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How Much Longer Before Our First AI Catastrophe?

What will happen in the days after the birth of the first true artificial intelligence? If things continue apace, this could prove to be the most dangerous time in human history. It will be an era of weak and narrow artificial intelligence, a highly dangerous combination that could wreak tremendous havoc on human civilization. Here’s…

Three of This Generation’s Iconic Scientists Horsing Around Like Kids

Brian Greene (author of The Elegant Universe) just posted this photo on his Facebook wall with the following description: An action shot from Saturday’s Origins Symposium, shows the civil way scientists debate. On the right, that’s Bill Nye (“The Science Guy”) restraining Neil Tyson, as I offer my perspective. There’s probably some context that would…

Behold, the first footage from Stephen King’s new TV series Under the Dome

Earlier this week we gave you the full rundown on what to expect from Brian K. Vaughan and Stephen King’s new CBS thriller Under the Dome. But now you can see the very first footage about a town that is quarantined by a giant, impenetrable dome in this premiere trailer! https://gizmodo.com/brian-k-vaughan-gives-us-the-first-glimpse-inside-his-464784255 Based off the 1,000-page…

Report: Facebook’s “Phone” Is a Home Screen That Could Be Coming To Your Phone Too

Android Police has managed to get its hands on a system dump for the upcoming “Facebook Phone” this Thursday. And while there will be a physical device announced, it seems “Facebook Home” is a really customized launcher, eventually destined for a wide variety of handsets. https://gizmodo.com/is-facebook-about-to-announce-a-facebook-phone-running-5992843 The disassembled data reveals a lot of information about…

Regular People Like These Two Guys Are Vying for a Role in Robert Rodriguez’s Latest Film

By now, you know all about Two Scoops, the new short film that Robert Rodriguez is making about a pair of extremely attractive ass-kicking twins named Lola and Lucia for Project Green Screen in conjunction with BlackBerry. The first act, in which he’s asking regular people such as yourself to submit a performance of one…

Archaeologists have discovered a “trove” of neanderthal bones in Greece

A cave in Greece has been found to contain 14 specimens of child and adult human remains, providing archaeologists with key insights into the lives and geographical distribution of ancient hominins. In an interview with LiveScience’s Charles Choi, paleoanthropologist Katerina Harvati explains that Greece is a prime location for investigating the dispersal of early modern…

How 3D Printing Gave This Man His Life (and Face) Back

While doctors have experimented with 3D-printed prosthetics in the past, none has been quite as prominent or incredibly detailed as Eric Moger’s newest addition: a prosthetic, 3D-printed face. https://gizmodo.com/how-a-3d-printed-jaw-let-a-woman-eat-again-5882549 Four years ago, Eric underwent surgery to remove a tennis-ball-sized tumor in the left side of his face—along with almost the entire face itself. Left with…

Cable-killing TV service Aereo has won a major court decision that’ll keep it in business—for now. [PDF of decision] https://gizmodo.com/aereo-hands-on-watch-broadcast-tv-wherever-and-wheneve-5893248

Nursery School named after Pinky And The Brain is certainly up to no good

The Pinky and the Brain School is a real school that is 100% named after the adorable Animaniacs cartoon duo. Located in the capital city of Nigeria, we can only imagine what the classes are like. But they all should only have one goal — to try to take over the world. Narf! [via Nerdcore]

The Walking Dead season finale replaces its epic confrontation with some epic bullsh*t

Well, I can’t accuse The Walking Dead of being inconsistent. The season finale perfectly encapsulated the entirety of season 3 — a lot of padding, a few great character moments, and most of all, SOME TOTAL BULLSHIT. Let me say that season 3 is still the best season of The Walking Dead, but in no…

28 Glimpses Into North Korea’s Technological… Prowess?

By now you may think that North Korea is only good for nuclear bluster and general insanity. But! Beneath that strange veneer lies actual technology, architecture, and design. https://gizmodo.com/could-north-korea-really-hit-us-with-a-nuke-5989194 Some of it’s just a little more polished than others. North Koreans look at a new homegrown tablet at a trade fair at the Three Revolution…

Microscopic Straws Suck Liquid Without Any Power

Researchers at MIT have discovered that when nanowires just billionths of a meter thick are inserted into liquids, they passively draw it upwards along its length without any outside power or suction. It’s like the world’s tiniest Dyson that you never have to find an outlet to plug in. The phenomenon is commonly known as…

Google Maps unveils “Treasure Mode”

Guys. YOU GUYS. Treasure. Google Maps now has a Treasure Mode. For finding gold and stuff. Last year, Google’s street view team discovered a treasure map belonging to infamous pirate William “Captain” Kidd, while shooting footage for their underwater streetview collection beneath the waves of the Indian Ocean. Now, Google has used its custom 3D…

Bioshock Infinite: The Movie is already here for your viewing pleasure

Between the floating city of Columbia, the steampunk aesthetic and the evil robot George Washington Terminator, I imagine there’s a lot of io9 readers interested in the new video game Bioshock Infinite. But playing video games is Kotaku‘s things, not ours. What to do? Well, how about we just watch the game’s footage edited into…

This Accordion-Shaped House Doesn’t Quite Fit In

This meandering house was planned around a central narrow corridor, resulting in its accordion-like shape. Designed by FujiwaraMuro Architects, it’s a bit out of place in a Japanese residential neighborhood filled with traditional homes. Its shape looks like a snake drawn in a cubist style. The main hallway shrinks and curves and expands in two…

This Secret Google Maps Gesture Is Totally Brilliant

So this is great. Google might have the smartest new gesture we’ve seen in a while: a smart, simple way to zoom in and out with one hand. Just double tap the screen with your thumb—anywhere on the screen is fine—and on the second tap, hold your finger down. Now slide your finger up and…

5 Genius April Fools’ Products We Hope Become Real

Kind of like the anti-Christmas, April Fool’s Day is hands down the worst day of the year. Companies around the world come up with lame products and issue even lamer press releases in a misguided and utterly disastrous attempt to be funny. Except for ThinkGeek. The online store goes above and beyond the call of…

We’ve created a mutant creature that took over the world

You know those old movies about how some species is exposed to human-made chemicals and radiation and mutates and takes over the world? Do you remember thinking that’s pretty old-fashioned? It is. It already happened in 1980. Caulerpa taxifolia managed to lay waste to the world’s oceans by, at first, posing as a friend of…

Robert Redford talks Captain America: The Winter Soldier. And why was World War Z‘s ending reshot?

Showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss offer more hints about how the latest season of Game of Thrones will adapt its source material. Chronicle’s Dane DeHaan explains his mindset for playing the new Harry Osborn in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Plus everything you need to get ready for the next episode of Doctor Who! Spoilers…

You Can Finally Build Your Own Pump Gun Hex Nuts Slingshot, But Should You?

Not surprisingly, the Nabisco folks weren’t entirely impressed with Joerg Sprave’s brilliant Oreo-splitting pump action slingshot, and took his video down. So as an act of revenge, Joerg has added another pump action weapon to his arsenal designed to decimate a box of cookies. But this time he’s also provided the plans and instructions needed…