Latest

This Stanley Thermos Packs Everything You Need To Make Coffee

You can head out into the wilderness for a week of camping with nothing but a love of nature and your outdoor skills, but that’s no way to spend a vacation. There’s nothing wrong with bringing a few creature comforts along, so Stanley has created a Thermos that disassembles into a pot for boiling water…

Here’s What Happens When White People Move Into Your Neighborhood

We used to have white flight. Now, in city centers, we have something that one policy researcher calls white infill. So what happens when a bunch of white people start moving in? The changes are a lot more profound than getting a new Starbucks on the corner. Photo by torbakhopper Actually, it probably does mean…

What Makes Even The Devil Hate Hell? The Bureaucracy

The Devil just wants to buy a few souls and call it a day, but he’s constantly wrapped up in red tape. At least in this short film, he can slip away for a massage—but can he relax even there? The Nether Regions was written by Lesley Farrow and directed by Maria Lee at Wonky…

Christians in America have been worried about surveillance technology for the past two centuries. Go read this terrific essay by Daniel Salas in The Appendix, about how Christians connected Satan with surveillance, starting in the mid-nineteenth century.

New Seventh Son Trailer Channels A Willow Vibe

The much-delayed fantasy movie starring Jeff Bridges titled Seventh Son has had three previous release dates, but now it appears to be finally ramping up for a release. And with this new monster-filled trailer, we’re seeing the serious side to Seventh Son. We’re actually excited this picture, based on the Joseph Delaney book The Last…

Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Lattes™ have no pumpkin in them [Updated]

Update 9/2015: Due to pressure from the anti-science blogger known as the Food Babe (whom we hold in extremely high regard around these parts), Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Lattes™ now have pumpkin in them. But we maintain that they are still an affront to humanity. Starbucks is rolling out pumpkin spice lattes, starting with an early…

A Beautiful Nordic Coffee Machine That’s Pre-Approved for Snobs

If you’re what many would consider a coffee “snob,” you might prefer to brew your elixir using the manual pour-over method for ultimate control. This Norwegian machine provides the convenience of automation with the quality of a pour-over in one pretty striking package. There are only a few consumer coffee machines that can adequately duplicate…

Supercut: Morgan Freeman Explains Absolutely Everything

Nobody explains things better than Morgan Freeman. No matter how nonsensical, crazy or profound, everything sounds better when he explains it. We only use 10 percent of our brains? Sure. A mystical prophecy? Makes sense. But just to prove it, here are nearly 40 clips of Freeman explaining stuff. We didn’t quite restrict ourselves to…

Geek Guys: This Is Exactly How You Hassle Geek Girls, So Stop It

A cautionary tale. This Buzzfeed video about “If Geek Girls Acted Like Geek Guys” may be more instructional than outright funny, but it’s definitely worth watching to see the hassle that some nerdy men needlessly put nerdy women through in reverse. The real tragedy is that condescension is a better treatment than outright scorn, which…

This Slim Engagement Ring Case Slips Right Into Your Back Pocket

There are an infinite number of ways to do a marriage proposal. Regardless of what comes before, many of them climax in the big reveal of a fancy ring in a bulbous velvet box that, while traditionally classy, isn’t exactly discrete. Packaging designer Andrew Zo streamlined that somewhat clunky exterior into Clifton, a clever, leather-bound…

First Clip From Pixar’s Singing Volcano Short Is Immensely Charming

Our hearts have forever been melted by the giant singing volcano from Pixar’s new short, Lava. This is but a mere glimpse, but we’re already charmed. In an interview with Yahoo, James Ford Murphy (Pixar’s head of animation and the director Lava) discusses the struggles of bringing a gigantic rock formation to life. Basically, the…

Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Clothing Will Protect Cyclists From Road Rash

Donning a full suit of motorcycle leathers for your morning bike ride to work is probably overkill, but cyclists can still be subjected to road rash should they fall while wearing less-than-protective gear. So athletic gear manufacturer Scott is developing shorts and jerseys strategically reinforced in key areas using both carbon fiber and ceramics, so…

It’s not just you. Instagram is down, with users reporting 503 errors. Don’t worry, they’re on it, but they better hurry, or I’ll have to show these photos of my lunch to the mailman. Update: It’s back. Whew.

Doctors Implanted a 3D-Printed Vertebra for the First Time

Doctors in Beijing successfully replaced a 12-year-old boy’s damaged second vertebra with a 3D-printed custom implant made from titanium powder. The boy, who had bone cancer, is now in recovery. This isn’t the first surgery swapping busted bones for 3D-printed replacements, but it’s the first time doctors managed to fix a spine using a 3D-printed…

Switzerland Puts Secret Bacteria in Cheese to Catch Knockoffs

In parts of Europe, where cheese is taken seriously as a source of national pride, entire labs are devoted to spotting knockoff Emmental and Gruyere. Switzerland has what may be the most impressive strategy yet: secret cocktails of bacteria, sent only to licensed cheesemakers, that work as living biological tracers. Cheese is, after all, the…

Batman V. Superman May Be More Insanely Depressing Than We Suspected

Hey, remember yesterday when we heard the oddly believably rumor that Warner Bros. had instituted a “no-jokes” policy for its DC superhero movies? Well, apparently it’s actually a “no joy whatsoever” policy, if this rumor about Scoot McNairy’s character is to be believed. Possible spoilers ahead… https://gizmodo.com/has-warner-bros-decreed-the-dc-movie-universe-should-b-1627507951 Okay, remember a couple of weeks ago when…

Scientists Have Found an Algorithm That Could Turn Us All Into Sheeple

By studying the behavior of sheep dogs, scientists have come close to unraveling a mystery that stretches back millennia. How do these dogs get their sheep to go in one direction? The surprisingly complex answer could affect the way we deal with human crowds, too. Photo by A.J. Morton https://gizmodo.com/scientists-found-an-algorithm-to-turn-all-of-us-into-sh-1628074565

A Maid In A Creepy Gothic Manor Witnesses A Grisly Crime—Or Does She?

Josette just started working at the crumbling and mysterious Blackford Manor, where she never sees the master and has only the other grim servants for company. But when she pokes her nose where it doesn’t belong, she sees something bloody and wonders if something has befallen her master. Jiwook Kim created Blackford Manor, the latest…

​The Best Spring-Loaded Running Shoes

Get your headphones on. Hey Siri, open Spotify and play 'Track Star' by Mooski

Space, Science, and Speculation at Dragon Con

A concentrated mass of geekery is descending on Atlanta for the long weekend, and I’m showing up to do my part. From deliciously doom-filled panels to partaking in PowerPoint Karaoke, here’s where I’ll be for Dragon Con. This year is going to be a delightful mess of science, speculation and Stargate! I’ll be doing at…