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This Custom Poop-Chute Dispenses Droppings for Lions to Play With

There’s a lion in the San Francisco Zoo that absolutely adores rhino dung: loves smelling it; loves rolling in it. A team of Stanford students found this out during a design-build course, and you know what they did? Those undergrads developed a custom three-pronged poop-chute for the lion lair. Fun. After beefing up their own…

Biology Jordan Kushins Sep 16 '14

Magnetic Nanobeads Can Snatch Bacteria and Virus Out of Blood

Sepsis is an nasty and surprisingly common way to die. The illness is triggered by blood infections but, ultimately, it’s your own immune reaction—not the bacteria or virus—that poisons you to death. Filtering those pathogens out of blood right away, though, could be a promising treatment. Enter a new device made of magnetic nanobeads coated…

Health Sarah Zhang Sep 16 '14

Could You Use A Placebo To Calm Your Anxious Dog?

When a dog is left alone, it can be scary for them. Some dogs get so anxious that they destroy your stuff, scratch up your front door, and bark so loud it annoys your neighbors. But now it looks like there might be a solution – and it involves a simple placebo. Header image: Flickr/Paul…

io9 Jason G. Goldman Sep 16 '14

So You Want To Make A Genre TV Show Part 2: Inside The Writers’ Room

I’m a former Syfy exec who left the network to make a new TV show call Z Nation that airs Fridays at 10/9c on Syfy and Space Channel. I’m a co-creator/writer/co-executive producer on the series and thought it’d be interesting to share with fans how the series got made from conception to air. Top image:…

io9 Craig Engler Sep 16 '14

I Worked in a Car That’s Longer Than My Studio and Pricier Than a House

I work from home. My home is a small apartment in San Francisco in a building that’s been around since 1917, and my “office” is a butt’s-width section of a used Ikea sofa I bought off Craigslist a few years back. I recently had the opportunity to spend a workday rolling around town in a…

Tech News Jordan Kushins Sep 16 '14

These Photos of an Empty City at Night Will Haunt Me Forever

If you find yourself wander a strange city in the middle of the night, something is probably wrong. But if you stop and take all in, the urban landscape is somewhat surreal at night, when all of the people are sleeping. Photographer Paul Puiia captured that uncanny feeling so well, I don’t think I’ll ever…

Tech News Adam Clark Estes Sep 16 '14

Can The Placebo Effect Help Your Dog’s Separation Anxiety?

The placebo effect is traditionally thought to require some sort of conscious awareness. The sugar pill you just took helps your headache only because you think it will work. Recent research with rats challenged that assumption, and now it looks like placebos can fool dogs too. Despite the fact that placebos can involve both physiological…

Biology Jason G. Goldman Sep 16 '14

This man officially has the biggest Doctor Who collection in the World

Thought you had a lot of Doctor Who related knick nacks at home? Perhaps not as many as this man from Manchester in the UK does – he’s just entered Guinness’ Book of World Records for having over one-and-a-half thousand bits of Who merchandise in his collection. Ian O’Brien’s collection started out with a single…

Tech News James Whitbrook Sep 16 '14

First Powers TV Pic Looks Nothing Like The Comic, Still Looks Good

The first photo of Sharlto Copley and Susan Hayward as Christian Walker and Deena Pilgrim in Sony’s live-action Powers adaptation has arrived! You may notice that neither of them look even slightly like their original comic counterparts. Who cares? Not co-creator Brian Michaal Bendis, that’s for sure. The author told USA Today that the TV…

Television Rob Bricken Sep 16 '14

Star Wars: Episode VII Set Pics May Reveal Adam Driver’s Secret

A bunch of set pictures from the brand new Star Wars movie have us all freaking out. Because they may reveal that everything we thought we knew is wrong. WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD… A handful of images from the Star Wars set reveal (what we believe is) Adam Driver in an X-Wing pilot uniform. MIND BLOWN.…

io9 Meredith Woerner Sep 16 '14

Are There Any Non-Terrible iPhone 6 Plus Cases?

Obviously discounting the master stroke you see above, there are a lot of pretty horrible cases out there. In fact, some would even go so far as to say that the entire genre is inherently flawed. But in reality, iPhones scratch far too easy—having a case is a necessary evil. Which is why we ask…

Tech News Ashley Feinberg Sep 16 '14

There’s a Better Way to Dry Clean Your Clothes

Everyone has a few garments that they need to dry clean on occasion, even it’s just for that one wedding every few years. But the solvent most commonly used in the process, known as “perc,” is a known carcinogen. Fortunately, there’s a better option available. A brief (but explosive) history of dry cleaning solvents Romans…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Sep 16 '14

This Synthetic Material Changes Color and Texture Like Octopus Skin

When it comes to camouflage, we lowly humans are far behind the cephalopod. Octopus, squid, and cuttlefish have the amazing ability to change color or texture—going from scarlet red to bone white, bumpy to smooth in just seconds. But we’re making progress. Scientists at MIT and Duke have created a new stretchy camouflage skin inspired…

Tech News Sarah Zhang Sep 16 '14

How Do Fictional Poisons Stack Up To Real-Life Ones?

In books and movies, poisons are basically magic. It’s kind of a letdown to read about deliciously evil poisons and then realize they’re not nearly as potent in reality as they are in stories. Here are some myths about poison from pop culture — and the less impressive reality. Quick Note: This entry contains spoilers…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Sep 16 '14

Scientists Are Studying Radiation Exposure From The 1945 Trinity Blast

Better late than never? Nearly 70 years after the Manhattan Project conducted the world’s first atomic bomb test, the National Cancer Institute will soon begin a new investigation into the effects of the radioactive fallout on communities in New Mexico. As the Wall Street Journal reports, this will be be the most detailed examination yet…

io9 Mark Strauss Sep 16 '14

Philips Wants to Cure Aches With Wireless Drug-Free Pain Relievers

There are some pains that are easily resolved with a couple of aspirins and a good night’s sleep. But there are other pains that are far more persistent, and Philips is hoping to provide those that suffer from chronic aches with some drug-free pain relief using a couple of new iPhone-connected devices. The PulseRelief, which…

Health Andrew Liszewski Sep 16 '14

Harmontown Trailer Asks, “Who is Dan Harmon?”

After being fired from his own show, Dan Harmon hit the road with his podcasters to find solace in the unknown… and alcohol. Watch one of the wittiest fellas in television struggle with whatever it is someone like Dan Harmon struggles with while his comrades from Community discuss the legacy that is Harmontown. Directed by…

io9 Meredith Woerner Sep 16 '14

40 Years Ago, A Kids’ Book Predicted The Reality Of Today’s Drones

We’re still coming to grips with the amazingly fast rise of personal drones, and it’s hard to find science fiction that deals with the implications of that tech. But there is one book that explores the implications. It was published 40 years ago, and it’s called Danny Dunn, Invisible Boy. As Clive Thompson explains over…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders Sep 16 '14

Chicago’s New Electric Garbage Trucks Give Trash the Silent Treatment

You know how I know it’s garbage day? Because it’s 5 am and it sounds like the trucks from Pump are getting busy on the curb. VROOOOOM, CRUNCH, SLAM, WAKKA WAKKA WAKKA, SLAM, CRUNCH, VROOOOOM. But some lucky Chicagoans will soon be able to sleep all the way through the night thanks to a new…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Sep 16 '14

Make Meals from Scratch Using This Turntable Grater

There are some that believe that even cracking a smile in the kitchen is an insult to the culinary arts. For the rest of us, the internet’s a treasure trove of fun, but often useless, gadgets for the kitchen. This DJ Grater manages to be both whimsical and useful, letting you grate cheese like you…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski Sep 16 '14

This Custom Poop-Chute Dispenses Droppings for Lions to Play With

Magnetic Nanobeads Can Snatch Bacteria and Virus Out of Blood

Could You Use A Placebo To Calm Your Anxious Dog?

So You Want To Make A Genre TV Show Part 2: Inside The Writers’ Room

I Worked in a Car That’s Longer Than My Studio and Pricier Than a House

These Photos of an Empty City at Night Will Haunt Me Forever

Can The Placebo Effect Help Your Dog’s Separation Anxiety?

This man officially has the biggest Doctor Who collection in the World

First Powers TV Pic Looks Nothing Like The Comic, Still Looks Good

Star Wars: Episode VII Set Pics May Reveal Adam Driver’s Secret

Are There Any Non-Terrible iPhone 6 Plus Cases?

There’s a Better Way to Dry Clean Your Clothes

This Synthetic Material Changes Color and Texture Like Octopus Skin

How Do Fictional Poisons Stack Up To Real-Life Ones?

Scientists Are Studying Radiation Exposure From The 1945 Trinity Blast

Philips Wants to Cure Aches With Wireless Drug-Free Pain Relievers

Harmontown Trailer Asks, “Who is Dan Harmon?”

40 Years Ago, A Kids’ Book Predicted The Reality Of Today’s Drones

Chicago’s New Electric Garbage Trucks Give Trash the Silent Treatment

Make Meals from Scratch Using This Turntable Grater

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