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io9Scientists are working on a “tractor beam” that could recover astronauts floating in space
It’s the interstellar version of a man overboard — an astronaut, thrown from his spacecraft, drifting helplessly into space. Until recently, safety measures to account for such a situation have been somewhat limited. But now, scientists have turned to laser-activated thrusters to develop a “tractor beam” that could recover these astronauts from the inky blackness … Continued
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io9MoviesWhy there aren’t flaming hookers in Ghost Rider 2
In addition to checking out the new Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance footage screened at New York Comic Con, io9 had the opportunity to chat with Crank directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor. https://gizmodo.com/rollerblades-nic-cage-fire-barf-one-awesome-new-g-5850187 The guys told us about fiery mining equipment, the supervillain Blackout’s new look, and the hellfire ladies of the night who … Continued
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io9
How the Superegg Changed the World
Most likely, you’ve already seen the Superegg before. It’s a shape that came into vogue in the 1960s, and has been showing up ever since. It’s an ‘egg’ that has the ability to stand stable on either end, and it turns out to have many uses. Art and science got together and decided to go … Continued
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io9The most disturbing Japanese make-out robot you’ll see all day
Good morning, internet. Some of you may already have a burgeoning case of the Mondays, so here’s an invention that will immediately make you appreciate your station in life. The Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology has invented a device that allows a person to play “the Pocky game” solo. For those of you … Continued
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io9Books
What’s next from Naomi Novik, Peter V. Brett, and Scott Westerfeld
At New York Comic Con’s Del Rey/Spectra panel, some of the imprints’ most popular authors — including Naomi Novik, Scott Westerfeld, and Peter V. Brett — hinted at what to expect next. Naomi Novik didn’t offer too many details about Crucible of Gold, the next installment in her Temeraire series, but she is really excited … Continued
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io9TelevisionMorning SpoilersWhat is the future of Marvel movies beyond The Avengers?
The Avengers comes out next year, the culmination of groundwork laid by half a dozen previous films. So what’s next? According to Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige, we’re completing phase one… and the next few years are all about “phase two.” Plus an utterly batshit Man of Steel casting rumor. Geoff Johns thinks the world … Continued
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io9Television
On the season premiere of The Walking Dead, the survivors screw up a pit stop
The last time we saw the plucky survivors of The Walking Dead — way back in December 2010 — they were trapped in Atlanta’s Center of Disease Control by a very depressed scientist, shatter-proof glass, and an invisible force field of melodrama. And now that the show’s back on the air, the gang’s flipped 2010 … Continued
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io9Comics
10 of the choicest nuggets of comic book news to burst forth from NYCC
New York Comic Con is a staccato tizzy of panels, press releases, and floor chatter. It can be difficult to keep up with all of the news coming out of the show, so we’ve narrowed it down to ten reveals that are particularly noteworthy. Also, we have oodles of creator interviews coming down the pike … Continued
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io9
io9 Roundup: October 16, 2011
WEEKEND ROUNDUP: 10/15-10/16 | Wolverine versus alien by Mikhail Rakhmatullin. Bruce Banner gets irked: a spoilery synopsis of the New York Comic Con Avengers footage! https://gizmodo.com/bruce-banner-gets-irked-a-spoilery-synopsis-of-the-new-5850188 Several of the Avengers assembled onstage at the New York Comic Con to premiere some brand new Hulkcentric footage! Here are the details More » On Adult Swim’s China, IL, … Continued
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io9
How a pair of astrologers helped invent modern medical record-keeping
Even by the standards of the 1500s, Simon Forman was a horrendous doctor. A known quack in an era when respected physicians barely knew what they were doing, Forman even spent time in jail for his dangerous practices. And yet, for all that, it’s Forman and his equally disreputable protege Richard Napier who have left … Continued
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io9Movies
New Total Recall footage shows off its big bad, Bryan Cranston
How different will the new Total Recall reboot be from Paul Verhoeven and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s classic Mars mystery? The answer is “entirely.” At least that’s what we got from the few glimpses of new footage screened at New York Comic Con. Director Len Wiseman popped by the New York Comic Con (via pre-recorded video) to … Continued
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io9Movies
You Can Buy One of the Super Rare DeLorean Time Machines Used in Back to the Future
Profiles in History is auctioning off over a 100 Back to the Future props but the one that’s got me—and about the entire rest of the world—shaking in my boots is the DeLorean used in BTTF III. It’s one of only seven DeLoreans used throughout the entire series. The DeLorean being auctioned off is the … Continued
By Casey Chan -
io9TelevisionOn the TV show Once Upon a Time, all of your favorite fairy tale characters are trapped in Maine
At the New York Comic Con screening for ABC’s Once Upon a Time, we were shown an intriguing fantasy comprised of equal parts promise and problems. But the panel with creators Adam Horowitz and Eddie Kitsis, late of Lost, convinced us that the show will be worth sticking with, post-shaky pilot. These guys are masters … Continued
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io9
The bizarre toad that’s part clone, part lover, and all hybrid
Reproductive arrangements don’t get much stranger than those of the Batura toad of Pakistan. The entire species is the result of two unknown species interbreeding, and each toad carries three sets of genes…which makes passing on its genome extremely tricky. The batura toad is a rare example of a triploid animal, referring to their three … Continued
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io9Books
At NYCC, urban fantasy authors explained why supernatural cities are weird and wonderful
Urban fantasy is famous for taking real cities and recreating them as paranormal landscapes. At the New York Comic Con panel “Demonic Hotspots, Infernal Pit Stops and the Badlands,” six writers explained why and how. This panel gathered urban fantasy writers Kim Harrison, Rachel Caine, Patricia Briggs, Anton Strout, Edward Lazellari and Christina Henry to … Continued
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io9
The Black Death is surprisingly similar to modern bacteria
The plague that wiped out over a third of Europe’s population in the 14th century came from a bacteria known as Yersinia pestis. Now we’ve sequenced its genome…and it’s weirdly, almost worryingly identical to its modern descendants. Bubonic plague is still around, but these days it’s exceedingly rare and quite treatable. It’s hard to believe … Continued
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io9Movies
The Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of All Time
TorrentFreak recently published a list of the most pirated movies over BitTorrent of all time and apparently, what we watch in theaters is what we like to pirate off the Internet. All of the most popular movies have been illegally downloaded a gazillion times. Here’s the list, which dates back to early 2006: 1. Avatar … Continued
By Casey Chan
