Matrix

21 Pictures that Sum Up the Whole History of Science Fiction

Science fiction is the genre of ideas — but it’s also given us some unforgettable pictures along the way. Every era in science fiction’s history has shown us a new vision of the strange and futuristic, and one image can spawn a million reflections in your mind’s eye. Here are 21 unforgettable pictures that showcase…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders Nov 20

Is Cloud Atlas an unholy mess or a brilliant masterpiece? Yes.

In Cloud Atlas, opening today, six different stories in different time periods are woven together to create a thrilling composite story about liberation and revelation. Fittingly, how you wind up feeling about Cloud Atlas depends very much on your vantage point: the individual pieces, when you pull them out separately, are sometimes quite dismal. But…

Movies Charlie Jane Anders Oct 26

What is the Wachowskis’ new TV show Sense8 about?

Now that Andy and Lana Wachowski’s latest movie Cloud Atlas is nearing its premiere date, rumors are spreading that their next project (possibly after the film Jupiter Ascending) could be a TV series, titled Sense8. https://gizmodo.com/the-crazypants-synopsis-to-the-wachowskis-next-movie-ju-5914707 While very little is known about this TV series, Variety is reporting that the director duo has teamed up…

Television Meredith Woerner Oct 2

The Philosophical Roots of Science Fiction

People use science fiction to illustrate philosophy all the time. From ethical quandaries to the very nature of existence, science fiction’s most famous texts are tailor-made for exploring philosophical ideas. In fact, many college campuses now offer courses in the philosophy of science fiction. But science fiction doesn’t just illuminate philosophy — in fact, the…

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders Aug 8

Neo hides from Lumbergh in this Matrix/Office Space mashup

The Matrix’s Neo and Office Space’s Peter Gibbons have a lot in common: They both work in depressing offices. They’ve both engaged in a little computerized crime. But while Neo had to deal with murderous AIs, Peter contended with Bill Lumbergh and Milton’s constant ramblings about his stapler. And as this mashup suggests, Neo might…

io9 Lauren Davis Jul 22

Best and Worst Movie Threequels of All Time

When it comes to movie series, the third time is definitely not the charm. Some of the best movies ever made are the second films in a franchise — but it’s a rare third film that achieves true greatness. This Friday sees the release of Men in Black III, and everybody’s wondering if it can…

Movies Charlie Jane Anders May 23

10 Genes Named After Science Fiction and Fantasy Icons

What better way to honor a famous character, creature or concept from science fiction or fantasy than to immortalize them with a scientific name? Specifically, the name of a gene. One of the genomes most heavily populated with scifi and fantasy-themed names is that of model organism Drosophila melanogaster. Here are ten genes of the…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Apr 9

Scientists Have Wired a Cockroach, Matrix-Style

Cripes, why don’t we just hand the planet over to the robots already. Things were bad with the self-controlling war machines and computers capable of destroying our greatest trivia minds, but now we’ve invented biological electricity harvesters. Might as well build a fleet of Squids while we’re at it. https://gizmodo.com/the-military-is-replacing-humans-with-giant-drone-surge-5879621 Researchers at Case Western Reserve…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Feb 3

Your Parents’ Opinion of Your Computer Skills Might Be a Little Inflated

Okay, so it’s a pain that every time the littlest thing goes wrong with parents’ computer you’re their go-to IT guy or gal. But let’s be honest: there’s something not terrible about being a sci-fi hero—even if the real Neo is a search engine. [TNW via 9gag]

Books & Comics Brian Barrett Jul 21

The Matrix Lobby Scene A Capella Style

Everyone remembers the classic shoot-em-up lobby scene from The Matrix. Bullets flying, people flying, it was awesome. What would happen to that scene if you took out the original soundtrack and replaced it with a multi-track a capella performance from Matt Mulholland? You would get the video above which is guaranteed to make you smile,…

Tech News Kelly Jun 30

The most secret agencies dedicated to making sure you’re only seeing a pale shadow of reality

The philosopher Plato once posed the Allegory of the Cave in his work, The Republic. He thought that, if prisoners spent all of their lives chained in a cave and facing a wall, their only experience would be watching the shadows on that wall. They never understand that there are things beyond that wall. The…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Mar 10

Why do we keep falling in love with cyborgs?

The allure of the cyborg is so widely-accepted that it’s become a cliche in science fiction, but people rarely ask why. Doesn’t it seem a little strange that humans are so powerfully attracted to synthetic versions of themselves? It all depends on how you interpret human/cyborg love. Is it about romancing a version of ourselves,…

io9 Annalee Newitz Sep 28

Polish science fiction movie posters (that never existed)

Old-school Polish movie posters were absolutely wondrous. Rather than succinctly portray movies’ plots, these posters would go out of the way to be as cryptic as possible. Something Awful has transmogrified some of your favorite sci flicks into symbolic weirdness. Here are some of the best science fiction posters the goons at Something Awful whipped…

io9 Cyriaque Lamar Sep 14

Joel Silver doesn’t want The Matrix ruined by 3D conversion

While it would be bad ass to see the green codes of the Matrix whipping at your skull, 3D conversion is an ugly thing to subject a great film to. Thankfully, Joel Silver, is extremely against it. [MTV]

Movies Meredith Woerner Jun 15

Fox News to FBI Cybersquad: Get In Front Of Some High Tech Looking Stuff…Quick!

That’s not an actual quote of course, but the scene here looks so contrived that it seems plausible. The scary thing is that the Cybersquad is protecting our data with old Dells, Windows XP and “intimidating” Matrix screensavers. Plus, that 37-inch Westinghouse sitting right on top of the keyboard is a good indicator that the…

Tech News Sean Fallon Dec 30

Actors Reprise Their Iconic Roles, Without Costumes

The film magazine Empire celebrated its 20th birthday with a photoshoot of famous actors returning to their most recognized roles. The shots finally leaked online, and here are the most geektastic. [More at Atticus Finch, via Reddit] Sam Neill as Dr Grant, in Jurassic Park Sean Bean and Viggo Mortensen in Lord of the Rings…

Movies Tim Barribeau Dec 3

The Matrix’s Bullet-Dodging Scene, Faithfully Recreated in Lego

Neo and Agent Smith dodge bullets inside the Matrix. But this version doesn’t star Keanu Reeves and Hugo Weaving; it stars superpowered Lego men in this frame-for-frame, stop-motion recreation of one of The Matrix’s most famous scenes. In honor of the 10th anniversary of The Matrix, a group of fans recreated nearly 900 frames of…

io9 Lauren Davis Nov 25

Lego Matrix Zion’s Last Stand Arrives Six Years Too Late, But It’s Still Awesome

Here’s a Lego diorama of one of the best scenes of Matrix Revolutions: Zion’s last stand against the Matrix, humans in their mechas against merciless Sentinels. The close-up of the human resistance mecha begs for an official Lego version. Yes, definitely. Bring’em on. [Flickr via Brothers Brick]

Movies Jesus Diaz Jun 26

When Machines Destroy the Earth – A Gallery

What will the planet look like when robots scorch it into sulfurous dirt? Or when machines convert the human world into a pile of iron and sludge? Check out our gallery of art that shows the world after the techno-apocalypse. Above you can see concept art from The Matrix Revolutions, when the Machines attack the…

io9 Annalee Newitz May 22

Plug & Play WiiZii Brings Hard Drive to Wii Minus Solder

Nintendo is working on some sort of storage solution of their own, but to those of you who can’t wait, the WiiZii is on its way. We have few details at the moment, but here’s a shot of a WiiZii prototype installed. It can connect an external SATA drive and features a tiny bit on…

Tech News Mark Wilson Jan 16

21 Pictures that Sum Up the Whole History of Science Fiction

Is Cloud Atlas an unholy mess or a brilliant masterpiece? Yes.

What is the Wachowskis’ new TV show Sense8 about?

The Philosophical Roots of Science Fiction

Neo hides from Lumbergh in this Matrix/Office Space mashup

Best and Worst Movie Threequels of All Time

10 Genes Named After Science Fiction and Fantasy Icons

Scientists Have Wired a Cockroach, Matrix-Style

Your Parents’ Opinion of Your Computer Skills Might Be a Little Inflated

The Matrix Lobby Scene A Capella Style

The most secret agencies dedicated to making sure you’re only seeing a pale shadow of reality

Why do we keep falling in love with cyborgs?

Polish science fiction movie posters (that never existed)

Joel Silver doesn’t want The Matrix ruined by 3D conversion

Fox News to FBI Cybersquad: Get In Front Of Some High Tech Looking Stuff…Quick!

Actors Reprise Their Iconic Roles, Without Costumes

The Matrix’s Bullet-Dodging Scene, Faithfully Recreated in Lego

Lego Matrix Zion’s Last Stand Arrives Six Years Too Late, But It’s Still Awesome

When Machines Destroy the Earth – A Gallery

Plug & Play WiiZii Brings Hard Drive to Wii Minus Solder

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