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Multiple American airlines have already banned self-balancing scooters from their aircraft over the potential fire risk, and now the US Postal Service is adding itself to that list. The USPS outlined the move in a statement earlier today: “Effective immediately and until further notice, the Postal Service will ship the hoverboards only using Standard Post/Parcel…
What are we looking at here? That’s the state of California today, with almost no cloud cover. Yes, that white stuff is snow and it’s quite a sight for our drought-parched eyes. Frigid temperatures and a walloping series of storms brought enough snow to California’s mountain ranges over the past week that many places were…
Movies use the same footage as other movies. They use the same sets. And yes, they use the same props too. Screen Rant reveals movies that have lifted props from other films in their latest video list and it shows how The Avengers used the same plane as True Lies, how Back to the Future’s…
The worst way to experience an earthquake has to be waking up in the middle of the night to all that chaos. So a Chinese inventor has revealed a new and improved version of an earthquake-proof bed that supposedly helps you survive a worst case scenario—but at what cost? Wang Wenxi received a Chinese patent…
If you prefer drinking from an elegant flask from a more civilized age, here’s a brilliant (and even more covert) alternative to the Han Solo blaster flask from a few months ago. Insignificant Fish Industries is once again teasing this Return of the Jedi lightsaber flask on its website with absolutely no details on how…
Another week of tech means another week of rumors. Stuff from Apple, Google, GoPro, and OnePlus attracted speculative headlines. But this week, we decided to enhance our rumor-sleuthing methods by introducing a highly scientific bullshit meter. It works as follows: 💩= Likelihood is very high 💩💩= Probably going to happen, but there’s room for doubt…
Earlier this summer, amateur treasure hunters made quite a stir when they announced the discovery of a long-lost Nazi gold train, buried under a pile of rocks in a Polish rail tunnel. It was a controversial claim to begin with, and now, scientists are saying it’s just a load of malarkey. “There is no train,”…
The idea of streets swarming with robot-piloted vehicles paints a scary picture for some urban-dwellers. But a new project called FutureNYC showcases how autonomy will benefit New Yorkers, by highlighting what residents will get back when our cars can drive themselves. FutureNYC is the brainchild of designers Ari Teman and Elliot Glassman, who created these…
The Backyard Scientist filled a tank to the brim with water balls, which are little polymer beads that expand to slimy squishy balls when soaked in water, and then poured in molten aluminum to create some wild designs. It’s cool because with all the different ways the molten aluminum can move within a vat filled…
Bummed that your latest cat pic didn’t get more traction on Instagram? Wondering how to make people remember your company’s logo first and foremost? A clever algorithm developed by MIT computer scientists may be able to help with a new online tool. Meet MemNet, a new program that uses techniques from the deep learning field…
Facebook and Uber continue their unstoppable global takeovers with a new partnership, announced today. You can now call for an Uber ride from within the Facebook Messenger app. Tap on an address in a Messenger thread, and up pops “Request a Ride” alongside the familiar “Copy,” “Open in Google Maps,” etc. Or, simply tap the…
In the blink of an eye, episode one of a Netflix series can turn into episode 20 if you’ve fallen asleep at the remote. To help combat this, Netflix has developed a pair of knitted socks you can make yourself that automatically pause your show when they detect you’ve nodded off. The project requires both…
NASA has a long history of seeing its technology turned around after spaceflight for some more earthbound purposes. (Enjoy that scratch-resistant coating on your glasses? Well, it began life as an ‘80s-era spacecraft water filtration system.) What some people miss is that it’s still happening today. Every year, NASA puts out what it calls a…
Human culture has reached a point of no return. The overwhelming barrage of Star Wars merchandise has pulverized the last remaining crumbs of our consumer dignity. Consider this product and cry with us: Star Wars Chicken Hot Dogs with Built-in Ketchup. And it gets worse. The following photos were taken at ten separate supermarkets in…
It looks like Defense Secretary Ash Carter is a comedian bombing on open mic night in this photo from Adana, Turkey yesterday. Get it? I said, it looks like Carter is bombing. Do you get it? Maybe you didn’t get it. I said, it looks like Carter is bombing in Turkey. Wait, I don’t think…
A new $1.1 trillion budget bill has excluded Republican-backed efforts to block implementation of the FCC’s open internet rules, the Senate Appropriations Committee reported today. The government spending bill’s summary—a hefty 2,009 pages long—was posted online early this morning, but there’s zero anti-net neutrality language. That’s a a very good thing. Republicans in Washington have…
2015 was an amazing year for science, but it was also a year for some amazingly overhyped science. We put our hearts ahead of our data when speculating about advanced extraterrestrial civilizations. We so wanted to believe that a looming ice age would save us from global warming. And we were horrified to learn that…
Over a year ago, we offered a handy guide for explaining net neutrality to your relatives. This holiday season, that conversation is a lot more fun. In the past 12 months, the FCC has issued the strongest open internet rules this country has ever seen—and the fun doesn’t stop there. It feels like 2015 will…
Working out can be a drag, especially if your only means of entertainment is an awful juicer informercial on five of the 10 gym TVs. But thanks to virtual reality, you can soon exercise your way through a video game—and starting today, you can preorder a VR-ready bike that lets you do exactly that. VirZoom…
The GOP presidential debate last night focused on foreign policy, which meant lots of talk on how to DESTROY ISIS. It immediately devolved into a sneering Fear Off as each candidate attempted to out-scaremonger frontrunner and Ayn Rand cantaloupe Donald Trump. Trump blithely confirmed that he would violate the Geneva convention by killing children in…
