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Graffiti Removal, Coke, Vaginas: What’s Ruining Our Cities This Week

Graffiti we’re going to miss, more cokehead politicians, doomed vagina stadiums, and your weekly Rob Ford report. It’s time to check in once again to see What’s Ruining Our Cities. The absence of graffiti is ruining Long Island City RIP 5Pointz, the tagged-up abandoned building in New York’s Long Island City neighborhood that’s become a…

Exclusive Look Inside the BBC’s Greek Mythology Mashup Series, Atlantis

This Saturday, the latest series from Misfits creator Howard Overman will air in the United States for the first time. And to celebrate, here are two exclusive clips from Atlantis — including one featuring a Minotaur. Which is excellent. OK, here’s the run down: Young Jason teams up with Pythogoras and Hercules to form the…

You Need This Beautiful Machinery If You Want Atomic Precision

Brookhaven National Laboratory published this photo of an eye-catchingly shiny and complex device which looks like a strange clockwork made of silver and gold. But what is this exactly? BNL explains: This is the precision machinery of an atomic force/scanning tunneling microscope, an instrument capable of imaging material surfaces with atomic resolution. In action, an…

Archaeologists Find Sunken Nazi Sub in Indonesia with 17 Skeletons

Indonesian researchers have just discovered the remnants of a torpedoed Nazi sub off the main island of Java just west of Indonesia. It’s the first time a German submarine has been found in the area — a discovery that’s giving historians new clues about what went on in the region during the war. The sub,…

The Xbox One’s Real Magic Is Using Voice Commands to Control You

The Xbox One boasts a lengthy feature list that Microsoft hopes will entice gamers over to its side of the console war for the next few years. But as The Onion points out, none are as impressive as the next-gen console’s innovative voice commands that make it easier than ever for the hardware to control…

Comet Ison is getting brighter and more beautiful every day. Juan Carlos Casado took this stunning photo on November 21, 2013 at the Teide Observatory, in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. Remember: get out of the city on November 28, the day when comet Ison will be at its brightest.

Goodman’s Paradox introduces us to the color “grue”

Ever heard of the color grue? According to some, you see it whenever you stare at an emerald. Think about it as you walk across the beautiful bleen grass. Henry Nelson Goodman enjoyed the best things in life – good friends, hard work, and making people question their reality. He worked with the concept of…

A Handheld Broiler Lets You Guarantee a Perfect Sear

It’s hard to keep tabs on the sear on a steak when it’s buried in your oven under the broiler. So Dave Arnold, a man known for his innovations in the field of culinary technology, has created a handheld broiler called the Searzall that lets chefs guarantee an absolutely perfect sear on a piece of…

The Predictions of Aldous Huxley on the 50th Anniversary of His Death

Aldous Huxley, author of the novel Brave New World, died 50 years ago today. Below, we take a look back at his predictions for the year 2000, made in 1950. https://gizmodo.com/aldous-huxleys-predictions-for-2000-a-d-512621346

The Discovery of a 3,700-Year-Old Cellar Reveals the Origins of Wine

Wine is old as hell and probably came from Israel, based on the discovery of a 3,700 year-old cellar in the city of Tel Kabri. What did the wine of yesteryear taste like? Accounts range from “medicinal” to “hints of cinnamon.” The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times have the story of a…

You Know What? I’m Getting a Wii U

In this corner, the Xbox One, with its (mostly) all-knowing Kinect. In the opposite, the PS4, with hardcore gamer cred to spare. If you listen to most pundits—including us!—that’s the full reckoning of the battle for your console dollars. Me? I’m buying a Wii U. And maybe you should, too. https://gizmodo.com/xbox-one-review-absolutely-amazing-when-it-works-1467466379 Remember the Wii U?…

Hunger Games: Catching Fire is a captivating tale of privilege and PTSD

The second Hunger Games movie builds on the emotional intensity of the first, telling a harrowing story of what happens when you win a deadly game by playing dirty. Catching Fire is the rare film that’s better than the original book. Even if you’ve memorized Suzanne Collins’ text, you’ll get something new out of it.…

PT Boats: The Only Fast Attack Craft Fit for a President

President John F. Kennedy had numerous brushes with death before an assassin’s bullet ended his life 50 years ago today. Sickly throughout a childhood he wasn’t expected to survive, JFK had to leverage his family’s considerable political influence just to “pass” his Navy physical. And while serving in the South Pacific during World War II…

3D Virtual Birth Simulator Uses Mother and Baby’s Actual Measurements

Although the field of childbirth has remained pretty stagnant as far as fields of medicine go, it’s been making some major strides in recent months. Though unlike other recent techniques, this newest one goes into action long before the mother’s first contraction even hits; scientists can now create 3D virtual birth simulations that could end…

Do boys have more sisters than girls do?

One of the famous intuitive mistakes in probability comes from the simple question, “Do boys have more sisters than girls do?” A quick analysis of the situation may prompt you to say yes. A more in-depth look might change your mind. I don’t have a sister. I have to say, I don’t feel much deprived,…

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon to make psychic crime story Sleeper

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are getting back together to adapt a comic book centered around a man who can absorb and pass along pain and his job as a sleeper agent hidden in a massive system of organized crime. It’s a little noir with a whole lotta violence, titled Sleeper. Variety is reporting that…

You Have To Really Love Batman To Use This Absurd iPhone Tumbler Case

Most smartphone cases strive to provide as much protection for your device as possible without adding too much bulk or extra weight. But that’s not the approach Bandai has taken with this monstrosity. Squarely targeted at die-hard Batman fans, this case is a perfect replica of the Tumbler Batmobile featured in Christopher Nolan’s films, but…

US Air Force fighter jets will have laser weapons by 2030

A new request by the Air Force Research Lab reveals that the USAF is planning to have laser weapons built in the next generation of fighters by 2030, the US Naval Institute reports. The new jet fighters will be equipped with both defensive and offensive lasers. I’m glad we’re getting ready for the incoming alien…

Three Apple Geniuses Share Their Best Retail Horror Tales

Last month, I invited Apple employees to send me funny stories, and they did not disappoint. (The invitation still stands, so please drop me a line!) Here are three of my favorites so far. This isn’t brick and mortar, it’s glass and steel. Pseudonymous Apple Store employeeJ. K. Appleseed takes you backstage at Apple Retail,…

Command legends with 5 new decks for Magic: the Gathering

Magic: the Gathering’s legendary casual format, Commander, got a huge boost this month with the release of five new decks full of multiplayer shenanigans. This guide to Commander will help you get started and find the right deck to destroy your friends in the most horribly fun way possible. Whenever I post Magic: the Gathering…