Everyone, say hello to Type Iax, a new classification of supernova that astronomers are calling “the runt of the supernova litter.” But these celestial blasts are hardly subtle; they’re a newly documented and surprisingly frequent subcategory of supernova in which helium-sucking white dwarfs survive the ensuing explosion. Above image: Material from a hot, blue helium … Continued
Robert Rodriguez, multi-talented action/adventure movie auteur is announcing his latest collaboration: Project Green Screen. In partnership with BlackBerry, Rodriguez is putting the finishing touches on his new short film. Seems like a normal, not-newsworthy thing for a filmmaker to do, right? Wrong! He’s actually asking his fans to create these finishing touches, because he’s innovative … Continued
Turning Marvel’s Thor into a blockbuster hero was never a safe bet. The mix of Norse mythology, the Marvel universe’s weirdness and a guy who talked like he was part of a Renaissance festival could easily have turned people off. And yet writer Don Payne managed to capture Thor’s essence awhile helping him win over … Continued
Optical microscopes are limited by a phenomenon known as the diffraction barrier, wherein the microscope can’t differentiate two objects separated by less than half the wavelength of light used—roughly 200 nm on average for the visible spectrum. But by combining powerful optics and cutting-edge rendering algorithms, GE’s new DeltaVision OMX Blaze is bringing this hidden … Continued
When it comes to space, perspective is everything. We’ve talked about the importance of scale in the past – about how, when separated by millions of miles of space, many objects in our solar system can seem unrelatably gigantic. It’s what makes images like this one so eye-opening. https://gizmodo.com/and-now-for-a-sense-of-scale-a-map-of-the-u-s-overlai-5984252 Enceladus, the captivating cryovolcanic moon of … Continued
A new international trailer for Kick-Ass 2 offers up a heaping portion of new film footage, specifically a look at high school through Hit Girl’s eyes. Chloë Grace Moretz reprises her role as the purple-wigged vigilante, but this time her efforts are focused on having a “normal” childhood (good luck with that, sugar). So far … Continued
We’ve all seen our share of quadruple rainbows and rainbows from space, but it’s not to often you catch on lying down one the job. A particularly lazy refraction showed up in Paris the other day, but it’s not quite as it seems. https://gizmodo.com/wow-man-its-a-double-rainbow-from-space-5922105 The rainbow is actually normal, but thanks to the angle of … Continued
In this week’s “Postal Apocalypse,” we reveal the incredible secret excretory systems of vampires, figure out what you need to be watching on Netflix, and discover a war that’s also a paradox… a paradox of death. Read on, but don’t forget to send your questions to [email protected]! Blood Work: Jarrod W.: While watching Being Human … Continued
If you have kids it’s never too soon to start thinking about back to school. So keep these adorable Rubber Barber erasers, designed by Chen Lu Wei, in the back of your mind for when it’s time to start shopping for school supplies again. Out of the box they look like a set of square-headed … Continued
In 1995 episode of Computer Chronicles, Stewart Cheifet greets us from inside one of those fancy new cyber cafés you’ve undoubtedly been hearing so much about, asking “Who says online users are a bunch of antisocial geeks?” And a whole eighteen years later we can still pretty much respond with “Everyone, Stewart. Everyone does.” But … Continued
By genetically altering a microorganism that hangs around the blazingly hot waters near geothermal vents, researchers from the University of Georgia have shown that carbon dioxide can be pulled from the atmosphere and converted into useful organic chemicals — including biofuels. Essentially, the scientists created a microorganism that treats carbon dioxide the same way that … Continued
Louvers are shutter-like fins that can permit or prevent light and air from entering a space. In this Japanese home, the giant white pieces let shadows dance differently around the house, depending on the time of day. The big white facade curves along the shape of the road running beside it, and between each louver … Continued
When most of us get lost in unfamiliar territory – a hotel, for example – we consult a map to orient ourselves. But for the blind it’s not so easy. With this in mind, researchers have developed a virtual gaming platform that uses other sensory cues to help blind individuals develop mental maps of new … Continued
We’ve seen the teasers, but now the first full-length trailer for The Wolverine is here and… wow. Viper? Silver Samurai? Jean Grey? World War II? Bullet trains? Ninjas? The Wolverine has all of that and more. Admittedly, I’m not sure how I feel about this “Wolverine becomes mortal” thing, but I really like how depressed … Continued
The FBI wants more power. That’s not any particular kind of surprising, since the FBI always wants more power, but this push is notable for what’s it’s after: real time spy privileges for your online communication. Right now, government agencies can force ISPs and phone companies to install surveillance gear in their networks thanks to … Continued
After a couple years of gestation, Basis’s B1—watch-like activity tracker—has finally arrived. But unlike the FuelBands and Fitbits and UPs of the world, Basis offers a unique look into one’s health, however cursory as it might seem. Tracking steps and analyzing sleep isn’t new, but the B1’s analysis of both is rooted in biometrics and … Continued
In practice, the answer is not long. You’d bleed to death pretty fast, or succumb to infection. But if you had a skilled surgeon and plenty of medical supplies, how long could you survive? The Naked Scientists have figured it out. Obviously, just cutting or biting wouldn’t allow you to live very long. If you … Continued
Google’s finally starting to reveal the winners of its #ifihadglass promotion, and surprise! You’re not one of them. Not yet, anyway, unless you happen to be one of the following six golden ticket recipients. https://gizmodo.com/how-google-hacked-our-imaginations-with-ifihadglass-5989915 A quick reminder that being selected for your world-changing #ifihadglass idea doesn’t score you a free pair of Google compuspecs. … Continued
Amazon X-ray—the Kindle Fire feature that knows everything piece of information about a movie you’re watching while you watch it—is expanding to TV shows. https://gizmodo.com/amazons-x-ray-for-movies-knows-what-youre-watching-and-5941067 The service is pretty awesome and it keeps you from wondering who that actor is on the screen or what you’ve seen him in before. X-Ray slurps intel from Amazon-owned … Continued
Rebecca Hall discusses her character’s role in Iron Man 3, plus a funny flashback. Roland Emmerich drops some surprisingly interesting hints about his Independence Day sequel. Michael Bay reveals his latest Transformers leading lady. Plus all the latest on Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Revolution, and more! Spoilers from here on out! … Continued