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The Pitch Letter That Created the Star Wars Expanded Universe

For nearly 25 years, the Star Wars Expanded Universe seemed like an unstoppable juggernaut of books, comics, and video games. But in 1988, nobody was even thinking of doing new Star Wars books. Until one publisher decided to write a pitch letter, out of the blue. Over at Barnes & Noble’s B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy…

The Paranoid Optimist: How to Have Faith in the Future Even Though We’re Doomed

I have an absolute total unshakable faith in the future of humanity, and in progress. But I’m also sure that awful, terrible things are going to happen, the environment is going to be screwed, and everything is going to hell. How do you reconcile these wildly opposing viewpoints? When I was asked to give a…

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is one of the best films of the year. So says the American Film Institute who put the anticipated sequel on their top ten films of 2015 list along with Mad Max: Fury Road, The Martian and others. Here’s the list. The Big Short Bridge of Spies Carol Inside Out…

Here’s the cool thing that happens when you pour molten aluminum inside polymer water balls

The Backyard Scientist filled a tank to the brim with water balls, which are little polymer beads that expand to slimy squishy balls when soaked in water, and then poured in molten aluminum to create some wild designs. It’s cool because with all the different ways the molten aluminum can move within a vat filled…

How Star Trek Beyond Questions the Federation’s Philosophy

Fans have complained that the recent Star Trek movies don’t do enough to explore the philosophical issues that were at the heart of classic Trek. But Justin Lin, the director of Star Trek Beyond, told us the new movie is all about debating Starfleet’s philosophies. io9 was among a handful of outlets that spoke to…

This New Deep Learning Tool Shows You the Most Memorable Parts of Your Photos

Bummed that your latest cat pic didn’t get more traction on Instagram? Wondering how to make people remember your company’s logo first and foremost? A clever algorithm developed by MIT computer scientists may be able to help with a new online tool. Meet MemNet, a new program that uses techniques from the deep learning field…

Tom Hardy’s Really Upset About Losing All That Sweet Suicide Squad Money 

You know when you say something in a joking manner, but it’s really a mask for dropping a semi-stealthy truth bomb? Yeah, that’s what Tom Hardy did when he was asked about having to drop out of Suicide Squad. In an interview with Variety, the fact that delays on Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s The Revenant forced…

You Can Now Order an Uber From Facebook Messenger

Facebook and Uber continue their unstoppable global takeovers with a new partnership, announced today. You can now call for an Uber ride from within the Facebook Messenger app. Tap on an address in a Messenger thread, and up pops “Request a Ride” alongside the familiar “Copy,” “Open in Google Maps,” etc. Or, simply tap the…

Knit Yourself a Pair of Netflix Socks That Pause Your Show When You Fall Asleep

In the blink of an eye, episode one of a Netflix series can turn into episode 20 if you’ve fallen asleep at the remote. To help combat this, Netflix has developed a pair of knitted socks you can make yourself that automatically pause your show when they detect you’ve nodded off. The project requires both…

The Trinity Rises Up On a New Set of Gritty Batman v Superman Posters

When a big movie is released in theaters, all the other studios take advantage of the attendance bump with new trailers, posters and more. One of 2016’s biggest films, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, already has the trailer and now there are posters too. The official Batman v Superman Twitter account posted these simple,…

NASA’s Tech Was Repurposed in Some Strange Ways This Year

NASA has a long history of seeing its technology turned around after spaceflight for some more earthbound purposes. (Enjoy that scratch-resistant coating on your glasses? Well, it began life as an ‘80s-era spacecraft water filtration system.) What some people miss is that it’s still happening today. Every year, NASA puts out what it calls a…

He’ll Be Back—Terminator 2: Judgment Day Returns to Theaters Next Year, and in 3D

Next year is already scheduled to have a bunch of great blockbusters. One, however, you’ve already seen, just never like this. Terminator 2: Judgment Day is been re-released in 3D for the film’s 25th anniversary. Cameron has been working on the conversion with a company called StereoD and will release the brand new 3D version…

The Expanse‘s Second Episode Delivers on the Promise of the First

In “The Big Empty,” The Expanse is mainly concerned with introducing characters that got the short shrift in the premiere and making strong connections between our three plots. They also make a huge change from the books. Spoilers for both the show and Leviathan Wakes follow. One of the best details in “The Big Empty”…

Why Ahsoka Tano Is the Best Thing to Happen to Star Wars in 20 Years

Tomorrow, Lucasfilm will release final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars on Netflix*, but the season won’t include an arc centered on one of the show’s main characters, Anakin Skywalker’s Padawan Ahsoka Tano. That’s a shame, not just because Ahsoka’s growth has been one of the most compelling aspects of the series, but also…

Star Wars Merchandising Is Even More Absurd Outside the US

Human culture has reached a point of no return. The overwhelming barrage of Star Wars merchandise has pulverized the last remaining crumbs of our consumer dignity. Consider this product and cry with us: Star Wars Chicken Hot Dogs with Built-in Ketchup. And it gets worse. The following photos were taken at ten separate supermarkets in…

It Looks Like the Secretary of Defense is Bombing on Open Mic Night

It looks like Defense Secretary Ash Carter is a comedian bombing on open mic night in this photo from Adana, Turkey yesterday. Get it? I said, it looks like Carter is bombing. Do you get it? Maybe you didn’t get it. I said, it looks like Carter is bombing in Turkey. Wait, I don’t think…

Republicans Fail to Sabotage Net Neutrality in Government Spending Bill

A new $1.1 trillion budget bill has excluded Republican-backed efforts to block implementation of the FCC’s open internet rules, the Senate Appropriations Committee reported today. The government spending bill’s summary—a hefty 2,009 pages long—was posted online early this morning, but there’s zero anti-net neutrality language. That’s a a very good thing. Republicans in Washington have…

Ancient Egyptian Divinity Geoffrey Rush Explains the New Gods of Egypt Trailer

It’s not often that a trailer actually makes me snort. But once Geoffrey Rush’s Ra (yes, that is an Australian playing Ra in this thing) exhorts the “god of the air” to “protect the mortals,” that was it for me. If you did a shot at every cliché featured in this trailer—which clocks in at…

Robert Silverberg Wrote a Survey of Drugs in Science Fiction for the Federal Government

Back in the mid-1970s, the U.S. government was worried that the kids were getting too high. Drugs like marijuana and LSD were at their peak—and meanwhile, the government noticed the kids were also really into science fiction. So the National Institute on Drug Abuse hired Robert Silverberg, author of Dying Inside (pictured above), to do…

The Most Overhyped Scientific Discoveries of 2015

2015 was an amazing year for science, but it was also a year for some amazingly overhyped science. We put our hearts ahead of our data when speculating about advanced extraterrestrial civilizations. We so wanted to believe that a looming ice age would save us from global warming. And we were horrified to learn that…