io9

Watch the world go mad in the trailer for Seeking a Friend for the End of the World [Video]

Meredith Woerner — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:26:50 PST

What would happen if everybody found out that we all only had a few weeks left to live? Director Lorene Scafaria's apocalyptic romantic comedy Seeking a Friend for the End of the World starring Keira Knightley and Steve Carell captures the fall of society after it's announced that an asteroid is going to crash into the Earth. More »

Get Locus Magazine delivered electronically for as little as $4 an issue [Magazines]

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:03:23 PST

If you really want to keep up with what's happening in the world of science fiction writing and publishing, you need to read Locus Magazine — it's an essential resource for anyone who cares about the state of the field. So it's great news that Locus has signed up with Weightless Books, a venture of Small Beer Press, to offer DRM-free electronic subscriptions for just $48 a year. Back issues, going back as far as January 2011, are also available for $5.50 each. Check it out! [Weightless Books, via SF Scope] More »

A new scientific explanation for how zebras evolved their stripes [Evolution]

Tim Barribeau — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:00:00 PST

Explanations for why zebras are stripey run a wide gamut: some say camouflage, or that it makes it hard to target individual members of the herd, or even that it's a cooling method. Well, add another one to the list, which at least has some experimentation behind it. More »

Space: 1999 remake will be called Space: 2099 [Space: 1999]

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:37:36 PST

We've often wondered what you would call a remake of Space: 1999, the 1970s series about a Moonbase on the loose, and now we know. The show is being remade by a team that includes the same studio that brought you the V remake, and they're calling it Space: 2099. More »

Why your pancreas has tastebuds [Biology]

Tim Barribeau — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:30:00 PST

In what can only be described as the most shocking revelation since I learned that tumors can grow teeth, it turns out your pancreas has taste receptors. New research published in the PNAS indicates that there are sweet taste receptors in that organ — and their reaction to fructose may be a cause of diabetes. More »

Some people are more creative when they're drunk [Neuroscience]

Robert T. Gonzalez — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:20:00 PST

Are you more creative when you're drunk? It's one of those soundbites that you're liable to hear a friend spout off somewhere between their fourth and fifth beer — a little factoid that might actually sound somewhat feasible if only there were a scientific study lying around to back it up. More »

Ancient Poop Science: Inside the Archaeology of Paleofeces [Archaeology]

Alasdair Wilkins — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:14:29 PST

The invention of the toilet accomplished many good things, but it did rob us of the chance at immortality - through our poop. Ancient humans have revealed some of their greatest secrets through paleofeces, the study of the waste they left behind. More »

The extremely subtle Captain America motorcycle suit — for the fan with too much money [Captain America]

Meredith Woerner — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:40:00 PST

Suit up in your very own red, white and blue Captain America motorcycle suit, and no one will miss you while you scream down the highway.

io9 Book Club Reminder: Meeting 2/21 to discuss Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus [Io9 Book Club]

Annalee Newitz — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:28:11 PST

The io9 Book Club meets every month to discuss a book, and then the author usually joins us for a chat. In February, we're meeting on the 21st to discuss Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus. Watch for a post that day announcing the book club, and jump into comments for discussion! There's still time to read the book, too. More »

A Fantasy Heroine Who's Closer to Jean Grey than Frodo Baggins [Book Review]

Ed Grabianowski — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:20:00 PST

Brimstone Angels by Erin M. Evans is not your typical fantasy novel. There's jealousy, unbidden powers, forbidden lust — and not a magic Macguffin in sight. More »

5 Foolproof Methods for Detecting Secret Nuclear Bomb Tests [Chemistry]

Keith Veronese — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:05:19 PST

Over 2000 nuclear tests took place between 1945 and the signing of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in 1996, with the United States and Soviet Union combining for over 1700 explosions. More »

The creepiest video of coral you'll ever watch [Video]

Cyriaque Lamar — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:55:11 PST

Imagine that you're coral at the bottom of the sea — a thrilling fantasy, we know. You're minding your own coral business when suddenly some obnoxious scuba diver ungraciously dumps sediment on you. How do you free yourself from this sand trap? More »

"Better Book Titles" has been rocking the hell out of science fiction classics lately [This Is Awesome]

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:40:00 PST

The "Better Book Titles" blog is one of the internet's great treasures — and if you haven't checked it out lately, you've missed some total gems. The blog is just what it sounds like — people post their versions of books with more appropriate titles. More »

We only wish Glee's performances were as much fun as this science fiction medley [Video]

Meredith Woerner — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:23:45 PST

Rockin' a cappella group Novis mixed together a fantastic medley of various science fiction tunes and theme songs. There's something for every nerd in this music mix. More »

What Frank Herbert's Dune Can Teach Us About the Power of Positive Thinking [Dune]

Maria Konnikova - Scientific American — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:00:00 PST

You probably know that Frank Herbert's Dune teaches that "fear is the mind-killer." But what else can you learn from Dune about the power of using your mind and avoiding negative thoughts? Psychologist Maria Konnikova delves into the real-life neuroscience that Paul Atreides taps into. More »

New images from Game of Thrones season 2 show off a whole crop of new characters [Game Of Thrones]

Meredith Woerner — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:55:13 PST

Behold a collection of lovely images from the second season of George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones. Get your first look at Bran Stark's new legs, Hodor, Balon Greyjoy, Brienne and a whole new clan of Baratheons. More »

Gorgeous fan-made Incredibles 2 concept art makes us wish this was a real movie [Concept Art]

Meredith Woerner — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:20:00 PST

Unable to wait for a sequel to The Incredibles for one minute longer, the talented artist Edwin Rhemrev took it upon himself to make his own Incredibles 2 artwork. And the result is very impressive. It's so glorious we almost wish this was actual Pixar concept art, and not just one fan's dedication to a great movie. More »

Why doesn't anybody use social media on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine? [Star Trek]

Catherynne M. Valente — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:04:22 PST

Like many people, I've been slowly rewatching Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ever since it popped up on Netflix. And one thing becomes clear: in many ways, 2012 has already overtaken DS9 as The Future goes — barring, of course, space travel and replicators. Culturally, at least, we've zoomed right past Star Trek's version of the 24th century, by the second decade of the 21st. More »

This chimp will kick your ass at memory games — but how the hell does he do it? [Video]

Robert T. Gonzalez — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:32:21 PST

This is Ayumu, he's an 11-year-old chimpanzee who lives and trains at Kyoto University's Primate Research Institute. In his time there, Ayumu has come to excel at an incredibly difficult — albeit very straightforward — memorization game. If you challenge him to this game, you will lose. More »

Scientists blast iron with lasers, and it disappears from X-rays [Physics]

Esther Inglis-Arkell — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:20:00 PST

Scientists have found a way to turn iron nuclei transparent to X-rays, using lasers. And besides the coolness of making things disappear using lasers, this could have huge applications in optical computing. More »

Totally Badass Cyborg Costume Made of Old Apple Computers [Holy Crap Wtf]

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:04:25 PST

This is the greatest thing ever. Somebody in Chongqing, China decided to show their love for Apple products by dressing up in a homemade cyborg costume made of iMacs and other outdated Macs. Now he needs to go out and fight crime, with the awesome power of OS 2. More »

My Encounter With The World's Cutest Swarm of Toxic Bugs [Video]

Esther Inglis-Arkell — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:14:25 PST

Ladybugs are the one kind of bug you don't mind crawling on you. They're cute. They're pretty. And they swarm. They swarm by the tens of millions. I had a personal encounter with a smaller swarm when hiking. Find out about my brush with nature's most adorable fury. More »

Samurai Star Wars characters, out of a movie too awesome to exist [Concept Art]

Cyriaque Lamar — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:10:00 PST

Artist Clinton Felker has given some of the Star Wars universe's most iconic characters a bushido makeover. Check out his takes on Darth Vader, Yoda, the stormtroopers, and that notorious ronin Boba Fett. The only thing we're missing here is Oni The Hutt.

This is the "stretchable gold" that will power rubber circuit boards [Video]

Annalee Newitz — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:57:43 PST

We've been hearing a lot about how the future of electronics will involve stretchy circuit boards, or circuits you can glue to your skin. In this video, you can see one crucial ingredient in bendy electronics — stretchable, electrically-conductive gold that can bend with the rubber it's printed on. University of Cambridge engineering researcher Ingrid Graz has been working on creating this type of gold, and here she shows us what this gold looks like on a microscopic level. It's both beautiful and fascinating. More »

New device hacks into blind people's visual cortex to let them "see" [Neuroscience]

Alasdair Wilkins — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:52:21 PST

This Sensory Substitution Device uses the camera to gather visual data and then uses a rather nifty computer algorithm to translates this data into sound. With a little practice, blind users can identify complex objects, and even read words. More »

10 Sexiest Evil Twins of All Time [Video]

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:42:30 PST

Fringe keeps proving over and over that everybody's sexier when they come from a dark, dystopian alternate universe. But it's basically a law of science fiction that the evil twin is always the sexier one. More »

This baby wolf and grizzly bear cub became lifelong best friends [Video]

Cyriaque Lamar — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:35:28 PST

Animals strike up plenty of strange interspecies friendships, but this one in particular is DEFCON 1 adorable. At the Woodland Zoo in Farmington, Pennsylvania, Lil' Bear the grizzly and Tala the wolf have struck up a friendship that has lasted six years. The only thing that could make this tableau any cuter is if the heavens opened up and began raining candy. More »

The Insane 1991 Alien Nation Versus Planet of the Apes Comic Book Nobody Remembers [Planet Of The Apes]

Cyriaque Lamar — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:45:00 PST

The 1990s were a febrile time for weirdo crossover comics. You had the loopy deathmatch that was Batman Versus Predator, the OCP vis-à-vis Skynet technology war of Robocop Versus Terminator, and even the charmingly befuddling Star Trek/X-Men (which boasted two Dr. McCoys). More »

And now, disembodied animal heads that mock your facial expressions [Video]

Robert T. Gonzalez — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:15:00 PST

This one pretty much does what it says on the tin. The face-morphing, augmented-reality app you see here is the brainchild of New York artist Karolina Sobecka, who calls the interface All the Universe is Full of the Lives of Perfect Creatures. More »

Real-life Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs is so cute it hurts [Video]

Meredith Woerner — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:40:00 PST

We adore the animated adaptation of Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, so we almost passed out from charm overdose when we saw this real-life take on Phil Lord and Chris Miller‘s movie. It's simply superb. This short was submitted to the Virgin Radio Fake Film Festival. If you loved this 60-second take on Cloudy, vote at the Virgin website. Also check out the enjoyable one-minute Harry Potter. More »

Whoa, a Petri Dish That Has a Pulse [Video]

Esther Inglis-Arkell — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:30:00 PST

A heart won't beat once it's been ripped out of the chest Indiana Jones style. But disembodied heart cells, when nurtured in a petri dish, will beat on their own. More »

Meet the Bloop, the mysterious sound from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean [Video]

Alasdair Wilkins — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:10:00 PST

In the summer of 1997, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration picked up a sound from deep beneath the Pacific. The sound seemed to come from an animal far larger than any we've ever seen. This was the Bloop. More »

Leggings are boring — try a pair of meat pants on for size [Sci Fashion]

Robert T. Gonzalez — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:45:00 PST

Leggings, yoga pants, call them what you will — the point is they're everywhere. And while there's something to be said about the marvels of body-shaping attire, the fact remains that ass-hugging tight-pants — which typically come in some form of white, grey, or black — are becoming a bit commonplace... boring, even. More »

Smallville is back from the dead as a comic book, cue sad trombones [Please God No]

Cyriaque Lamar — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:25:00 PST

It's been a fairly depressing morning, what with all that incurable gonorrhea and all those feline brain parasites. Here's some more toe-tapping news. This spring, Smallville will take a cue from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and resurrect itself as a comic by former story editor and Batgirl scribe Bryan Q. Miller. More »

Listen to the call of a cricket that lived 165 million years ago [Video]

Tim Barribeau — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:00:00 PST

While a huge amount of research has examined how plants and animals looked in the prehistoric past, we know extremely little about what these creatures would have sounded like (Dr. Alan Grant's 3D-printed raptor voice box in Jurassic Park 3 notwithstanding). But now, we finally have some idea of one noise that would have pierced the primeval woodlands 165 million years ago. More »

Common cat parasite could actually be causing schizophrenia and suicide [Afternoon Reading]

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:40:00 PST

Tons of cat owners have Toxoplasma gondii, the common feline parasite. We've known for quite some time that T. gondii makes rats lose their fear of cats, making them more likely to be eaten. We've also known that the parasite causes humans to become more reckless, and in some cases hornier. More »

Gonorrhea is becoming untreatable [Holy Crap Wtf]

Robert T. Gonzalez — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:20:00 PST

Gonorrhea is the second-most commonly reported sexually transmitted disease in the United States. But no biggie, right? It's not like it's HIV or herpes — you know, one of those STDs that sticks with you for life. Just pop some antibiotics and you're good to go, right? More »

Ridley Scott talks Blade Runner, Gary Oldman reveals a Dark Knight Rises secret, and Jennifer Lawrence talks Catching Fire! [Video]

Alasdair Wilkins — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:00:00 PST

Gary Oldman reveals a hint about the end of The Dark Knight Rises. Marc Webb and Andrew Garfield explain how they approached reinventing Spider-Man. The Hobbit gets a much-needed infusion of Scottish. Plus Game of Thrones, The River, and more! More »

Picture of the Day: February 8, 2012 [Picture Of The Day]

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:13:00 PST

THE REAL BATTLESHIP | "Invasion" concept art by U2644, via CGHub.

Hear the ultrasonic scream of this pint-sized primate! [Video]

Alasdair Wilkins — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:00:00 PST

At just five inches long, tarsiers are among the world's smallest primates. And yet they communicate much like humans, using a wide range of calls to communicate. That's why it's so weird that some tarsiers apparently stay completely silent. More »