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Insane bike trick seems to murder the laws of physics

We no longer live on Earth, my friends. We’re in some weird world where people can do the impossible. Do you want to fly? You should try. Do you want to spin in the air in both directions? I think you can. Because this insane Superman double backflip bicycle trick destroys everything that should be…

Listen to Wil Wheaton read from Warren Ellis’ horrifying love story

We’ve got an exclusive clip of Wil Wheaton reading from Warren Ellis’ Dead Pig Collector, out today. You may know Ellis from his Transmetropolitan comics, or from his latest novel Gun Machine. He knows how to write blood and guts and make you love it. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GBCDOE0?tag=gizmodo08c-20 Here’s the blurb on the book, which you can…

Visit the edge of space in a capsule powered by a helium balloon

Talk about taking balloon rides to the next level. This concept capsule could eventually take a crew of eight people to a height of 98,425 feet (30 km). From there, passengers would be able to see the curvature of the Earth — and even the blackness of space. https://gizmodo.com/that-moment-when-a-high-altitude-balloon-ventures-a-lit-1357411210 Conceived by the Paragon Space Development…

At Christmas, this town builds a Giant Yule goat and then torches it

We all celebrate the holidays in our ways. Some of us with friends and family, some of us with food and drink, and, in a small town in Sweden, with constructing a 40-foot tall Yule Goat out of straw and then burning it the ground. Today, we looked at some of the more alarming faces…

Multi-Winged Planes Are Aviation History’s Most Amazing Failures

Aircraft makers tried a lot of different designs before settling on the two-winged planes and jets we’re familiar with today. Inventors toyed with the idea of a multi-winged aircraft — often fashioned from incredibly complicated structures — before discarding it. Here are some of their most amazing failures. The Philips Multiplanes from 1904, 1907 and…

The Haunt trailer has a magical radio that talks to the dead

Well this is a new one — check out the trailer for Haunt. A movie about a couple of kids and a wacky box that allows them to speak to the dead. Children, when will you learn? The dead have nothing good to say. Looks like your classic “Don’t go sticking your nose in dead…

Stabilized video of lunar buggy ride is even cooler than the original

There are few things more amazing than watching humans driving a lunar rover. I mean—these guys came in a spaceship from another planet to drive a goddamn buggy on the bloody Moon. The only way to better that video is to stabilize it. For comparison, here’s the original: I’m loving this trend of stabilizing shaky…

Sneak Peek: Tonight, Person of Interest shows us the birth of a hacker

In this exclusive clip from tonight’s mid-season finale for Person of Interest, we are treated to a classic “birth of a hacker” scene from computer mastermind Finch’s past. We’ve also got the scene in the form of a comic book from DC Entertainment — also an io9 exclusive. I love watching young Finch as his…

How being “Bummed and Ugly” helped Alice Sola Kim find Philip K. Dick

Science fiction writer Alice Sola Kim has a terrific personal essay over in Buzzfeed about how she discovered Philip K. Dick when she was 15. And even though you can be totally well-adjusted and fall in love with Dick’s vision, being “bummed and ugly” helped her get into his work. Honestly, you should just go…

This Is What 400,000 Hours of TV News Looks Like

Ever wonder what places get the most attention in American news? The answer is more striking than you might think. This geography of U.S. attention is beautifully illustrated in a new animation that maps the geographic subjects of U.S. television news broadcasts over the span of four-years. It’s kinda sparkly. The stunning visualization was put…

Hilarious video shows everyone Arnold Schwarzenegger has ever killed

It’s Ahnold. It’s 28 minutes long. It’s every kill he’s ever made in movies. It’s amazing. It’s everything the Internet was ever created for, really. From popping up in TV series like the Streets of San Francisco to becoming a star in Conan and Terminator to all time classics like True Lies and even post-gubernatorial…

Could a Smartphone Cholesterol Sensor Convince You Not to Supersize?

One day you might be able to make a more informed decision when the cashier asks if you’d like to supersize your fries. Researchers at Cornell University have developed an accessory for your smartphone called the smartCARD that actually lets you measure your cholesterol in mere minutes. Short for ‘Smartphone Cholesterol Application for Rapid Diagnostics’,…

Want to know about the future of drones in America? Here’s the official US Federal Aviation Administration report on how they plan to integrate UAVs into US airspace over the next few years. [PDF]

This Algorithm Can Make Pictures of Your Face More Memorable

We all know somebody with one of those faces. You know, the friend who always gets mistaken for someone else. They say, “I know I remember you from somewhere!” But they don’t. Turns out there’s a science to this sort of thing—and it could make your face more memorable. A team of researchers at MIT’s…

The Monolithic Sculptures of Data Viz Whiz Edward Tufte

Edward Tufte is a data viz pioneer, well-known for making complex information easy to parse. But the man is also fascinated with manipulating the physical world; he has transformed the rolling hills and wooded terrain of Hogpen Hill Farms in rural Connecticut into a 234-acre sculpture garden that’s like a modern-day Stonehenge—if those pre-historic folks…

These people will learn why King Midas’ corpse is the ultimate weapon

Three space travelers arrive at the long abandoned planet Earth only to discover the entire planet turned to gold. Then they discover the corpse of King Midas, whose powers remain. It’s a bizarre tale only Ryan North of Dinosaur Comics and the amazing Adventure Time comics could do! Or would, probably! And yes, that is…

How IMAX Makes Movies Sound as Big as Their Screens

It takes more than just overwhelmingly humongous visuals to create the immersive “IMAX Experience” that moviegoers have come to expect. The film’s soundtrack plays an equally vital role. Here’s an in-depth look at how IMAX engineers develop and deliver a sound big enough to match the on-screen action. As you can see in the incredibly…

Scientists invent the perfect coffee mug

Scientists love coffee. More than anyone else, by some surveys. So in a way, it makes perfect sense that they would be responsible for what could be the greatest coffee-related invention since coffee-alcohol: a mug that keeps coffee hot – but not too hot – for hours on end. https://gizmodo.com/here-are-the-fifteen-professions-that-drink-the-most-co-5948206 https://gizmodo.com/researchers-make-alcohol-from-coffee-change-everything-1053355598 Above: A 3-D printed…

Why the Swiss Evacuate Their Cows by Helicopter

At first, it’s kind of charming. Look how well the Swiss treat their cows! A helicopter is dispatched just to carry an injured bovine stuck in the mountains! It’s not an uncommon sight in the Alps, either: in Switzerland, insurance that covers helicopter evacuation for your family also includes your cows. But this is not…

Have a Blast Preparing for the End Times in This Luxurious Compound

At first, this 4,000 square-foot cabin in Colorado seems like nothing more than a gorgeous high-elevation getaway. But then you start to notice a few things—signs that this place is for more than just maxing and relaxing. The helicopter pad. The UV cannons. This is some serious prepper porn. Located on a little over two…