Latest

How the Army Fit a Suitcase-Sized Battery Charger into a Shoebox

Nothing’s worse than a dead battery—except maybe if you run out of juice while on patrol in the backwoods of Afghanistan. But until now, US forces have had to lug around a huge and heavy charger. Not anymore. Army research has just shrunk a mobile charging station small enough for any soldier to carry on…

This Man Has Collected 200 Years of Beautiful, Odd, and Historic Bikes

You’ve never seen a bicycle collection so extensive and well-preserved as the one James MacDonald has obtained. Dean Saffron, an Australian photojournalist, discovered James and his bicycles earlier this year. Saffron originally visited MacDonald to shoot stills of him, but eventually returned to film this three-minute documentary short about MacDonald’s collection, and chat with him…

Has the Rhino’s costume in Amazing Spider-Man 2 been revealed?

If you were wondering exactly how The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was going to transform Paul Giamatti into the fearsome Rhino, a few new set pics have come out that possibly reveal his costume. Possible spoilers ahead… A power suit? All right, I can dig that. I can dig the fact that the suit appears to…

Dolphin-assisted births? Yeah, let’s not go there.

An expectant couple from North Carolina are currently in Hawaii awaiting the birth of their baby. When the time comes, they will have a so-called dolphin-assisted birth — a completely whacked idea that experts say is wrong on a number of levels. The couple, Adam and Heather Barrington, are currently staying with Star Newland, the…

Lego’s Opening a School In Denmark

You don’t realize it at the time, but once you find yourself studying at a place of higher learning, you really miss your younger school days where playtime was actually a part of your daily routine. But imagine what life must be like for students of a school that was built and funded by Lego.…

Joss Whedon shares awesome hints about Avengers 2 and S.H.I.E.L.D.

New Man of Steel TV spots have led to some wild speculation about Superman’s dad, while producer Deborah Snyder explains the deeper significance of the suit and cape. Bryan Singer explains the big goals of X-Men: Days of Future Past. Plus John Williams plans his Star Wars return and Evangeline Lilly talks The Hobbit. Spoilers!…

How to Chill a Beer With a Slingshot

Slingshots aren’t just good for firing toilet brushes and Oreos: with a little thought, you can even use one to cool a beer. https://gizmodo.com/weaponized-toilet-brushes-wipe-out-zombies-and-hard-wat-493104984 Everyone’s favorite slingshot expert, Joerg Sprave, explains in this video how a little bit of elastic—and effort—can be used to chill a beer to 6 celsius below room temperature. Sure, using…

Samsung has revealed that it’s holding an event in London on 20th June to unveil a new glut of Android and Windows mobile hardware.

How Sending Mirror Image Signals Could Speed Up the Internet

A team of researchers has developed a technique which uses mirror images signals to dramatically increase the accuracy—and speed—of data transmission across the internet. The team explain in Nature Photonics how it’s possible to send not one but two beams of light down a fiber cable: one the normal data signal, the other its mirror…

This Is NASA’s Solar Propulsion Engine of the Future

This Tron-esque glowing blue ring isn’t the latest designer lamp. In fact, it’s NASA’s cutting-edge solar-electric propulsion thruster, being tested in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Using xenon ions to create its thrust, the engine is being considered for use as part of the Asteroid Initiative—NASA’s plan to capture a small asteroid and redirect it safely…

Why We All Love Space Porn

There’s something so beguilingly beautiful about images of space: those awe inspiring images that make us question our place in the universe. In this video, a team of astrophysicists take a look at why we all find them quite so amazing. So, astrophysicist Dr. Emily Rice, Hubble Image Processor Zolt Levay and Astronomer David W.…

Rumor has it that Yahoo is willing to stump up $800 million to take over Hulu. Marissa Mayer is one big spender right now.

The Weirdest Thing on the Internet Tonight: Black Hole

Our universe being governed by the whims of a pair of rambunctious children in a higher dimension makes a surprising amount of sense.

Amadou & Mariam: Si Ni Kan

Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia are the couple that make up Amadou & Mariam, an afro-blues group from Mali. The pair has been performing for decades and have released seven albums, including last year’s Folila, along with a number of compilations. Both musicians are blind and they are sometimes called “the blind couple from Mali,”…

Will We Eventually Need Apps To Tell Us That We Are Moral People?

It feels nice to get points. It doesn’t really matter for what, but the more points the better. When you check into Foursquare you get points, and it feels nice. And sometimes you even get a badge and that feels like the ultimate vindication, even if the badge is for 10 visits to traffic court.…

RNA-laced bandages could treat the worst wounds on the genetic level

While DNA is the building block of life, its cousin RNA keeps the show running smoothly, as it carries the information from DNA that allow genes to be expressed. RNA’s ability to increase or decrease the expression of genes means it has huge potential to treat diseases at the genetic level, including tumors and chronic…

Orphan Black reveals the greatest secret of Sarah’s past

We’re in the penultimate episode of the season, and Orphan Black just keeps throwing revelations at us. Sarah learns about her past—and gains some unexpected family members. Alison has an intervention, and Dr. Leekie tries to convince us he’s one of the good guys. Spoilers ahead. Last week ended with the most shocking, heartbreaking moment…

Ants Will Give You Free Advertising If You Pee On The Billboard

Most people don’t take a trip to the Amazon looking for publicity opportunities, but if you stumble on one you have to run with it, right? At Smarter Every Day, Destin and his rainforest guides took advantage of the complicated process leafcutter ants go through to forage for salt and got the ants to carry…

“You are all going to die” Joss Whedon’s Wesleyan Commencement Speech

It’s not the most comforting thing in the world to have the director known for killing off his characters remind you of your own mortality. But Joss Whedon’s speech at today’s Wesleyan University commencement wasn’t about comfort; it was about accepting contradictions and learning to listen to dissent from ourselves and others. Wesleyan has posted…

Surprising No One, Twitter Is An Arrested Development Explosion

The Netflix-only fourth season of Arrested Development went live at 3 a.m. EST this morning, and if you didn’t see the Twitter deluge coming, well, you’re one of these people: But you’re probably one of these people: Or you actually have to get sleep in order to work: So you hate this person: Or perhaps…