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New York Times Apologizes For Racist Cartoon On India’s Space Program

India is basking in the success of sending a probe to Mars, so it comes as little surprise that the country’s media was offended by a political cartoon published in the New York Times that commemorated this technical achievement by portraying Indians as stereotypical, cattle-rearing rubes. The cartoon — showing a turban-clad Indian, accompanied by…

Syfy’s Next TV Series Is About Famous Ghosts Who Help Hunt For Treasure

Lately Syfy has been ramping up the press for their new 12 Monkeys series and Ascension, but what will come after these debuts? Well, wait no more, because the channel has optioned the comic book series Five Ghosts, which is apparently about using famous ghosts (including Dracula!) for monetary gains. Syfy announced via press release…

This Inverted Ice Pyramid Grew Out of a Bird Bath

The pyramid-shaped ice formation you see here growing from a bird bath in England is a natural variation on a phenomenon known as “ice spikes.” Most spikes are thin lances growing from ice cube trays and, occasionally, small ponds. Ice pyramids are more rare – and harder to form. Ice Spikes If you go out…

How the Taser Was Invented

Early use of an electronic control device, like the TASER, by law enforcement occurred in the 1960s when American police officers used electric cattle prods to disperse Civil Rights activists. As for the earliest cattle prods, this came about when inventor John Burton of Wichita, Kansas received a patent (US427549 A) in the late 1800s…

You can now watch the the third episode of Star Wars Rebels for free on iTunes and WatchDisneyXD before it airs on October 13th. Over the weekend, Rebels premiered its hour-long pilot movie and now the first normal episode, “Droids in Distress,” is getting an free, early release online. [Slashfilm]

What Unforgettably Terrible Tech Were You Happiest To See Disappear?

Some old products inspire their own little cult of nostalgia long after they’re gone (who wouldn’t still want to receive a telegram?) and some merely disappear, forgotten. And then there’s a third category of things that you really just can’t believe managed to hang around for as long as they did. Tell us in the…

Making Stars With Lasers Looks Like Tron Made Real

Not how to destroy an entire planet, but how humans are able to create a star—with the help of a laser tuned to 589.2 nanometers wavelength. The fantastic superstructure you are staring at is the Unit Telescope of the Very Large Telescope in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. It is shooting its laser in…

Turkey looks stunning in this fantastic travel video

Some friends visited Turkey recently and they came back really impressed. They told me about its stunning landscapes, friendly people, and extraordinary food. This travel video—beautifully made by Leonardo Dalessandri—shows that they weren’t lying. SPLOID is a new blog about awesome stuff. Join us on Facebook

How Toad Licking Gets You High (And Then Kills You)

Toad licking has long been recognized as a stupid, risky way to try to get high. But do you know the biochemistry that determines how stupid and risky it actually, and how high you could get. Let’s squeeze some toads. The first problem with toad licking is that it isn’t just any toad that will…

The EU is investigating Amazon over a massive and potentially illegal tax deal in Luxembourg. Oh dear.

Sony Wants A Robin Hood Cinematic Universe Because Why The @$% Not

Dear every screenwriter in Hollywood: would you like a major studio to purchase your pitch? Then call your idea a “cinematic universe like the Avengers,” and they’ll be tripping over themselves to write you checks —just like Sony is doing for a massive Robin Hood movie franchise. Sigh. Called Hood — because using full names…

Even If You Don’t Use Social Networks, They Still Know Stuff About You

We all have friends who smugly boast of their lack involvement in social media—and their heightened privacy as a result. But new research reveals they may have more to worry about than they thought. A team of researchers from Switzerland’s ETH Zurich university believes that social networks are learning about everyone, whether they’re signed up…

Citing a threat from rat poison used on illegal marijuana farms, federal biologists are proposing Endangered Species Act protection for West Coast populations of the fisher, a larger cousin of the weasel. Pot farms — both legal and illegal — are also endangering fish species by diverting streams for irrigation.

Who Is Ant-Man‘s New Secret Character and Why Is He So Important?

Did Mark Hamill give away Star Wars: Episode VII’s big twist back in 2006? Michael B. Jordan describes the gritty look for the Fantastic Four costumes. Ben Affleck promises Batman v. Superman won’t be the disappointment that Daredevil was. Another Game of Thrones character won’t be back this season. Spoilers now! Top image: Ant-Man test…

Can Cities Save Insect Life?

Flitting from plant to plant, from flower to flower, bees and other insect pollinators play an essential role in crop pollination and the human food supply. But they’re struggling: intensive agriculture and climate change have taken a heavy toll on their populations. Might our cities be the perfect haven for these pollinators? Amid the brick…

Why Does Cell Signal Always Suck When You Need It Most?

Whether you’re stranded up a mountain, running late for a meeting or trying to get your broken landline fixed, it’s virtually always the same: whenever you need cell signal, you have none. Whereas when you’re getting spam calls, being alerted to chores by your partner or simply being chased by your mother for not calling…

Google has added some extra sites to the News section of its search listings, including—brace yourself—Reddit! We though we’d seen more kittens in the news recently.

Engineers at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida install one of the most important assemblies into its new Orion spacecraft: the launch abort system. Orion will carry astronauts to parts of the Solar System not yet explored by humans—like Mars. [NASA]

DOJ: It Was OK For a DEA Agent to Impersonate This Woman on Facebook

An overlooked Justice Department court filing explains that a federal agent had the right to commandeer a woman’s identity, set up a fake Facebook account using her details and even post provocative photographs of her found on a seized phone. Buzzfeed reports that a Drug Enforcement Administration agent stole the identity of Sondra Arquiett, who…

James Franco’s Batman Recreates the Beetlejuice Dinner Party

Come for Batman, the Joker, Catwoman, and Robin lip-synching to “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song),” stay for the inevitable Michael Keaton joke. This is the product of Franco’s partnership with AOL, resulting in the Making a Scene series. in which a Wheel O’ Movie Scenes determines the mash-up that must be made. In the third…