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The super impromptu spacewalk to fix up the ISS’s broken ammonia pump was a success. The new pump is in place with no leaks to speak of and our walkers are back inside.

What does a record made out of wood sound like?

Not great, but it’s an interesting process. Maker Amanda Ghassaei decided to test how maple worked as a song-delivery medium by laser cutting her own wooden records. You can certainly hear the songs on each record, but Ghassaei explains the challenges of making high quality wooden records. After 3D-printing her own records, Ghassaei decided to…

Surprising funeral ad makes a lovely skeleton from pressed flowers

Japanese funeral home Nishinihon Tenrei wanted to create an ad that would break from the traditional funerary colors of black and white while still presenting a respectful image of their services. Tokyo-based ad agency I&S BBDO came up with this life-sized skeleton, celebrating the life of the departed through pressed flowers. Creative director Mari Nishimura…

Why You Should Wait to Buy a Laptop, The Worst Photoshop Ever, and More

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the weekend. Here to great you and guide you into a land of bliss is an escort of Gizmodo post about such topics as 3D-printed gun plans, stunning watch photography, quantum Internet, the new FitBit and so much more. Check it all out after the jump, and try not to…

Meet the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. through their official ID badges

Now that ABC has officially picked up Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., all kinds of details are tumbling out about the series. Let’s meet the agents who are protecting us while Marvel’s superheroes are busy dealing with other matters. The fan site SHIELDtv (which is a great spot to follow news about the show), has posted these…

Barns Are Red Because of How Stars Explode

We all know that barns are usually red. But why? Well, the answer is a little more complicated than you might think, but basically it’s because of nuclear fusion. Googler Yonatan Zunger took the time to explain the whole thing in great detail on Google+, and the train of thought goes a little something like…

Simon and Marceline cosplay will put a tear in your eye

Adventure Time’s flashback on Ice King and Marceline to their Simon and Marcy days was one of our favorite reveals of the series, and this cosplay by Twinzik Cosplay perfectly captures the bittersweetness of their backstory. The top photo was taken by Chou-wa Photography and Cosplay and the one below by Mineralblu Photography. Oh, and…

Syfy is headed to Defiance for a second season

Syfy has announced that we’re in for a second helping of its Earthbound futuristic western Defiance. We’re in for another season of alien race relations and mutant beasties, all under the Gateway Arch. After a shaky pilot, we’ve been very excited about the turns Defiance has taken. We’re hoping that the series still has plenty…

Time-lapse satellite images show how Earth has changed over 28 years

Chances are, this is how you will be spending the rest of your day. Google Earth Engine is an incredible satellite tour through the recent history of our planet, showing year-by-year images from 1984-2012. Watch as cities expand, glaciers retreat, and seas vanish in a matter of decades. Google Earth Engine uses composites of annual…

Identity Thieves Caught By Instagramming Dinner

You might think it’s all fun and games when you’re Instagramming your dinner before you dig in, but former identity thief Nathaniel Troy Maye will tell you otherwise; doing just that got him arrested. Nathaniel Troy Maye and Tiwanna Tenise Thomason are now facing up to 12 years in prison after a guilty plea this…

A teen travels to 1776 in her dreams—and never wants to wake up

Beatrice Whaley, protagonist of Lora Innes’ webcomic The Dreamer, never cared much for the rich history of her Massachusetts town, until one night when she closed her eyes and found herself in the middle of the American Revolution. Now every time she sleeps, she’s caught up in the drama, romance, and terror of men fighting…

S.H.I.E.L.D. isn’t the only new genre show on ABC’s agenda

We are bouncing-off-the-walls excited that ABC has officially picked up Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but that isn’t the only genre show ABC has its eye on. ABC has released more details on S.H.I.E.L.D., as well as the other new shows the network has ordered for the 2013-2014 season. https://gizmodo.com/its-official-abc-has-picked-up-joss-whedons-s-h-i-e-499817421 Variety reports that ABC has ordered seven…

10 Tricks to Make Yourself a Google+ Master

Unless you happen to work for the search giant that created it, Google+ is probably not your social network of choice. Nevertheless, there’s a ton of functionality hidden behind its walls, covering everything from photos to local searches as the influence of Google+ stretches across the company’s multitude of other products. Here’s how to get…

What if Guy Pearce played the Riddler in Nolan’s third Batman film?

Before The Dark Knight Rises started filming, Batman fan MMatt imagined a third Christopher Nolan Batman movie starring Guy Pearce as the Riddler. He created a series of posters casting Pearce as Edward Nygma and giving him his own catchphrase: Who is the Batman? MMatt posted the entire series to the Nolan Fans forums. [via…

The Coolest Music Visualizer Is Just a Puddle of Water

Remember when music visualizers were all the rage about fifteen years ago? Or maybe that was just a music visualizer phase I went through alone. Either way, this art installation called “Sonic Water” puts a very literal spin on the concept eschewing any kind of simulation for a real puddle of water. Designed by media…

The Pulverizer returns to TMNT plus a preview of upcoming Marvel ‘Toons!

This week in the world of cartoons we see the return of a TMNT wannabee, we get a preview of Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H & Avengers Assemble, plus we take a look at an old episode from Star Trek: The Animated Series as we get ready for the release of Into Darkness. Ultimate…

Watch NASA’s Emergency ISS Spacewalk Live Right Now (Updating)

Two days ago, astronauts on the ISS discovered some little white flakes suspiciously floating away from the station. And now, they’re already floating outside in zero gravity to fix it. From planning to go-time, this has been the most impromptu spacewalk in NASA history, and you can tune in below. https://gizmodo.com/the-international-space-station-has-an-ammonia-leak-499162045 Free live streaming by…

Movies Summed Up in Nine Film Frames

Movies are too long. Even film masterpieces can shave off a few minutes here and there so we can get off our butts, away from laptops, out of theaters, eyeballs off the TV a little bit earlier. So. How short can a movie be for you to get the gist of it? Can it be…

The Weirdest Thing on the Internet Tonight: Another Tomorrow

Sometimes all it takes to remember what’s important in life is being hit by a bus. This stunning graduation film by Peeranat Tuwarotesakul of Chulalongkorn University explores one man’s near death and spiritual rebirth solely through the interplay between the characters and environmental lighting. It’s really fantastic.

Floppy Drives Are Only Good for Playing Daft Punk Music Now

Can you remember the last time you used a floppy disk? I really don’t. I’m assuming it was some time in elementary school bringing a single Word document in a computer class or something. Maybe I’m making that up. Whatever, it doesn’t matter. Floppy drives don’t matter anymore. Unless they’re being used to make music.…