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No, that’s not a picture of Han Solo’s trusty ship ripped straight from a Star Wars movie. It’s an incredible model made by Bernard Szukiel — but here’s the real kicker: it’s made entirely out of paper. This is no hunk of junk. Header Image Credit: Bernard Szukiel. All images credited as such unless otherwise…
Why do people give their kids certain names at certain points in history? It’s not always clear — but at least we can amuse ourselves with data about it. Abacaba created this strangely captivating bubble chart that contracts and swells with the popularity of U.S. girls names for every year since 1880. Abacaba uses this…
In the wake of protests over police violence against black men, many civil rights activists are calling for a high-tech solution: strapping wearable body cameras to cops. The idea is to hold police accountable for unnecessary violence. But the history of police body cams reveals that the devices have often had the opposite effect. On…
Volcanic lightning is one of those crazy, Old Testament-type phenomenons that makes you think that maybe hell is hidden under Earth. We’ve seen crazy photos before but here it’s captured on video by Marc Szeglat. He was chasing down the Sakurajima volcano as it was erupting in Japan and got this awesome footage. SPLOID is…
So how did you spend the last four years of your life? No matter how you answer that question, it was a complete waste of time compared to Bernard Szukiel who spent four years creating this absolute masterpiece of a Millennium Falcon model using nothing but paper, glue, and more patience than any single human…
Last week we looked at the odd 21st century phenomenon of politicians shaking hands with robots as if they were human. We learned a lot about the potential robot uprising, but we also discovered that one politician in particular always seems to be hanging out with robots: German Chancellor Angela Merkel. There is perhaps no…
Are you a writer who is obsessed with science, technology and/or internet culture? Then Gizmodo and io9 want you! We’re hiring staff writers for both sites. Illustration by Simon Stålenhag Gizmodo and io9 are collaborating on a new project called the Future Initiative, which brings together a handful of sites — from Giz and io9…
It means you’ll be sacrificing a bit of storage space, but Fabbrica Pelletterie Milano’s new Nendo-designed Kame suitcase has a clever segmented lid that rolls up when opened so it’s not constantly falling down on you while you’re trying to find a specific shirt. It also means you can open the suitcase in tight spaces,…
In following Pinky and the Brain’s hilariously cursed cartoon quest to take over the world, we kids get to see a story about the classic odd couple and the funny hijinks they run into. What we don’t see is the truth that adults willfully ignore: that lab rats live a miserable life and would totally…
Do you enjoy giving out candy to people and also freaking them out at the same time? Yes? Good! Then these are just for you. Look into that Thor’s eyes and tell me you wouldn’t say no to a dig around in his candy bowl. Rubies — yes, they of the equally hilarious/creepy Age of…
The internet-naming powers that be (otherwise known as ICANN) have already blessed us with such distinguished, venerated domains as .WANG, .SEXY, and .FISH. But now, it’s gearing up to grant us with every diligent #Brand’s worst nightmare: Welcome to the .SUCKS era. Of course, something as timeless as a .SUCKS domain isn’t going to come…
How do you plan on spending your retirement? Moving to Florida, or taking up painting, perhaps? Izzy Swan, a retired furniture shop owner, is spending his by making impossibly complex transforming furniture. South Carolina-based Swan runs a site called Think Woodworks, where he posts projects like how to build a lathe and how to salvage…
Are you worried about the classic hot smartphone problem? Into overclocking your pocket PC? If you are, you’ll be thrilled about Fujitsu’s new technology for a liquid-cooled smartphone. It’s a bit like putting your car’s radiator into your phone—a cool idea even if you probably wouldn’t need it. Fujitsu’s new “loop heat pipe” transfer system…
Here’s a new take on Beer Pong that makes the game appear more like traditional table tennis so you can play it with friends in your basement rec room while your parents are still in the house and none the wiser. Instead of using plastic cups that are a dead giveaway that you really just…
Watch as an eagle takes off from the Burj Khalifa and flies high up above Dubai in this incredible video that shows you the stunning view from the eagle’s point of view. It’s fun to see it calibrate itself at 2700 feet in the air and then recognize its landing target and take an immediate…
At New York Toy Fair last month we got our first proper look at Funko’s line of 6″ action figures based on Firefly — but now Funko has released a batch of new promo pictures for the toys offering us a great look at the plastic crew of the Serenity. Ready your “Shiny” jokes! The…
In January, Google announced a limited Google Now pilot program, integrating 40 third-party apps with its popular digital secretary. At SXSW this weekend, Google’s director of product management Aparna Chennapragada said they’ll soon be opening the doors to any app that’s interested. What that means is any third-party app can plug into Google Now with…
This is Robert Kirtley and this is his workshop. Watch him artfully draw puzzles and manufactures puzzle die masters all by hand. It’s such a fascinating process to see and a skill that has grown increasingly rare in the world of puzzles. In fact, there are only a few other people in the entire world…
Ikea has banned hide-and-seek in its Dutch stores, a smart move that has nonetheless upset tens of thousands of whimsical twenty-somethings who planned to descend on the store for a few games. Bloomberg reports that over 32,000 people—more than half the capacity of Yankee Stadium—RSVP’d for a game of hide-and-seek at an Ikea in the…
When I first bumped into this clip my mind refused to accept what my eyes were seeing. And, to this moment, my brain still doesn’t fully understand how these people managed to squeeze their bodies into such a minuscule hole. One thing is clear: If these guys suffered from claustrophobia, this video wouldn’t exist. According…
