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Is A Burrito A Sandwich?

Sure, a burrito is delicious and filling — but is it a sandwich? NPR’s All Tech Considered is asking the tough questions today about just where on the food spectrum the burrito falls and, it turns out, it’s not simply a question of taste. If a burrito is a sandwich, it’s subject to the rules…

Chinese Hackers Targeting Top-Secret Federal Employee Records

Earlier this year, Chinese hackers broke into U.S. government computer networks in order to gain access to the personal information of thousands of employees with top-secret security clearances. The New York Times reports that the hackers gained access to databases of the Office of Personnel Management in March. Federal authorities identified the intrusion and blocked…

The D&D Starter Set is a Great Way to Introduce Newbies to RPGs

The relaunch of Dungeons & Dragons begins this week with the release of the D&D Starter Set, a $20 box designed to be the perfect introduction to tabletop fantasy role-playing games. I tested it out with a group of neophyte gamers, and we had a blast. Wizards of the Coast has been steadily demolishing my…

Gus Van Sant May Direct The American Death Note Movie

While it hasn’t been confirmed, The Tracking Board is reporting that Gus Van Sant has been chosen to direct the live-action U.S. adaptation of the hit anime/manga Death Note, stepping in after previously named director Shane Black left for the new Predator movie. Beyond the surprising news that someone is still trying to make a…

Iraq Rebels Have Seized 88 Pounds of Uranium

According to Reuters, Iraq rebels have stolen 88 pounds of uranium compounds that were being used for scientific research at a university in the city of Mosul. Reuters has seen a letterwritten by Iraq’s envoy to the UN, Ambassador Mohamed Ali Alhakim, in which he explained that “these nuclear materials, despite the limited amounts mentioned,…

Is Star Wars Revisiting Another Original Trilogy Location?

Kevin Smith shoots down those fake Batman v. Superman script rumors. More news from the Daredevil series, including some possible dialogue. Guillermo del Toro addresses The Strain poster controversy. Powers gets a director. Plus, a Once Upon Time character returns! Top image: Gotham Star Wars A Bad Robot tweet shows a) what looks like Tatooine…

A brief history of Hollywood and how it adapts

From patent trolls to online media, this potted history of Hollywood tells a tale of adaptation, profiteering and survival in the face of relentless threats—social, legal, financial and technological. Fascinating stuff. SPLOID is a new blog about awesome stuff. Join us on Facebook

This Flexible 18-Inch Screen Rolls Into a Tube One Inch Across

The idea oftruly flexible displays never gets boring, and now LG has created its biggest bendable screen to date: an 18-inch OLED panel that has enough flexibility to roll into a tube that’s an inch across. The prototype display uses a new polyamide film at the back instead of the usual plastic to make it…

Why Is Some Ice Clear and Some Cloudy?

Unless you happen to have a specialized ice machine in your home, it is practically guaranteed that the ice your freezer makes is of the cloudy variety. A popular and well known trick to making clear(er) ice is to either boil the water first or use distilled water. However, even doing this won’t guarantee the…

Katniss is poised to be among the most popular name for babies born in 2014. According to Nameberry, which has kept track of the most viewed names so far this year, Katniss is at 14, with The Fault In Our Stars’ Hazel in 13th place, and Khaleesi at 18. We’ll see if searches correspond to…

Washington, D.C. Uber User “Held Against Will in High Speed Chase”

When poor old Ryan Simonetti booked a ride on Uber on Tuesday, he was hoping for a quiet journey from the Verizon Center to his company’s new offices in Tysons Corner. But instead, he got rather more than he bargained for. Tweeting about his Uber experience, the CEO of New York-based company Convene, explained: According…

High Quality Images of the iPhone 6’s Supposed Rear Shell

We’ve started seeing some leaks of iPhone 6 components recently, and now there are high quality images and videoof what purports to be the rear casing of a forthcoming 4.7-inch iPhone 6. The images—supplied by a Moscow-based company selling modified luxury versions of the iPhone called Feld & Volk to MacRumors—certainly look good. Feld &…

Discworld Covers From France Are Breathtaking

While Paul Kidby’s work has (rightly) been synonymous with Discworld for years, these new French covers by Marc Simonetti makes you reconsider.

Flashback Wigs: The Best And Worst Of “This Is The Past” Hair

When TV shows and movies do flashbacks, they face a dilemma: They can cast a younger actor that looks like their star, sacrificing easy recognition, OR they can just slap a wig on their actor. They usually go with the latter, with… mixed results. Here are the best and worst of flashback wigs. Seriously, using…

Watching this video makes you hallucinate without any drugs

The Illusion Lab created a fun illusion video that can cause some serious hallucinogenic effects just from watching the video. It only lasts for a little while but you’ll definitely feel as if the world around you is alive like you’ve never seen it before. All you have to do is watch the video (full…

Debunking 20 common misconceptions about sex

Maybe you consider yourself a maestro in the bedroom or a lion in the sheets or think that you don’t need no stinking advice about sex. But do you really know what you’re doing? Do you really have all your info right? Mental Floss decides to debunk 20 common misconceptions about sex in the video…

This Japanese Doctor Who Video Is Surreal, Perfect

Some nights, you just want to watch the Doctor and a dalek wrestle in the woods until he pulls out his Sonic Screw Sword and plays it like a flute. No, that’s not a euphemism. According to Dave Hill’s blog entry on this video, the explanation is that it’s a “modern parody of both “Doctor…

Airplane drops fish bombs to repopulate lake

If you think you’re looking at an engine blowing out in the plane above, you wouldn’t exactly be right. The plane is actually stocking a remote lake with fish by dropping them into the water from the air like it would a bomb. It’s a method that’s used all around the country but looks completely…

A Music Video Gives Us a Good Look at The Giver‘s Climax

This music video for One Republic’s original song for The Giver’s soundtrack shows a lot from the major action set piece of the story. Between this and the trailer, it really feels like what we’ve seen spans the whole movie. Okay, so spoilers from the book from here out. The music video has more from…

The Moment That Pink Became His Favorite Color

Jordan was a naturalist of the old school, the kind who liked to capture newly discovered life with a pen on paper. But as he stepped into the jungle, he feared that he hadn’t brought nearly enough magenta ink with him. Alien Jungle is by artist Arthur Haas. [via r/SpecArt]