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FXX’s Wrong Aspect Ratio Is Ruining the Fantastic Simpsons Marathon

FXX network’s gargantuan marathon of every Simpsons episode ever made the internet swoon. That sweet Simpsons nectar has turned a little sour, though: Some of the greatest sight gags from the show’s golden era are being ruined by braindead HD cropping. Won’t someone think of the ratios? Yes, instead of running early Simpsons episodes in…

This Batman Branding Iron Is The Worst Great Idea We’ve Seen All Week

The Batman Branding Iron is a BIC-mounted, stainless steel branding iron 3D-printed in the shape of the bat symbol from Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. It is $30.60, and “intended for branding Batmannish trade-dress on your school stuff, clothes, books, furniture, etc (Note: not pets or people).” Speaking as someone who can scarcely be trusted…

Looks like Twitter’s plan for an in-tweet “Buy” button is moving forward: Re/code says mobile payment company Stripe is signing up businesses interested in Twitter sales. [Re/code]

Take Control of Your Connection With These Wi-Fi Management Apps

Between your home and corporate networks, from MiFis to Open Access Points and everything in between, keeping track of which network your mobile device is using and managing access to all these connectivity options is getting really tough these days. It doesn’t have to be. With these WiFi utilities at your disposal, you’ll be able…

Icelandic Scientists Mobilize Monitoring For Uneasy Volcano

After rumbling ominously for days, Bárðarbunga is finally erupting. Maybe. A small subglacial eruption started on Saturday. Scientists rapidly deployed additional sensors in the region, monitoring the ongoing earthquake swarm, surface deformation, and subglacial eruption. https://gizmodo.com/another-volcano-is-rumbling-under-the-ice-in-iceland-1624326524 The Icelandic volcano started erupting on Saturday afternoon, local time. At least, that’s what the best-guess is based on…

Swimming Manta Rays Look Like Sci-Fi Underwater Space Ships

Manta rays are just amazingly cool. This GoPro footage of a school of giant oceanic manta rays off the coast of Maui proves that in mesmerizing detail. There’s something soothing about watching these amazing creatures glide by. Enjoy. [GoPro]

Another Great Way to Prove Moon Hoax Conspiracy Theorists Wrong

Humans have landed on the moon six times, but conspiracy theorists still insist the actual number is zero. They cite bad science, misunderstandings of physics, and outright lies to try to convince you that American astronauts never set foot on our moon. Here’s one more way to prove those wackos wrong. Space historian Amy Shira…

Watching this guy draw a dragon makes my brain go into trance mode

One stroke painting is such an impressive skill that it’s unbelievable even when you see it happen. These artists from Kousyuuya in Nikko, Japan have been mastering their craft for over four generations. The amount of detail they can put out with one stroke is just unreal. The GIF above sums it up but if…

A SpaceX Rocket Test Just Went Explosively Awry

A rocket exploded during a test flight at the SpaceX Rocket Development and Test Facility in McGregor, Texas. An anomaly crept during the flight, triggering the rocket to self-detonate. No injuries are reported, and rumours are rampant. While an unintentionally explosive test flight is a shocking thing to our risk-adverse society, it’s actually an indicator…

Here’s a 4K time lapse of a spaceship burning up in the atmosphere

We saw the stunning crystal clear photo, so now here’s a 4K time lapse of Orbital’s Cygnus cargo ship burning up in a beautiful fiery streak as it re-enters our atmosphere. The footage was shot from the ISS by German astronaut Alexander Gerst. SPLOID is a new blog about awesome stuff. Join us on Facebook

These Are the Silliest Star Trek Reenactments We’ve Seen in Ages

We love these photographs and gifs created by Ken Lin and his friends, who posed for them in many of the same kinds of California landscapes that provided the “alien world” backdrops for the original Star Trek series. The results are crazy and adorable. These pictures are taken from Lin’s “Into California” and “Red is…

Watch This Documentary And Remember Why SeaWorld Sucks

SeaWorld is back in the news in a big way this week. First, the park announced an ill-timed, controversial expansion. Then, someone finally claimed responsibility for a highly-visible protest against the park back in May which changed the freeway signage to “Sea World SUCKS.” The man behind the prank was none other than Jackass hero…

Watch A Cemetery Spring To Life Thanks To Animated Magic

A collection of artists directed by Alejandro Garcia Cabbalero brought Mexico’s 590-acre cemetery Panteón Dolores to life thanks to some little animated video projectors. And the result is really stunning. Watch the 700,000 tombstones get colorized thanks to a Mexico City animation collective called Llama Rada. The project is bringing the work of various talented…

No, New Orleans Is Not Getting Another Katrina This Weekend

New Orleans really doesn’t need to worry about a hurricane barreling into them right now, even if you see a Facebook post proclaiming, “SHARE THIS IMMEDIATELY!” You can stop calling the National Weather Office in a panic now. Like most viral misinformation, a tiny glimmer of truth hides within the fear-mongering. In this case, it’s…

Is Marvel’s Closest Equivalent Actually Pixar?

Marvel’s seemingly unstoppable block of superhero flicks has spawned more than a few imitators and comparisons among studios that work in the genre. But is the best comparison actually animation icon Pixar? In response to this post on what to make of the glut of superhero movies headed our way in the next few years,…

The alien beauty of the Portuguese man-of-war

The Portuguese man-of-war, also known as the weirdest looking creature with the coolest name, was captured in an up close video that shows how stunning this colorful alien-looking, not jellyfish, blown-up balloon can be. I can’t believe these things live on the same planet that we do. National Geographic writes: The Portuguese man-of-war—a colonial organism…

True Facts About Marsupials, Nature’s Cutest Animals With Three Vaginas

The latest installment in Ze Frank’s always-excellent “True Facts About ________” nature series (previously here and here) is all about three of everyone’s favorite marsupials: kangaroos, wombats, and koalas. https://gizmodo.com/true-facts-about-the-sea-pig-a-living-deep-sea-condo-474745201

I Just Saw Boyz II Men For the First Time and It Was Incredible

Last Saturday, there was a special surprise at the end of the Mets game. Boyz II Men played a free concert. As the members of the R&B group are now in their 40s and certainly have better things to do than play free concerts, my expectations were low. But holy shit, they blew my mind!…

Forget Transformers, This Is The Film We Want About Transforming Robots

In this mesmerizing short film, a mysterious robotic device lands on a barren planet in order to radically alter the landscape. But along the way, the robot must change itself, transforming at each stage of its task. Richard Mans directed and animated the stunning Abiogenesis, imagining how robots might speed along the process of life…

iPhone 5 Battery Letting You Down? Apple Might Replace It—For Free

If your iPhone 5’s battery just doesn’t have the kick that it feels like it should, you might be able to get a new one for free. Apple has found that an apparently small batch of iPhone 5s (not the S or C) that “may suddenly experience shorter battery life or need to be charged…