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Lego Iron Man: It’s Not Really Lego, But Kids Love These

This is not real Lego. I mean, it is Lego and its pieces are Lego, but the large bulky surfaces that make this Iron Man are too large to be considered canon. But hey, kids love these big (7 inches, 18 centimeters) robotic things and it’s Iron Man. You can also buy Hulk and Captain…

What’s It Like to Write for NMA TV, that Wacky Taiwanese CGI Video Company

Just about every time there’s a wacky current event, you have a weird CGI video to explain it for you from the Taiwanese company Next Media Animation. The clips are in a lightning fast production process, as you see fleshed out in the explainer above. But how do they go from idea to hilarious video?…

The sci-fi inspired buildings that communism built

Anthony Paletta of The Awl has collected a series of coffee table books which showcase the remarkable and often strange structures that were designed and built during the Cold War. And as a quick scan of his gallery shows, many of these buildings were clearly inspired by utopian longings and an aesthetic sensibility pulled straight…

Reading Rainbow remix will make you feel like a kid again

The Symphony of Science masters (melodysheep) are at it again, and taking on the fellowship of PBS shows. First they remixed Mr. Rogers, Bob Ross and Julia Child, now they’ve auto-tuned LeVar Burton from Reading Rainbow and it’s making our insides flip like a butterfly in the sky.

Five hours of planes landing at San Diego International Airport in less than thirty seconds

Aviation porn. Is that a thing? It should be. Whatever, we’re using it — it’s the perfect descriptor for this composite timelapse video by filmmaker Cy Kuckenbaker, captured at San Diego International Airport on Black Friday between 10:30 am and 3:00 pm. Kuckenbaker describes his methods and motivation on his blog: Months ago I saw…

Galaxy SIII owners, rejoice (if you’re on AT&T)! Today, your long-awaited Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update arrives. Enjoy.

Grandpa Jetson is Way Cooler Than Grandpa Simpson

This is the eleventh in a 24-part series looking at every episode of The Jetsons TV show from the original 1962-63 season. The 11th episode of The Jetsons opens with a police officer pulling over Montague Jetson — George’s grandfather and a man whose abundant energy and enthusiasm for life dominate the episode. The cop…

Why Don’t Pistols Come With Built-In Flasks Anymore?

These days it’s a little unsettling to see a firearm with a canteen attached, particularly because it’s probably safe to assume it was rarely filled with just water. But back in 1862 when this Colt Navy 4-Screw Revolver was originally manufactured, carrying a gun everywhere you went was commonplace, and a built-in flask just made…

Find out how James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell are reinventing vampires with Blood Gospel

Vampires have gotten downright cuddly lately — but in Blood Gospel by James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell, they’re at the center of a paranoid action thriller involving secret history and long-buried evil. Rollins, the author of the SIGMA Force novels, combines his penchant for science and historical mystery with Cantrell’s gothic horror roots. We’ve got…

Secretive company to announce ‘game-changing’ lunar mission — and it could involve humans

A secretive and mysterious private firm called The Golden Spike Company is expected to make a major announcement this coming Thursday about its plans to undertake a private expedition to the moon by 2020. If the internet rumors are to be believed, these plans could see humans return to the lunar surface. Not much is…

How Tall Can a Lego Tower Be Before It Crushes Itself?

Every building material has a theoretical limit which it can’t be used beyond: at some point, the weight of material above is enough to crush what’s below. Now, a team of engineers has worked out that limit for Lego—and it’s surprisingly high. A team of researchers from the Open University in the UK decided to…

The 15 Most Overpriced Gadgets of All Time

There’s nothing wrong with charging a lot of money for your gadget. Some of the best things in life are the exact opposite of free; a truly superior product is definitely worth spending more. Unfortunately, sometimes tech companies think too much of their wares and too little of your intelligence. The result is a product…

Another crucial character from The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is now confirmed!

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 officially adds an Oscar winner. Doctor Who’s Sylvester McCoy drops some Hobbit knowledge. Star Wars legends Rick Baker and George Lucas discuss their potential roles in Episode VII. Plus some intriguing Legend of Conan details! Spoilers from here on out! Top image from Star Trek Into Darkness. Star Wars: Episode VII…

Macy’s Lowers the Bar For Terrible Holiday Sweaters With an Embedded Video Screen

If you thought you’d seen the worst of tacky holiday sweaters, Macy’s and Sean John want you to know you ain’t seen nothing yet. The two have teamed up to create this monstrosity, which by itself isn’t actually so terrible. Until you notice the embedded OLED display on the sleeve letting you play videos or…

The Wicked and Beautiful Turbulence Problems of the Giant Airbus A380

This beautiful shot was made for the first episode of Richard Hammond’s: Engineering Connections, which was dedicated to the Airbus A380. Apparently, wind tunnels can look like the lair of the wicked witch in an old Disney animation movie. But, there’s no magic involved here. Just the two vortexes generated by the A380’s first set…

Would Some Specific Foods Affect the Flavor of My Sexual Juices?

We don’t know. In spite of people’s curiosity about the topic, there has never been an experimentally controlled study conducted to answer the question. Why not? Just imagine the study: It would likely require asking study participants to follow a prescribed diet while their partners – who would need to be blind to their significant…

Researchers Find SMS Vulnerability in Twitter

Twitter users who have taken the time to set up Tweeting-by-SMS are putting themselves at risk of attacks where anybody can post to their account, according to a team of security researchers. The security flaw allows attackers to post to a user’s Twitter account with just the knowledge of the mobile number associated with the…

This Is What Thinking Nothing Looks Like

If you’ve ever wondered what thinking about nothing looks like, here it is. It’s the result of an experiment by artist Gustav Metzger, who hooked himself up to a robotic carving machine—while thinking long and hard about absolutely nothing. The machine takes EEG signals—essentially the electrical signals from the brain, measured through the scalp—and then…

Why NASA Finding Organics on Mars Is Nothing to Get Excited About

The internet is awash with news that NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover has detected carbon compounds on Mars. Some people may have you believe that the news suggests there’s life on Mars—but don’t get too excited just yet. Carbon compounds… One of Curiosity’s main goals is to hunt out organics on Mars. These are carbon-based molecules…

Nokia’s Sold Its HQ (But It’s Not Moving Out)

To try and make up for the fact that it’s struggling financially, Nokia has sold it HQ building in Espoo, Finland. But it’s not moving it out. https://gizmodo.com/nokia-reports-754-million-operating-loss-and-sliding-l-5952788 Instead, it’s entered into a long-term lease with the new owner, Finland-based Exilion, which ponied up $220 million for the sleek set of corporate offices. Nokia has…