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Gemini’s First Image Shows a Planet Orbiting a Star 63 Light Years Away

It might not be much to look at, but this image is insanely exciting. You’re looking at the first ever image of a planet, orbiting a star, over 63 light years from Earth. Acquired by the world’s most powerful planet-hunting instrument, the Gemini Planet Imager, it shows a 10-million-year-old planet called Beta Pictorus orbiting its…

Judge finds solar power more cost-effective than natural gas

One of the big questions for the twenty-first century is what our biggest source of energy will be. Many are betting on natural gas, because it’s cheap and plentiful. Unfortunately it emits dangerous carbon into the environment. The sustainable alternative is solar, but that was deemed too expensive — until now. A recent court decision…

Here’s the Ship That Will Destroy Syria’s Deadliest Chemical Weapons

Syria’s agreement with the UN to eradicate its stockpiles of chemical warfare agents in exchange for the US not curb-stomping its Air Force is going about as well as you’d expect. That is, it’s woefully behind schedule with little hope of actually being completed. But, if and when the Assad regime does finally turn over…

Spotify’s promised free shuffled streaming has now arrived on iOS, so you can listen on mobile without paying a cent.

The Luci Inflatable Solar Lantern Gets a Colorful Follow-Up

What was originally conceived as a cheap rechargeable LED light for parts of the world where the power grid wasn’t reliable, turned out to be a huge hit with consumers all over the world after it was unveiled at CES last year. So this year MPOWERD is introducing a slightly more extravagant model of its…

The most comprehensive zombie classification chart we’ve ever seen

While most attempts to classify the different types of zombies limit their analysis to fast vs. slow, alive vs. dead, Jason Thompson‘s massive zombie taxonomy map goes far beyond that, cataloguing more than 350 different types of zombie. Thompson is an obsessive fan of the of the horror genre—we’ve previously highlighted his comics adapting H.P.…

This Laser Can Hear Malaria Eating Your Red Blood Cells

Researchers at Rice University have a new, laser-powered way to diagnose malaria infection. They say it’s the first through-the-skin method that doesn’t require blood samples or chemical tests. Essentially, it listens for belly sounds as the malaria parasite chows down on blood cells. If it pans out, it could revolutionize how we diagnose this disease.…

Why We Need To Sleep In Total Darkness

The modern bedroom is full of lights, from glowing computer monitors and clock radios to any number of blinking and glimmering electronic devices. Trouble is, chronic exposure to light at night leads to a host of health problems. To understand why chronic exposure to light at night is so bad, we need to consider human…

Ringo Starr sings “I Wish I Was a Powerpuff Girl” in an animated video

The new CG Powerpuff Girls special doesn’t air until January 20th, but Ringo Starr has already busted out his animated drums for his cartoon music video, “I Wish I Was a Powerpuff Girl,” accompanied by the superpowered ladies with the CG looks they’ll be sporting in the speical. The (very, very short) song was written…

Steadicam’s Curve Makes Your GoPro Vids as Smooth as Silk

Steadicam—makers of all kinds of stabilizing contraptions that turn average cameramen into (seemingly) masterful cinematographers—has just introduced its smallest model yet called the Curve that’s designed to keep your GoPro videos looking their best. The Curve seems a little counter to what the GoPro’s all about—after all, it was originally introduced as a wearable camera…

Who Will Dispose Of Your Porn And Sex Toys After You Die?

Andy Warhol once joked that dying was the most embarrassing that could ever happen to a person. Many people give careful thought to what they want done with their assets after their death, even going as far as to spell out what should be done with their digital properties, but few think about some of…

Behold the rolling, majestic beauty of Lake Michigan’s Ice Boulders

Breathe in the hypnotic beauty of the ice boulders of Lake Michigan! These rolly polly ice balls have returned to crash against the shores of the Northern Midwest, and we simply can’t stop watching them turn. Filmed in Glen Arbor, Michigan the town’s local facebook page heralded the return of the ice boulders, (some as…

Watch Water Dance In Slow Motion On GE’s Superhydrophobic Surfaces

We already knew that hydrophobic surfaces are extremely fun—but they’re even better in super slow motion. The Slow Mo guys recently paid GE a visit and shot some footage of their latest projects in their trademark super slow motion—including a hydrophobic coating GE is developing to keep wind turbines free of ice. You’ll have a…

A fascinating documentary on the history of poisoning and forensics

If you’re intrigued by historical crimes and the birth of forensic science, you need to drop everything and watch this incredible PBS documentary, The Poisoner’s Handbook, based on award-winning science journalist Deborah Blum’s amazing book. It’s streaming for free on the American Experience website. Here’s the synopsis: In the early 20th century, the average American…

10 Heroic Prophecies That Didn’t Turn Out The Way the Heroes Expected

Nothing says “epic destiny” like a huge prophecy. When a hero hears a mystical-ish person intoning that he or she is destined to set everything right, that’s when adventure comes a-calling. But sometimes these things don’t quite work out. Here are 10 heroic prophecies that weren’t quite what people had hoped. Warning: Spoilers for old…

Could Fog Catchers Help Solve America’s Drought Problem?

California’s running out of water. This year’s record-breaking drought—coming after two already dry years—has the state scrambling for the liquid stuff. Plans to seed clouds for extra snowfall are already in place. But do we really require storm clouds for water? Why not use fog? San Francisco’s 2.08 inches of rain since July is the…

New Snowpiercer trailer sets up Tilda Swinton as the Big Bad

Whether the States will ever see the original director’s cut of Bong Joon-ho’s Snowpiercer, or only the hacked up version The Weinstein Company wants to screen, only time will tell. But the drama hasn’t dampened our excitement for Tilda Swinton’s lunatic villainess, highlighted in this new international trailer. The theatric release date for Snowpiercer is…

How Credit Card Numbers Work

Most of us carry credit cards and ATM cards. These, typically, have sixteen digits on the front. These digits are the unique account number for the card. For obvious reasons, just any sixteen digits will not work, they follow pattern. Here’s a fictitious card I made up: The first few characters of the card number…

New toy images reveal the new Dinobot line-up in Transformers 4

The interior of toy packaging is rarely where people go to get their movie scoops, but a leaked shot of the inside material of a Transformers: Age of Extinction product box reveals the movie’s Dinobots in their dinosaur modes — and that Grimlock and pals have updated their ranks for the new movie. Thanks to…

A Bicycle With a Flat Frame Is an Impractical Masterpiece

With its flowing metal frame, wooden handlebars and seat post, and proprietary headset, this bicycle puts form on a par with function. It might not be the most practical ride, but it’s certainly one of the most beautiful. The brainchild of Hungarian designer Kisszsombor, the KZS Cycle attempts to combine 2D structures into a 3D…