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How Creationists Interpret Genetics (Hint: They’re Very, Very Wrong)

The majority of creationists freely admit the existence of biological variation, adaptation and speciation. But, how do they reconcile this with their rejection of evolution? A former young-Earth creationist walks us through the convoluted logic. I’ve previously introduced David MacMillan, a former creationist blogger, who has begun writing a series of explainers to unravel these…

The Xbox One Gets a Graphics Boost When Devs Ignore Kinect

Say what you will about Microsoft’s decision to give up on packing in the Kinect with its Xbox One (I sure have!) but there’s good news for performance junkies: When Kinect’s out of the picture, the Xbox One gets a 10 percent boost in graphics power. The announcement that Xbox One dev kits were going…

Watch Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine Audition For The Very First X-Men Movie

Hugh Jackman has played Wolverine in seven movies over the course of 14 years, and it all started with the audition. Travel back in time to see Jackman’s very first reading with X-Men director Bryan Singer. This is a rather understated beginning to the now-familiar pairing of actor and character—in fact, you may want to…

Colbert Gives Amazon the Finger For Shady Book Selling Tactics

In the wake of Amazon’s questionable tactics in dealing with publishing house Hachette, many Amazon shoppers are questioning their loyalty to the mega-seller. Stephen Colbert, not one to hide his anger, unleashed on Amazon in a less-than-subtle way last night. A big reason for the anger in this case is that Colbert’s own books are…

The Beneath Trailer Channels That Old Descent Feeling

This is the first we’ve seen of the mine drama Beneath, and so far so good. It’s your classic “oh no we’re stuck hundreds of feet underground and there’s something down here” horror movie, but hey, if it ain’t broke… From what we can tell in the trailer, it looks like the monsters are the…

Remember how Barnes and Noble said it was going to give up on its Nook tablets? Well they are back! As branded Samsung Galaxy Tabs. Samsung and B&N just signed an agreement to bring the Nook software and name to a flavor of the 7-inch Galaxy Tab 4. Hooray?

Brutally honest Top Gun trailer shows how ridiculous this movie is

Once again, the guys at Screen Junkies show us the ridiculous Hollywood bullshit of a blockbuster film: Top Gun. It’s a ridiculous movie to begin with, but it completely falls apart in a hilarious way when you see it through their Honest Trailer lenses. SPLOID is a new blog about awesome stuff. Join us on…

5 Rail Stations From America’s New Golden Age of Train Travel

With a high-speed rail network slowly making its way towards reality, cities are commissioning grand stations for the 21st century to accommodate this new mode of transit. Here are five stations on the horizon that are bringing the drama and glamour back to train travel, while positioning it for a high-tech, high-speed future. Union Station,…

Stunt Casting That Actually Made Everything Better

Stunt casting is a long tradition in science fiction and fantasy, but it’s only gotten more common lately. Films and TV shows will cast a famous actor — or someone who used to be in a Joss Whedon show — to spark interest. Sometimes, it’s just unnecessary. But here are a bunch of cases where…

More New Game Of Thrones Season 5 Characters Reveal A Major Twist

SPOILERS AHEAD, PEOPLE. A few new rumored names have been added to the Game of Thrones fifth season character list, and if true, they reveal something very unusual will be happening on the show next year. The new characters and their descriptions come from Winter Is Coming, of course. Here they are: Varamyr: Dubbed Varamyr…

This Smart Monitor Will Help Brown Thumbs Raise Victory Gardens

It’s tough finding time to keep your houseplants from withering away, much less the effort to maintain an entire outdoor urban garden. But with this comprehensive monitoring system, gardeners of any age and skill level can grow the best crops in the neighborhood. The Edyn system is comprised of two parts: the Edyn Garden Sensor…

Why A “Sex Chip” Could Be Considerably More Trouble Than It’s Worth

The ability to trigger feelings of extreme pleasure on-demand is a prospect that’s fascinated both scifi writers and scientists for decades. Indeed, the day is coming when we’ll be able induce orgasmic-like sensations at the flick of a switch — a prospect with obvious appeal, but with some serious downsides. Back in 2008, neuroscientists Morten…

Hipmunk Stuffs Its Cheeks with a Host of New Features

Hipmunk, the online travel booking and planning site, has just rolled out a host of changes and redesigns to its website aimed at making the planning process of your next getaway as painless as possible. The company has announced the launch of three new features. The redesigned map will now allow users to drop a…

The UK has announced plans to hand out life sentences to hackers that undertake “cyberattacks which result in loss of life, serious illness or injury or serious damage to national security, or a significant risk thereof.” It is, however, very broadly written—so it could end up being applied more liberally than one may like.

Disney’s Making A Live-Action Beauty And The Beast, We Have Questions

Looks like the animated-to-live-action Disney movie-making factory isn’t going to close yet. After Alice in Wonderland, Maleficent, Cinderella and The Jungle Book comes a Beauty and the Beast live-action translation. But does this mean the servants will all be live-action talking utensils? Variety broke the news that Bill Condon of Dreamgirls fame will be directing,…

This Is Britain’s Ultra-Secret Middle East Spy Base

It’s emerged that Britain has an ultra-secret spy base in the Middle East which taps undersea cables running through the region. The Register reports that the base and its operations are”above-top-secret” and, despite being leaked by Edward Snowden, have until now remained under wraps. Apparently some media organizations have been subject to government pressure not…

What Makes You Trust — Or Be Wary — Of New Technology?

It’s not enough for new technology to be good. It also has to make you trust it. So what is it that makes you do that? Is it seeing in action as other people you know start to use it? Maybe it’s knowing a whole lot more about the design specs and the company behind…

​The Declassified History Of The Tiananmen Square Protests

More than two-dozen U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency records, released through the Freedom of Information Act, contain vivid eyewitness accounts of the crushing of the Tiananmen protests — and describe the panic that erupted across China amid sharp disagreements between the country’s military and political elite. The records have been posted on the website of the…

No, this isn’t the Eye of Sauron: it’s an amazing image of the ringed star HR 4796A, captured by the new Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet Research (SPHERE) instrument at the Very Large Telescope atop Cerro Paranal in Chile. The newly installed SPHERE filters out light to acquire exceptionally sharp images like these—unlike any telescope before it.…

Using a helicopter to trim trees next to a power line looks insane

Watch this helicopter pilot trim trees with a giant 10-blade saw right by a power line. Apparently, it is the only practical way to cut back vegetation in isolated, hard-to-access locations. Amazing skills and courage. Apparently, these machines are used by Bond villains too: SPLOID is a new blog about awesome stuff. Join us on…