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Tron Inspired Disney to Make This Psychedelic Movie About Computer Art

There was something undeniably awesome about Disney in the early 1980s. The company was expanding its theme parks in Flordia with EPCOT, a shrine to technological innovation. Meanwhile, a bunch of young kids sort of got left unattended at the studio. The result? Movies like Tron. What a lot of people don’t realize is that…

This amazing photo of a city is actually a painted game map

When I first saw this my first thought was “wow, Shanghai is looking really crazy these days,” thinking that it was a photo. Then I zoomed in and saw it was a painting. The author is a young French artist named Klaus Pillon—who says it is the world map for an incoming indie video game.…

“Beast Jesus” Has Become A Bona Fide Tourist Attraction

Remember “Beast Jesus”? How could you forget that face? In 2012, this amazingly terrible (and unauthorized) restoration job applied to a 19th-century Spanish fresco by elderly Cecilia Giménez made instant headlines and launched a thousand memes. One year later, the painting —”originally named Ecce Homo (Behold the Man) but now widely known as Ecce Mono…

If you’re in the habit of uploading photos to Facebook via the mobile app, be aware: the Zuckerbeast is now auto-enhancing and filtering your photos for you, to make them suck a little less. It’s the same thing that Google+ has been doing for a while now, but, y’know, people might actually notice this time.…

What’s An Average Day Like In Antarctica?

Antarctica is a place most of us will never see outside of pictures. But what’s it like when one of nature’s most taxing (and stunning) environments is also just the place you call home? In response to this post asking what things visitors are always getting wrong about the place that you make your home,…

TV On The Radio: Lazzeray

TV On The Radio’s new record Seeds is absolutely fantastic. Singles like Happy Idiot and Careful You have rightfully gotten plenty of attention. But if you haven’t yet listened to the entire album (and you really should) allow me to propose another song that’s well worth your time: Lazerray. The song is uncharacteristically straightforward in…

The Baker/baker Effect Explains Why You’re Awkward At Parties

The Baker/baker effect, otherwise known as the Baker/baker paradox, explains why people’s names slip away from you, while their other details stay embedded in your head. This happens, even if the name and the detail are the same. As you wander around a party, watching the ice melt in your drink and counting down the…

2001 Would Have Featured A Prologue Where Astronomers Debate Alien Life

2001: A Space Odyssey remains one of the most scientifically grounded films of all time, despite the trippy ending. But originally, it would have featured a prologue in which 20 real-life astronomers talked about the possibility of encountering alien life. Top image: Bernard Lovell in 1979. Photo by Sefton Samuels/via Guardian. According to the Guardian,…

Watch This: Pack Horse Camping In The John Muir Wilderness

Wilderness Collective shot this video during its ninth trip. The narration is composed entirely of quotes from John Muir’s “My First Summer in the Sierra.”

io9 Book Club Reminder: Meet 1/6 to Discuss The Three Body Problem 

This month, the io9 Book Club is reading Cixin Liu’s The Three Body Problem, out in a brand-new translation by Ken Liu. We’ll meet on January 6 to discuss it. Join us! What is this io9 Book Club all about? We meet once a month to discuss a book we’ve all read together, and then…

The Alien and Eerie Beauty of the Year’s Best Microscopic Photos

The Olympus BioScapes Competition never fails to disappoint. This year’s winners, unveiled today, are a gorgeous and alien look at the microscopic world of vampire moths and butter daisies and many things in between. To lose yourself entirely in the world of the miniature, be sure to check out winners and dozens of honorable mentions…

These Kinetic Bird Sculptures Will Leave You Completely Mesmerized

Some of these moving, biomechanical bird sculptures look like they’re about to take flight, while others resemble bizarre Muppets made over in metal. But one thing that they all have in common is that they are deeply satisfying to watch, with possibilities for special effects and industrial design alike. Birds, by Bob Potts, 1996-2012 (via…

Skype Translator Hands-On: Close But No Babel Fish

When Skype announced its real-time translation program back in May, most of us seized on the sci-fi-ness off it all—Star Trek’s universal translator, Babel fish, etc. But the technology is very real, and has been for years, just it separate pieces. Skype Translator is is the commercial culmination of those efforts, bringing all those things,…

BSG‘s Richard Hatch Stars In A Wild Short About Space Merchant Marines

Based on the third-person shooter game Loadout, LOADOUT: Going In Hot stars Battlestar Galactica’s Richard Hatch as the captain of a crew of space-faring cargo haulers trying to beat his nemesis to a big payload—assuming that the crew doesn’t destroy the ship first. This short was written by Matt Munson and directed by Vincent Talenti…

LAPD Will Get 800 Taser Body Cameras, Outfitting Whole Force Proposed

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Police Chief Charlie Beck announced that LAPD officers will officially begin wearing on-body cameras that will record their interactions with civilians. The new effort begins with 800 taser body cameras funded by more than $1.5 million in private donations. The Mayor said that his next budget will include funding…

A Visual Guide To Science In 2014

Science is beautiful. Here are the most mesmerizing, bizarre, gorgeous, or downright fascinating science images from 2014. https://gizmodo.com/the-most-amazing-science-images-of-2014-1671170711

What’s The Greatest Clash Of Titans (Or Gods) Of All Time?

Everybody loves an epic showdown, or a confrontation between a giant and a smaller adversary. But sometimes, the most awe-inspiring battles are between two foes that are both just ginormous and packed with power. What’s the greatest fight between two giants (or gods, or titans) you’ve ever seen? Please include a picture, clip, book cover,…

The Walking Dead Spin-Off Will Take a Bite Out Of LA

The rumors are true: the as-yet untitled Walking Dead spinoff has set its sights on Los Angeles. That said, as Entertainment Weekly points out, Just because the setting is Los Angeles doesn’t guarantee it will be shot there. AMC, which had no comment, is still casting the pilot written by Robert Kirkman and Dave Erickson.…

Beware The Black Rider Made Entirely Out Of Cake

It’s hard to believe that the above picture is of an actual cake someone made, but lo and behold. this Nazgûl is just that. Never has the Black Rider looked so sinister and delicious! This wonderful creation comes from Mel Todd of Take The Cake, who made the cake as part of Cakes from Middle-Earth,…

A Tiny Aluminum Canister That Could Come In Very Handy This Winter 

There are plenty of gadgets you could wish for as you’re sitting in the dark on a slow ski lift, with a dead phone, in freezing temperatures. Unless you are one of those people who carries more than just a phone and a wallet in your ski coat—which, congratulations—you will probably have none of them.…