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Black Hawk Choppers Are Finally Getting the Digital Cockpits They Need

The UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter is among the most (in)famous and easily-recognizable choppers in the US military. And, beginning today, these venerable aircraft will receive a 21st century kick in the cockpit. The Black Hawk medium lift utility chopper has been dutifully serving the US Army and Special Forces since its introduction in 1979. It’s…

Where I Should Live, According to Math

I don’t live in Washington, DC. I live near Washington, DC. I would like to live in it, but it’s an expensive city, and my income, while above the national average, is well below the regional average, and finding a two bedroom in our price range is difficult. This got me thinking about affordable housing…

An Airbag Belt Could Help Protect Seniors’ Hips From Nasty Falls

It doesn’t matter how much milk you drink, at a certain age your bones start to lose their strength, eventually putting you at risk for broken limbs and even worse: a broken hip that hinders your mobility. So similar to the airbags in your car, this safety belt instantly inflates when it detects the wearer…

The Greatest Fake Religion of All Time

Over fifty years ago, a group of pranksters founded a satiric religion devoted to creating conspiracy theories so insane that nobody would ever believe uncritically in conspiracies again. They called themselves the Discordians. And their weird ideas are still influencing us today. Painting of Eris by Emily Balivet History does not record Robert Welch’s reaction…

​This Season Of Defiance Just Paid Off Big

Huzzah! The Defiance recap is back, and just in time — the show possibly delivers it most well-plotted episode yet, right as season two kicks into high gear for the presumably explosive finale. Plus: Datak is being awesome again! What’s not to love? First, let me apologize for the incredible lack of recaps over the…

If you find the argument for adding insects to your dietcompelling, but the fact of it still leaves you a little queasy, there’s hope yet.NPR took a look at one of the solutions that’s being bandied about: A cricket “flour”, which may not be suitable for baking substitutions, but is suitable as a protein powder.

NASA Is Working on Origami Solar Arrays That Unfurl in Space

The dream? Orbiting solar panels that beam energy down from space. The problem? Solar panels are shaped with maximum surface area to catch as many rays as possible, but wide, flat disks are also not very aerodynamic on the trip into space. The solution is to get clever with geometry. For NASA engineer Brian Trease…

Do Different Kinds Of Alcohol Get You Different Kinds Of Drunk?

When your friend gets tipsy and starts rambling about how tequila turns her into a savage party monster, and then your other friend vehemently calls bullshit, calmly put your hands up and say this: “Friends. Please. I got this.” And then explain to them what I’m about to explain to you. First off: alcohol is…

How I Failed to Become a Drone Pilot

Drones are fun. Let’s just get that out there. The small, semi-affordable aircraft that violate some people’s privacy, hurt others’ faces, and generally cause trouble are super duper fun. They’re also very, very complicated. I know this, because I’ve spent the past year or so flying (and crashing) them. It was a long time coming,…

Why Science Fiction Is A Natural Home For Ambiguity (Or Is It?)

Some of the greatest works of science fiction and fantasy leave some stuff open to interpretation. And today at the World Science Fiction Convention in London, we saw a great panel discussion about the role of ambiguity in SF — and why it makes stories better. Good and bad ambiguity First off, not all ambiguity…

There’s A Spelling Error In One Of White House’s Most Famous Paintings

In the largest room in the White House hangs an iconic full-body portrait of George Washington renouncing a third term as president of the United States. There is a small but obvious spelling error contained within the portrait—and it’s actually there for a very specific reason. Top image via Wikimedia Commons. The portrait of Washington…

Pick Up 4TB for Cheap, Full Sized Tablets, Better Selfies [Deals]

This WD My Book has a great reputation (including a Wirecutter recommendation), and is only $130 today for a whopping 4TB. The price will show up for you at final checkout. [WD My Book 4TB, $130] http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236626 Get these deals and more, and earlier on Deals.Kinja. Connect with us on Twitter and Facebook to never…

Warlords of Draenor Collector’s Edition, The Winter Soldier [Deals]

Warlords of Draenor hits November 13. Preorder the Collector’s Edition today, which includes soundtrack, artbook, and “epic” in-game content. [Warlords of Draenor CE] Get these deals and more, and earlier on Deals.Kinja. Connect with us on Twitter and Facebook to never miss a deal, check out our Gaming and Movie/TV release calendars to plan your…

Highways are Making California’s Mountain Lions Inbred and Aggressive

Highways let us humans zip from one place to another—at least when the traffic’s not horrendous. But for wild animals, highways are like wide concrete fences that feature metal boxes of death barreling down at 70 mph. In the Santa Monica Mountains, a population of wild mountain lions has become penned in by highways and…

​All 13 Vampire Clans From Vampire: The Masquerade RPG, Ranked

Vampires fall into more categories than sparkly or non=sparkly. As the iconic Vampire: The Masquerade RPG taught us, there are 13 vastly different clans of vampires for players to choose from, some good, some weird, and some so terrible they might as well sparkle. Here are all of Vampire’s various clans, ranked from best to…

The White Stag From Shadow And Bone Gets A Loteria Card Tribute

Grisha Trilogy author Leigh Bardugo and artist John Picacio have collaborated on bringing a little bit of Shadow and Bone-inspired art into the world. And we’re going to exclusively reveal the collaborative project… now! Author Bardugo (and official member of the io9 2012 power list ) is best known for the fantasy Grisha series. And…

Quick: How many legs does a lobster have? Don’t know? That’s okay, most people don’t. Even Red Lobster doesn’t. In fact, many of the images of lobsters that you encounter in your daily life are anatomically incorrect. (Here’s a rare exception.)

29 New, Ballmer-Friendly Logos for the LA Clippers

Earlier in the week, we asked you to help celebrate Steve Ballmer’s $2 billion basketball acquisition by giving the ex-Microsoft man a logo he could be proud of. And you, dear readers, done very, very good. Some of you chose a more traditional route, some a little absurdist, and a few of you seem to…

Is The Walking Dead‘s Daryl Dixon Gay?

The crossbow-toting Daryl Dixon has had a lot of intimate relationship over the last few seasons of The Walking Dead, but none of them so far have been romantic or sexual. One fan wrote in to Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman and asked if Daryl might be gay. Kirkman’s response: it’s been considered. ComicBook.com points…

A Poignant Look at Life in America’s Trailer Parks

A lot of people turn their noses up at trailer parks. That’s unfair, and David Waldorf’s photo essay about the Brookside Trailer Park in Sonoma, California show us that there’s beauty everywhere, trailer parks included. Waldorf spent years driving to Brookside in a Uhaul that he’d set up to be a mobile studio. The accomplished…