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Check out the NSFW trailer for Tokyo Species, a Japanese version of the US franchise about (let's face it) alien mating practices. If you recall, the US version features a sexy, tenticular Natasha Henstridge fucking and murdering her way through a string of men as she searches for the perfect sperm. Her goal seems to be to give birth to the Earth's new monster/model overlords. The only question I have is why there hasn't been a Japanese version before this, given that the original featured a lot of anime-inspired tentacle sex. More »
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The latest State of Observed Species report is out. And biologists might have just earned the title of Hardest-Working People in Science, discovering a staggering 19,232 species in just one year, including nearly 10,000 new types of insects. More »
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If you just look at their DNA, the various South American songbird populations all look pretty much the same. But their outward appearances and the songs they sing couldn't be more difficult. We're witnessing the birth of multiple new species. More »
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It's a well-worn cliche that moving to the big city after a lifetime of country-living can change you forever. That might actually be literally true for blackbirds, as moving to the city has begun to split their species in two. More »
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The Permo-Triassic extinction event happened 251 million years ago, killing off 96% of all marine species, and 70% of those on land. As bad as all that was, it now appears that land-based species recovered much faster than previously believed. More »
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You've gotta give it up for creative taxonomists — the scientists responsible for naming, and thereby classifying, newly discovered species. Without them, we'd never have species with names like the ant pictured above, who is named after a science fiction institution. (See if you can guess who it is — it's very subtle.) More »
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We're constantly discovering new species, and it isn't just little things like insects or plants. The ten biggest species discovered last year include a six foot long lizard, an antelope being sold at market, and this truly unique-looking creature. More »
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The Chupacabra, a legendary blood-sucking cryptid, appeared on The X-Files, had its own series called Chupacabra: Dark Seas, and enjoys near-mascot status in Texas. Now it seems it may have its origins in the movie Species. More »
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The splay-footed cricket is one of the biggest, most scary-looking insects, and it's been that way for a long, long time. A fossil recently uncovered in Brazil reveals these crickets have looked more or less exactly the same since the time of the dinosaurs. Clearly, these insects don't adapt - they make the world adapt to them. More »
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Botanists estimate there are 70,000 species of flowering plant still waiting to be identified. They also suspect that about half of those were already found up to 200 years ago, and nobody has gotten around to identifying them yet. More »
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If you caught Splice this weekend, you might have a few questions about the movie's shocking twists. Director Vincent Natali broke down a few questions we had and explained tributes to other films - just don't compare it to Species. More »
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In 1994, the BBC aired a documentary titled The Human Animal, which examines human beings in the way a nature documentary would look at any animal, using zoological language and techniques to study and describe human anatomy and behavior. More »
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Natasha Henstridge, promoting her upcoming sci-fi mini-series Impact, chatted with us about her fanbase, cloning, her upcoming collaboration with Stan Lee, and aging gracefully out of the space-hottie pigeonhole. More »
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Looking to do the deed with that hot alien, demon, or super-assassin, but not sure about the risks? We list scifi's deadliest sexual encounters to ensure that your next orgasm won't be your last. More »
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Their lovely green skin and tentacle powers taunt you every night at the intergalactic bar. You know you want to hit those aliens, but you need some serious pickup artist skills. Don't worry, because io9 is here to help you polish up your one-liners: Using our foolproof system, you'll get those alien babes to talk to you, give you their phone numbers, and even take you home to their anti-grav beds. We've got five sure-fire ways to make the aliens want you to want them. 1. Give them makeovers. As the educational film Earth Girls Are Easy makes clear, the easiest way to get an alien to go on an Earth-bound date is to offer him a makeover first. No alien wants to feel like he doesn't fit in at the disco, so have your cute friend (ideally, as cute as Julie Brown) give them a nice depilation treatment and wardrobe upgrade. Then you're ready for a night on the town. And if the ending of this movie is any indication, you'll have your de-furred, long-tongued alien purring in bed with you before the night is through. 2. Tell your alien a sob story about your last boyfriend. This is really an advanced technique in alien seduction, but it seemed to work wonders for Karen Allen in the movie Starman. A friendly alien has come to Earth and used genetic material from her dead husband to craft a body for himself (that's why she didn't need to offer him a makeover). When alien hottie asks her to "define love," Karen gives him the whole "when someone you love dies [sob]" number and it totally works! Later on, she takes a tumble with the alien out in nature — and that was back in the day when Jeff Bridges had a really hot body, so score one for Karen. 3. Have a warm body. Sometimes you don't need a fancy makeover or tale of woe to get an alien babe's attention. The hot alien in Species just wants a warm body, and all you need to do is stand next to her when she strips off her top and shows off her bra. So if you're looking for a Species-style hookup, always remember to hang out in giant nightclubs that are near highly-classified research facilities. Just remember, if she decides not to have sex with you after assessing your genetic material, don't insist on it. 4. Make your alien feel like she owes you something. Don't let anyone tell you that guilt isn't a good way to get some hot alien action. Look what happens in videogame Mass Effect when you put the old "you owe me something" attitude on. What I'm saying is that if an alien babe wants to thank you, always ask for more. Don't be satisfied with just a few wise words about your leadership or whatever crap. Keep pushing for the old you-know-what. 5. Join a secret organization whose job is to guard an ambiguous "rift" between Earth and vaguely-defined alien stuff. This is one of those pickup artist tips that almost goes without saying. Obviously the very first thing you should do if you want to meet hot aliens is join a secret organization like Torchwood, from the eponymous TV series that spun off from Doctor Who. In this clip you can see the kinds of things that aliens do with our intrepid agents. The fact is, most aliens are on Earth looking for orgasmic energy and you just have to be in the right place at the right time to give it to them. But if that's too hard for you, well then obviously you'll want to go back to the makeover and sob story options. Or guilt. Aliens just love guilt. WARNING: Do not, under any circumstances, expect your alien to act like this or like this. More »
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Welcome back to Horrorhead, a fortnightly column where we explore the intersection of horror and scifi. For every bland, friendly Star Trek alien with a crinkle-cut french fry nose or waffle forehead, there are dozens of insanely scary aliens that could rip your face off. Certain alien characteristics, whether physical or psychological, are enough to put you into "no I will not jump during this dark corridor scene - shit I am now jumping" mode. But what exactly makes an alien truly horrifying, as opposed to just, you know, alien? Aided by Hollywood movie history, we've put together a definitive set of rules for making aliens that are guaranteed to freak you out — or at least make you queasy. More »
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Science fiction doesn't just give us the best machines; it also gives the best sex as well. After all, if the future is full of anti-gravity lifts and teleportation, just think how far the porno industry will evolve. Scifi isn't just about human sex either: you can get it on with aliens, clones, and even machines. Star Trek's Data was a "fully functional" android, and gave some robo-lovin' to the frigid Tasha Yar (and the Borg queen!) from time to time. After the jump, our list of the best science fiction sex scenes to get you through hump day. More »
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