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The best internet ideas for True Detective season 2’s new cast

When the second season of True Detective starts, there won’t just be a new case, there’ll be a new cast as well. What if the internet was allowed to cast the two new partners of True Detective season 2? And thus the meme #truedetectiveseason2 was born. Here are a few of our favorite pairings. And…

Why the Brains of Dogs and Humans Are More Similar Than You Think

As any dedicated dog owner will tell you, canines often appear to grasp the emotional content of what’s being said to them. An unprecedented brain scanning study now shows this is likely true — and that this capability pre-dates domestication. This is not the first time dogs have been studied in an MRI scanner. Last…

Incredible drone video shows Ukraine’s riot battlefield from above

A drone films protesters clashing with police forces as tires and Molotov cocktails burn in Kiev’s Independence Square. The battle has started again, after yesterday’s failed truce. At least 75 have been killed on since last Tuesday, according to Ukraine’s government officials. https://gizmodo.com/photoshops-show-the-dramatic-difference-between-peace-a-1528024358 SPLOID is a new blog about awesome stuff. Join us on Facebook

The Great Lakes Are Even More Beautiful When They’re Nearly Frozen Over

For the first time since 1994 the Great Lakes are almost completely covered in ice, with only 12 percent remaining unfrozen. And now, thanks to NASA satellites, we can look upon this icy plain and despair—except that it’s actually quite beautiful. The average amount of ice cover for the Great Lakes is roughly 50 percent,…

New Maps Show Forests Disappearing in Real Time

The world is vast and travel budgets finite, so looking for deforestation as it’s happening all over the world is nigh impossible. That is, of course, unless you have an all seeing eye in the sky—and, hey, you know what, there are satellites orbiting over all of our heads right now. Global Forest Watch is…

This pulsar got slammed by a billion-ton asteroid

You know when you’re having a bad day when you get hit by a billion-ton asteroid. But for a pulsar 37,000 light-years away, it’s just a another day at the office. And besides, PSR J0738-4042 has an uber-powerful X-ray blaster to deal with errant space rocks. Image: An artistic impression of an asteroid getting blasted…

It’s our party and we can GIF if we want to

It’s the end of the week, you know what to do. What were you up to this week? Do you have news to share, things to talk about, or just GIFs that demand to be displayed? Tell us about it, and send in your GIFs — because the party begins now.

Science fiction and fantasy are now officially part of American literature. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s famous “Best American” series, which features annual anthologies of the best fiction, essays, and more, is starting up a “Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy” series in 2015, presided over by award-winning editor John Joseph Adams. In 2015, his guest editor…

Numenera Bestiary unleashes the bizarre beasts of the Ninth World

Far-future science fantasy RPG Numenera got a lot weirder with the release of the Numenera Bestiary, a collection of mutants, other-dimensional intruders, aliens and even stranger things. Check out the weirdness in this incredible art gallery. Top image: Nibovian Companion by Kieran Yanner Creature catalogs are usually my favorite part of any RPG, and Numenera…

​The Multi-Billion-Dollar Deals Transforming Tech, Visualized

Facebook’s $19 billion acquisition of WhatsApp was very, very, very, (very) large. But it’s also just the latest in a string of mega-buyouts that’s been reshaping the tech landscape over the last three years or so. We thought we’d try to put all these billion-dollar acquisitions into perspective. https://gizmodo.com/why-facebook-spent-16-billion-on-whatsapp-1526383997 There are obviously some nuances at…

Video: Man defies gravity by running upside down in a 360-degree loop

You’d think it’d be impossible to upside down in a full 360-degree loop, but it’s not, and Damien Walters can prove it. Insane. When you break down the physics, all you have to be able to do is run fast enough when your feet are on the ceiling. The result if you can? Human super…

This Robot Arm Can 3D-Print Molten Metal in Midair

The only thing cooler than using a huge robot arm to sculpt? Using a huge robot arm to sculpt with liquid hot metal. Joris Laarman Studio‘s prototype software instructs a robotic arm to recreate 3D models in midair, using molten metals of all kinds. It looks as cool as it sounds. Laarman’s studio, you might…

Meet the four directors being tapped to direct the Dr. Strange movie

Looks like the Dr. Strange movie has gone a future possibility to a definite addition to Marvel’s cinematic slate. THR is reporting that Marvelis considering four potential directors for the film, all of whom seemingly have nothing in common with each other. The four directors are: • Mark Andrews, who co-directed and co-wrote Brave •…

Shooting Challenge: Panoramas

It’s hard to take an enchanting photo. But it’s even harder to take an enchanting photo that’s 3x or more the normal length. So for this week’s Shooting Challenge, we’re going wide. We’re going panoramic. The Challenge Take a panoramic photo. Feel free to use an app, like the iPhone’s, to do so. You can…

Why We May Never Meet the Skrulls in the Marvel Films. Plus Arrow News!

Are prop-makers in London being locked in for Indiana Jones 5? Find out who played Rocket Raccoon on the Guardians of the Galaxy set. Emma Watson describes the hazardous conditions on the Noah set. And Hugh Jackman talks fighting X-Men: Days of Future Past’s Sentinels. Plus casting news from Supernatural: Tribes, Agents of SHIELD, Vampire…

Soviet and American Space Suits For Sale at This Other-Worldly Auction

On April 8th, the New York City branch of Bonhams will be hosting a “Space History” auction, and Gizmodo has been given a preview of the some of the historically unique, space age artifacts that will be for sale. From full-body Soviet space suits to a control panel once used on the space station Mir,…

The Scientifically Best Time to Drink Coffee, in One Simple Graphic

You wake up, tired and groggy, and you can think of only one thing: coffee. But in reality, first thing in the morning isn’t the best time to hit hit the caffeine—and it’s science that says so. In fact, we’ve covered this in some detail before—and you can read all about it below. But for…

The Samson of Toy Trucks Can Push and Pull Up To 150 Pounds

Jakks Pacific’s new Max Tow Truck may not look particularly special on the outside, but it’s always what’s on the inside that counts. And in this case the insides are hiding a super-strong geared-down electric motor that lets this little tow truck push or pull up to 150 pounds. That’s more than strong enough to…

Watch Conan Explain The Comcast-Time Warner Merger

Given all the financial and legal technicalities involved, how do two of the largest cable companies in the U.S. go about forming a gigantic conglomerate in practice? Conan knows the answer. https://gizmodo.com/comcast-confirms-its-45-billion-merger-with-time-warne-1522012027 It just requires a little something to… grease the wheels, smooth the negotiations and, um, lubricate the process. [Team Coco]

Rumor: Amazon Is Readying a Web TV Box (Again)

Re/code is reporting that Amazon is getting ready to launch an Android-powered web TV box to compete with Roku and and Apple. Sources tell Peter Kafka that Amazon “is aiming for a March rollout” of the set-top box, which was rumored to arrive last year in time for the holidays. Which it didn’t. Certainly a…