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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…

io9 Ed Grabianowski Feb 21 '14

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…

Tech News Brian Barrett and Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan Feb 21 '14

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…

Sploid Eric Limer Feb 21 '14

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…

Tech News Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan Feb 21 '14

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 •…

io9 Rob Bricken Feb 21 '14

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…

Tech News Mark Wilson Feb 21 '14

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…

io9 Katharine Trendacosta Feb 21 '14

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,…

Space & Spaceflight Geoff Manaugh Feb 21 '14

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…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe Feb 21 '14

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…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski Feb 21 '14

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]

Tech News Jamie Condliffe Feb 21 '14

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…

Commerce Jamie Condliffe Feb 21 '14

Dyson’s Vision of the Future of Curling

Because in these days of endless technological progress, who really wants to use a broom anyway? [YouTube]

Tech News Jamie Condliffe Feb 21 '14

How an Arm Wrestle Resolved a Major Airline Dispute

David vs. Goliath. Burr vs. Hamilton. Ali vs. Frazier. These fights have captured the public’s imagination like few others. On March 20, 1992, another battle entered this conversation. Herwald vs. Kelleher. Okay, so most likely, you probably don’t have any clue who Kurt Herwald and Herb Kelleher are and why they decided to match up…

Tech News Matt Blitz - TodayIFoundOut.com Feb 21 '14

Your Sperm Are Ticking, Mutating Time Bombs

Everyone knows that as men age so do their sperm, slowing a little and becoming less… potent. But research suggests that sperm actually mutate with age—which in turn could increase the chances of fathering a child with a genetic disorder. New Scientist reports on research by Anne Goriely from the University of Oxford, writing that…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe Feb 21 '14

Pronouncing GIF Correctly Is a Serious Matter

A very serious matter indeed. [Matt Bors]

Books & Comics Jamie Condliffe Feb 21 '14

How Does Your Memory Work?

Badly, perhaps. But even if you struggle to recall information on a daily basis, all our brains are wired in much the same way—and it requires quite a few steps to remember anything at all. Each and every memory is registered in the brain, but they’re not all encoded—that’s why you forget names as soon…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe Feb 21 '14

Report: Steve Jobs Will Appear on a US Postage Stamp

He might have favored email over physical post, but a document obtained by The Washington Post suggests that Steve Jobs’ face is set to appear on a US Postal Service stamp in 2015. The document suggests that Jobs is one in a list of U.S. icons to appear on stamps that year, including Elvis Presley…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe Feb 21 '14

Daredevil men fixing a zeppelin in mid-flight over the Atlantic

Awesome photograph of men fixing the 776-foot-long LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin in mid-air while on a transatlantic trip from Europe to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. https://gizmodo.com/german-photographer-alfred-eisenstaedt-one-of-the-great-1527167010

Tech News Jesus Diaz Feb 21 '14

Turn Your Week’s Dayplanner into Music

Disquiet Junto Project 0112: Calendrical Score Each Thursday at the Disquiet Junto group on SoundCloud.com a new compositional challenge is set before the group’s members, who then have just over four days to upload a track in response to the assignment. Membership in the Junto is open: just join and participate. This project was published…

Tech News Marc Weidenbaum Feb 21 '14

Numenera Bestiary unleashes the bizarre beasts of the Ninth World

The Multi-Billion-Dollar Deals Transforming Tech, Visualized

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

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