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9 of the Year’s Best Photographs of Buildings 

Most architectural photography these days is about capturing a building’s “hero shot,” that single perfect image and angle where the light flits through the glass and, for a second, real life looks like a perfectly executed digital rendering. These are not those photos. Every year the construction industry’s Chartered Institute of Building holds an architectural…

This Life-Size Wall-Hugging Figure Is Actually Only Half an R2-D2

Here’s a real head-scratcher from Bandai. If you’ve always wanted your very own R2-D2, but, only have enough room for the R2 part, there’s now this life-size ‘action figure’ that’s actually only half of the droid. Weird. It’s designed to cozy up next to a wall to help hide the fact that half of your…

Snapdragon 810: Your Next Phone’s Brains Are Way More Than Just Fast

A new year means a new flagship smartphone brain, and Qualcomm has detailed some of the most fun features of its upcoming Snapdragon 810 chip, which will start popping up in Android and Windows phones next year. It’s faster, and it supports better graphics sure, but it also has other tricks up its sleeve. Here’s…

Christmas Squirrel Girl Is The Best Holiday Cosplay

Is Christmas Cosplay a thing? If it isn’t, it should be, because it means we get this fabulous costume from Galacticat (who you might remember from her excellent DragonCon Brienne cosplay). Even the squirrels are in the holiday spirit! Galacticat drew inspiration for her festive Squirrel Girl getup from two sources: The Great Lakes Avengers…

Rare photos of the SR-71 Blackbird show its amazing history

The SR-71 Blackbird is, without a doubt, the most advanced airplane ever built in relation to the technology available at the time. It broke all aviation records, it flew incredible missions, and it became the stuff of legend. Lockheed Martin published its history in this collection of high resolution scans of old photos. Above: The…

What Should High School Students Learn About Science?

Would you focus your time on lab experiments? Expound on your own scientific career or field? Plan some activities? Tell us after the jump what it is you think secondary education could most use in its science classes!

Send A Personal Memento To The Lunar Surface Via “MoonMail”

Astrobotic, a company that is competing to win the $30 million Google Lunar X-Prize by placing the first commercial lander on the Moon, is now offering the public the opportunity to mail their keepsakes on one-way trips to the lunar surface. “This is your unique opportunity to commemorate your graduation, holiday, wedding, child’s birth, or…

The Exact Moment When Battlestar Galactica Won Our Hearts Forever  

With its new show Ascension, Syfy hopes to return us to its Battlestar Galactica glory days. But let’s hope Syfy doesn’t forget the most important lesson from BSG’s success: Sometimes a simple idea carries the most weight. BSG dropped the loudest, most reverberating space mic ever, and a lot of its power came from one…

First Teensy Look At Firestorm’s Superhero Duds On The Flash

Curious as to what the newest addition in DC’s superheroic TV universe will be wearing in 2015? Here’s the first (incredibly tiny) photo of Robbie Amell as Ronnie Raymond what will be his official Firestorm uniform. ?utm_source=partner&utm_medium=embed&utm_campaign=photo You’ll note the symbols/lights on his chest, which match with Firestorm’s current comic outfit exactly. Until I saw…

Researchers Will Be Allowed to Study Police Body Camera Footage

Earlier this week, President Obama proposed $263 million to improve law enforcement, including $75 million for a Body Worn Cameras Partnership. Now, it’s been announced that university researchers will be provided access to body camera footage to study police confrontations. Body cameras have bee shown to help reduce police violence against civilians, but they also…

This Star Is Surrounded By Swarms Of Pluto-Like Objects

Astronomers have captured a remarkable image of a young star surrounded by a deep layer of dust — a layer that’s thicker on the outside than it is on the inside, suggesting the presence of an entire family of Pluto-like objects. The system, called HD 107146, is located approximately 90 light-years from Earth. At 100…

This is how professional designers create their logos

Yesterday we saw here that famous logos can have hidden meanings, almost like easter eggs designers use to enrich them. But how do those logos come to life? Designer Aaron Draplin explains in this video how his creative process works. SPLOID is delicious brain candy. Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Google is apparently to shut down its Russian engineering offices. It follows the announcement of new laws which will require websites to store user data about Russian citizens within the country’s borders.

This Is Your GIF Party! Come On In

Roll on over here, GIF-fans and tell us a little something about your week. It’s time for our party! Start your mingling in the comments, along with any news you have to share, upcoming plans and project updates, and, of course, the GIFs that express it all best.

Sony Is Crowdfunding This $120 Smart Lock

Sony is getting a taste for experimentation. Having tried its hand at crowd-funding the e-ink concept watch, it’s now attempting to do the same with the Qrio Smart Lock. The lock, said to be the smallest of its kind, is a retrofittable piece of door furniture that allows users to open doors with their smartphone…

Rare Medieval Manuscripts On Ancient War Machines Are Now Online

The British Library has just added several Greek manuscripts to its online collection, including a lavishly illustrated, 16th century compilation of treatises on warfare, which detail the science and tactics of siegecraft. Such ancient works on military machines were a source of fascination during this era, not only because of their historic interest, but also…

This false-color infrared image of southern Borneo reveals areas of vegetation in red, manmade constructions in white and swamps in blue. Looks closely, and you’ll notice the land divided into neat plots in different shades of red—revealing where different crops are grown across the region. [ESA]

Arrow Really Could Be Following Through On That Insane Cliffhanger

Plus find out how Spectre will use its large budget and new location. Roberto Orci shoots down a Star Trek rumor. Andy Mientus talks about his awesome Pied Piper costume for The Flash. The Scream series will remake a famous moment. And a ton of information on Once Upon a Times’ villainous plans. Spoilers now!…

Another study for the “fake it ’til you make it” pile: forcing yourself walking with a spring in your step can improve your mood. On the flip side, slumping your shoulders can make your mood more negative. Be conscious walkers! [viaScientific American]

Julian Assange Is Crowdfunding a Life-Size Statue of Himself

Julian Assange remains holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London with ailing health and plenty of time on his hands. So much time, in fact, that he’s decided to… crowd-fund a life-size statue of himself, presumably so people don’t forget what he looks like? The Independent reportsthat Assange is attempting to drum up funding…