Latest

Attractive Sunglasses Snap Together With Magnets, Not Screws

Sick of all those times when a screw comes loose on your favorite frames and there’s not an itty-bitty repair kit in sight? Feast your eyes on the Alessi’s new Kompas collection, a series of stylish glasses that hinge with no-fuss magnetic inserts, eliminating the need for spare parts or tightening over time. Though it’s…

Blue skies in China can only appear on screens because of the smog

In China, the air is so filthy and the smog is so crushing that beautiful blue skies can only exist when they’re shown on giant video screens. The picture was taken at Tiananmen Square by Feng Li for Getty and the fake blue sky against the backdrop of the real toxic air makes this so…

The Doctor Who docudrama will premiere in America on November 22nd

An Adventure in Time in Time and Space, the docudrama about the creation of Doctor Who, will air on BBC America at 9:00 p.m. on November 22nd. this is one day after its British premiere on November 21st, and just a few days before the world-wide premiere of the 50th anniversary special on November 25th.…

Two Billion Reasons Why We’re About to Find Earth 2

Planet-hunting scientists announced today that 22% of sunlike stars in the Milky Way are orbited by potentially habitable, Earth-size worlds. This remarkable finding indicates that there may be as many as two billion planets in our galaxy suitable for life — and that the nearest such planet may be only 12 light-years away. Top photo:…

A Cool Contraption Generates Earthenware Using a Catenary Arch

The craft of making ceramics is often thought of as a hands-on affair (thanks Demi and Patrick). But this device puts a new spin—or pour, really—on the process. Great Things to People, a Santiago, Chile-based creative studio, developed the Catenary Pottery Printer (CPP) to produce earthenware using an organic process. Its wooden frame supports a…

If only every fantasy novel was as smart as Coldest Girl in Coldtown

I am not a vampire person. It’s not that I don’t get the allure of the vampire story — I’ve just always found the metaphors for sexuality, power and old money’s exploitation of youth too obvious and overblown. So I was pleasantly shocked that I pretty much loved Holly Black’s newest YA novel, The Coldest…

Today’s NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day is gorgeous:the Empire State Building against this morning’s partial lunar eclipse. Stunning photo by Chris Cook.

PETA protests cyborgs

A new DiY science kit, “Backyard Brains,” teaches kids about neuroscience and biotech by helping them dissect cockroaches — and then use simple electronic components to control the bugs’ brains and movements. Now PETA is protesting the kits, saying they are cruel. https://gizmodo.com/now-you-can-control-living-cockroaches-with-a-mobile-ap-1442243456 According to Cindy Clayton in the Virginian Pilot: PETA has written to…

NYC’s First Inflatable Tunnel Plug Will Stop Floods, Smoke, and Gas

After Hurricane Sandy decimated the subway system last year, officials pledged to install new devices to help halt the rising tides—including flood gates and, more intriguingly, a device called a “tunnel plug.” https://gizmodo.com/this-giant-tube-stopper-will-plug-flooded-subways-and-c-5897003 During a “Sandy Resilience Tour” last week, the MTA unveiled a working prototype of the plug, which was installed over the summer…

Why 47 Ronin Could Be “Kurosawa on Meth”

Originally slated for a release in November of 2012, then pushed back to February of 2013 — and finally shoved even further back to December 2013 — 47 Ronin has been a long time coming. But will it work? We visited this fantasy movie’s set, and here’s all of the Japanese madness we witnessed. Back…

Syphilis may not have come from the New World after all

Some say Christopher Columbus brought syphilis back with him from the Americas. But was the so-called “French Disease” already in Europe by the time of his return? Biology PhD candidate Katherine Wright cracks open this epidemiological cold case in a short but captivating piece currently featured at The Guardian. The article was selected from more…

Chinese commandos get underwater machine guns

This is the first look of China’s new underwater assault rifle, now in the hands of their special forces. It has been under secret development for a long time. The weapons—which use the technology of this 800-rounds-per-minute Russian underwater rifle—were shown for the first time on Central China Television:

7 Home Improvement Apps to Help Your Inner Handyman

Whether you’re remodeling your kitchen or just fixing a leaky faucet, keeping up with your house’s basic maintenance is an essential part of home ownership. And with these helpful mobile apps in your tool-belt, you’ll be able to tackle virtually any project without having to get your contractor’s license. Inspiration You never know where you’ll…

On Witches of East End, magic works in whatever way the plot requires

The good news: The plot of last night’s Witches of East End was way more coherent than any of the previous outings. The bad news: The show still has a tone problem. And it’s already clear the magic’s made out of pure plot convenience. But hey, CGI bugs crawled all over Julia Ormond’s face, and…

The 5 Biggest News Websites of 2010 (As Predicted in 2000)

Back in the year 2000, futurist Frank Feather looked into his crystal ball and predicted that Quixtar would be one of the biggest retail websites of 2010. Needless to say, it wasn’t. But Feather’s predictions weren’t all bad. Especially when it came to the future of news. https://gizmodo.com/the-50-biggest-websites-of-2010-as-predicted-in-2000-1445142253 Feather’s 2000 book, FutureConsumer.com: The webolution of…

Death Star Owner’s Manual will help you get it Fully Operational

No Bothans had to die, in order for you to get your hands on the plans to the Death Star from Star Wars. Instead, you can just buy the Imperial Death Star: Owner’s Workshop Manual — published by Haynes, the same folks who did the Millennium Falcon owner’s manual. We’ve got an exclusive sneak peek…

Attack the Block‘s Joe Cornish may be the director of Star Trek 3

He’s been rumored to be in the running for a while now, but apparently Joe Cornish — director of the British scifi hit Attack the Block and co-writer of the CG Tintin movie and Edgar Wright’s upcoming Ant-Man film — is Paramount’s #1 choice to take over directing duties for the Star Trek movie franchise.…

You want urban reads? We got your urban reads right here. On this November day: Icelandic elves, Lou Reed, the lost & found art of walking, what “smart city” really means, and an adorable dancing traffic cop. Icelanders still believe in invisible elves—which is very good for the environment [The Atlantic] Part of the English…

Here’s what we really know and don’t know about alien civilizations

George Dvorsky explores some of the most plausible scenarios for alien civilizations based on what we know about life and the Universe—which is not a lot, but enough to make some educated guesses. https://gizmodo.com/some-of-the-most-plausible-scenarios-for-alien-civiliza-1458148674

The coming food riots of the twenty-first century

The next century could witness the rise of severe localized famines, leading to food riots, vulnerability to pandemics, and other problems. A leaked intergovernmental report suggests that famine is a likely scenario for the near future. Several journalists, including the New York Times’ Andrew Revkin, have posted a leaked version of a report from the…