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3-Million-Year-Old Landscape Found Beneath Greenland’s Ice Sheet

Scientists have found organic soil 10,000 feet beneath the ice sheet that stretches across 80 percent of Greenland. The discovery reveals that the central region of Greenland’s tundra—once covered with forests—was locked away and preserved, as if in an icebox. “The traditional knowledge about glaciers is that they are very powerful agents of erosion and…

A Rainbow Crater on Mars

This impact crater on Mars is decked out in rainbow colours reflecting the topography of the area. The dark blues and purple of the crater floor rapidly digs through the high-elevation red, yellow, and green of the surrounding plains. This digital terrain model marks a fresh impact crater on the surface of Mars, so young…

Predict What Your Future Children Look Like in “Virtual Embryos”

Remember those slightly horrifying sites that mash up two faces to tell you what your hypothetical babies might look like? With genome sequencing and “virtual embryos,” we might actually be able to do that—using science. Those days are not quite here yet, but New Scientist has an intriguing report about a company called GenePeeks. We…

NASA’s LADEE Spacecraft Just Crashed Into The Moon

After 8 months in space, the LADEE spacecraft mission came to a close last night when the spacecraft crash-landed into the moon’s surface — just like scientists intended. Since its launch in September of last year, LADEE has been sending back new information about the lunar atmosphere, as well as images of the moon itself.…

Researchers Develop a Way to X-Ray Rocks To Find Hidden Diamonds

It’s no surprise that the diamond industry is willing to spend whatever it takes to make the process of mining precious gems even more profitable. And while it already relies on X-ray technology for spotting diamonds on the surface of mined ore, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute’s Development Center for X-ray Technology EZRT have developed…

Biker offers getaway to handbag thief, takes him to police station

This hilarious thing happened in China: A 29-year-old biker saw a guy stealing a woman’s handbag on the street and quickly went to him to offer a getaway. The thief jumped on the bike but took him to a police station, where the thief tried to escape. I can imagine the guy’s “ffffuuuuu” face as…

This Ridiculously Cool Hexapod Can Transform Into A Roving Ball

Norwegian engineer Kåre Halvorsen has unleashed his latest creation, a spider-like robot called MorpHex MKII that can retract its six legs and transform into a rolling ball. Halvorsen’s previous spiderbot could only roll around in circles, but this one can move in straight lines thus improving its stalking capabilities. It may also be the first…

Space, Utopia’s Final Frontier

The colonization of Earth’s orbit, the Moon, Mars, and other planets still promises a kind of space utopia for Homo sapiens. Since the second half of the 20th century, more and more concepts have imagined how it could be possible for humans to live in permanent habitats beyond our planet. The following 28 images show…

Men climb real life version of Game of Thrones’ northern Wall

It’s not the 700-foot-tall Wall of Game of Thrones, but this looks like the scene of the wildlings climbing the Wall in George R.R. Martin’s series. It’s 40-year-old Tim Emmett and 38-year-old Dawn Glanc climbing the 250-metre thick Sólheimajökull glacier, in Iceland, at sub-zero temperatures. Because risking your life while freezing your gonads is always…

It’s Friday! Welcome To Your Party, GIFs.

It’s the end of week, you know how this works: Your GIF Party is here! We want to hear all your week’s news, stories, and updates all through our favorite medium of the interpretive GIF. Let the party begin!

It’s Time to Ditch Facebook and Start Over

Most of us have had Facebook accounts for the past few years, if not a decade. But time and bloat have turned once-beloved font of nostalgia into an onslaught of faux-sentimental sludge from strangers. So as Facebook stands poised to break itself into a bunch of different apps, we say to you: Screw it. It’s…

Yes! Google’s New Camera App Yells at People For Taking Vertical Video

Google’s new standalone Camera app is a sleek and powerful alternative to the stock Android camera. Turns out, it’s also a soldier in the war against vertical videos. Try to shoot a portrait-framed vid, and you’ll stare down the cold judgment of an icon telling you you’re doing it wrong. You’ve been warned. First spotted…

The Curiosity Rover’s Tracks Across Mars, As Seen From Space

The Curiosity Rover keeps on trekking. An image captured by the NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter offers a spectacular view of Curiosity’s journey of discovery as it winds its way across the Red Planet. With faint impressions of tracks from its six metal wheels trailing behind, Curiosity appears as a bright blue dot in the in…

A Turntable Snowboard Brings the Party To the Slopes

The folks at Signal Snowboards like to experiment over the winter months with conceptual deck designs—sometimes they’re practical, and sometimes they’re downright crazy. And the company’s latest creation, a snowboard with a built-in turntable, probably falls into that latter category. Like with all of Signal Snowboards’ creations, the Scratch & Shred Turntable Snowboard is completely…

Military blogger CDR Salamander is perplexed by the breathless news coverage of the Navy’s effort to turn seawater into fuel. Not only is the story two years old, there are lots of unanswered questions, such as the power requirements to make it happen, and what the EPA will say about the unspecified chemical leftovers.

Will Kristen Bell Play Her Frozen Character On Once Upon a Time?

There are more rumors from Star Wars’ Abu Dhabi set. Reviews are mixed for The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Robopocalypse may happen soon. And the Orphan Black writers already have the endgame for the show in mind. Plus, details about the season finales of Arrow and Game of Thrones. Spoilers now! Top image: Orphan Black Star…

7 Charming and Wacky Treehouses You Can Rent For a Night in the Forest

At Treehotel in the north of Sweden, the rooms rise up like trees in an enchanted forest: a UFO, a mirrorcube, a giant bird’s nest. It’s some of your wildest childhood fantasies—brought to life by Swedish architects. So how did it all begin? The hotel is the work of its two founders, Britta and Kent,…

The latest version of Ubuntu—14.04 LTS or Trusty Tahr to its friends—is now available, with support for touchscreens and super hi-res displays. Go download it now for free

Do You Live Near a Risky Chemical Plant?

This map shows the 9,000 chemical plants across the U.S. where, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, a “catastrophic chemical release” could occur. It helps us answer an unsavory question—whether you live near a potentially dangerous chemical plant. Mother Jones put this map together a year after the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas that…

The Humble Supermaterial: There’s More to Tin Than Cans

Hear mention of tin and your thoughts instantly turn to cans stuffed with limp vegetables. But while the metal has become ubiquitous thanks to its use in convenience food packaging, it actually serves all manner of exotic purposes—and it could just change the future of electronics. Humble Origins Tin—or Sn to its buddies in the…