- ScienceArchaeology
Skull of Crushed Pompeii Victim Found ‘Intact’
Last month, archaeologists in Italy found the skeletal remains of a Pompeii resident who apparently had his head crushed by a giant rock while fleeing the eruption some 2,000 years ago. The victim’s skull has now been recovered, and its surprisingly pristine condition suggests an alternative cause of death. Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, … Continued
- ScienceHealth
The US Government Has Charged Hundreds of People With Health Care Fraud and Aiding the Opioid Crisis
Federal prosecutors have charged hundreds of people with allegedly defrauding the US government’s health care system out of a combined $2 billion. And many of the charged are doctors who are also being accused of aiding the opioid crisis by illegally prescribing more than 13 million doses of powerful, addictive painkillers to vulnerable patients. The … Continued
By Ed Cara - io9Television
Three Reasons Why The Expanse‘s Third Season Was Its Best Yet
This week, The Expanse wrapped up its third season with a thrilling two-part finale, making fans even more excited that the show survived its brief cancelation scare. Season four will surely bring awesome new stories, but season three—the scifi standout’s strongest to date—will be hard to beat, and here’s why. 1) It perfectly balanced two … Continued
By Cheryl Eddy - EartherExtreme Weather
The First Awful Heat Wave of the Summer Is Here
Dust off your sprinklers and get those popsicles in the freezer. The first disgusting summer heat wave is here for folks in the central and eastern U.S., and it’s only going to get worse. An upper-level ridge of high pressure, also known as a “heat dome,” will park itself over the northeast this weekend and … Continued
By Maddie Stone - ScienceHealth
Professor Ends Penis-Size Study Soliciting 3,600 Dick Pics, Citing ‘Public Reaction’
A professor at Missouri State University has halted a study on the relationship between penis size and self-esteem following an enormous public response she says has compromised the reliability of her research. Sociologist Alice Walker gained national attention earlier this week after several news outlets reported she was soliciting photos of penises for her research. … Continued
- io9
Even the Defenders Action Figures Hate Iron Fist
That feeling when you’re one of Marvel’s Defenders, but your teammates would rather hang out with your co-star instead. As revealed by The Hollywood Reporter, Hasbro has unveiled its exclusive Marvel Legends Series Defenders Rail Authority 5-Pack for San Diego Comic-Con… and no one should be surprised that no one wants to sit next to … Continued
- Tech NewsGadgets
Verizon Finally Puts Its Sad, Unloved Streaming TV Service to Rest
Despite having the ability to pre-install Go90 on millions of phones, Verizon is finally pulling the plug on its floundering streaming TV service at the end of July. In the three years since its launch, G090 (which doesn’t even require a subscription) never really caught on with its intended millennial audience, and according to Verizon … Continued
- Tech NewsGadgets
The NES Classic Returns Today But I’m More Excited About This Wireless Controller
When the NES Classic Edition was first released, we deemed the $40 8Bitdo NES30 as the best wireless controller alternative for the tiny console. But now that Nintendo is selling the NES Classic once again starting today, I’m more excited for 8Bitdo’s new gamepad that’s an even better wireless alternative with a cheaper price tag … Continued
- ScienceSpace
The International Space Station’s New AI-Powered Bot Is Actually Pretty Cool
Introducing CIMON, a floating, basketball-sized robot that will serve as a companion and assistant to crew members aboard the International Space Station. Infused with artificial intelligence, the floating bot is reminiscent of HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey, but far less evil. We hope. Earlier today, SpaceX successfully launched a recycled Falcon 9 rocket from … Continued
- io9
Watch How Some of Westworld‘s Most Gruesome Scenes Were Brought to Life
Westworld’s sophomore season may have occasionally been a bit too bonkers for its own good, but it’s hard to overstate just how beautiful HBO’s robo-revolution drama can look sometimes… even in its goriest moments, thanks to the impressive work of practical FX studio Fractured FX. [Mild NSFW warning: if you’re not fond of gore or … Continued
- Tech NewsNews
NSA: Sorry, Sorry, Trying to Delete
In 2017, the NSA had a banner year of spying on Americans, managing to collect three times the number of call records than it did in the previous year. Now, it says there were some “technical irregularities” that resulted in it sucking up data the agency is not allowed to have. Its troubling solution is … Continued
By Rhett Jones - io9
Transforming Dino-Cassettes Join a Retro ’80s Bumblebee For This Comic-Con Exclusive
It’s hard to lament Comic-Con’s lack of focus on actual comic books when the convention also brings us some of the best and exclusive collectible toys of the year. In addition to new figures of Star Wars’ latest heroes, Hasbro will be tapping Transformers fans’ wallets with a new Bumblebee set featuring a retro gold … Continued
- Tech NewsPrivacy and Security
Adidas Says ‘Unauthorized Party’ Maybe Got Millions of Logins, Reminds Us to Never, Ever Reuse Passwords
On Thursday, Adidas revealed a “potential data security incident” that possibly left the contact and login info of millions of Adidas customers in the hands of an “unauthorized party.” As many as “a few million” customers who used the Adidas US website may have been affected by a breach, the Wall Street Journal reports. Adidas … Continued
- EartherEnvironmental Justice
These Would Be the Worst Supreme Court Nominees For the Environment
Known swing voter Justice Anthony Kennedy is retiring, which means Donald Trump is all but certain to appoint another Supreme Court justice. And that could have huge ramifications for the environment. In addition to holding sway on everything from uteruses to workers rights for generations, whoever gets the job will also almost certainly rule on … Continued
By Brian Kahn - io9TelevisionMorning Spoilers
Another Valiant Comics Hero Is Heading to the Big Screen
Kevin Feige says a sequel to Doctor Strange is in the works. HBO’s Watchmen show adds a few more mysterious members to its cast. Jordan Peele’s new scifi anthology series is heading to Youtube. Plus, behind the scenes on Wonder Woman 1984, Chloe Grace Moretz on the Suspiria remake, and more. Spoilers get! Faith According … Continued
- ScienceFrom the Lab
How Water Tanks on a Mexican Volcano Will Solve the Universe’s Mysteries
Our guides suggested we rent a car with four-wheel-drive to navigate the treacherous dirt road on the Sierra Negra volcano in Mexico, which reaches 15,220 feet and is evidently the highest road in North America. We wished we’d heeded this advice as our car skidded down the mountain and into a ditch. But we made … Continued
- Tech NewsNews
Majority of Americans Think Social Media Sites Censor Political Viewpoints
It’s a real challenge to find just about anything that Republicans and Democrats can agree upon in the current political climate, but Pew Research Center managed to do just that. As it turns out, in both parties believe their views are being suppressed by social media. A total of 72 percent of all US adults … Continued
By AJ Dellinger - Tech NewsNews
Capital Gazette Shooting Suspect Sued Paper for Reporting His Online Threats Against a Former Classmate
The suspect believed to have carried out the shooting at the offices of Annapolis, Maryland newspaper company Capital Gazette that left at least five dead and two injured sued the publication for defamation in 2012. The charges were thrown out by the judge. Authorities identified the shooting suspect as 38-year-old Jarrod Ramos. He was identified … Continued
By AJ Dellinger - io9
There Sure Is a Lot of Purging in the First Trailer for The Purge TV Show… Not
Boy howdy, if I wanted to see a bunch of people being brutally murdered on the one night a year they can, I sure came to the right place. I am of course messing with you: I have no desire to see any of that. Not that it matters, the debut trailer for USA’s The … Continued
- Tech NewsNews
MoviePass is Selling Merch Now, Which Will Definitely Turn Things Around for It
MoviePass, a company that exists solely to piss off its customers despite offering a service so generously price that it will inevitably lead to its own downfall, entered the “we’re selling flamethrowers” phase of its existence Thursday with the official launch of its merch store. The collapse of the company is sure to follow. At … Continued
By AJ Dellinger