Check out this story of a super-assassin versus a magical thief with demonic powers, by up-and-coming fantasy author Django Wexler. Warning: You'll probably be hooked on Wexler's insane "flintlock fantasy" worldbuilding. Luckily, this is a prequel to Wexler's new novel The Thousand Names.
The one crucial takeaway from the Supreme Court ruling on DNA patents
Last week, the Supreme Court issued a ruling on patenting "natural" DNA. It was a ruling so confusing that even Justice Scalia admitted he didn't feel qualified to understand it. Luckily, science journalist Maggie Koerth-Baker has spelled it all out (literally) for you.
Read the story that launched Warner Bros.' new alien invasion movie
Warner Bros. just optioned a huge alien-invasion movie, based on a novel that hasn't been published yet. But you don't need to wait to get your first look at Defenders — you can read Will McIntosh's short story, which launched both the novel and the movie, right now.
The story behind this woman's face transplant is simply incredible
The world’s first face transplant took place eight years ago, and while it remains a highly experimental operation, the procedure has been advancing in leaps and bounds ever since
The Russian Eccentric Who Wants to Make Surrogates a Reality
In preparation for the upcoming Global Futures 2045 conference, the New York Times has put together a quick preview, including a biopic of its ambitious founder, the Russian entrepreneur and 'immortalist,' Dmitry Itskov.
What it's like to believe that you're dead
The New Scientist's Mindscapes column has a brief but fascinating profile of man identified only as "Graham" who suffers from a rare delusion known as Cotard's syndrome. Despite walking and talking and eating every day, Graham is convinced that he's dead.
The Lost 1949 Essay That Predicted The Computerized World We Live In
In 1949, the New York Times commissioned mathematician Norbert Wiener to write an essay about the future "ultimate machine age." He wrote a fascinating look ahead at a world where computers take over many of the tasks then performed by humans. And then the Times asked for a rewrite. And another. And the essay... never…
Why do rational people buy into conspiracy theories?
You'll find them on Facebook, in bars, and at weekend barbecues: people, friends and loved ones you generally regard as level-headed who believe whole-heartedly in the most implausible conspiracy theories. Where does this seemingly contradictory behavior take root?
DNA's double helix discovery turns 60 – how monumental is it, really?
In April 1953, Francis Crick and James Watson published an unassuming one-page research paper with a finding many claimed would "revolutionize biological research": the double helical structure of DNA. But how revolutionary has the discovery been, really?
