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found footage
The Only Good Scene In "I, Robot"
For those of us who loved Isaac Asimov's I, Robot, the Will Smith movie was a pile of confusing disappointment. But there is one scene in the movie that's worthy of the original book, and this is it. [io9] -
movie review
"Blood: The Last Vampire" Delivers Swords, Schoolgirls, and 1970s Angst
In Blood: The Last Vampire, a sword-toting, half-demon schoolgirl matriculates into high school on a US military base in 1970s Japan. She's there to whack some demons, fry your eyeballs in their sockets, and entertain the hell out of you. [io9] -
space porn
Largest Image Ever Taken Of The Moon From Earth
This breathtaking expanse of moonscape is just one tiny portion of a massive undertaking. It is part of the biggest image of the moon ever taken from Earth, and it just earned a Guinness Book of World Records spot. [io9] -
Rant
Female Fans Prepare To Trample Men At Comic-Con
Just a few weeks ago, we endured condescending articles about how girls don't like Comic-Con. This week, we hear that the worst part of Comic-Con is going to be all the female fans of Twilight. Wait, what? [io9] -
Afternoon reading
How To Survive The Next Depression, With Cory Doctorow
If you're jonesing for some whimsical outlaw techie culture in your life - and who isn't? - then you need to start reading Cory Doctorow's new novel Makers, which is being serialized pre-publication on Tor.com. [io9] -
Geophysical porn
The Best Collection of Engineering Disaster Photos You've Ever Seen
Giant structures reduced to rubble by disaster? You can't look away. Two engineering professors have created a great archive of disaster photos, along with lessons about what went wrong - and how to get it right next time. [io9] -
Weird archaeology
Could People With Giant Skulls Be Controlling the Weather?
Were there superpeople with mega-skulls in ancient times, or did they just have really awesome body mods? This clip from a Russian show about weird, elongated skulls discovered from the 4th Century asks that very question. via Xenophilia [io9] -
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Disaster
Tremor-Plagued California Fault About To Unleash The Big One
Tremors are increasing near a "locked" stretch of the San Andreas fault in Central California near Parkfield. In a study released today, seismologists say this could mean the shaky state is on the verge of an enormous quake. [io9] -
Longevity
Can Food Prevent Age-Related Dementia?
A new study has confirmed that primates who eat a low-calorie diet can, according to researchers, "slow the aging process." Restricting your calorie intake means you're three times less likely to develop age-related disorders, particularly in the brain. [io9] -
space porn
Binary Star Discovery Allows Scientists To Detect Invisible "Gravity Waves"
Stars in the early universe probably formed in pairs, like the ones in this simulation created by a group of American astrophysicists. Their finding also has staggering implications: We may detect gravity waves, which has never been possible before. [io9] -
io9 MCP
The New io9 Commenter System - Explained!
You may have noticed something different about how comments work on io9. That's because our Gawker Media Overlords have unleashed a new comment system. It gives you a lot more flexibility. Read on to find out more! [io9] -
mad science
A Homemade Piece of Lab Equipment With A Terrible Purpose
There is something creepily fascinating about this piece of DiY lab equipment, fashioned in Denmark during the 1970s. Can you guess its purpose? Not for the faint of heart. [io9] -
found footage
Let Me Inject You With My Special Serum
The eponymous bad guy of 1966 Italian exploitation flick The Embalmer has the best mad scientist pervert speech I have ever heard. He's explaining how he "preserves" the beautiful ladies of Venice, and gets a little foot fetish action too. [io9] -
Rant
The Singularity Backlash
Are you sick of the shiny, high-tech future where humans evolve into superbeings? Join the club. The latest trend is for anti-singularity futures, where tomorrow looks like yesterday. [io9] -
quote of the day
Were The Middle Ages Better Than Today?
Futurist and media maven Douglas Rushkoff has just published Life, Inc., a book about how corporations control and permeate our lives. In a recent interview, Rushkoff says the middle ages were better than our corporate-controlled future. [io9] -
Captain stargood
The Bizarre History of the 1960s Scifi Puppet Series Too "Twisted" For TV
If you were a fan of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's Thunderbirds series, then get ready for your mind to explode. A group of intrepid fans have discovered a marionette-style show from the Anderson era, which TV execs tried to suppress. [io9] -
Strange experiments
Alternate Histories Of Objects For Sale On eBay
Would you pay more money for items on eBay if they had interesting stories behind them? A group of writers has determined to find out, by selling objects on eBay that come with fictional alternate histories. [io9] -
Concept Art
The City Inside A Mountain
Over the years, erosion revealed what lay beneath the Antarctic mountains. Scientists dubbed them "habitation discs," and they were all that remained of was was once a teeming city within these frozen peaks. [io9] -
Mega fauna
Giant Manta Rays Are The Cylon Raiders Of The Deep
BoingBoing points out the similarities between cylon ships and these giant manta rays featured in the latest National Geographic magazine. These 2,000-pound creatures are on a krill feeding frenzy. More pictures via NatGeo, thanks to Marilyn Terrell! [io9] -
social control
Your Smile Will Be Monitored To Evaluate Quality Of Service
More than 500 employees of Keihin Electric Express Railway in Japan will be subject to "smile checks" every morning. Software will evaluate the quality of their grins, and alert them if they aren't looking happy enough. [io9] -
Vacation
Wish You Were Here - On The Moon
io9 is taking the day off to explode things in the name of national liberty. Also, to kick back on this moon beach, captured here in the dappled earthlight by NASA's newly-launched Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. [io9] -
found footage
The Best Ever Human-Alien Bonding Over Stabbing Other Aliens
You fools have probably forgotten the greatness that is Alien vs. Predator. I'm here to correct that by showing you two moments in this film where asskicking reaches epic proportions, along with awesome human/Predator body-modification bonding. [io9] -
Futurism
The Future Of The U.S. Government, According To Science Fiction
Countless science fiction stories have asked the same question: What will America turn into next? The answers fall into three major categories, some more plausible than others. Take our poll to choose your favorite option. [io9] -
Insect overlords
Ant Mega-Colony Covers Half The Planet
Ant colonies are often part of bigger "mega colonies" that share genetic traits and will not make war on each other. One colony got so big it now rivals the human population in its reach, covering most of the planet. [io9] -
Development deal
Movie Based On Asteroids Game Will Boggle Your Mind
Though Hollywood excels in making plotless movies, the sale of Asteroids to Universal breaks new ground. The people who are bringing you GI Joe this month are about to make a movie about a triangle shooting a bunch of blobs. [io9] -
mad science
A Drug That Could Give You Perfect Visual Memory
Imagine if you could look at something once and remember it forever. You would never have to ask for directions again. Now a group of scientists has isolated a protein that mega-boosts your ability to remember what you see. [io9] -
retro futurism
What Happened To Russia's "Flying Car" Program?
For nearly four decades, Russian engineers tried to set up a a flying car public transportation system in Moscow and other parts of Russia. We've got the history and future of their dream, in pictures. [io9] -
signs and portents
Did This Jellyfish Crop Circle Accurately Predict A Solar Storm?
Discovered last month in a UK barley field, this crop circle appears to be a jellyfish. But intrepid crop circle analysts have discovered that it predicts a devastating solar storm on July 7. And they have diagrams to prove it. [io9] -
triviagasm
Vampires - In Space! Or the Future! Or Both!
Why must vampires always appear someplace in Louisiana, Northern California, or London whining about their gothic pasts? If you're sick of the same old vamps, we've got a batch of newfangled ones for you - some from outer space. [io9] -
mad neuroscience
Commonly-Prescribed Drug Significantly Reduces Memory Loss from Alzheimers
A growth hormone frequently prescribed for cancer patients has been found to significantly reduce memory loss from Alzheimers disease. The drug, which stimulates the production of red blood cells, essentially washes plaques out of the brain. [io9] -
Concept Art
Gorgeous Short Film About a Bio-Robot With Endless Desire - For Water
Youngwoong Jang is a Korean student filmmaker whose short "Mirage," about a tiny cyborg who needs a drop of water to survive, is one of the most beautiful examples you'll see of CGI as art. [io9] -
Augmented Reality
More Augmented Reality Software That Will Change the Future
Using a new augmented reality (AR) service called Pachube, you can use your smart phone to "see" invisible environmental data about air quality and energy consumption. And we've got another amazing AR application too. [io9] -
Maps
New Map Of Our Galactic Disc Reveals Where Future Stars Will Be Born
Members of a massive galaxy-mapping project started a few years ago have just unveiled the first of several atlases they will produce of our Milky Way's galactic disc. These images of "cold dust" in the galaxy show where stars will ignite. [io9] -
Monsters among us
Public Utilities Group Confirms "Sewer Monster" Is Real, But Doesn't Know What It Is
If you've been following the ongoing sewer monster story from North Carolina, I've got some seriously crazy news for you. First of all, the video of the throbbing poop-esque creature has been confirmed as real. But what is it? [io9] -
Concept Art
Tesla's Lightning-Eating Mansion in Upstate New York
It was like a haunted factory, with its massive electrical generators rising up like armored fists next what was once modest farmhouse. The locals saw how it seemed to bring down lightning during storms, and they never knew why. [io9]











