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Pin-up calendar features not-so-sexy monsters in sexy poses

Looking for something a pin-up calendar that’s a little different? How about Nosferatu, Godzilla, and Slimer giving their best come hither looks in a series of prints that proves light-hearted seduction isn’t just for conventionally attractive monsters. Erika Deoudes’ 2014 Sexy Monsters Calendar is 12 months of funny monster pin-ups, available as prints in a…

Scientists listened to the heartbeat of a prisoner as he was executed

Nothing like a big dose of the macabre for the weekend. In 1938, a scientist actually recorded a condemned prisoner’s heartbeat as he was being executed by firing squad. Doctor Stephen Besley was a doctor at a prison. He was, perhaps, not the most sympathetic of physicians, but he was extremely practical. After seeing many…

Corsets meet Star Trek in these Victorian Starfleet uniform dresses

For those times when you’re flung unexpectedly back in time—or if you just don’t want to change clothes between work and your favorite holonovel—cosplayer Genovefa has dreamed up these Starfleet-themed dresses with long skirts and a bit of Victorian-inspired corsetry. Genovefa is modeling the Captain Janeway dress while her friend models the Data version. You…

Why Smaug Still Matters

This week, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug hits theaters, introducing us to Peter Jackson’s vision of J.R.R. Tolkien’s most famous dragon. But in a media landscape overstuffed with dragons, why do we still care so much about Smaug? Top image: Crop from J.R.R. Tolkien’s own illustration “Conversation with Smaug.” “A dragon is no idle…

Modular Jazz

The musician who goes by mudlogger, aka Ubon Ratchathani of Thailand, has been uploading modular synthesizer experiments. Among them is this piece, “OrLo,” which he describes as “modular jazz.” No doubt it gets that description because the white noise percussion suggests a robotic trap set, and the intransigent pneumatic piping sounds like a European free…

This Week’s Top Comedy Video: The Onion Debates Stop-And-Kiss

This week, The Onion takes a look at the NYPD’s most controversial tactic: stop and kiss. Tensions run high between supporters and opponents in the debate over this police activity. For more of the best comedy videos this week, head on over to SplitSider. Standup Kyle Kinane had a hilarious Twitter interaction with a salsa…

Researchers Discover Huge Freshwater Reserves Under Ocean Floors

As earth’s population surges, mankind faces an increasingly limited supply of fresh water. Thankfully, Australian scientists report this week that they’ve found vast new fresh water supplies. Unfortunately, it’s in one of earth’s least accessible places: under the ocean floor. Published in this week’s Nature, the research compiles mounting evidence that fresh groundwater reserves exist…

Just Four People are Making This Stunning Video Game

The rich and beautiful No Man’s Sky has stolen the show at VGX. Check out the trailer below and marvel that just four people are working on this incredible space adventure game.

On this day in 1972, the Apollo 17crew snapped this photograph, later dubbed “The Blue Marble.” Photographed using a 70-millimeter Hasselblad camera with an 80-millimeter Zeiss lens, and credited to all three Apollo 17 astronauts (Eugene Cernan, Ronald Evans and Jack Schmitt), this rare image of a fully-illuminated Earth has become one of the world’s…

Night of the Swarming Post-It Notes

Their intelligence told them that adhesive notes would provide the perfect disguise for their drones: innocuous and ubiquitous, found in the highest levels of government and the private sector. But they failed to understand just how out of place the neon bits of paper would be sailing about outdoors. One of many swarming object photographs…

An animated world where people have adjusted to an extremely windy life

Robert Löbel’s whimsical animation WIND exists in a world that is, well, extraordinarily windy. But the denizens of this windy world have found ways to deal with—and even enjoy—the weather. [via Vimeo Staff Picks]

This Infographic Shows How Crazy Holiday Toys Have Gotten in 50 Years

Philadelphia-based Abby Ryan Design came up with this fun infographic of the most popular toys from 50 years of holiday shopping. If you were a child during any of that time, you’ll doubtless recognize something. Then you’ll scratch your head in bafflement at how damned expensive today’s most-requested gifts are. This is a complaint that…

Haven asks: Can you solve one curse with a complementary curse?

As we get closer to discovering Audrey’s proto-personality, Haven is hit by a Trouble that can’t be solved with one of Audrey’s classic pep talks. In fact, the only way to resolve the Trouble may be to give a Trouble to someone else. If there was any question of William’s utter indifference to humanity, this…

Ever Had An Online Password Stolen?

This week, a website called haveibeenpwned launched to help folks find out whether their accounts were compromised in recent hacks on Adobe and Yahoo. The site claims to identify over 154 million hacked accounts. That’s a lot of people affected by just a few hacks, of which there are more every day. Have you ever…

The Swedish Chef faces Gordon Ramsay in the ultimate Muppet cook-off

In advance of The Muppets’ Most Wanted, Muppets Studio has released the bite-sized webisode “Food Fight,” in which the Swedish Chef pits his culinary skills against Gordon Ramsay in a reality show-inspired food truck competition. And naturally, our favorite Muppet critics are serving up their judgment with a side of snark. Update: And thanks to…

Disappearing Glaciers, Magical Paint, FBI Webcam Spying and More

This week we had some bad news: glaciers disappearing at a shocking rate and reports that the FBI can spy on anyone’s laptop camera without the indicator light coming on. On the bright side, we also learned that someday you’ll never have to worry about inserting a USB upside-down. So that evens out, right? Step…

Two Great Fist-Pumping Moments from Last Night’s Nikita

Aw yeah. Last night’s Nikita gave two of the show’s supporting castmembers a chance to shine, and the results were thrilling. Also, there was an excellent fakeout with Birkhoff, and a lot of spy-vs-spy action. Spoilers ahead… One thing I like in this final mini-season of Nikita is that our heroes are slowly chipping away…

Make a Shaken Soda Shoot Its Cap Like a Cannon Without Spilling a Drop

You probably think there are two ways to open a well-shaken bottle of soda: the tediously slow method, and the spill-it-all-over method. Turns out there’s a third way, and it’s awesome. You’re definitely gonna want to try this. The built up pressure in a vigorously-shaken soda bottle has to go somewhere, and usually it brings…

Concept Art Writing Prompt: The Missionary Seeks an Alien Convert

Dressed in robes, a human ministers to an alien being. Is he peddling a certain faith, and is the alien buying? This piece was created by Eric Wilkerson for the online magazine Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show to illustrate the short story “Sojourn for Ephah” by Marina J. Lostetter, via r/ImaginaryMonsters. Take a few…

5 Ways to Pack Your Suitcase Way More Efficiently

Doesn’t matter if you’re going away for a few nights or a fortnight, there’s no need to carry more matched luggage than Princess Vespa. With a bit of planning and these simple storage techniques, you’ll be able to pack your holiday’s worth of gear into a standard carry-on. Have a Day by Day Plan Over-packing…