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Lucy Lawless teases a Xena revival? SWOON

Meredith Woerner — Fri, 24 May 2013 16:20:00 GMT

Aiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyi! Bust out your breast plates and headband braids, because Xena: Warrior Princess might be up for a revival!

Epic: This is what a good children's film looks like

Charlie Jane Anders — Fri, 24 May 2013 16:07:00 GMT

Movies for kids generally exist in a zone of lowered expectations. Recycled sitcom jokes and microwaved pop culture references dot a paint-by-numbers story about rehashed characters. So it's refreshing to see a film like Epic, which actually packs a real story, along with some gorgeous imagery. Minor spoilers ahead...

Nuclear plant workers film Star Trek spoof inside training simulator

Rob Bricken — Fri, 24 May 2013 15:40:00 GMT

The staff of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) seems to be in trouble after a Star Trek spoof made in 2010 in the plant's training simulator was leaked. "SONGS Trek," as it's called, doesn't seem to be work-related, but it also doesn't appear to have put the plant in any danger.

The First Image Ever of a Hydrogen Atom's Orbital Structure

George Dvorsky — Fri, 24 May 2013 15:00:00 GMT

What you’re looking at is the first direct observation of an atom’s electron orbital — an atom's actual wave function! To capture the image, researchers utilized a new quantum microscope — an incredible new device that literally allows scientists to gaze into the quantum realm.

The effect that explains why you regret posting in anger

Esther Inglis-Arkell — Fri, 24 May 2013 14:30:00 GMT

Ever come across one of your old angry Internet comments and cringed with disbelief? There's a reason for that. While good feelings still feel immediate over time, negative ones tend to fade away quickly, leaving only angry tweets behind.

Watch as this burning railway bridge comes crashing down

George Dvorsky — Fri, 24 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Remember that wild scene in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter when that wooden bridge was set ablaze? Well, as you'll see in this unbelievable video, sometimes reality can match the best that special effects has to offer.

The new Avengers Assemble cartoon looks... actually kinda okay

Rob Bricken — Fri, 24 May 2013 13:30:00 GMT

The first clip from Avengers Assemble, the new Marvel cartoon debuting this Sunday on Disney XD, has arrived, and... well, it looks fine. As a lover of the needlessly cancelled Earth's Mightiest Heroes, this is difficult to say, but Assemble feels like EMH, just with the movie roster.

Henry Cavill wants to make a Superman/Batman team-up film!

Alasdair Wilkins — Fri, 24 May 2013 13:00:00 GMT

The rising star that Joss Whedon supposedly wants to play Scarlet Witch in Avengers 2 has now said that she would like to play Scarlet Witch in Avengers 2. Hugh Jackman explains why Wolverine kind of just wants to die in his latest solo film. Plus Grimm, Arrow, Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and more! Spoilers abound!

New Hubble images of the Ring Nebula reveal the Eye of Sauron

Annalee Newitz — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:30:00 GMT

The Ring Nebula, a massive cloud of gas around a dying star, is one of the best-known celestial objects. Not only is it gorgeous, but it's easy to find in a telescope, even if you're an amateur. This new Hubble image is anything but backyard astronomy, however — and it's given astronomers a new understanding of the nebula's shape in space.

Wow, a Dystopian Coming-of-Age Novel With Actual Real Science

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 23 May 2013 23:43:00 GMT

At this point the glut of novels about a young person growing up in a fearsome dystopia has become kind of insane, especially as the dystopias have gotten more and more far-fetched. So it's refreshing to read a novel like Jane Rogers' Testament of Jessie Lamb, where the dark future involves actual science. And real speculation.

The Beer of Thrones is not safe for pregnant women, Dothraki, anybody

Rob Bricken — Thu, 23 May 2013 23:40:00 GMT

Comediva cooked up a little commercial for the Beer of Thrones, a no-doubt hearty ale which has some unfortunate side effects for those who drink it... and those who happen to be standing nearby those who drink it. Frankly, I think everybody should consider themselves lucky no one ended up channeling Theon's new buddy.

The Alien Backstory You Didn't See in the After Earth Trailers!

Meredith Woerner — Thu, 23 May 2013 23:24:00 GMT

Think After Earth is just about Will Smith reconnecting with his son on a dangerous future Earth? WRONG. There's a whole baffling alien backstory, that you don't even know about. It's just not in the trailers. Journey with us as we attempt to untangle M Night Shyamalan's ridiculously complicated movie. And meet the Skrels, who kill humans! For unknown reasons!

The World's Most Awkward Taxidermy

Vincze Miklós — Thu, 23 May 2013 23:16:02 GMT

In case you were worried you'd ever get a good night's sleep again, here are some stuffed animals that go way beyond wrong.

Portland voters reject fluoridation for the fourth time

George Dvorsky — Thu, 23 May 2013 22:40:00 GMT

For the fourth time since 1956, Portlanders have rejected a plan to fluoridate the city's water. It's the only city among the nation's 30 most populous that avoids the practice — prompting critics to complain that the city is simply being anti-science.

Quicksilver is gonna be in Avengers 2 AND X-Men: Days of Future Past!

Rob Bricken — Thu, 23 May 2013 22:20:00 GMT

The lightning-fast son of Magneto is in high demand in Hollywood nowadays! Not only has Joss Whedon confirmed Marvel's speedster will appear in the Avengers sequel, director Bryan Singer just announced that actor Evan Peters has been cast as Quicksilver in X-Men: Days of Future Past!

Poltergeist remake will actually be a sequel, which is a good thing

Meredith Woerner — Thu, 23 May 2013 22:08:26 GMT

We were all a little terrified when MGM announced they would be remaking Poltergeist. However, we took some solace in the hiring of Monster House director Director Director Gil Kenan. But when the alleged synopsis dropped earlier this week we couldn't stop screaming. The whole thing sounded like a bad mirror of the original. Thank goodness, a bit more plot detail has surfaced.

Feast your eyes on the first global topographical map of Titan

Robert T. Gonzalez — Thu, 23 May 2013 21:40:00 GMT

For the first time ever, planetary scientists have created a topographical map of Titan, the largest of Saturn's many moons, and the second-largest in the entire solar system. The map is a boon to researchers who study Titan, a mysterious moon that is arguably the most Earth-like body in our solar system – and it's beautiful, too.

Deadspin Bicycle Pumps Are The Worst | Lifehacker Nine Things You Should and Shouldn't Do If You Los

Lauren Bertolini — Thu, 23 May 2013 21:35:00 GMT

Deadspin Bicycle Pumps Are The Worst | Lifehacker Nine Things You Should and Shouldn't Do If You Lose Your Job | io9 12 Underrated or Overlooked TV Shows to Marathon This Weekend | Jalopnik This Is Why People Think Ford Truck Drivers Are Asshats | Valleywag Sean Parker's Wizard Wedding Escapes Government Crackdown

Which comics supervillain really deserves a shot on the big screen?

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 23 May 2013 21:00:00 GMT

Not only do we keep getting the same few superheroes starring in movies over and over — but they always face the same villains. Superman fights Luthor and Zod. Batman meets the Joker and Catwoman. But which supervillain would you like to see in a big movie?

The Search for Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, the Lost Imperial Sword of Japan

Keith Veronese — Thu, 23 May 2013 20:40:00 GMT

An ancient sword, the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, is linked to ancient tales of gods and serpents in Japanese lore. The sword is seen as a weapon of immense power, a weapon that legitimizes the rule of a Japanese emperor. But where is this sword now?

A 2000-year-old Philosophical Problem that Stumps Modern Machines

Esther Inglis-Arkell — Thu, 23 May 2013 20:20:00 GMT

Buridan's Ass is one of the oldest insults in existence. It has been consistently used to make fun of a particular worldview — one that doesn't allow for free will. But this notion gained new relevance, when we started making little electronic Buridan's Asses, which had to come to terms with the problem on more than just a philosophical level.

How Pesticides Pushed Cockroaches Into Rapid Evolution

Joseph Bennington-Castro — Thu, 23 May 2013 20:00:00 GMT

In the 1980s, manufactures began making cockroach baits that combined sweet glucose with deadly insecticides. By 1993, many cockroach populations somehow developed an aversion to the bait. Now, 20 years later, scientists finally understand how the roaches beat these traps.

How a Women's Libido Pill Could Actually Save Monogamy

Lindy West — Thu, 23 May 2013 19:45:00 GMT

Despite the fact that all I want in life is a daemon familiar and a wand and a sarcastic dappled mare who really gets me and violet eyes and a tower, in actuality I'm forever harping on the fact that magic isn't real. There are no magic Spanx that will turn you into Cindy Crawford. There is no magic begoggled top hat that will transport you out of the "friend zone," and there is no magic vision board that will manifest a sarcastic talking Lamborghini (that really gets you!) in your driveway while you sleep. It's just not real. Nothing is easy and nothing is free. But...what if it was? Not magic, precisely, but a workaround—a shortcut from one side of one of life's seemingly insurmountable challenges to the other. What if you could take a pill and fix your broken relationship?

Learn the art of Practical Spoonbending

Esther Inglis-Arkell — Thu, 23 May 2013 19:40:00 GMT

Or, to be more precise, practical spoon-melting. Do you know about a de-lite-ful little trick that some scientists like to play on one another that causes a spoon to melt in hot liquids? Did you know that once it caused the victims to fill themselves with mercury?

How a 3D Printer Saved This Baby's Life

George Dvorsky — Thu, 23 May 2013 19:20:00 GMT

Six weeks after he was born, Kaiba Gionfriddo began to experience severe breathing difficulties, the result of a rare obstruction in his lungs called bronchial malacia. In desperation, doctors attempted a technique never tried before on a human: they 3D-printed a splint from biological material.

io9

Lucy Lawless teases a Xena revival? *SWOON*

Epic: This is what a good children's film looks like

Nuclear plant workers film Star Trek spoof inside training simulator

The First Image Ever of a Hydrogen Atom's Orbital Structure

The effect that explains why you regret posting in anger

Watch as this burning railway bridge comes crashing down

The new Avengers Assemble cartoon looks... actually kinda okay

Henry Cavill wants to make a Superman/Batman team-up film!

New Hubble images of the Ring Nebula reveal the Eye of Sauron

Wow, a Dystopian Coming-of-Age Novel With Actual Real Science

The Beer of Thrones is not safe for pregnant women, Dothraki, anybody

The Alien Backstory You Didn't See in the After Earth Trailers!

The World's Most Awkward Taxidermy

Portland voters reject fluoridation for the fourth time

Quicksilver is gonna be in Avengers 2 AND X-Men: Days of Future Past!

Poltergeist remake will actually be a sequel, which is a good thing

Feast your eyes on the first global topographical map of Titan

Deadspin Bicycle Pumps Are The Worst | Lifehacker Nine Things You Should and Shouldn't Do If You Los

Which comics supervillain really deserves a shot on the big screen?

The Search for Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, the Lost Imperial Sword of Japan

A 2000-year-old Philosophical Problem that Stumps Modern Machines

How Pesticides Pushed Cockroaches Into Rapid Evolution

How a Women's Libido Pill Could Actually Save Monogamy

Learn the art of Practical Spoonbending

How a 3D Printer Saved This Baby's Life

Lucy Lawless teases a Xena revival? SWOON