- EartherEnvironmental Justice
Flint’s New Registry Will Help Residents Get the Healthcare They Need
In 2014, residents in the predominantly black city of Flint, Michigan, were exposed to lead in their drinking water. Now, nearly four years later, a registry finally exists to help the state identify everyone that was exposed, and better provide them access to helpful resources. The idea is to monitor people’s continued exposure —not just … Continued
- io9Toys and Collectibles
This Full-Sized Lego Lord of the Rings Pinball Table Takes Tommy to Middle-Earth
Now that Lego is comfortable that people will buy 7,500+ piece, $800 sets based on popular movie franchises, perhaps there’s hope that the toymaker will turn Vladimir van Hoek’s full-size working Lord of the Rings pinball machine into an equally massive set we can actually buy. We don’t know the full piece count for this … Continued
- ScienceHealth
Scientists Slammed for Synthesizing a Smallpox-Like Virus in the Lab
The dreaded smallpox virus was eradicated more than 40 years ago, but the threat of its return still looms. In an effort to develop a safer vaccine substitute, Canadian researchers have resurrected a close relative—the extinct horsepox virus—from scratch. Critics say the exercise was pointless, and because the results were published in an open access … Continued
- Tech NewsAmazon
Man Says He Spent Thousands on Bitcoin Mining Rig and Got Boss Baby DVD Instead
The Boss Baby is one of the finest films of 2017, and on Tuesday it received an Oscar nomination that settles any further debate. But one man in Britain doesn’t seem to be a fan. The poor guy recently described a nightmarish scenario where he was shipped a DVD of the animated masterpiece instead of … Continued
By Rhett Jones - ScienceAnimals
Relax, Dog Flu Isn’t Coming to Take Our Precious Doggos Away
It’s not bad enough that the flu virus is tearing the human species a new one this winter. No, it has to go after the only good thing left in our snot-ridden lives: The Dogs. But while the idea of deadly dog flu spreading like wildfire through our nation’s kennels and shelters, as recent headlines … Continued
By Ed Cara - EartherNatural Disasters
Oh My God, Look at Mount Mayon Right Now
The most active volcano in the Philippines looks utterly terrifying after a day of eruptive activity that prompted the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) to ratchet up the warning level to 4. According to authorities, a violent eruption could be imminent. Mayon Volcano, which has been rumbling since Jan. 13th and started dribbling … Continued
By Maddie Stone - io9Books
How Algorithmic Experiments Harm People Living in Poverty
Virginia Eubanks made the same mistake most would. In her job working with low-income women struggling to afford housing, she assumed they also struggled with access to vital technology, like the internet. But this technology isn’t just accessible, it’s permeates access to basic resources people in poverty need to survive, and it’s often rigged against … Continued
- io9Television
All 10 Episodes of Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams, Ranked
Last weekend, Amazon started streaming Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams, a new TV anthology series based on short stories by the iconic science fiction writer. Directed and performed by a slew of different talents, the 10 episodes range all over the map in terms of subject matter, tone, and quality. Lucky for you, we’ve watched … Continued
- Tech NewsNews
Elon Musk’s Salary Hinges on Adding a Bonkers $50 Billion to Tesla’s Worth Over and Over Again
On Tuesday Elon Musk announced he will stay on as the CEO of Tesla for ten years in an unusual situation that requires him to hit some lofty targets if he wants to get paid. As the New York Times points out, Musk has previously indicated that he might move on from Tesla following the introduction … Continued
By Rhett Jones - io9Toys and Collectibles
A Clever Trick Lets Nerf’s Newest Blaster Shoot a Seemingly Endless Stream of Darts
In New York next month the toymakers of the world will be showing off everything the kids in your life will be begging you for later this year. But ahead of Toy Fair 2018, Nerf has given us a sneak peek at a couple of new blasters it’s introducing, including one that helps solve the … Continued
- io9Television
Black Lightning Is the Blackest Superhero TV Show of All Time
Black Lightning isn’t the first television show to prominently feature black superheroes and it also isn’t the first cape series with a predominately black cast. And yet, Black Lightning is telling a very particular story about black lives that’s unlike anything else on the CW right now and it feels very much like it’s operating … Continued
- Tech NewsApple
Apple Might Finally—FINALLY—Kill the MacBook Air
Just in time for its tenth anniversary, Apple might finally be killing the MacBook Air, according to a new report from Digitimes. If this is true, it’d be the first axing of a laptop line from Apple since the iBook and Powerbook were axed back in 2006. It would also be about damn time. Apple … Continued
By Alex Cranz - EartherEnvironmental Justice
What Are Carbon Markets and Can They Save the Planet?
Everyone with half a brain knows we need to address climate change by cutting carbon emissions. One of the policy options you may have heard a lot about is cap and trade. But what exactly is that, and does it really work? A cap and trade system, or carbon market, is essentially a way for … Continued
By Brian Kahn - Tech News
Smartphone Battery Explodes After Man Tries Biting It for Some Reason
A video of a man at an electronics store has gone viral in Asia. What’s so special about the video? As you can see in the GIF above, the man bites an iPhone replacement battery shortly before the battery explodes. Taiwan News reports that the security camera footage you see above was shot in China … Continued
By Matt Novak - io9Movies
Netflix’s CEO Believes Critics Trashed Bright Because They’re Out of Touch
There’s a cornucopia of things to dislike about Netflix’s orc cop movie Bright like the writing, the plot, and the way it literally uses demons as stand-ins for people of color to make a point about systemic racism. But from Netflix CEO Reed Hastings’ perspective, the only people who weren’t really here for the film … Continued
- Tech NewsNews
Teen App Musical.ly May Try to Dethrone HQ Trivia
Musical.ly, the video app popular with teenagers, was acquired in November by Chinese news aggregation giant TouTiao for a whopping sum in the ballpark of $800 million. What does TouTiao plan to do with its expensive purchase? According to a planning document provided to Gizmodo, one of Musical.ly’s initiatives under new management may be a … Continued
By Avery Ellis - ScienceSpace
We Might Need to Redefine ‘Planet’ Again
You may think you know what a planet is, but celestial bodies often refuse to fully comply with our artificial human labels. We all thought tiny Pluto was a planet, until the 2006 vote in which the International Astronomical Union (IAU) redefinition stripped it of its title. But when is something officially too big to … Continued
- EartherNatural Disasters
Why Even a Baby Tsunami Can Trigger a Warning
Early this morning, NOAA’s National Tsunami Warning Center issued tsunami warnings for the south coast of Alaska and British Columbia, after a powerful, magnitude 7.9 earthquake rocked the Gulf of Alaska. Tsunami watches were issued for California, Oregon, and Washington State. A few hours later, all watches and warnings had been canceled, leading many Twitter … Continued
By Maddie Stone - Tech NewsGadgets
DJI’s New Mavic Air Is So Small It Fits in a Jacket Pocket
DJI just revealed a new, delightfully tiny drone called the Mavic Air. It’s a lot like the DJI Spark, announced last year, but its rotor arms fold in making the little bitty aircraft even more little bitty. If you set the Mavic Air on the table next to your smartphone, you’d find they have about … Continued
- Tech NewsSploid
Someone Please Convince a Toy Company to Make This Leaping, Rocket-Powered RC Car
Toymakers are always on the hunt for a fad or unique feature that will have parents fighting over their products come Christmas time. So if there are any toymakers reading this, the hot toy for the 2018 holidays will obviously be remote control cars outfitted with rocket engines helping them make the sickest of jumps. … Continued