- ScienceSpace
The UAE Drops More Clues About Its Mysterious Plan to Colonize Mars
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Earlier this year, the United Arab Emirates’ grabbed the world’s attention when Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced a plan to establish a colony on Mars by 2117. Officials have been relatively mum about the details of the “Mars 2117 Project”—but today, a person helping to lead the endeavor discussed how young Arab … Continued
By Rae Paoletta - io9Television
If You Love The Handmaid’s Tale, Check Out These 10 Other Works of Feminist Science Fiction
You’ve read the book, you’ve seen all the episodes of the show so far, and you’ve spent the past week repeating “Nolite te bastardes carborundorum, bitches!” Hulu’s excellent adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale is equal parts invigorating and infuriating—and its themes couldn’t be more eerily timely. Here’s 10 works that capture that same … Continued
By Cheryl Eddy - Tech NewsPrivacy and Security
Here’s How Easy It Is to Get Trump Officials to Click on a Fake Link in Email
Even technology experts can be insecure on the internet, as last week’s “Google Docs” phishing attack demonstrated. An array of Gmail users, including BuzzFeed tech reporter Joe Bernstein, readily handed over access to their email to a bogus app. Politicians should be especially wary of suspicious emails given recent events, yet a security test run … Continued
Ashley Feinberg, Kashmir Hill, and Surya Mattu - Tech News
Antarctica’s ‘Dragon Skin’ Ice Is Incredible
Dragon skin ice sounds like something you’d encounter beyond The Wall in the Game of Thrones fantasy realm. But good news nerds, you can find this magical-sounding stuff right here on Earth—though you’ve gotta be lucky, and willing to travel to some of the most hostile environments on the planet. Like the team of Antarctic … Continued
By Maddie Stone - io9
The South Korean Presidential Election, as Told Through the Medium of Game of Thrones
Exit polls from South Korea’s presidential election indicate that liberal candidate Moon Jae-in will be the country’s next leader. Although the latest election was done in the wake of a massive corruption scandal, at least one South Korean news service decided to have a bit of fun with the results. Election coverage from broadcaster SBS … Continued
- ScienceHealth
Extended Space Travel Causes an Inevitable Drop in Physical Fitness
Another day, another study showing how awful microgravity is to the human body. In the latest research, scientists have found that long term exposure to space inhibits the movement of oxygen through the body, reducing an astronaut’s ability to perform strenuous tasks. New research from Kansas State University shows that prolonged exposure to space reduces … Continued
- io9
Orlando Jones on American Gods‘ Incredible Mr. Nancy Speech and Racism: ‘He’s Just Laying Out What the Fuck It Is’
This past Sunday’s episode of American Gods introduced us to Mr. Nancy (Orlando Jones), a smooth-talking African trickster god who manifests in the cargo hold of a slave ship making its way from Africa to America. It’s dark, foreboding, painful, and some of the best television I’ve seen in a number of years. I had … Continued
- Tech News
Tunnel Collapses at Nuclear Facility Once Called ‘an Underground Chernobyl Waiting to Happen’
Managers at the Hanford Site in Washington State told workers to “take cover” Tuesday morning after a tunnel leading to a massive plutonium finishing plant collapsed. The emergency is especially worrisome, since Hanford is commonly known as “the most toxic place in America,” with one former governor calling it “an underground Chernobyl waiting to happen.” … Continued
- ScienceHealth
Americans Are Dying Younger in These 13 Counties
As Republican politicians take aim at the Affordable Care Act and present their reasoned alternative, the Kill The Poor And Turn Them Into Chef Boyardee Act of 2017, it’s a good time to remember a distinctive element of healthcare in the US: inequality, particularly income inequality. A new study on life expectancy in the US … Continued
By Libby Watson - io9Comics
Nightwing Will Go After DC’s Heroes in New Order, Because Being a Fascist Is Hot Right Now
Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but a beloved comic book hero is going to turn into a jackbooted thug for a government attempting to impose fascist rule in a new series. At least with this new one, we’re being told from the get-go that they’ll come to realize the error of their ways. … Continued
- Tech News
Four Highlights From Yesterday’s Senate Hearing on Russia
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the Senate hearing on Russia arrived before it even began: Had Donald Trump taken President Obama’s advice back in November, and chosen anyone but Michael Flynn to be his national security advisor, there would have far fewer Americans glued to C-SPAN on Monday. But there were plenty of other intriguing … Continued
By Dell Cameron - Tech News
My Favorite Fancy Lunch Delivery Startup Just Died and I Am Heartbroken
Over the past year, I’ve tried valiantly to keep the dream of daily gourmet desk lunches alive. Apparently, however, this city’s epicureans have all died or moved away. You see, my beloved artisanal lunchmaker Maple—the popular food delivery service backed by superstar chef David Chang—announced it’s shutting down after just two years. In a statement … Continued
- ScienceHealth
So About That Hyped New Study On Cheese Being Great
Apparently, eating cheese will not cause a heart attack or stroke, according to a new study that lots of folks are writing about. But readers, fellow science and health writers, can we please all agree to read these studies and think about them a little before we take them as the irreproachable word of some dairy … Continued
- io9
Turns Out King Arthur: Legend of the Sword Is a Lot Better Than Anyone Expected
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword isn’t really about King Arthur. It’s more the origin story of a boy named Arthur, one who will eventually become a king. So it’s fitting that the best parts of the film have nothing to do with swords, kingdoms, knights, or anything like that. King Arthur is primarily a … Continued
- Tech News
This Synthetic Bone Implant Could Replace Painful Marrow Transplants
Thanks to advances in medicine, bone marrow transplants are no longer the last resorts they once were. Every year, thousands of marrow transplants are performed, a common treatment for ailments from bone marrow disease to leukemia. But because they first require a patient undergo radiation to kill off any existing bone marrow stem cells, marrow … Continued
- io9Movies
According to The Last Knight, Transformers Have Been on Earth Forever and Also Fought Nazis
Wait. Does that mean the Decepticons fought on Hitler’s side? Pretty much all the Transformers: The Last Knight footage we’ve seen so far has focused on a dystopian present and an Arthurian past. But now we’ve gotten a good look at the entire “secret” history of the Transformers and it is pretty much as hilariously … Continued
- ScienceSpace
Will Intelligent Aliens Actually Give a Shit About Us?
With Ridley Scott’s latest installment in his classic Alien franchise, now’s the perfect time to wildly speculate about extraterrestrials. In Alien: Covenant and so many other movies like it, our cosmic neighbors turn out to be real assholes. They’re always trying to conquer Earth, or eat humans, or do other weird shit, like hunt Arnold … Continued
By Rae Paoletta - Tech News
This Machine Gun Robot Will Probably Lead the Uprising One Day
Do you ever wonder what tomorrow holds? Some people are pretty convinced that the future will be filled with flying cars and jetpacks and robot butlers. But here in the year 2017, I’m not so sure anymore. I have a suspicion that our future might be filled with more machine gun-toting robots, like the one … Continued
By Matt Novak - io9
RIP Stanley Weston, the Man Behind G.I.Joe
The man who first pitched the idea of G.I.Joe to Hasbro passed away earlier this month at the age of 84, according to a statement from his family Weston, a former soldier who got into the advertising business after his draft service in the Army, saw the opportunity to pitch a boy-oriented doll line to … Continued
- Tech News
Lame Grammar Startup Raises Stupid Amount of Money
Need any proof that we’re still knee-deep in a tech bubble? Grammar startup Grammarly just raised $110 million in its first round of funding. If you haven’t heard of Grammarly—I had not, but our friends at Lifehacker have covered the service before—it’s basically a Chrome extension that promises to check your grammar/spelling as you type … Continued