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As part of the inaugural Global Space Balloon Challenge, a group of Stanford students took this photo from just above the Earth using two high altitude balloons. With one of them perched slightly above the other, you can see the balloon braving the flight as the other captures this breathtaking view over California. [cnet]

Visit the Super-Earths We’ve Found, in These Gorgeous Artworks

Over the past few years, astronomers have catalogued several new exoplanets called “Super-Earths,” rocky (and maybe watery) worlds sort of like our own — except a lot bigger. Here are what they might look like, according to science artists working with space agencies. Gliese 163 c, orbiting the red dwarf Gliese 163, about 49 light-years…

As Above, So Below Trailer Looks Really, Really Scary

The trailer for this catacombs-exploring low-budget horror movie As Above, So Below looks really good. Let’s hope they can deliver on these scares… As Above, So Below was directed by John Erick Dowdle, who also directed the very good Quarantine remake and the OK horror movie Devil. The story follows a team of archaeologists looking…

What Tobacco’s Past Means for Vaping’s Future

The Food and Drug Administration announced today that it wants to regulate electronic cigarettes. This isn’t surprising. But there’s considerable debate about what those regulations should look like. If history is any guide, the life of your average vaper (vapist? vapethusiast?) is about to get a whole lot harder. Judging by the proposals submitted for…

Watch this helicopter pilot doing some really wild acrobatics

Chuck Aaron makes helicopters fly upside down thanks to some heavy modifications to his lightweight chopper. And does barrel rolls too. And all sorts of crazy ass maneuvers that are a pleasure to watch but make my stomach turn. Aaron wanted to try aerobatic maneuvers in a helicopter bad enough that he got funding from…

What is The Greatest Marvel Comics Story Of All Time?

Marvel’s movies are generally pretty great, and Agents of SHIELD is becoming downright entertaining. But they’ve still barely scratched the surface of the wealth of material that Marvel has run in the comics. What’s the absolute best Marvel Comics storyline of all time? Please include a picture or cover for your chosen storyline. And please…

Moving the World’s Largest Wind Turbine Blade Is a Logistical Nightmare

What does it take to move an almost 300-foot-long turbine blade to its final resting place in the ocean? International coordination, huge trucks, and plenty of engineers. And here we thought moving rockets, electromagnets, and space shuttles was hard work. https://gizmodo.com/amazing-photo-of-the-world-largest-wind-turbine-blade-o-1567272593

Japan Is Making An Official Evangelion/Transformers Crossover

Oh my god. Toymaker Takara Tomy has announced that they’re doing… something that involves the Transformers invading the world of Evangelion, as evidenced by this phenomenal picture of Optimus Prime decked out like Shinji’s Unit-01. Since Takara Tomy is responsible, I think we can assume there’s going to be a special edition toyline at the…

Trajectory for a Hacked Spacecraft

What will happen to ISEE-3 if the reboot team manages to hack their way into communication with the abandoned spacecraft? Here’s a video of the planned trajectory that would redirect it into position to use it’s still-functioning instruments to do a lot more science. Want to support the reboot? The team is still accepting lunch-money…

This Lighter Sharpener Destroys Wooden Pencils Without Fire

You can make short work of destroying a pencil with a standard Bic lighter, but this fuel-free alternative is arguably a safer way to go about it. Because instead of setting it on fire, all you need is a few minutes of constant twisting to turn turn your Faber-Castells into a pile of shavings. For…

The world’s largest wind turbine blade on the road

This is the world’s largest wind turbine blade en route to the largest offshore wind turbine in the world, in Methil, Scotland. At an incredible 273.95 feet (83.5 meters) long by 13.7 feet (4.2 meters) wide, the blade had to be transported all the way from Denmark, where it was manufactured—a logistical nightmare. It was…

How Boomboxes Got So Badass

Boomboxes are, by definition, excessive. With their deafening bass thud and dazzling chrome dials, these electric beasts are heavy enough to tone your biceps. Also known as “ghetto blasters” or “jamboxes,” they rose to fame in the 1980s along with hip-hop, flourishing as a tool for sharing and mixing the latest beats. Yet despite their…

In Iran, Medical Authorities Say Government Censorship Causes Cancer

For years, Iran has been blocking foreign television channels. Now, the country’s medical community is convinced that these electronic countermeasures are responsible for a growing number of cancer cases—and their concerns recently received support from a Grand Ayatollah. In Iran, satellite dishes are illegal, yet as many as half the people in the country own…

Jem And The Holograms Is Starting To Look Like A Disney Original Movie

We’re a little worried about the Jem and the Holograms movie, and the film’s very young cast doesn’t alleviate our fears. With filming just days away, we now know who will be playing four members the outrageous eponymous band. The Jem team released this poster along with the Holograms roster. Aubrey Peeples is playing lead…

See One of America’s Most Iconic Buildings Get Engulfed In Fake Fog

Veil, by Japanese artist Fujiko Nakaya, is the latest creative installation at Philip Johnson’s Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut. For ten minutes every hour, the iconic structure disappears behind a big billowing fog until the mist dissipates and whaddya know—there it is again! Is the haunting display a possible metaphor for the preeminent American…

The Ultimate Guide To This Summer’s Science Fiction and Fantasy TV

Tons of brand new science fiction, fantasy and horror television is coming to get you through the hot, hot months of summer. And we’ve got the ultimate list. Here’s our complete guide to the only television you should bother with this summer. Already Returned: Game of Thrones Blood and guts and dragons. Where: HBO Salem…

Watch GE Gleefully and Awesomely Destroy Dozens of Random Objects

Remember General Electric’s incredible cadre of machines that exist solely to destroy things? Well, they’ve been using them to destroy things like teapots and baseballs and watches just for fun—and the resulting videos are amazing. It may be all for publicity, but these #SpringBreakIt videos are, hashtag aside, pretty rad. Here are some of our…

Dear Facebook, Please Stop Trying to Be Twitter

Today, Facebook introduced its brand new, real-time gift to newshounds everywhere. Feast your eyes on FB Newswire, an aggregated feed of only the latest and greatest breaking news stories out there. In other words, Facebook just made its own Twitter—and then gave it a lobotomy. The new FB Newswire is actually powered by Storyful, a…

I Can’t Stop Watching This Insect Having an Existential Crisis

According to YouTube videographer Zain the Pain, this bug played with this piece of popcorn in exactly this way for over three hours. It’s completely insane. What is actually happening here? Science writer Kyle Hill suggests the bug is having an existential crisis.

No, Rome’s Collapse Wasn’t Caused By Lead Poisoning

Rome was the first city on the planet to have an extensive and efficient municipal water system, thanks to the empire’s ambitious aqueduct system that’s still found throughout Europe. But that infrastructure was also pumping ancient Romans with lead—up to 100 times the amount of lead found in local spring water. A new study reported…