Latest

The Inspector Gadget Tech That Ended Up Becoming Real

Back when many of us were still kids and many more had yet to even be twinkles in our mothers’ uteri, Inspector Gadget was the apotheosis of all of technology’s promises—many of which, it turns out, came true. Vanity Fair has a wonderful little collection of those gadgets of the inspector’s that were particularly prescient.…

Could the Ender’s Game boycott actually sink the movie?

Usually when people organize a boycott of a big Hollywood movie, you sort of assume they’ll barely make a dent. But with Ender’s Game, it actually seems somewhat possible that the fan boycott of the film could generate enough static to keep the studio from getting the word out. A bit of backstory: Ender’s Game…

Atomic tests help prove that we grow new neurons in our brains

We used to think that the human brain was unchanging once a person reached maturity. Not true. One of the things that helped debunk this idea was the most destructive weapon ever created. This is what nuclear bombs proved about the human brain. Early brain research indicated that, although other cells in the body regenerated…

Magnificent Animal Armor for Your Favorite Beast

Whether on the battlefield or just in a parade, humans aren’t the only animals who need to don a defensive layer. These suits of armor were made for fighting animals, from horses to dogs, and they are as stately as they are adorable. The Mughal War Elephant Armor, now at the Royal Armouries in Leeds…

NASA’s 3D-Printed Rocket Injector Test: A Beautiful Inferno

NASA and Aerojet Rocketdyne tested their first 3D-printed rocket engine injector today. What you see above is the little guy passing the test with flying—and flaming—colors. Success is a beautiful thing. The process used to create the injector, which NASA likes to call “additive manufacturing,” is actually a step or two more insanely awesome than…

Microsoft is cutting prices on its Surface RT tablets. Starting Sunday, July 14th, Staples will sell the 32GB base model for $349, a savings of $150, whilea similar price cut on 64GB and Touch Cover-equipped models is not yet confirmed. [Engadget/Verge]

Nothing Has Ever (Or Will Ever) Look as Fun as This Driftable Go-Kart

Razor can be as proud as they want for making scooters cool again, but what the company will really go down in history for is this creation: a go-kart called the Crazy Cart that turns anyone at the wheel into a master drifter. Rolling on a set of four spinning castors located in the corners,…

What’s the best story that took an old plot device and made it new?

Science fiction and fantasy are full of story ideas and plot devices that have been used to death, from time travel to clones. But often, the most exciting stories are the ones that breathe new life into those old ideas. What’s your favorite story that takes an old, overused concept and make it brand spanking…

Pacific Rim Review: Holy Sh-t That Was Great

One of the most important things any great action movie needs is a lead actor who can deliver an absurd line and have it sound awesome. One who makes you cheer instead of laugh when he says something that is by all rights laughable. Pacific Rim doesn’t have one of those. But it still manages…

NASA responds to a seven-year-old’s request to go to Mars

A seven-year-old boy recently asked NASA for advice on how to become an astronaut. And because they’re cool that way, the space agency responded in kind. The aspiring astronaut, a young English lad named Dexter, sent this hand-written request to NASA: Dear NASA, My name is Dexter I heard that you are sending 2 people…

Why Doesn’t [BLANK] Have an App?

It’s 2013. Apple’s App Store just turned 5 and Google Play (aka Android Market) is also turning five this October. And for better or worse, we’re all chained to our mobile devices. The internet is literally at our fingertips! But not every company or service has jumped on the app bandwagon. Off the top of…

This Is Why We Light Up Buildings at Night

Think of the Chrysler Building. Now picture it at night. It’s even more beautiful when its jeweled top is illuminated with glowing yellow lights. But before the 1930s, lighting wasn’t exactly used artfully. In fact, the term “architecture of the night” was coined by architect Raymond Hood in this 1930 pamphlet published by General Electric.…

The New Macbook Air Is Your Deal Of The Day

If you’ve been following Apple even for a hot second, you know that the current version of their products don’t go on sale often. Today Amazon has taken 50 bucks off the brand new 2013 11.6 Macbook Air. As an owner of the 13″ version, I can say without hesitation it’s the best laptop I’ve…

First Divergent footage shows the gun-toting teens of the future

We’ve yet to see even the tiniest scrap of footage from Divergent. Until now. The new YA movie adaptation that everyone likes to call “the next Hunger Games” has revealed a bit of behind-the-scenes footage showing how the future factions work. The book is set in the future Chicago, where society is separated by personalities…

Once-in-a-Lifetime Experiences You Could Have at Comic-Con 2013

Comic-Con 2013 starts in just one week. And if you’re still overwhelmed with the wealth of panels, activities and off-site adventures, then we’re here to help. We’ve compiled a complete list of the best of the best events that you cannot miss this year. Here’s the ultimate Comic-Con 2013 To-Do List. See It First One…

Report: Microsoft Gave NSA Access to Emails, Video Calls, and More

Bad news, Outlook users: While you weren’t looking, Microsoft gave the National Security Agency access to its email, chat and cloud storage products as part of the infamous PRISM program. That goes for SkyDrive and Skype, as well. This looks… not good. The Guardian just published its latest update to the NSA-is-watching-you scandal and cites…

How to wash your hair in space

Expedition 36 Crew Member Karen Nyberg gives us a rundown of hair hygeine aboard the International Space Station. The whole video is pretty great, but my favorite part is when she explains how the water sitting in her hair will later be taken up by the Space Station’s air conditioning system and processed into drinking…

ATLAS: Probably the Most Advanced Humanoid Yet, Definitely Terrifying

As impressed by we all were by Petman, DARPA and Boston Dynamics’ remarkably agile and nimble humanoid, it’s about to get upstaged by the company’s latest and greatest robot creation: ATLAS. Designed to compete in DARPA’s upcoming Robotics Challenge, we actually already got a glimpse of ATLAS’ impressive skills back when it was just a…

The Best Search Engine You’re Probably Not Using

Do you like privacy? Do you shun surveillance and eschew spam? Do you like simplicity? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you’ll love DuckDuckGo. DuckDuckGo is the brainchild of everyday American Gabriel Weinberg, and until news of the National Security Agency’s widespread spying program broke last month, it was a baby brainchild.…

Is Mars Ruled by Beavers?

NASA has been accused of covering up evidence of all manner of lifeforms on Mars: lizards, snakes, rats and squirrels, among other things. But has it really been covering up an even bigger secret? Yes indeed, according to an article Thomas Elway wrote for the May 1930 Popular Science. He starts off with a catalog…