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Your Ears Can Be Fooled With Illusions As Easily As Your Eyes

We’ve all been left scratching our heads wondering how our brains could have been tricked by an optical illusion we looked at. But it turns out your sense of hearing is just as susceptible to being fooled. The McGurk effect can actually cause us to hear things differently based on what we’re seeing, usually relating…

Wonder Woman Costume Designs We’d Love To See On The Big Screen

Rumor has it that Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman will be rocking pants and jacket in Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice. It’s a look that could work, but it’s hardly the only one. After all, there are tons of fan-made Wonder Woman costume designs that could be spectacular onscreen. None of these costumes are official…

This Prototype Catamaran Lets You Cruise the Sea on Suspension Stilts

As the Top Gear team once famously demonstrated, the motion of the ocean makes for a bone-jarringly rough ride the faster you move across its surface. However aboard this prototype catamaran from Nauti-Craft, you’ll barely feel the rolling of the waves at any knot. Rather than allow the ship’s primary hull to constantly crash against…

Report: Apple’s Home Automation System May Be Simpler Than You’d Hope

GigaOm has a report on Apple’s forthcoming connected home system. According to the site, it might be a hell of a lot simpler—and perhaps disappointing—than we expected. http://gigaom.com/2014/05/29/heres-how-apples-smart-home-program-will-work-2/ The system will be marketed under the purported “Made for iPhone” label. Per unnamed sources, GigaOm says: [Our sources] explain that the smart home effort will have…

See the Towering Future of San Francisco’s Skyline In a 3D-Printed Model

San Francisco’s skyline is a-changing a lot, with massive new developments going up all over Market Street’s main drag and squeezing in downtown. The pace is fast enough that it’s tough to imagine what it will look like next week, much less next year, but a close look at this oversized 3D-printed model is like…

A Tent For Your Tiny Crossover

Want to go car camping with a crossover that won’t go off-road? Sounds a little tricky, but this matching tent will at least make camping out of your Audi Q3 a little more stylish. https://jalopnik.com/audi-q3-joins-legendary-pontiac-aztek-in-cars-with-matc-1583386352

Why Isn’t the Guy Who Designed Beats Going to Work For Apple, Too?

When Apple bought Beats earlier this week, it also got two high-profile new employees. Dr. Dre is going to work for Apple. So is music mogul Jimmy Iovine. But there’s one surprise: Robert Brunner, the industrial designer behind Beats, is not coming along for the ride. Maybe because he worked at Apple 25 years ago.…

See The Signal for free tonight! If you want to see The Signal tonight in San Francisco, there are still tickets available.

Here’s What A Day Off Looks Like From Aboard the ISS

Late Wednesday night, NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, cosmonaut Max Suraev and ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst became the fourth, fifth and sixth members of the International Space Station’s Expedition 40 crew. The team will commence its first full workday Friday at 2 a.m. For now, however, the team will rest. The photo above, captured by the…

Ask a Bike Planner How to Make Your City More Cyclist-Friendly

One of the most bike-friendly cities in the U.S. is Long Beach, a Southern California city of about 500,000 residents that most people do not even know is separate from L.A. Over just about a decade, the city has transformed itself into a haven for cyclists, implementing innovative infrastructure like bike boulevards, safety elements like…

The new SpaceX Dragon V2

The new SpaceX Dragon V2 seems to be an amazing machine, capable of transporting seven astronauts to orbit and then soft-land anywhere on Earth using thrusters and retractile legs—with the accuracy of an helicopter. Elon Musk claims that they will be able to refuel it and launch it again right away. Live coverage (in reverse…

Classic Doctor Who, Eureka Complete Collection, Huge ThinkGeek Sale

Dedicated Whovians can pick up a couple of Jon Pertwee DVDs for their lowest prices ever, today on Amazon. Doctor Who: The Mutants (Story 63) ($15) | Amazon Doctor Who: Beneath The Surface (The Silurians / The Sea Devils / Warriors Of The Deep) ($18) | Amazon Today only, you can snag the complete Eureka…

Can a “Cityhenge” Happen in Your City at Sunset?

At sunset tonight, anyone in Manhattan can flock to the major thoroughfares for the bi-annual sunset that aligns perfectly with the city grid. But Manhattan isn’t the only city with a Stonehenge-day to illuminate concrete canyons of skyscrapers. Sunset at Stonehenge. Image credit: Charles Roffey (charlesfred) In the mists of history, Neil deGrasse Tyson identified…

SpaceX Dragon 2 Unveiling Tonight

While the Dragon is about to launch with its first live mammal cargo, SpaceX isn’t slowing down at all. Tonight, they’ll unveil the design for the crew-capable Dragon 2. Read on for more details and test footage. https://gizmodo.com/mice-in-the-dragons-hold-1580993195 https://gizmodo.com/spacex-unveils-its-first-crewed-spacecraft-tonight-wa-1583232759

Click and Grow Smart Farm Review: Idiot-Proof Indoor Farming

Does your backyard herb garden perpetually look like General Sherman just marched through it? Don’t worry, the Smart Farm from Click and Grow takes all of the guess work (and 95 percent of the work work) out of producing fresh produce. What Is It? It’s a self-illuminated, hydroponic, indoor herb garden. Why Does It Matter?…

All Of Pixar’s Short Films, Ranked

It’s safe to say Pixar does amazing things with animation. They’ve released hit movie after hit movie, almost guaranteeing to top the box office with every title. But while their movies get most of the attention, people often don’t realize they started off making shorts before they ever made movies. And they’ve continued to do…

Why Agnosticism Probably Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Means

Agnostics are often characterized as ambivalent or wishy-washy fence sitters who refuse to make up their minds. But there’s much more to agnosticism than these tired misconceptions, including a stricter adherence to scientific principles than those typically invoked by atheists. Top image: “The Eye of God” Helix Nebula (NGC 7293). Credit: Hubble/NASA/Rogelio Bernal Andreo. The…

The number of planets on which complex life could exist in the Milky Way may be as high as 100 million. Researchers arrived at the number by computing a “Biological Complexity Index,” which rates planets on a scale of 0 to 1.0, based upon characteristics assumed to be important for supporting multicellular life.

In Defense of Pink Slime

Back in 2012 many Americans were horrified to learn that their ground beef contained “pink slime.” It’s in our burgers! They’re feeding it to our kids! The public outcry led many retailers to drop the beef additive from its products. But today, pink slime is slowly making its way back into our cheeseburgers and tacos.…

Do You Feel Like You’re Not Sleeping, Even When You Are?

Pseudoinsomnia is a sleep disorder, even though people who suffer from it appear to have perfectly normal sleep patterns. When pseudoinsomnicacs fall asleep every night, they feel as if they are lying awake, anxiously trying to get some rest. But they’re not imagining things. They really do have an unusual form of insomnia. In last…