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Tech NewsBP Oil Spill Aftermath: Eyeless Shrimp, Clawless Crabs and Fish with Oozing Sores
Al Jazeera just published an astonishing report on the after-effects of the BP oil disaster, and it’s not pretty. There are an alarming number of deformities in sea creatures: mutated shrimp, fish with sores and lesions, eyeless crabs and more. It’s unlike anything local fisherman have ever seen. How bad is it? The effect that … Continued
By Casey Chan -
Tech NewsGadgetsDoctors Can Practice Brain Surgery Without Actual Brains Now
Learning to do brain surgery isn’t easy, as the procedures are often difficult even for experienced surgeons. So researchers in Japan have developed the Cybram 001—or Cybernetic Brain Artery Model—which simulates the functions of blood vessels in the brain, letting surgeons hone their skills without risking a patient’s life. The simulator doesn’t actually have them … Continued
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io9MoviesIron Man shows up on Castle just to mock Nathan Fillion
It’s a charm-off! Robert Downey Jr. stopped by Castle for a quick exchange of banter between the man himself, Nathan Fillion. Alas, the whole thing didn’t go much further than, “I’m Iron Man, fuck off! That’s a wrap everybody!” But instead of seeing this plug for what it really is — a quickie commercial for … Continued
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io9Kangaroos have three vaginas
We interrupt your regularly scheduled news programming to bring you this wonderful piece of trivia about kangaroo genitals. Regular readers will know of my love for Inside Nature’s Giants, the British documentary where anatomists cut up large animals to examine how their bodies work and evolved. It’s a truly incredible show, combining unbridled joy at … Continued
Ed Yong - Discover -
Tech News
How a Photo of a Random Ensign Hung in the Pentagon Alongside Famous Generals For Almost a Year
In the hallowed halls of the Pentagon, next to photos of military greats like Patton, Eisenhower, and Nimitz, once hung a portrait of a Ensign Chuck Hord, a man who, as the plaque on the gilded frame reads, was sadly lost at sea in 1908. Ensign Chuck Hord is no legendary seaman. In fact, Ensign … Continued
By Leslie Horn -
io9Books & Comics
Why Your Great-Grandfather Was as Bored With Technology as You Are
It’s surprising how this comic, created by John T. McCutcheon over 100 years ago, is still completely relevant today. Titled Things Don’t Seem Wonderful If You’ve Seen Them All Your Life, it stars a boy who is completely blase and unimpressed with the cutting-edge technology at the turn-of-the-century. But while his parents marvel at the … Continued
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io9Wild Vegas parties celebrated atomic bomb tests of the 1950s
Crooners, bright lights, the ringing of slot machines, and…atomic bombs? This strange combination became a reality in Las Vegas during the 1950s. Scheduled nuclear detonations at the Nevada Proving Ground gave plenty of opportunities to party and raise a glass to a mushroom cloud. How did this bizarre slice of history come together in the … Continued
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Tech NewsThis Air Traffic Controller Built a Fully Functional 737 Simulator in His Garage
As an air traffic controller and a licensed pilot, James Price’s life revolves around flying. So it’s not that surprising that he’s spent the last 12 years converting an old Boeing 737 nosecone into a full-on flight simulator in his garage. While the entire rig doesn’t pitch and roll like an actual aircraft, it still … Continued
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io9
A disease that causes people to make jokes and puns constantly
In news of the truly weird, there is a “disease” that causes people to make puns, compulsively joke, and engage in “wacky” behavior. And you don’t want it for more than just social reasons. Witzelsucht is a mental disorder that causes the sufferer to compulsively make inappropriate jokes or puns — all the time. The … Continued
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SciencePhysics & Chemistry
Inside the Office of Albert Einstein
Today is the anniversary of Albert Einstein’s death in 1955. His passing was a huge loss, not just to physics but the entire academy—and, in the hours following his demise, photographer Ralph Morse managed to capture Einstein’s Princeton office, just as he’d left it. It beautifully sums the man up: a remarkably untidy desk, stuffed … Continued
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Tech News
A Keyboard Case That Won’t Turn Your iPad into a Hideous Hunchback
A physical keyboard is a must if you intend to do any serious work with the iPad. And Logitech’s new Ultrathin Keyboard Cover makes it easy to bring one along without adding serious bulk to your tablet. Because why else would you use it over a laptop? The $100 Bluetooth keyboard—available sometime this month—promises up … Continued
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io9Television
The Insane Dark Knight Rises Cameo You Won’t See. Plus an Avengers Guest Star and a Doctor Who Turning Point!
Joss Whedon explains the reasons for a particular character turning up in The Avengers. Alice Eve drops a hint about her role in the Star Trek sequel. Check out a revealing Doctor Who set video. Plus Judi Dench discusses her latest James Bond appearance! It’s spoilers from here on out! Top image from The Amazing … Continued
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Tech News
Why Google Shouldn’t Make Its Own Phone
According to Business Insider, Google has bigger plans for Motorola than just hoarding Moto’s patents. BI is saying Google now wants to use Motorola’s team to create its own Google smartphones and tablets. Meaning Google doesn’t just want to develop another Nexus One, it wants to make its own iPhone. And that would be a … Continued
By Casey Chan -
Tech NewsGadgets
Intel’s Ultrabook Future Is a PC-Tablet Mashup for Under a Grand
While it may look like a tablet, this is in fact the first of a new series of prototype devices from Intel—hardware that it believes is the future of its self-styled ultrabook initiative. Demoed in Beijing last week, this is Intel’s Cove Point. It’s reminiscent of two-in-one tablets like the Asus Transformer—with its hinged, folding … Continued
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Tech News
Mac Flashback Trojan: Find Out If You’re One of the 140,000 Still Infected
There have been fixes, both unofficial and from Apple itself, for the Flashback trojan that’s been plaguing Macs these past few weeks. But of the 600,000 systems initially infected, nearly a third are still compromised. So, hopefully once and for all, here’s how to make sure you’re not one of them. The first thing you … Continued
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Tech News
North Korea Spent a Whole $15 Making Its Website
Rocket technology isn’t the only thing the Stalinist hermit kingdom of North Korea sucks at. It’s not exactly investing in web design, either. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has a Flash-heavy official webpage in English, to instruct the curious about the peculiar ways of its homebrewed “Juche” ideology (“…the masters of the revolution and … Continued
Spencer Ackerman - Wired -
Tech News
Yahoo Is Axing 50 Services in a Continued Recovery Attempt
It’s all change at Yahoo. Out with Jerry Yang, ditching 2,000 of its staff, and now an announcement that it plans to axe 50 of its online services. It really has got the bit between its teeth. https://gizmodo.com/jerry-yang-out-at-yahoo-5876960 The announcement is the latest in a series of radical moves that the company hopes will turn … Continued
