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This is a view of the Amazon Rainforest captured by the High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft—or HALO. The flight, which saw temperatures range from 35 °C to -65 °C, captured data about how clouds above the forest are changing with climate, pollution and deforestation. [Institute of Atmospheric Physics]

A small group of elite science journals get the lion’s share of citations and media attention, but that dominance is eroding as it becomes easier for scientists to find obscure but relevant papers. In 1995, only 27% of citations pointed to articles published in non-elite journals. That portion grew to 47% by 2013.

A Match Being Lit Like You’ve Never Seen Before

A match being struck is pretty hum-drum event. But what if you could capture the scene using a technique which can visualize the changing air flows around the process? This amazing video is what. The technique, known as Schlieren flow visualization, allows scientists to see what our eyes can’t: the changing density of fluids and…

Xbox One Update Lets You Buzz Your Controller When It’s Lost

Microsoft has begun rolling out a new update for the Xbox One, plonking several new handy features on the hulking great box in your living room. The new content is aimed at allowing owners easier use of the Snap multitasking function, access to their social circles and making their Xbox account more secure. If you’re…

Amazingly thrilling video of F-18 fighters with ambient sound

This spectacular footage of F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets is how all aviation videos should be: Just amazingly crispy shots with no stupid musical soundtrack. It makes you feel like you are sitting right there in the cockpit with the pilots. An incredibly detailed look into the F-18s of the USS Enterprise. Creators: Lt. Ian…

Watch the Brushstrokes of Classical Landscapes Invade the Real World

In “Regular Division” shots of gardens inside greenhouses and domes all over the world mosaiced together. That would be trippy enough, but overlaying each shot is a magnified, high resolution paint stroke from a landscape. It gives the short film, which already whirls around in a dizzying circle, an extra surreal edge. Christopher Jobson at…

These Beautiful Maps Show How Similarly City Streets are Arranged

These gloriously rich maps, dripping in trippy neon color, are more insightful than they may first appear—because their hue actually reveal similarities in the way city streets are oriented. Made by Stephen Von Worley, the maps reveals similarities—and differences!—in town planning, from monotonous grid iron to quirky organic sprawl. He explains: That’s every public street,…

Why E-Book Text Layout Sucks

Have you ever eagerly downloaded an e-book only to find that it’s a hideously formatted mess that irritates you at every page turn? Of course you have (especially if you favor free or cheap e-books). This video explains why those insults to typesetting occur. The problem boils down to the choice of algorithm that’s used…

Even Deadpool’s Not Sure How He Ended Up as a G.I. Joe Figure

That’s the thing about Deadpool: he warps the reality of every medium he’s translated to. And, in this print from Marco D’Alfonso, neither the Joes nor Deadpool has quite figured out how this crossover makes sense. https://gizmodo.com/even-as-a-figure-deadpool-manages-to-break-the-fourth-1638993701 The details on this are really what makes it great — just look at the choking hazard warning…

This is far funnier than it really ought to be. [Joy of Tech]

Facebook Now Lets You Log Your Safety After Natural Disasters

There’s a growing trend of social media being used in the aftermath of natural disasters for information sharing—but Facebook is now working to formalize it. It’s launched a service which allows people to register themselves as safe when large-scale disasters occur. The new feature, called Safety Check, sends users a push notification if a natural…

Syfy’s Re-Teaming with Stargate Writers to Bring Dark Matter to TV

Syfy’s going to adapt Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie’s graphic novel Dark Matter into a series. The pair, who worked with the network back in the Stargate days, will be back to executive produce the show. Coming in 2015, the 13-episode first season will be co-produced with Prodigy Pictures (Lost Girl, XIII). The story follows…

Video: Marine survives Taliban sniper headshot thanks to helmet

Afghanistan veteran Sam Arnold uploaded this spine-chilling video of a US Marine getting a direct headshot from a Taliban sniper—only to be saved by his kevlar helmet. It’s incredible to watch, especially the face of relief and disbelief of the impact victim. That was a really close call. According to Arnold, “the Marines were conducting…

It’s A Blast To The Prehistoric Past For National Fossil Day

It’s National Fossil Day, a day designated to promote awareness of just how awesome fossils are. More importantly, it’s a day when every fossil-loving person with a camera shares the treasures they’ve found, visited, or admired. Here’s the best paleo-eye candy that crossed our path. Top image: Trilobite from the Silurian Period, 425 million years…

The magnificent science fiction art of Steven Messing

I’m a big fan of John Berkey’s classic space art so it made me happy to see a reputed concept artist and visual effects supervisor like Steven Messing made these stunning scenes inspired by Berkey’s work. Here’s more science fiction art by Messing, not inspired by Berkey. You will recognize his work in many Hollywood…

Dyson’s 20 Best Inventions of the Year

It’s always fun to see the single invention that the James Dyson Foundation picks as its best design idea of the year—but it’s even more fun to see the final list of possibilities, which Dyson released tonight before the November 6 announcement of a winner. The following 20 proposals come from all over the world—they…

Katniss Visits Home in the New Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt. 1 Trailer

With The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 coming out November 21, Lionsgate’s released this little preview of Katniss returning to District 12. There, she also gets a little message from President Snow. The whole preview’s set to Lorde’s “Yellow Flicker Beat,” which comes from the movie’s soundtrack. Lorde’s “curating” the entire album for the film,…

Short film: A silent boy saves the day with an alien death ray

Bag Man, a short directed by Jonathan & Josh Baker, is a slow burn. You follow a silent boy who looks like he’s running away from home and then looks like he’s just playing with a BB gun and then looks like he’s a hero who saves a man from being killed by a gang.…

In This Film’s Topsy-Turvy World, The Gay Majority Persecutes Straights

Two years ago, Kim Rocco Shields’ short film “Love Is All You Need?” made a splash with its unusual premise. In an alternate world, almost everybody is gay or lesbian — and the tiny minority of straight people are discriminated against. And now, it’s becoming a full-length movie. The 20-minute version of “All You Need”…

This beach infested with sharks on the sand is the most terrifying thing

Well, I know where my nightmare exists in real life: Cape Lookout National Seashore off the coast of North Carolina. Hundreds of sharks were seen right on the beach, swimming in and out of the waves and flapping and attacking around and hunting a school of blue fish. It’s a terrifying sight to see. Brian…