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7 (More) Fun Facts That Are Total Lies

Did Nikola Tesla actually work as a swimming instructor? What’s the deal with that famous photo of Albert Einstein and his therapist? Did they actually make radiation-aged bourbon back in the 1960s? Nope! A few weeks ago we looked at nine “fun fact” photos that were totally lying to you. Today, we have seven more…

Did Delayed Shipping Totally Ruin Your Last-Minute Gift Giving?

It was so, so tempting. Order by 8pm for guaranteed delivery by December 24th. It was December 23rd. I was desperate. Online shopping promised stuffed stockings for my last-minute lazy ass. And then, right when I needed it most, expedited shipping failed me. Delayed—expected on December 26th. Curse you, internet! Yes, like the scads of…

10 Pieces of Science Fiction Trivia That Are Helpful in Real Life

We all memorize random bits of information about our favorite science fiction stories, just from long exposure to them. But we’re aware, on some level, that it’s all useless information. Except that some trivia is anything but trivial. Here are 10 pieces of science fiction trivia that could be really helpful in real life. To…

LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition Review: Android’s iPad Mini

Your pure-Android tablet options at present are a decidedly mixed bag; you’ve got the terrific seven-inch Nexus 7 2013 edition on one hand, and the aging 10-inch Nexus 10 from late 2012, just crying for an update. There’s a lot of room in between for something Goldilocks might like. https://gizmodo.com/nexus-7-2013-review-the-best-small-tablet-even-better-947533058 So, Google did the same…

Iron Maiden’s Chasing Down Pirates and Making Bank Off Them

Piracy’s bad, right? Doesn’t it rob bands of their hard-earned royalties and make record labels go broke? Not so fast. Turns out there’s something to the old line about piracy boosting concert ticket sales—at least, according to Iron Maiden there is. (Correction appended below.) As record shops shut their doors around the world, the popular…

Meet the real-life Bond in the trailer for the BBC’s Ian Fleming series

The BBC really wants you to think that James Bond author Ian Fleming totally lived the bed hopping, ass kicking spy lifestyle. Sure, why not? We know the author used his real life experiences to inspire his often horridly sexist novels. So why not make a sexy spy series about the man behind the Bond,…

This wonderful sound is a turbine engine’s worst nightmare

Turbines are huge, intricate, beautiful machines. And if you drop something inside of them, they double as musical instruments. But as YouTuber AgentJayZ demonstrates, the delightful xylophone sound that makes is actually horrible. Why? If you’ve got a screw in there and you turn it on, you’re going to be the owner of a brand…

Surprise! It’s Super Easy to Identify People From Metadata

When the NSA’s phone tracking was revealed, the agency was quick to point out that it’s not listening to phone conversations. But the agency is tracking who you call, when, and for how long — your metadata. Claims that metadata is anonymous have never been fully comforting, especially now: Stanford researchers say connecting an individual’s…

The UK government has announced plans to fund a new 24/7 space-weather forecasting service. As Elizabeth Gibney of Nature News reports, the Met Office warnings will protect satellites and help prevent blackouts on Earth. At a cost of £4.6-million ($7.5-million), the service could also warn of an incoming Carrington storm. Image via NASA.

Eating peanuts while pregnant won’t give your kid a nut allergy

It’s been said that a good way to keep children from developing nut allergies is for moms to avoid peanuts, tree nuts, and related products during pregnancy. Turns out that’s nonsense. A long-running health investigation involving over 8,000 kids now suggests you can scarf as many nuts while you’re pregnant as you damn well please.…

Whiskey, Toys, and Holograms: Our Best Original Videos of 2013

It’s been a fun year for Gizmodo’s video operation. We’ve gone inside distilleries and toy factories, and met some really interesting people in the process. The following is a compendium of moving images from 2013 for your listening and viewing pleasure. Grab an armchair, sip some ‘nog, and enjoy. The Art of the Hologram Is…

How Many Windows Are There in Manhattan?

The shimmering wall of windows that makes up Manhattan is breathtaking, and seems almost infinite. But Michael Pollak—the wizard behind The New York Times’ “F.Y.I” series, which plumbs deep and weird questions about New York—got down to brass tacks this week, estimating how many windows are on the island. You might be asking yourself questions…

People once wanted to mine the air

Say you live in an age of balloons and explosives. Perhaps, you think, it is time to start putting those two things together. Today global humanitarian efforts continue to deal with the land mines leftover from past wars. At one point in history, it looked like they were going to have to deal with air…

This Wacky Forward Wing Jet Flew Faster Than the Speed of Sound

The 1980s ushered in more than a few aeronautical revolutions thanks to the emergence of both composite manufacturing techniques and rapidly advancing digital technology. This uniquely designed experimental aircraft integrated all of them into a single system. The X-29 experimental aircraft, developed by Northrop Grumman in the early 1980’s from the company’s existing F-5A Freedom…

The Most Incredible Historical Discoveries of 2013

From 1.8-million-year-old hominid skulls to rewriting the Buddha’s birthday to sunken Nazi subs, 2013 was another incredible year for archaeologists and historians. Here’s the best the year had to offer. A skull that could rewrite the book on human evolution: The discovery of an incredibly well-preserved 1.8-million-year-old skull from Dmanisi, Georgia suggests that the earliest…

This Year’s 20 Must-Have Mac OS X Utilities

Without further introduction, here are all the utilities that have been especially useful in enhancing my productivity during 2013.

13 Teens Bitching About Teens Bitching About Christmas Gadgets

Christmas time has come and gone, and it brought its fair share of iPhones and Xboxes and PS4s and MacBooks and gadgets galore. And of course, also some spoiled teens who weren’t too happy about the (awesome) stuff they got: But the real plague? The high-and-mighty teens who will not quit whining about spoiled teens:…

Millions of Meme-Based Dogecoins Stolen on Christmas Day

In what is either the exact definition or total opposite of a Christmas miracle (depending on whether or not you decided investing in a meme was a good idea), millions of the crypotcurrency Dogecoin were stolen in a hack on Christmas day. Many Grinch. Very irony. Wow. The meme-based digital coins were originally created as…

​What was 2013’s technology of the year?

2013, your end is in sight, and it’s time to start taking stock of the last twelve months. Today, we want your pick for the discovery, tech, or invention of the year. Maybe you’ll choose something that was invented or discovered just this year. Or perhaps something that became widely available or whose usage finally…

The desolate panorama from China’s moon lander

Behold the first panorama taken by the Chang’e 3 moon lander. It’s quite crappy—especially compared to the images taken by the Mars Curiosity rover. And it can’t compare to the film photos taken by the Apollo missions. Still, good to be back on the Moon’s surface. Snapped by three cameras on the lander aimed level,…