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Behold The First Life-Sized Aliens Xenomorph Queen Ever Built

Some of the early versions of the creatures from the Alien franchise are nearly as frightening as the final version. This isn’t one of them. The proof-of-concept Aliens xenomorph queen was a very rough version of the creature, consisting of black garbage bags over foam. In this video, Aliens director James Cameron is directing the…

Deals: Attack on Titan, Farscape, Roger Rabbit, Mario Kart 8

Surprisingly, Mario Kart 8, which is selling very well, is still on sale for $49. We don’t expect this to last too much longer, so grab the wheel while you can. As we’ve noted before you can still register your copy of Mario Kart 8 with Club Nintendo to grab a free game. [Mario Kart…

12 Futuristic Forms of Government That Could One Day Rule the World

As history has repeatedly shown, political systems come and go. Given our rapid technological and social advances, it’s a trend we can expect to continue. Here are 12 extraordinary — and even frightening — ways our governments could be run in the future. 1. Noocracy Similar to Plato’s “government of the wise,” a noocracy would…

7 Siri Tricks You Might Not Know About

Apple’s voice-activated assistant is now a well-known personality in his/her own right, but unless you’ve taken the time to dig into all the features that Siri offers you might not realize just now capable it is (particularly since the arrival of iOS 7). Here are seven ways to get Siri working harder for you. 1.…

Frozen Ant Rafts Could Teach Us How to Make Self-Assembling Robots

A writhing mass of fire ants floating across the water is thing of horror and a marvel of engineering. But how do you study the architecture of ever-squirming ants? By flash-freezing them and coating in glue, as scientists did for a recent study. Ant rafts, it turns out, are more complicated than you might think,…

You Can Finally Buy the Wheelchair Professor X Would Use

The Whill started life as an innovative device designed to give manual wheelchairs an electric motor so they were self-propelled. But since its inception, the Whill has evolved into a full-fledged personal mobility device with a unique control mechanism and even smartphone connectivity. And as promised late last year, the Whill is finally available for…

Why Are Countries Still Using Fake Bomb Detectors?

Earlier this week, a group of 10 militants armed with guns and grenades entered Karachi’s Jinnah international airport, where they killed 28 people and themselves. Reports suggest they managed to get past security because the airport continues to use a bomb detector exposed as a fraud in 2010. The so-called bomb detector, the “ADE 651,”…

These Five Amazing Houses Just Won Awards For Being Small and Cheap

Last month, we looked Chicago’s tiniest buildings of the year. Now, the national chapter of the American Institute of Architects has unveiled its 2014 Small Projects awards, which honor buildings on the smaller end of the spectrum. Their list includes five houses that were built small, on smaller budgets. So, what qualifies as cheap in…

LEGO Movie‘s Michelangelo And Abraham Lincoln Get A Spinoff Cop Film

This faux trailer from the upcoming LEGO Movie Blu-Ray answers a question we never thought to ask: What if Michelangelo (the artist, not the turtle) teamed up with Abraham Lincoln for a time-traveling buddy cop movie set to a 1970s soundtrack? It would be out of sight. Will Forte even reprises his LEGO Movie role…

Meet Griffith Pugh: The Everest Pioneer You’ve Never Heard Of

Without Griffith Pugh, Edmund Hillary’s pioneering ascent of Mount Everest would never have been possible. So why have you never heard of him? Above: Griff Pugh at work at altitude | Photo Credit: Royal Geographical Society (with IBG). Scientists almost never get to be household names just for doing science. Most who impact the public…

Beats Powerbeats2 Wireless: Pricey, Rugged Running Headphones

Beats has created a new version of its Powerbeats headphones designed for running. Powerbeats2 Wireless are sweatproof running headphones that get music from you phone via Bluetooth. They cost you $200. And we’ll tell you right now, that’s more than they’re worth. Like their predecessors, Powerbeats2 Wireless are buds with little tails that clamp on…

Chris Pratt Looks Absurdly Good On The Set Of Jurassic World

The first official image of Chris Pratt on the set of Jurassic World is out and wow. He looks good. Like, really good. Really, really, really good. Thanks to The Onion’s A.V. Club, we now have these glorious shots of Chris Pratt in character on the set of Jurassic World. Note: not only is he…

How spiders tune and play their webs like strings on a guitar

This short animation explains how spiders detect and distinguish between the vibrations and pitches traveling up and down their webs. This helps them find prey and identify potential mates. Scientists say some spiders tighten or loosen strands to fine tune this ability and that amazingly they will even pluck their webs—listening to the echoes to…

Exclusive Look Inside Syfy’s Post-Apocalyptic Angel Drama Dominion

Here is everything you need to know about Syfy’s new, bloody angel series Dominion. Get a good look at post-apocalyptic wasteland that humanity clings to after a 25-year holy war, as well as the evil angels that have turned on humankind. This is actually a good crop of footage from the new series. It’s really…

Facebook Is Now Using Your Browsing History to Target Advertising

Facebook has announced that it’s to start using app and website data from your browsing habits to provide more targeted ads—and you’ll have to opt out if you don’t like it. Update: We’ve put together a handy step-by-step guide for opting out here. The feature, which will hit Facebook accounts in the coming weeks, will…

Rigor Mortis Tries to Reinvent Hopping Vampires for the Modern Age

In Chinese legend, the jiangshi is a vampire-like monster known for leaping after the living in order to drain their life force. Both scary and silly, they inspired a whole genre in Hong Kong cinema, one that director Juno Mak has tried to modernize in Rigor Mortis. He failed, but it’s still a fascinating failure.…

How Much Physical Activity Do You Really Need?

Physical activity has recently come to be seen as one of the best forms of medicine available. Studies have shown that simply getting on your feet can ward off all manner of ill health, from cancers to cardiovascular diseases. But how much do you need to do to reap the benefits? For a start, there’s…

The CIA’s drone strike program in Pakistan, once the mainstay of the Obama administration’s counterterrorism effort, is winding down. One reason: the targeted killing operation relies on drones flown from — and intelligence gathered by — bases in Afghanistan, which will be closing down as the U.S. withdraws.

Can You Recognize Earth’s Most Famous Landmarks From 500 Miles Above?

You may know these sites at a glance from ground-level. But can you still identify them when looking down from space? The ESA put together this look at some of the most famous spots on earth from far above to see which ones are still recognizable. Some of them, like the famous set of islands…

Samsung’s Smart Bike Uses Your Phone to Keep You Safe

Samsung has teamed up with Giovanni Pelizzoli—an amazingly talented frame builder—to create a bike which uses a smartphone, combined with onboard sensors and devices, to try and keep you safe. Unveiled at a show in Milan, the bicycle is centered around a curved frame which is designed to reduce the road buzz that gnarly city…