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Something Called “The Object” Stops World’s Largest Tunneling Machine

Bertha, the world’s largest tunneling machine, churning through the rock and mud beneath Seattle, has hit a mysterious roadblock—so mysterious, it is only known for now as “the object.” The New York Times reports that the machine—300 feet long and 5 stories tall—has ground to a halt. Built precisely not to be stopped by, well,…

New Hints for X-Men: Apocalypse, Warcraft, Doctor Who and Walking Dead!

Why is Matt Smith doffing his costume in his final Doctor Who story? Hugh Jackman’s in talks to play a surprising villain for Peter Pan’s origin story. Bryan Singer reveals which X-Men MVPs will script X-Men: Apocalypse. The Strain casts a key character. Stargate Atlantis’ Jewel Staite and David Hewlett reunite. Spoilers now! X-Men: Apocalypse…

These Rainbow Mountains Are China’s Secret Geological Wonder

At the Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park in Gansu, China, tourists flock to see China’s own version of the Grand Canyon: A mountain range of densely packed layers of minerals and rock that are dramatically striated into a layer cake of magenta, maroon, and lemon-colored stone. As a new UNESCO World Heritage Site, Danxia is…

Scientists Send Text Messages Using Spritzes of Vodka

Someday, if you’re out on the town and spot someone you fancy at the end of the bar, you might be able to pass along your digits using the drink in your hand. Because researchers at Toronto’s York University have created a simple system that’s able to encode data—like a text message—into puffs of evaporated…

The Perfect Civic Pride Gifts for City Lovers

For the unapologetic urbanophiles in your life, these city-themed presents will be the perfect way to help them perpetuate their fierce (and sometimes scary) public displays of civic pride. And, because most of these gifts can be customized with a particular geographic location—some of them right down to a specific neighborhood—it’s the perfect way to…

Sushi Transformers Are More Than Meets Your Tastebuds

If you’re trying to eat healthier, it’s a good idea to know exactly what goes into the food you consume. And while that’s not exactly the goal Bandai had in mind when it created these sushi transformers that turn into what they’re made from, it’s justification enough to collect all five. Available from those more…

When Did There Become Too Many Books to Read in One Lifetime?

We’ve all done it: stood in a library, looking around, we’ve been confronted by the fact that there are way, way too many books in existence for us to ever read. But when in history did that happen? Randall Munroe has tried to answer that question over on his What If? site. Sadly, it’s not…

Adding More Layers is Apple’s Patent-Suggested Plan For Fixing Maps

It’s slowly getting better, but try as it might, Apple just can’t top Google’s Maps service when it comes to digital cartography That’s not to say it isn’t still keeping up the chase though — a newly uncovered patent points towards a raft of new features Apple has planned for the troubled service. The “Interactive…

The European Space Agency’s Gaia Telescope—which is set to scan the entire sky and change our understanding of the universe—successfully launched yesterday morning at 09:12 GMT. [ESA]

Classic Arcade Game Designs Illustrated as a Field Guide

If your recollections of arcade games past are starting to fail you, perhaps you just need the Amusement Field Identification Kit in your life. Illustrated in the style of a traditional field manual, these annotated images—created by Michael Mateyko and Hans Thiessen—detail the design of classic arcade games like Donkey Kong, Pong, Ms. Pac-Man, and…

Google ‘Started Over’ on Android the Day the iPhone Launched

Apple changed the mobile industry with the iPhone, and has been known to suggest that others have copied it along the way. Now, one of Android’s original software architects admits that Google had “to start over” the day the iPhone was announced. When the iPhone was launched in 2007, Andorid had already been in development…

What Do Your Android Reader Apps Know About You?

When you read a book or an article on your Android device, how much power—and access to your personal data—are you giving the app? A new comparison of 17 of the most popular reader apps, compiled by Matt Bernius, answers that question, and in some cases users may be revealing much more than they think.…

Disquiet Junto Project 0103: Tinsel Song

The project: Make a song based on last week’s “sonic tinsel” project. 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…

The Weirdest Thing on the Internet Tonight: White Rabbit

And now you know where all those Matrix references come from. Lewis Carroll? Never heard of the guy.

So this is how Santa Claus delivers all those presents (in a F-16!)

It’s 2013. Of course Santa Claus has traded in his sleigh and reindeers for a fighter jet. That way he can zip around the world in the coolest rig possible. The US Air Force posted this picture of a pilot in a Santa costume for a bit of holiday cheer. Happy Holidays everybody! SPLOID is…

Can you tell the difference between a digital picture and film?

Film is better! No question, right? Well Shanks FX wants you to take a closer look at pictures and footage taken on film versus images and footage taken with a digital camera. As much of a copout as it is to say, I think the answer is it depends. Shanks FX used a Canon 5d…

The line between species can become permeable

What separates two species? Sometimes the answer is simple, but sometimes the lines are blurred. That’s what’s happening in this image of a tiger and cheetah, by Spanish artist Jaume Montserrat, whose series “Empty Land” is a set of illustrations where the boundaries between two species are not quite what they seem. See more of…

Ants can incredibly flow like liquid or bunch together into a solid

The New York Times has a great little short about ants, specifically their ability to both flow like a liquid and become a solid ball. It’s kind of gross but also pretty awesome in how twisted the duality is. Look at it above. On the left, it’s a thick, syrupy liquid. On the right, it’s…

Time Bandits: A Classic Tale Of Time Travel, Tech, Good, and Evil

Tonight’s the night, friends. Tonight is the night you (re)watch Time Bandits, Terry Gilliam’s freaking brilliant 1981 film chronicling the weird adventures of a rag tag gang of little people stealing treasures and testing Evil throughout history. I think that a lot of you might have seen this one before, as it was definitely a…

The Biggest Video Game Disappointments Of 2013

There was a lot to love about 2013’s video games — but also a lot of wipe-outs and things that didn’t go according to plan. Here’s Kotaku’s list of the biggest letdowns of the year in gaming. https://kotaku.com/the-biggest-disappointments-of-2013-1486725094