Latest

Prepare For Kim Harrison’s Final Hollows Book With This Amazing Video

The long-awaited conclusion to Kim Harrison’s Rachel Morgan book series, The Witch With No Name, is coming out this month. To help you get ready, here’s an exclusive video where Harrison takes you into the real-life Hollows — and shows us artwork that gives a hint of what to expect. Witch With No Name comes…

Futuristic Green Arrow And Black Canary Star In Three DC Nation Shorts

The DC Nation shorts consistently deliver incredibly fun superhero action sequences that we wish were part of a half-hour show. In these shorts, a futuristic version of Green Arrow patrols the robot-filled streets with his artificially intelligent bow and Black Canary. In Onomatopoeiabot up top, Arrow and Canary compete to see who can blast the…

First Graders of 1988 Make Predictions for 2000

Kids are often some of the most interesting futurists. Their ideas about what tomorrow might bring usually include the most optimistic and far-out predictions of the culture. But they’re also shaded by the fears and neuroses of their parents. The first grade class of 1988 was no exception. In the 1980s, the New Castle News…

NYT Confirms Two iPhones, New iWatch Details

The New York Timesjust published a very authoritative and fairly exciting report on what Apple will be announcing next week. You guessed it: two new iPhones with larger screen sizes and a wearable computer (a.k.a. an iWatch.) But there are plenty of details we hadn’t heard yet. It was already a big day for Apple…

How Cotton Candy Was Popularized By… A Dentist

Cotton candy, in all of its colorful, puffy glory, is one of those timeless treats capable of evoking childhood with one disintegrating bite. In fluffy pink bushels, it pervades fairgrounds and festivals. Held high above cheering crowds, it bobbles its way between rows at sporting events. In the presence of snarling circus lions, its airy,…

There’s now a chance you can own actual bits of Pacific Rim

There was a lot to love about Pacific Rim, especially its amazing props and world design. So diehard fans, prepare to rip your wallets right open – The Prop Store are running a massive auction of props and costumes from the movie, featuring everything from Kaiju goop to… Hannibal Chau’s Desk!? The auction, which started…

These Beautiful Giant Sculptures Support Power Lines With Style

Electricity pylons, or transmission towers, usually aren’t the most interesting structures, just basic towers that keep electrical wires aloft. But some architects have designed innovative towers that are more than mere eyesores. Land of Giants, 98-ft (30 m) tall towers designed by Choi + Shine Architects, 2008 (via Choi + Shine) 55-105-ft (17-32 m) high…

Happiness is this video of a dog running towards the sea

Meet Walter, a happy labrador that enjoys a good run before diving in the refreshing waters of Siracusa—in gorgeous Sicily. His owner obviously knows that and he strapped a Go Pro on his back so we all can share Walter’s joy for life. SPLOID is a new blog about awesome stuff. Join us on Facebook

How Polar Bears Will Keep the Elephants Warm at the Oregon Zoo

Zoos are weird places. You have fake safari next to fake tundra next to fake rainforest—all separated by a glass and concrete and a few feet of space. At the Oregon Zoo, a new energy plan manages to both subvert and perfectly embody the zoo’s artificial ecology: The excess heat from the polar beat habitat…

A new study reveals that dogs prefer petting over vocal praise. Dogs will spend significantly longer periods of time around people who are more inclined to pet them, regardless of whether they’re owners or strangers. Vocal praise, on the other hand, has virtually no effect on their desire to hang out. The research also shows…

Watching Crayons Get Made Is Even More Fun Than Using Them

We’re all kind of old. It’s okay! Happens to everyone. And while our collective childlike wonder at the world has been gradually erased by the realities of Life, there are still a few simple things that wield the power to make us go “Ooooh.” Crayons are kind of like that. Turns out, how they’re made…

​Revelation Trail Is An Indie Zombie Movie With Both Heart And Talent

Revelation Trail isn’t the first zombie western, and it won’t be the last. But this small, independent horror film is somewhat special to me because it was co-written and directed by a friend of mine. So when I say I think you should check it out, I admit I’m biased — but I also don’t…

What Fictional Story Did the Best Job Showing Us Realistic Science?

It’s easy to find stories that get science wrong, but what about the ones that get it right? Tell us which movies, books or TV series represent science realistically, and why. There are really two ways to look at this question. Either the story can represent the scientific process itself realistically — with all its…

Where Will Researchers Test Telescope Equipment In The Future?

The Lick Observatory in the mountains east of San Jose, California, is the testing grounds for all-new technology developed by graduate students in the Univeristy of California system. At least, it has been. Now it’s being defunded, it’s an open question where testing will take place in the not-so-distant future. Lick Observatory had the first…

Twitter’s Making Twitpic Shut Down

Twitpic, the photo-sharing service, is shutting down rather than fighting against Twitter’s recent demands. Founder Noah Everett explained Twitpic’s unexpected demise: A few weeks ago Twitter contacted our legal demanding that we abandon our trademark application or risk losing access to their API. This came as a shock to us since Twitpic has been around…

This Playset Teaches Your Kids How to Take Care of a Real Car

It’s well known that you’re far more likely to get ripped off at a mechanic than at a restaurant. So why do we park our kids in front of tiny plastic kitchens to make imaginary meals when they could be learning important auto repair and maintenance skills instead? This engine repair set could actually end…

Watch As People Flee In Terror From The Giant Mutant Spider Dog

At night, the mutant spider dog prowls the streets, startling passersby and wrapping up humans in its giant web. Watch as unsuspecting people come feet-to-feet with a dog dressed as a spider and run screaming. It’s adhorrible! Director and actor SA Wardęga put together this video of his apparent spider dog pranks (which may or…

This Is How The Ebola Epidemic Might Spread If It’s Not Contained

The 2014 West African Ebola Outbreak is now the largest and deadliest in history. But how far will it spread? Using the most recent data, a research team has created a computer simulation of its potential to reach around the globe, illustrating the urgency for containment. Top image: Air traffic connections from West African countries…

The Final Version of the Oculus Rift Could Be As Cheap As $200

The version of the Oculus Rift that you or I might buy could sell for as cheap as $200, according to Oculus founder Palmer Luckey. Luckey told Eurogamer that Oculus plans to sell its eventual consumer version for between $200 and $400, though he noted that may change based on scale, pre-orders, and a number…

The Five Craziest Things Pets Have Ever Swallowed, Revealed in X-Rays

Veterinarians see some crazy things come through their office doors. But perhaps the most entertaining – at least in cases where the animals come out just fine – show up on x-rays. Here are five of the weirdest (and yes, the animals all made excellent recoveries).