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Watch the Brushstrokes of Classical Landscapes Invade the Real World

In “Regular Division” shots of gardens inside greenhouses and domes all over the world mosaiced together. That would be trippy enough, but overlaying each shot is a magnified, high resolution paint stroke from a landscape. It gives the short film, which already whirls around in a dizzying circle, an extra surreal edge. Christopher Jobson at…

These Beautiful Maps Show How Similarly City Streets are Arranged

These gloriously rich maps, dripping in trippy neon color, are more insightful than they may first appear—because their hue actually reveal similarities in the way city streets are oriented. Made by Stephen Von Worley, the maps reveals similarities—and differences!—in town planning, from monotonous grid iron to quirky organic sprawl. He explains: That’s every public street,…

Why E-Book Text Layout Sucks

Have you ever eagerly downloaded an e-book only to find that it’s a hideously formatted mess that irritates you at every page turn? Of course you have (especially if you favor free or cheap e-books). This video explains why those insults to typesetting occur. The problem boils down to the choice of algorithm that’s used…

Even Deadpool’s Not Sure How He Ended Up as a G.I. Joe Figure

That’s the thing about Deadpool: he warps the reality of every medium he’s translated to. And, in this print from Marco D’Alfonso, neither the Joes nor Deadpool has quite figured out how this crossover makes sense. https://gizmodo.com/even-as-a-figure-deadpool-manages-to-break-the-fourth-1638993701 The details on this are really what makes it great — just look at the choking hazard warning…

This is far funnier than it really ought to be. [Joy of Tech]

Facebook Now Lets You Log Your Safety After Natural Disasters

There’s a growing trend of social media being used in the aftermath of natural disasters for information sharing—but Facebook is now working to formalize it. It’s launched a service which allows people to register themselves as safe when large-scale disasters occur. The new feature, called Safety Check, sends users a push notification if a natural…

Syfy’s Re-Teaming with Stargate Writers to Bring Dark Matter to TV

Syfy’s going to adapt Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie’s graphic novel Dark Matter into a series. The pair, who worked with the network back in the Stargate days, will be back to executive produce the show. Coming in 2015, the 13-episode first season will be co-produced with Prodigy Pictures (Lost Girl, XIII). The story follows…

Video: Marine survives Taliban sniper headshot thanks to helmet

Afghanistan veteran Sam Arnold uploaded this spine-chilling video of a US Marine getting a direct headshot from a Taliban sniper—only to be saved by his kevlar helmet. It’s incredible to watch, especially the face of relief and disbelief of the impact victim. That was a really close call. According to Arnold, “the Marines were conducting…

It’s A Blast To The Prehistoric Past For National Fossil Day

It’s National Fossil Day, a day designated to promote awareness of just how awesome fossils are. More importantly, it’s a day when every fossil-loving person with a camera shares the treasures they’ve found, visited, or admired. Here’s the best paleo-eye candy that crossed our path. Top image: Trilobite from the Silurian Period, 425 million years…

The magnificent science fiction art of Steven Messing

I’m a big fan of John Berkey’s classic space art so it made me happy to see a reputed concept artist and visual effects supervisor like Steven Messing made these stunning scenes inspired by Berkey’s work. Here’s more science fiction art by Messing, not inspired by Berkey. You will recognize his work in many Hollywood…

Dyson’s 20 Best Inventions of the Year

It’s always fun to see the single invention that the James Dyson Foundation picks as its best design idea of the year—but it’s even more fun to see the final list of possibilities, which Dyson released tonight before the November 6 announcement of a winner. The following 20 proposals come from all over the world—they…

Katniss Visits Home in the New Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt. 1 Trailer

With The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 coming out November 21, Lionsgate’s released this little preview of Katniss returning to District 12. There, she also gets a little message from President Snow. The whole preview’s set to Lorde’s “Yellow Flicker Beat,” which comes from the movie’s soundtrack. Lorde’s “curating” the entire album for the film,…

Short film: A silent boy saves the day with an alien death ray

Bag Man, a short directed by Jonathan & Josh Baker, is a slow burn. You follow a silent boy who looks like he’s running away from home and then looks like he’s just playing with a BB gun and then looks like he’s a hero who saves a man from being killed by a gang.…

In This Film’s Topsy-Turvy World, The Gay Majority Persecutes Straights

Two years ago, Kim Rocco Shields’ short film “Love Is All You Need?” made a splash with its unusual premise. In an alternate world, almost everybody is gay or lesbian — and the tiny minority of straight people are discriminated against. And now, it’s becoming a full-length movie. The 20-minute version of “All You Need”…

This beach infested with sharks on the sand is the most terrifying thing

Well, I know where my nightmare exists in real life: Cape Lookout National Seashore off the coast of North Carolina. Hundreds of sharks were seen right on the beach, swimming in and out of the waves and flapping and attacking around and hunting a school of blue fish. It’s a terrifying sight to see. Brian…

Why The Hell Are They Trying To Bring Back Bewitched?

Our noses are twitching, and it’s not because we’re about to do some magic. It’s because Bewitched, one of the most unintentionally creepy TV shows of all time, is getting another shot at a reboot. Yes, even after that disastrous movie. https://gizmodo.com/10-tv-shows-that-are-really-creepy-if-you-think-about-t-1644845434 According to Deadline, Sony Pictures TV is shopping around a new version of…

Will.i.am Talks Puls, a Gigantic Wearable Cuff For Everyone

We first heard about will.i.am’s foray into the world of smartwatch-esque wearables back in April, but we had… questions. What was that mysterious cuff on his wrist? And could it really do all the things he promised? Today he unveiled the Puls. Welcome to fashionology, people. Don’t call it a watch: will.i.am says it’s a…

Fight Club: A Fantastic 15-Year-Old Film Inspired By Real Fights

Fight Club is a work of fiction by Chuck Palahniuk, a famous author who once described his life as “very blue-collar.” Fight Club is also a (fantastic) movie, directed by David Fincher, that hit theaters exactly 15 years ago today. Watch it again tonight, but with an extra little piece of knowledge: Fight Club is…

Meanwhile, in a Parallel Universe, Wall-E and EVE Are Badass

I’ve got no complaints about Pixar’s version of Wall-E and EVE, but I love this alternate version of the two heroic robots. Somehow it captures their essences, while still completely changing them. Rafael Benedicto is an artist who works doing 3D modeling. You can see more of his incredible creations on his website. Here’s the…

Fox News’ Shepard Smith Says Not To Panic About Ebola. He’s Right.

If you read, watch, or listen to one thing about Ebola in America today, let it be this. Fox News anchor Shepard Smith delivered a much-needed rebuke against sensationalist coverage of U.S. Ebola cases today, while providing a clear-headed review of the facts as they now stand. Smith’s commentary here is about as clear, cogent,…