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Ask An Entomologist Anything You Want About The Disappearance Of Bees

Entomologist May Berenbaum is here today to take our questions about bees, their recent decline, and what we can expect from our pollinators in the future. Berenbaum heads the Entomology department at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she is both a professor and a chair of entomology. In addition to looking at our…

6 Inspiring Websites That Teach You To Code

If you’ve always had a desire to build your own apps or create your own websites, then you can begin your coding education with nothing more than a browser, an internet connection, and some spare time. Here we’ve picked out six of the best resources currently available online. 1. Udacity Udacity is one of the…

When a Climate Scientist Publicly States “We’re F**ked” Things Are Bad

It’s one thing to note the unusually hot weather we’ve been having and then slather on some suncream. But when a climate expert unceremoniously concedes that the planet is “f**ked”, it’s probably time to get seriously worried. Scientists at the Stockholm University recently discovered that vast methane plumes were escaping the Arctic Ocean seafloor. And…

Hot NYC subway station transformed into spa

Anyone who has used the NYC subway in summer knows that train stations can get as hot as the hottest sauna. The guys at Improv Everywhere decided to help commuters embrace the heat by transforming one of the hottest subway platforms in NYC into a spa for a few hours. SPLOID is a new blog…

A Bonkers Webcomic About A Pregnant Nun—And A Convent Full Of Secrets

Weird things keep happening around the young nun Sister Claire. The blue-skinned angel Gabrielle just told her she’s pregnant with a savior. Her mentor seems to be under a powerful curse. And she’s going to have to unlock the secrets of Nun-Fu in order to make it to childbirth. Elena “Yamino” Barbarich’s Sister Claire is…

How Captain America 2 Should Have Ended

Yes. Yes. Yes. I agree with “How It Should Have Ended’s” assessment of Captain America: The Winter Soldier 100%. Why were they holding back on that awesome “I can be anyone disguise?” Too many bullets, not enough make-up trickery. Plus I kind of love that it calls out Marvel for not actually being able to…

What Piece Of Technology Most Changed Your Day-To-Day Life?

There’s new tech that you use for a few months and then forget about, and then there’s the stuff that quickly becomes a go-to tool. Today, we want to know about the technological innovation created within your life time that most changed your daily life. Tell us in the comments what it was, how it…

The Chinese Government Has Banned Employees From Using Apple Devices (Updated)

Following concerns that Apple products represent a security threat, China’s government has chosen toban its employees from using iPads and MacBooks. Update 2: Yep, Bloombergtotally got this wrong. Update: A translation of a Chinese language report by Caixin reveals that this may not be accurate: “[S]ome media outlets reported that the Chinese government procurement list…

Why Civilization: Beyond Earth Is The Hottest New Space Strategy Game

Strategy game fans who look to the stars are giddy about the upcoming release of Civilization: Beyond Earth. We talked to one of the game’s co-designers to learn about the game’s classic science-fiction inspirations. Civilization: Beyond Earth is sort of a sequel to the highly successful Civilization 5. It isn’t Civ 6, but it shares…

Sony has announced that it will no longer support PlayStation Mobile on Android. The service will continue to operate, but from Android 4.4.3 and up, Sony won’t guarantee that games will work properly.

A Second Windows 8.1 Update Is Coming (But Don’t Expect Much)

Microsoft released a big update for Windows 8.1 at the start of the year, and it was thought that another would arrive soon. Now, though, it appears that the second update is going to be rather trivial. Microsoft has published a blog post explaining that the new update—which won’t even be called Windows 8.1 Update…

Benedict Cumberbatch’s Jar Jar Binks Impression Will Haunt Your Soul

If there was a way to stop the tidal wave of Cumberbatchamania, this might be it. The ‘Batch pulled out a depressingly accurate impression of the Gungan in this MTV interview, and it’s unsettling to say the least. It is kind of adorable the way Benedict thinks Jar Jar has “fans,” though. [Via The Mary…

Updates On Captain America 3, Conan 3, Jurassic World And Terminator 5!

How much is Marvel changing Star-Lord’s backstory in Guardians of the Galaxy 2? The new Conan movie is on schedule, while Jurassic World reveals another dinosaur glimpse. The Sleepy Hollow showrunner teases a new supernatural character for the end of season 2. Spoilers now! Top image: Captain America: The Winter Soldier Guardians of the Galaxy…

Commuters tilt and lift train car to free trapped man

A group of commuters freed a man trapped between the platform and a train car in Australia by pushing the train car and lifting the carriage enough for his leg to get out. Thankfully, the train’s shock absorbers where flexible enough to allow it as the chassis and wheels stayed on the tracks. Transperth spokesman…

Rosetta Is Now the First Ever Satellite to Start Orbiting a Comet

After a ten year journey through space, the European Space Agency’s satellite Rosetta has finally rendezvoused with Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko—making it the first satellite to ever begin orbiting a comet. Referred to by ESA scientists as “the sexiest, most fantastic mission ever,” Rosetta spent the early hours of this morning conducting a series of maneuvers and…

Apple and Samsung Have Called a Truce on Patent Wars Outside the U.S.

In the great professional fanboy fight that is Apple vs. Samsung, things might be about to grow up. The two companies have agreed to put an end to patent battles outside of the U.S.. In a joint statement, reports Bloomberg, the two companies explain that they have decided to drop all of the current patent…

The DMCA: How It Works and How It’s Abused

Earlier this week, we learned about the latest in DMCA takedown notice scandals: Randy Queen using them to get posts about his work taken down from the Escher Girls tumblr. This is not how the DMCA is supposed to be used. And, in theory, it has mechanisms to prevent that. But they aren’t winning the…

Your Breath Reveals a Hidden Image On These Anti-Counterfeiting Labels

The war on counterfeit products is fought using highly detailed printing, watermarks, and even holograms on packaging, but the latest weapon will also include your breath. Researchers at the University of Michigan and in South Korea have developed a thin film featuring invisible images and features only revealed when blasted with humid air, made using…

Sony Won’t Make Any More E-Readers

Sony was an early and instrumental force in the world of e-reading. But facing stiff competition from the likes of Amazon, it’s decided to bow out of the world of digital reading for good. The German site Lesen reports that Sony’s PRS-T3 e-reader will be it’s last, and will only exist as long as supplies…

Sprint Has Abandoned Its Plans to Buy T-Mobile

For a long time, Sprint has been trying to buy T-Mobile. But now, following a move last week by a French Telecom company called Iliad, Sprint has abandoned its plans to buy the carrier. TheWall Street Journal reports that Sprint decided late yesterday that “after months of arguing that it couldn’t compete effectively without a…