- io9
Researchers Clone Stem Cells From Human Adults
Scientists from South Korea have devised a technique for cloning adult stem cells that doesn’t involve the destruction of human embryos. The resulting stem cells, which are highly personalized, could be used to treat illnesses such as heart disease and blindness — but the technique could also be used to clone adults. It’s a process … Continued
- Tech NewsDesign
Most Beautiful Items: April 11 – 18, 2014
Tiny homes, classic cars, and mesmerizing cityscapes—those, among other wonders, are the treasures we’re working with in this round of the most beautiful items of the week. Check out what we discovered for you below: Driving the Past, For the Future of Car Design This week the Ford Mustang, perhaps America’s most culturally influential car, … Continued
By Leslie Horn - Tech News
Studio Behind Robot Chicken Is Going Beyond Stop Motion Animation
Stoopid Buddy Stoodios, the creative force behind Robot Chicken, is typically known for its stop-motion animation and pretty much only its stop motion animation. That’s what makes the news of their upcoming 15 animated shorts such a shock — so far all have utilized animation styles other than stop motion. Granted there are only two … Continued
By Jason Krell - Tech News
Lost Horizon Introduced The World To Shangri-La
“In these days of wars and rumors of wars—haven’t you ever dreamed of a place where there was peace and security, where living was not a struggle but a lasting delight?” Good question, easy answer: Duh. Yes. Yes now, in 2014, and yes in 1937, when those words opened up Lost Horizon, Frank Capra’s big … Continued
- Tech News
Report: Nike Is Killing the FuelBand
Nike has fired the majority of the team responsible for its FuelBand fitness tracker according to a report from CNET today, which also claims that the company is jettisoning wearable hardware for good. An anonymous source says that roughly 55 employees were let go from Nike’s Digital Sport hardware team, which covers industrial design and … Continued
- io9
What’s Your Favorite David Attenborough Moment?
The BBC will celebrate the life and work of Sir David Attenborough all next week, with its creatively titled #AttenboroughWeek. To help kick things off, the folks at EarthUnplugged asked a bunch of YouTubers to share and discuss their favorite Attenborough moments. My personal favorite Attenborough moment? It’s a four-way tie between the entire Planet … Continued
- Tech News
Outkast – B.O.B.
Last Friday Outkast reunited at Coachella for their first performance since 2002, opening with the 154 bpm banger “B.O.B.” Their reception was mixed at best, but the performance was undoubtedly historic. And of all songs to lead with, they chose one of the fastest and most aggressive. Tonight, the Atlanta duo will do it all … Continued
By Leslie Horn - io9
San Francisco, 1906, Just Before the Water Gave Out
108 years ago today, San Francisco was a hellish mix of smoke and flame. After the famous earthquake shook the city, broken gas mains fueled a fire that set downtown ablaze. In this picture, you can see what it looked like just before the city’s water ran dry. A combination of poor planning and ill-fated … Continued
- Tech News
108 Years Since the Great Quake
The 1906 earthquake in San Francisco spawned fires that nearly destroyed the city, and defied all scientific theories of the day. You know the broad story; now here’s the science to fill in the details. Blended image of 1906 post-quake damage, and present-day San Francisco. Photography credit: Shawn Clover The 1906 earthquake isn’t one of … Continued
- Tech NewsSploid
84 year science experiment finally sees results after years of nothing
Since 1930, there has been a science experiment that basically does nothing. Seriously. Scientists watch as a solid—that’s actually a liquid 230 billion times more viscous than water—drips down a glass container. But that takes time. A lot of time with a whole lot of nothing. For the past 84 years, the blob of tar … Continued
By Casey Chan - io9Books
Lewis Carroll Hated Fame So Much, He Sometimes Regretted Writing Alice
Charles Dodgson, the author and mathematician better known as Lewis Carroll, wrote about a young girl lost in surreal dreamscapes. But Dodgson had trouble navigating treacherous landscape of his own: literary fame. The author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass wrote in 1891 letter to one Mrs. Symonds, explaining his particular discomfort … Continued
By Lauren Davis - Tech NewsDesign
Sorry, Laser Zeppelin, This German Light Show Is Way Cooler Than You
Whoa. It’s happened. Laser-Zeppelin has met its match. The crazy creative folks at Urbanscreen have transformed the cavernous interior of the Gasometer in Oberhausen, Germany, into a wild light show that looks all kinds of trippy. So long, Stairway. The sights and sounds here run in a continuous 22-minute loop and appear to completely change … Continued
- io9
Karen Russell’s Imaginary Nonprofit Saves The World But Costs Your Soul
There’s been a wave of fiction about an insomnia epidemic, as if some collective anxiety is bubbling up. Most recently, Kenneth Calhoun’s Black Moon freaked us out. But Karen Russell’s new novella “Sleep Donation” is still something pretty unique: a look at people in the nonprofit sector, struggling with insoluble ethics. Very minor spoilers ahead… … Continued
- io9
In Defense Of Low-Stakes Storytelling
Just when did saving the world get so boring? We’re living through an age of big movies with big plots, that throw the fate of the world into the mix about as regularly as most people mop their floors — and sometimes it seems just as dull. After reading our review of Transcendence, a suggestion … Continued
By Ria Misra - Tech News
A Pedal-Powered Monowheel For When a Unicycle Is Somehow Too Cool
Apparently during the closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics a bunch of performers were riding glowing monowheels around the stadium. If you missed it, that’s ok, because no one cares about the closing ceremonies—and anyways, now you can now own what sounded like the most interesting part of the event. At $7,000, the cost … Continued
- ScienceAnimals
Endangered Orangutan Relaxes While Being Treated For A Gunshot Wound
Orangutans aren’t only threatened by palm oil plantations, it seems. In this photo a 14-year-old male orang gets some veterinary attention by staff at the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme because he was shot with metal pellets from an air gun. Meanwhile, he gives the photographer his best honey badger face. The orangutan was rescued by … Continued
- Tech News
Reframe Roundup: This Week’s Best Photography Posts
Did you guys know there is a Gizmodo subdomain where you can go for all things photographic? Yep! It’s called Reframe, and it’s where you’ll find additional coverage of gear, techniques, news, and all kinds of great stuff related to the crafts of photography and videography. Pentax 645Z: The Medium Format DSLR Gets a Major … Continued
- io9
The Latest Incarnation Of ASIMO Is Actually Quite Badass
Honda’s humanoid robot, ASIMO, recently celebrated its 14th birthday. The diminutive android has experienced some minor upgrades over the years, but nothing quite like it’s latest batch of enhancements. Just watch what ASIMO can do now. Lance Ulanoff and the team at Mashable recently attended a demonstration of the new-and-improved ASIMO at the International Auto … Continued
- Tech NewsSploid
Satellite photo shows giant, monster-like biological shape at Loch Ness
Is that the Loch Ness monster in this satellite photo used by Apple Maps? Or at least something that looks like a giant biological form underwater? It’s similar to the shape spotted in Google’s satellite imagery. Could it really be an underwater creature, a long-forgotten aquatic dinosaur who can magically live for thousands of years? … Continued
By Jesus Diaz - Tech News
How Pendelton Ward And His Friends Created A New Era of Cartoons
When Adventure Time premiered on Cartoon Network just over four years ago, no one could have predicted that Pendleton Ward’s silly cartoon about a boy and his magic dog-brother would eventually lead the world into a new era of strange but hilarious cartoons. Most people would have laughed at the thought in 2010, but today, … Continued
By Jason Krell