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It’s been a longstanding complaint since the first Superman comics debuted in the 1930s: why doesn’t anyone see through Clark Kent’s lame disguise and realize that he’s really Superman? New research suggests that Kent’s trademark glasses actually might work as a disguise—at least around people who don’t know him well. The official DC Comics explanation—described…
As Hermine continues to menace Florida’s northwest coast, it officially crossed over into hurricane territory this afternoon. That makes this week rather special: Florida is about to get smacked with its first hurricane in more than a decade. For those who don’t live in the Sunshine State, the words “Florida” and “hurricane” might feel rather…
The App Store is about to get some much-needed cleanup. Apple sent a letter to developers today warning them that as of Sept. 7 (the same day as the big iPhone event), Apple will start reviewing apps already in the App Store and removing apps that don’t follow content guidelines or no longer work. Apple…
The bears are on the loose again!!! Here’s a livestream of the bears, who are currently on the loose: The bears were having a good time today. I’m very happy for the bears because they are cute. Check out the bears. This story is developing and we will update it as we receive more information.
Many cats are kept indoors for various reasons, but because they’re natural foragers this can lead to a host of behavioral and health problems. New research shows that food puzzles are effective at staving off many of these problems. Cats aren’t too far removed from their evolutionary ancestor, the African wildcat, making indoor life a…
It’s no secret that tech companies sometimes breed a frathouse office culture. Palantir—the Peter Thiel-cofounded data firm, for example—is no stranger to beer pong, drunken injuries, or merciless pranks. But debauchery must have its limits. No one would be stupid enough to throw a stripper party in their own office, right? So far, no—but a…
On a lonely, cratered plain near the equator of dwarf planet Ceres, a mountain half the height of Everest spirals into an airless abyss. A few hundred million years ago, briny ice lavas from deep beneath the surface pushed Ahuna Mons up, freezing again as they oozed across the mountain’s rugged peak. That, at least,…
Marcel Lazar, better known as Guccifer, the hacker who terrorized politicians in 2013, pled guilty to various computer crimes in May. Today, he was sentenced to 52 months in prison. Not to be confused with Guccifer 2.0, a pseudonym linked to the recent hack on the DNC, the original Guccifer rose to fame after he…
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket exploded in Cape Canaveral today. It was carrying Facebook’s $95 million satellite that was going to beam Internet to poor parts of the world as part of the company’s Internet.org project. Here’s the first video of the insane explosion:
This morning, a routine test firing of a SpaceX rocket ended in a fiery explosion, destroying both the vehicle and its payload, a communications satellite that Facebook planned to use for beaming free internet down to Africa. As the smoke begins to clear, the future of SpaceX remains clouded in uncertainty. The explosion took place…
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket exploded in Cape Canaveral this morning. On board was Facebook’s Internet.org satellite, which experts estimated cost $95 million. In a post on Facebook, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said he was “deeply disappointed.” From Zuck’s post: As I’m here in Africa, I’m deeply disappointed to hear that SpaceX’s launch failure destroyed our satellite…
The good news is that a modern hurricane will probably not directly kill you. The bad news is that there are many ways you can kill yourself when a tropical system comes knocking on your door. Let’s talk about the way people die in hurricanes so you can avoid becoming a tragic statistic. Our ancestors…
Fashion mogul and designer Karl Lagerfeld has realized that the adult coloring book fad isn’t going away any time soon. But instead of cashing in with his own line of coloring books, he’s collaborated with Faber-Castell on a set of colored pencils that will set you back $2,850. Come again? The KarlBox, which is designed…
In August, Twitter proudly announced that it had suspended 235,000 accounts connected to the “promotion of violence or terrorism on our platform.” The company’s blog post focused on accounts of the Islamic extremist variety—it mentions ISIS and partnerships with the organizations Parle-moi d’Islam, Imams Online, and True Islam, and includes an Arabic translation. But according…
Agricultural equipment manufacturer Case IH, a unit of CNH Industrial, just unveiled a seriously intimidating-looking tractor at the Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa. Called the Autonomous Concept Vehicle, the robotic tractor can be programmed using a tablet computer. This futuristic piece of agricultural equipment is drawing crowds at the annual Iowa farm show, and…
The Withings Activité, and the far more affordable Withings Activité Pop, showed the world that fitness trackers don’t necessarily have to look hideous. And while the new heart rate-tracking Steel HR makes some aesthetic compromises to gain smartwatch functionality, it’s still one of the most beautiful wearables you can buy. Instead of using an LCD…
Have you seen this video of a hawk crashing a picnic in Australia? The bird picks up a snake and tosses it at some people minding their own business. The poor folks then run off in horror. The video has gone viral, with nearly 1 million views in the past day. But it’s totally fake.…
A bunch of old shit that used to belong to Steve Jobs is going up for auction later this month. The auction is being held by Julien’s Auctions in Los Angeles, as part of a bigger collection of belongings from “Hollywood’s most private stars.” Steve Jobs was certainly private. We’re sure he would be thrilled…
The finalists are in for the Natural History Museum’s 2016 Wildlife Photographer of Year competition. From inquisitive fox cubs and invisible fish through to termite tossing birds and courting cuttlefish, this year’s crop is guaranteed to astound. The latest wildlife photography competition was the most competitive to date, with nearly 50,000 entries submitted by both…
Millions of Americans are preparing for a wet and wild Labor Day weekend as Tropical Storm Hermine bears down on the southeast, threatening to dump up to ten inches of rain over portions of northwest Florida and southern Georgia through Friday. The storm, which NOAA’s National Hurricane Center upgraded from a tropical depression late yesterday,…
