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This Lego VW Camper makes for a perfect picnic

This Minifigure scale VW Camper by Kosmas Santosa is just wonderful. I get quite thrilled whenever there is new stuff on KOS brick because I know that the builds will always be great and that the photography will be perfect. Made for a the VehiJuly building challenge, here is a new video breaking down his…

An interesting twist on wildlife policy: Authorities have listed the Gunnison sage grouse (cf. the Greater sage grouse) as “threatened,” claiming conservation efforts have reduced threats enough to give the bird a “more flexibly protected status.” Environmentalists are disappointed, claiming the designation fails to reflect the bird’s true, near-extinct status.

Next year, Twitter will let you record, edit, and share videos within the service. This native video feature will give Twitter users a different way to record video alognside its looping-video app Vine, and position Twitter as a rival to older video uploading services like YouTube. I guess it’s only appropriate that Twitter try to…

The FBI’s Most Wanted Cybercriminal’s Password? His Cat Chewy

Back in 2012, the FBI nabbed Jeremy Hammond, the most wanted cybercriminal in the country, at his home in Chicago. And until now, no one had any idea how the feds actually managed to decrypt the hard drive they found there. Turns out, it’s pretty easy to break into a hacker’s computer when your password…

See, This Is Why You Don’t Play With A Face-Stealing Monster

Gabby just wants her older sister Tam to play with her, but Tam wants to be left alone. So instead of playing, Tam tells Gabby about the Thing Under the Tree, and how you must never let the creature see your face. The Thing Under the Tree was director Lily Fang’s graduation film from the…

Proof that music videos without music are often better than the original

How can a music video without its original music be better than the original? When the original music is crap, of course. Given the state of today’s music, this basically applies to the majority of music videos out there, including those from Australian singer Sia. Example: Here’s the original: This is SPLOID, a blog of…

These gorgeous Doctor Who posters can be yours soon

One of the consistent highlights of Doctor Who this year has actually been outside of the show itself – for every episode, a shiny new poster from the excellent Stuart Manning. And soon, you’ll be able to have prints of your own! Originally commissioned for the Radio Times, Manning’s posters took a more stylised approach…

This Portable Charger Has Every Connector You’ll Need, Even AC Prongs

At this point there are just as many portable chargers on the market as there are iPhone cases and Bluetooth speakers combined. But somehow Ventev has done the impossible by creating a portable charger that manages to improve on the near infinite number of designs that came before it, by adding built-in Lightning and microUSB…

Watching how they make crayons is brain-ticklingly satisfying

This. Is. Oh god. Let’s all pop an Ambien and watch Mr. Rogers explain how the Crayola factory line works, friends: Or,if you are like Mr. Rogers, some acid will work too. This is SPLOID, a blog of delicious brain candy. Join us on Facebook

Could We Have Built a Computer in the 18th Century?

So you want to build a computer in the 18th century. Is it even possible? Probably not. Most people don’t think about the actual amount of money and tools needed to produce exactly one transistor-based computer, power it, and program it, to say nothing of the social challenges you’d face trying to build this high-tech…

Adam Sandler’s Cobbler Trailer Can Magically Walk In Your Shoes GET IT?

Here’s the trailer for Adam Sandler’s next movie in his long line of “easy magic” films. Might as well watch the trailer now, as you’ll probably be watching The Cobbler on repeat on TNT for the rest of your miserable life. Here’s the premise: Adam Sandler is a cobbler with a magical shoe sewing machine,…

Another Reason Not to Trust Everything in Peer-Reviewed Journals

We’re already well aware that the esteemed peer-review can only do so much in the way of thwarting (to use the technical term) complete and utter bullshit. But this newest little slip-up is particularly embarrassing—especially if you happen to be, as she will unfortunately be known for at least the next few weeks, the Crappy…

Is the time of the Lego Doctor now?

After this round of Lego Ideas, there was much disappointment by Whovians around the planet when they announced The Big Bang Theory and Lego Birds Project were approved for a set design but the two Doctor Who projects, which both reached their 10,000 supporter goal, were not approved…yet. The good news is that there are…

Does The Universe Need Black Holes?

Black holes are some of the most mysterious objects in our universe — but are they also among the most necessary? Image: Artist’s concept of a growing black hole at the center of a faraway galaxy. (NASA/JPL-Caltech) Astrophysicist James Geach stopped by today to answer our questions about the formation and evolution of galaxies, including…

Lollipop Is On Its Way To Nexus Devices

Android is finally rolling out its highly anticipated Lollipop update for new(ish) Nexus devices, which now joins the second generation Moto G and Moto X Pure Edition as the only Android smartphones blessed with the update. Google is pretty notorious for having agonizingly slow rollouts or at least it feels agonizing considering our eager anticipation.…

Hermit Crabs Line Themselves Up From Biggest To Smallest To Swap Shells

Seriously, HERMIT CRABS FORM ORDERLY QUEUES. In height order. To more efficiently trade shells. I, for one, welcome our new crustacean bureaucrats. This is a segment from BBC’s Life Story, and it captures some pretty extraordinary animal behavior. When a new shell washes up on shore, these hermit crabs measure each other and then line…

The Golden Age of Motorola

I don’t trust brands. You shouldn’t either. But right now, you can’t go wrong with a Motorola smartphone. Do you know how rare it is I can say that about a company? My job is to make sure you know which specific gadgets are worth your time and money, not to make blanket statements like…

Which Lovable Character Must Never, Ever Find True Love?

The best fictional heroes and villains are lovable, and inspire intense feelings of romance and adoration. But should they be happy in love? No, of course not — both because we want them to suffer, and because we want to see them adventuring rather than romancing. Which character do you hope never finds lasting, true…

The Most Frightening Witches In Art History

Some of the most terrifying supernatural imagery from centuries ago doesn’t feature demons and devils. Instead, it shows us what we did to people who were accused of witchcraft. Here are some terrifying visual records of how people imagined witches — and how they killed them. Burning witches, 14th century (via Wikimedia Commons) A witch,…

How Philae’s Comet Compares To An Imperial Star Destroyer

ESA’s Philae lander made history this morning when it landed on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Here’s how big 67P/C-G is, relative to a well-known spacecraft, courtesy of theWashington Post. This is not the first size comparison we’ve seen for 67P. In the leadup to this morning’s touchdown, we’ve seen it depicted beside (or on top of) Los…