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A Quantum Computer Isn’t Nearly As Glamorous As It Sounds

You’d think quantum computers exist in heavily-guarded labs, with many men in white suits manning control stations filled with unfathomable screens and charts. Actually, they exist in a small cupboard in England’s West Country. Tom Scott took a tour of Bristol’s Quantum Photonics lab to look at their quantum computer. Far from glamorous, it’s actually…

The loss of Leonard Nimoy is hitting hard. So many people working in science, particularly in astronomy and space science, were influenced by his early work as Spock on Star Trek. It’s no surprise that the astronauts on the International Space Station have one final tribute to the ultimate science officer. Top image: Astronaut Samantha…

A New J.K. Rowling Bibliography Unearths Harry Potter Secrets

It’s not a biography, it’s a bibliography, but a new book about J.K. Rowling is so detailed the author herself calls it “slavishly thorough and somewhat mind-boggling.” The reference volume aims to be the definitive publishing history of the Harry Potter series. J.K. Rowling: A Bibliography 1997-2013 is described by publisher Bloomsbury as “the definitive…

You Can’t Burn Yourself With This Teapot

Someone at OSHA probably has a terrifying stat about the number of workplace injuries caused by teapots. But if everyone rushes out and buys this gorgeous glass hot beverage receptacle, we can do something about this critical national issue. The Ora teapot uses a double-wall glass construction to insulate your tea from the outside, just…

Did you know a feminist named Lizzie Magie created Monopoly in 1904 to “to teach the world about single tax theory and the idea that land — and only land — should be taxed”? Read more about the history and evolution of the 100-year-old board game in this profile. Contact the author at [email protected].

This Custom Shipping Container For Telescope Parts Is Fantastic

The James Webb Space Telescope takes carefully packing parts to new extremes: the packaging for the latest shipment weighted more than fifty times the actual part! This is the Space Telescope Transporter for Air Road and Sea, the shipping container for telescopes. https://gizmodo.com/the-next-generation-of-telescopes-will-take-us-closer-t-1606314839 The Space Telescope Transporter for Air Road and Sea (STTARS) is designed…

The U.S. Doesn’t Like It When China Wants To Build Encryption Backdoors

The NSA and U.S. tech giants have come to blows over government backdoors in encryption products lately, with the government arguing that backdoors are vital to national security, and the likes of Yahoo claiming it will make encryption pointless. Well, it looks the party line on backdoors changes pretty sharpish when China is involved. As…

A Ship Sails Beneath Painterly Skies In Portugal

A small ship is lit by a ray of sunshine as it sails up the Tagus river in Lisbon, Portugal on February 25. AP Photo by Francisco Seco Contact the author at [email protected].

An Incredibly Touching Leonard Nimoy Tribute From The ISS

Since Leonard Nimoy passed away yesterday, tributes have been pouring in from around the web. But this one, posted without comment from NASA astronaut Terry Virts aboard the ISS, is probably the most touching. LLAP.

Syfy Will Air Five Hours Of Nimoy-Centric Programming Tomorrow

Here’s the complete schedule: 9 a.m. “The Twilight Zone”: “A Quality of Mercy” 9:30 a.m. “Star Trek: The Next Generation”: “Unification: Part I” 10:30 a.m. “Star Trek: The Next Generation”: “Unification: Part 2” 11:30 a.m. “Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country” Via Variety. Contact the author at [email protected].

Adam Savage’s Replica Hedge Maze From The Shining Is Scarily Accurate

When Mythbusters’ Adam Savage isn’t, uh, busting myths, he spends his time crafting amazing replicas of movie props, among other hobbies. This time around it’s the hedge maze from Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, prompted by Savage’s disappointment in what should have been the “official” version. The video here, which describes the build process in detail,…

These Incredible Bars Are Hidden Behind Secret Entrances

It isn’t that hard to find these watering holes — provided you know where to look. Hidden behind vending machines, refrigerators, and even fake walls of kegs, there are some pretty neat places to grab a drink. Angel’s Share, behind a brown door inside a second-story yakitori restaurant named Village Yokocho in New York City…

Why Do We See Familiar Looking Objects On The Red Planet?

What’s up with all the “fossils” on Mars? They are figments of our imaginations, driven by our interest to be there – on Mars – and to know that we are not alone. Altogether, they feed a multitude of web pages and threads across the internet. The dinosaur on Mars, the Face in Cydonia, the…

These R/C Cars Drift So Much Better Than You Ever Will

Drifting R/C cars isn’t a completely new pasttime, but there’s still something magical about watching a trio of R/C cars go flying off a jump — sideways. It’s everything you ever wasted your childhood trying to achieve, but done by grown-ups with far more skill. The video was filmed by the Kuma Films team at…

Update: Insane Power Rangers Short-Film Reboot Is Back Online!

Joseph Kahn’s excellently dark Power Rangers fan film is once again available for online viewing after a brief dispute with the franchise’s copyright holder. All it took was a disclaimer (on the NSFW Vimeo version) and an age restriction (on the “safe” YouTube version). View both here! https://gizmodo.com/holy-hell-this-power-rangers-reboot-is-dark-as-f-ck-1687689958 Update…yes, another update. The NSFW version has…

The Craziest Designs For London’s Newest Pedestrian Bridge

The great city of London currently has something of a fascination with pedestrian bridges to span the waterway that bisects the city. The latest project is for a bridge that will connect Nine Elms to Pimlico in the Borough of Wandsworth. Currently, 87 proposals have been submitted: here are the craziest. https://gizmodo.com/londons-crazy-stupid-garden-bridge-is-actually-going-ah-1665980312 At the moment,…

Canada’s “Spocking Fives” Phenomenon Surges In Tribute To Leonard Nimoy

Doodle-driven Canadians have been cleverly defacing their five dollar bills for years, turning the portrait of former Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier into the pop-culture figures he eerily resembles: Spock (seen here) and Harry Potter’s Severus Snape. Though the bills that so wonderfully lend themselves to this practice are on their way out of circulation…

Huawei Already Revealed Its First Android Watch

All the cool kids are peddling Android wearables these days, and it looks like Huawei is no exception: in advance of the upcoming Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, it looks like the Chinese phone giant has revealed its upcoming watch in an (accidental?) ad. First spotted by Android Central, the ad gives it the original…

I Never Realized I Need A Bluetooth Wallet

When a new Kickstarter launches for an everyday item with (Bluetooth/NFC/WiFi/solar panels/CNC’d aluminium unibody — delete as appropriate) capabilities on board, I’m normally first in the line of jeering sceptics. But a wallet with built-in Bluetooth actually makes a lot of sense. Pass the Kool-Aid, please. Woolet is a fairly classy-looking leather wallet with a…

Start Your Weekend With The Hubble Space Telescope’s Planetarium Clips

You may not own your own private planetarium — or if you do, can we come over to your house? But you can still experience a journey through the wonders of space, thanks to four new “fulldome” planetarium clips, released by the Hubble Space Telescope. They’re available in 4K and 8K resolution. According to the…