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io9Autumn was in the air as we walked past the atmosphere factories
When we first met, he took me on a walk to the far edge of the city. We listened to its atmosphere generators hum, and watched the sunset stain the carbon filters with pink light. Decades later, the sound of a geoengineering facility always reminds me of what I loved about him. Simon Stålenhag is … Continued
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io9MoviesWhat Movies Think Aliens Look Like
Here’s a fun little music video about aliens cut from movies and TV shows by our friends Eclectic Method. Aside from the song hypnotically inducing you to nod your head, the video also reveals what Hollywood thinks aliens will look like: green, large brained and funny looking. How many of these movies have you seen? … Continued
By Casey Chan -
io9
The Most Frequently Banned Book of 2012: Captain Underpants?
Yep. Self-appointed guardians of morality aren’t trying to protect our kids from To Kill a Mockingbird nearly as often as the Captain Underpants books, which to be fair have “underpants” in their title. That’s the shocking revelation from this year’s Banned Books Week. The American Library Association released its list of the most challenged books … Continued
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io9
Comment of the Day: Sad Clown Edition
Today’s comment of the day forged its way over hill, dale, and the Atlantic Ocean, all to bring us this report on the sorry state of Britain’s carnivals. Commenter finickity reveals all in response to today’s post on state fair foods: https://gizmodo.com/the-art-and-science-of-state-fair-foods-1377961606 I have to say as a Brit it’s rare to find interesting food … Continued
By Ria Misra -
io9
Serbian academics uncover the scholarly work of Ron Jeremy
A group of Serbian academics wanted to make a point about the poor state of scholarship. So they tricked a Romanian magazine into publishing a hoax paper that made reference to the fine scientific contributions of porn star Ron Jeremy, among other Ivory Tower notables like Michael Jackson. Of course, Retraction Watch has the story: … Continued
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io9These Are The Most Extreme Buildings Ever
Sometimes a group of architects just goes completely crazy. Or somebody with a lot of money to burn decides to pay some architects to realize a completely insane dream. Either way, what you get are these examples of the most extreme buildings ever created. Piano and Violin Building, Huainan City, China, built in 2007 to … Continued
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io9
Horse_ebooks proves that humans yearn to be friends with bots
Normally, we worry that Twitter accounts and dating profiles are run by bots — sophisticated algorithms that pretend to be humans. But now, thanks to the Horse_ebooks Twitter account, we have to be on the lookout for humans luring us in by pretending to be machines. So the cat’s out of the bag. As reported … Continued
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io9
The io9 Book Club is in session! Let’s talk about Lexicon.
Welcome to the monthly meeting of the io9 Book Club. In September, we read Max Barry’s Lexicon. Jump into comments to get started talking about it! For those unfamiliar with the io9 book club, here’s how it works: You read the book. We create a special book club post on io9 when the meeting is … Continued
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io9
Could the Nazis have starved Britain into submission?
At the dawn of the Second World War, the island nation of Britain faced the grim possibility that it might be starved into defeat owing to a German naval blockade. To assess this threat, a group of Cambridge dieticians took part in a secret experiment to see just how malnourished they could become. Top Image: … Continued
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io9
The chocolate bar that revealed the microwave
Percy Spencer, just after the end of World War II, was working on a power tube for the Raytheon Corporation. Nothing might have come of it, if it weren’t for one heroic chocolate bar that gave its life for modern society. Image by gosphotodesign via Shutterstock The magnetron was designed to power radar sets. Obviously … Continued
Esther Inglis-Arkell -
io9
What’s the absolute best movie remake of all time?
Remakes are like leftovers — sort of warmed over and not as juicy as the original. But every now and then, someone manages to remake a classic movie, and actually bring something new and wonderful to the table. What’s the best remake of a science fiction or fantasy movie? Please include a picture or clip … Continued
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io9
The original Dungeons & Dragons makes its triumphant return
Speaking of The Greatest Out-of-Print Tabletop RPGs That We Still Love! Wizards of the Coast is re-releasing the legendary “White Box” in a deluxe edition — the very first Dungeons & Dragons set ever, back in 1974 — including the three original rulebooks, along with four classic supplements all in special packaging. https://gizmodo.com/the-greatest-out-of-print-tabletop-rpgs-that-we-still-l-1350714506 Here’s everything … Continued
By Rob Bricken -
io9The perfect demonstration of an incredible feature of chicken anatomy
Chickens are like nature’s steady-cams*. They posses a remarkable ability to keep their heads stable even as their bodies move around. And it all has to do with their eyes. The anatomic feature is demonstrated to great effect in this newly released Mercedes commercial**, which is presumably for some stability feature? We’re not really sure. … Continued
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io9MoviesA Delightful Supercut of Movie Characters Abusing Broken Tech
Scoff as we may, we’ve all been there before. One of your gadgets starts acting up and, even though you know it’s wrong, banging on it with your fists just feels so right. Why, even TV and movie people do it—a lot, actually. Vimeo user Duncan Robson was kind enough to round up the best … Continued
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io9
Minimalist book cover art brings a new spark to these book classics
Even if you’re tired of the “minimalist art” fad, these book covers are worth celebrating. For one thing, writer and graphic designer Nicolas Beaujouan has picked many of the greatest classics of science fiction and fantasy to illustrate anew. For another, there are some very clever choices here. Beaujouan chose 23 classic books for his … Continued
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io9
Do we need a Space Party?
We’ve got a Green party to advocate for environmental causes on Earth. But what about a Space party? With a burgeoning private space industry, and the International Space Station in full flower, maybe it’s time for space advocates to represent their interests politically. What would that look like? Let’s do a thought experiment. Image by … Continued
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io9
What if you had superpowers, but only when you were having sex?
Follow-up question: Do you think you could manage to rob a bank while having sex? I think it would be awkward, but we’ll find out thanks to Matt Fraction’s naughty new Image series. Plus Powerpuff Girls, drunken ninjas and mini-Marvel heroes, all in this week’s comics! New Issues Dark Horse: • Criminal Macabre: Eyes of … Continued
By Rob Bricken -
io9
Princess Leia fights alone in a brand new Star Wars book
As readers of the recent Brian Wood Star Wars comics know, Princess Leia is no pushover. And now she’s getting her own standalone novel — to be followed by solo adventure novels starring Luke and Han. We’ve got an exclusive excerpt, right here. Razor’s Edge: Empire and Rebellion by Martha Wells is out today, and … Continued
