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A USB-Powered BB Sniper Rifle Keeps All Work Distractions At Bay

With this USB-powered desktop sniper rifle you’ll never miss another deadline again because of idle chit-chat and other distractions from your co-workers. Ideal for cubicle-type setups where you’re protected on three sides, this tiny gun fires plastic BBs perfect for annoying, harassing, or intimidating your office neighbors. The sniper rifle is powered and aimed via…

Did humans control natural selection of other species?

We think of natural selection as the kind of thing that happened long before people got involved. But one Soviet scientist believed that humans not only participated in a special kind of selection, but we ate better because of it. When a harmless snake develops colors to look like a venomous snake, predators are wary…

You’ve Only Got a Week to Watch These James Bond Movies on Netflix

Bad news, Bond fans. In just over a week’s time, you’re going to have find a new spy friend on Netflix. On September 2, 17 of the spy films will disappear from the site’s streaming video library. No more Goldfinger. No more GoldenEye. No more a lot of things. The good news is that a…

Dealzmodo: Your Choice Of FiiO Amp, BenQ Pro Monitor, Audible Trial

For your listening pleasure, Rakuten has your choice of FiiO portable headphone amp at great prices. Grab the FiiO E11 (pictured) for $46, same price at BuyDig. Rakuten and BuyDig also have the smaller FiiO E6 for 20 bucks if you’re looking to save money and/or space. Both units are USB rechargeable and receive great…

Exclusive Excerpt from Francesca Lia Block’s Post-Apocalyptic Odyssey

In Love in the Time of Global Warming, Francesca Lia Block does an off-kilter spin on Homer’s Odyssey, set in a post-apocalyptic world. Pen, a 17-year-old girl, searches through the ruins of Los Angeles for her missing family. We’ve got an exclusive excerpt right here! I drive as fast as I can away from the…

Cool new “clock” helps you keep track of wasted time on Facebook

Facebook and all that other Internet garbage sure does waste everyone’s time. Luckily, there’s not really that much else we should really be doing, as long as we get in a shower now and then. But if you’re concerned about the “time suck” that is Facebook, a new device may help you manage things. https://lifehacker.com/timerabbit-keeps-track-of-how-much-time-you-waste-on-fa-1189092893

This is how ESPN makes up stories: a step-by-step video analysis

Deadspin has a fascinating step-by-step video analysis that demonstrates how ESPN can pull stories out of the thin air its collective ass produces, without any shame or dignity. It’s appalling that people actually waste their time watching this verbal diarrhea. https://deadspin.com/how-espn-manufactures-a-story-colin-kaepernick-edition-1185400028

This Ultrafast Camera Is Designed to Work Like a Human Retina

Photos and videos are not lightweight files—they quickly add up to gigabytes of data which can be a dealbreaker a lot of research. Engineers at the Swiss company iniLabs created a better way—a camera that borrows its mechanics from the marvels of the human retina. The Dynamic Vision Sensor (DVS) works a lot like the…

RIP Gilbert Taylor. He was one of the great cinematographers who transformed science fiction with his work on Star Wars and other films. Sadly, Taylor has died at age 99.

The Case for Geological Optimism

There’s a meme haunting the internet, and it’s called techno-optimism. It’s the belief that we can solve all our problems, from climate change to government surveillance, using technology. I reject this idea. My hope for the future comes from geology, and a belief that one day we will invent machines that are environmental rather than…

You Can Buy NASA’s Giant Launch Platforms—Assuming You Can Move Them

The shuttle program is dead. That’s sad. But the parts that made up the shuttle program have morphed into one massively absurd estate sale, the likes of which hoarders have only ever dreamed of. And that’s absolutely wonderful. You’ll soon be able to bid on one of the three genuine, 4,115-ton launch platforms that shot…

If you had it to do all over again… could you even manage to?

It’s become a cliché to say, “If I could do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing.” Or, “I’d do the same thing again.” But could you actually do that in real life? If you rewound your life to your 16th birthday, would it even be possible to duplicate your past actions? Assuming…

Exhausted Americans sadly admit they’re all still racists

While this country is a lot less racist than it was a half century ago during the Civil Rights struggle, Americans have sadly admitted that they’re still personally kind of racist. Maybe everything will be better in another 50 years. http://gawker.com/americans-of-all-races-agree-we-are-racist-1188151323

A magical foolproof method for losing 15 pounds in 15 minutes

In case you need more proof that before and after shots for miracle weight loss methods are as false as the methods themselves, here’s personal trainer Mel to tell you how she achieved what you can see in these two photos in just 15 minutes, no Photoshop involved. http://gawker.com/personal-trainer-exposes-before-after-secrets-on-in-1189167678

Simple Optics Make This Clever Mirror Much Easier to Share

If everyone in your home is constantly jockeying for position at the bathroom mirror as they get ready for the day, you might want to consider an upgrade to this clever alternative dubbed the mirror #180 by its creators at halb/halb. What makes it special is a split down the middle with each side angled…

Watch 34 years of the whole world protesting against the powerful

This amazing interactive map shows global protests flaring up all over the world, from 1979 until now. There are a lot more people alive today than 34 years ago, so maybe that’s why there are so many more protests. Or maybe people have learned how to manipulate TV news. https://gizmodo.com/an-interactive-timeline-of-every-protest-on-the-earth-s-1188214852

What’s the best special effects scene in history?

Here are 15 options to choose from, selected by the top experts in movie magicks. Do you agree? If not, tell us your personal favorite. https://gizmodo.com/the-best-effects-shots-ever-as-chosen-by-hollywoods-to-1188416659

Pavlovian Trainer Rewards Your Puppy For Pottying On Target

If you’re having a tough time potty training a new puppy, it turns out the research done by Russian physiologist Ivan Petrovich Pavlov can be of service. He was famous for conditioning dogs to salivate at the ring of a bell, and with this potty trainer, you can run a similar experiment by rewarding a…

The 7 Most Common Misconceptions About Science Fiction Publishing

Science fiction book publishers sail the multiverse like a fleet of unstoppable hyper-cruisers. And many of us dream of being beamed up to one of these motherships. But at the same time, a lot of people don’t understand how the system works. Here are the seven most common mistaken ideas about science fiction book publishers.…

A quick science experiment shames soda drinkers and aliens

So what if aliens bleed acid? We breathe acid, suckers! And we can prove it! And while we’re doing that, we can show why soda is very mildly bad for you. The infamous tooth experiment which is meant to demonstrate that a tooth put in soda will dissolve within a few days, is now known…