea way further than we’d thought possible. If…

Ken Liu Explains Why The Social Messages In Fiction Depend on the Reader

Ken Liu’s debut novel The Grace of Kings has sparked lots of interest with its coinage of a new genre, Silkpunk. But is it a novel of social commentary? Does it comment on contemporary social issues? The New York Times asked Liu, and he delivered an interesting perspective on the ability of fiction to critique…

Another Android Bug That Lets Hackers Control Your Phone With One Text

Just when the world was starting to chill out about Stagefright, some Israeli hackers announced more bad news. Just like Stagefright, there’s another Android vulnerability that lets hackers take control of a phone with a single text. What’s worse is that there’s not an easy fix. Announced today at the Black Hat security conference in…

Sprawl Is Making Wildfires Worse 

The dry, hot weather of our warming planet doesn’t just mean drought—it also means the fire season is getting longer. Almost six million acres have burned in the US this year, with 45 active large fires currently burning right now. You’d think this would inspire humans to take a look at making our own habitats…

For Some Items, Buying Online Can Actually Add to the Shame Factor

The privacy that comes from buying things online allows people to purchase all kinds of things they normally wouldn’t, right? Not quite. In some cases, buying something online can make you try even more strenuously to avoid the purchase in future than you would if you bought it in public. Online purchasing lets people buy…

You’ll Want These Star Wars Dog and Cat Toys More Than Your Pets Do

With a new Star Wars movie on the horizon, do you really think that Disney and Lucasfilm would limit their marketing efforts to just humans? Of course not. Dogs and cats are also in both company’s promotional crosshairs with this massive collection of costumes and toys designed just for pets from Petco. On the outside…