io9
-
mad science
A Homemade Piece of Lab Equipment With A Terrible Purpose
There is something creepily fascinating about this piece of DiY lab equipment, fashioned in Denmark during the 1970s. Can you guess its purpose? Not for the faint of heart. More »
9,877
56
Comment by Julio Bermudez: Oh god, for a second thier i thought it was intended for my man parts O_o 14 Responses | Other threads
-
mad science
Now You Can Literally Create Objects Out Of Thin Air
At last, you can make things disappear. Scientists have created a device for disappearing unwanted objects. The crazy part is that it can make objects seem to appear as well. More »
11,024
By MeganComment by zslane: Are you effing kidding me? We're on the brink of Romulan Cloaking technology and all you twits can think of... 5 Responses | Other threads
-
mad science
Schizophrenic Brains Make More Complicated Music Than Sane Ones
A new computer program lets your brain turn fMRI machines into musical instruments by assigning notes to active regions of your cortex. The results may cause people to drive themselves crazy just to stay on the cutting edge of electronica. More » -
mad science
A Drug That Could Give You Perfect Visual Memory
Imagine if you could look at something once and remember it forever. You would never have to ask for directions again. Now a group of scientists has isolated a protein that mega-boosts your ability to remember what you see.
More »
155,780
Comment by alphanumeric1971: Oooohh Annalee. The grammar police are in full force today! 20 Responses | Other threads
-
mad science
Nanoparticle Breakthroughs That Could Save Millions of Lives
Although some kinds of nanomaterials (like carbon nanotubes) can be harmful to your health, scientists are quickly developing nanoparticle therapies that can fight cancer and bacterial infections better than any of our current medications. More »
3,261
By MeganComment by Grey_Area: Is there any way this could be explained to me musically, with some sock puppets? 12 Responses | Other threads
-
bad science
Clever New Breast Gadgets Can't Support Their Claims
A bevy of terrible contraptions have been concocted lately for the benefit of our breasts. Here are a few of the more recent "WTF get the away from me" over-the-shoulder boulder-holder gadgets. More »
18,270
Comment by crashedpc : ゴキブリ and 蟑螂 division: Ok wow, someone please explain to me what breast glands are and why they need to be dredged. 13 Responses | Other threads
-
mad science
Dark Matter Lab Dedicated 5,000 Feet Underground
This week, the Sanford Lab dedicated an underground science fortress to research dark matter. The lab is 5,000 feet underground in the mountains of South Dakota, shielded from cosmic radiation. More »
116,005
Comment by Marikir: "Good morning, and welcome to the Black Mesa Transit System. This automated train is provided for the security and convenience... 4 Responses | Other threads
-
pharmaceuticals
An Anti-Anxiety Drug That Could Create Super-Soldiers
Soon you may be able to buy a drug that can make you calm by mimicking the body's natural self-soothing process. But you wouldn't feel drugged. What would happen to people who suddenly became fearless without side-effects? More »
28,689
Comment by ManchuCandidate: I personally think this is a very bad idea. A lot of stupid things and bad ideas were stopped... 11 Responses | Other threads
-
-
evolution
The Strange Life of Creatures Whose Sperm Is Larger Than They Are
Some insects and sea creatures produce sperm that is up to 10 times bigger than they are. Now scientists have used an innovative new x-ray technology to show how this bizarre situation evolved over hundreds of millions of years. More »
41,977
Comment by PantherShade: I think you mean that they're 10 times longer, not bigger or larger. No, those concepts are not the same. ... 5 Responses | Other threads
-
mad science
Sonic Black Hole Swallows Every Sound It Hears
Imagine a giant tank that can roll into town emitting literally no sound. This could be the future of stealth warfare. Scientists have recently devised a "sonic black hole;" any sound that passes its edge can never come out again. More »
8,274
Comment by FiorenzaDampt: I'd love to direct one of those at my neighbour who is under the misapprehension that she is a good... 7 Responses | Other threads
-
longevity
Find Out How Old Your Body Is: Scientists Can Measure Your Actual Molecular Age
You might know your chronological age, but do you know your "molecular age"? A newly found chemical in the human body could indicate how old your body actually feels, acting as a marker for aging in the body. More »
3,657
Comment by DumbledoreCalrissian: "Time is short but the years are long..." Anyone? 1 Responses | Other threads
-
battlestar galactica
Robotics Scientists And BSG Cast Members Agree, We're All Doomed
This past weekend, robotics experts joined Battlestar Galactica's President Roslin and Colonel Tigh, for the World Science Festival panel, "Cyborgs on the Horizon." They explained all about the inevitable robot uprising, and screened new Plan clips. More »
8,956
Comment by Dr Emilio Lizardo: War without body bags is not war, it's reality TV. If there is no risk of something truly horrible happening to... 6 Responses | Other threads
-
mad science
First Real Cyborg: A Robot Controlled By A Living Brain
Do you really want a deadly robotic chassis being controlled by the brain of a rat? Scientists at University of Reading do. They've connected a biological "brain" made of rat neurons to a robot, with a two-way link. More »
8,431
Comment by 5AMfrenchtoast: I can't help but feel that this is wrong on several levels. Besides, what good can come of this? What is... 5 Responses | Other threads
-
mad science
Help Name Science's New Superheavy Element
Get ready to revise everything you know about chemistry - A new superheavy element is about to be added to the periodic table, just as soon as its creators can think of a suitable name for it. More » -
space elevators
Scientists Design The Next Best Thing To A Space Elevator
Scientists in Canada have designed a cheaper, easier way to build mankind's millennium-old dream of a stairway to the heavens: use balloons. More »
6,156
By MeganComment by TrollSlayer: Canada has scientists? Sorry. I'm always just a little skeptical when anything, not boring, comes out of Canada. 28 Responses | Other threads
-
mad science
Pentagon Closer To Creating Liquid Metal Terminators
Progress continues on a Pentagon-backed fringe science project to develop matter that can assemble itself into 3D forms (such as weapons) and flow like mercury through barriers. We all know where this leads, don't we? More »
5,973
By Gary SusmanComment by TemporalSword: Wait, I thought Al Gore invented the Internets? And yeah, everything pretty much ends up as porn. What do you expect... 7 Responses | Other threads
-
mad science
Astronauts Drink Their Own Urine For The First Time
It's the moment that all astronauts knew that they'd have to face, but really didn't want to: The drinking of their own recycled urine. And, just to make the event more pleasurable, these astronauts are doing it on camera. More »
2,556
Comment by king rex: vampire hater: Relax, it's now just water. The water you're drinking right now was once many other people's and creatures' piss, so... 3 Responses | Other threads
-
mad science
Science To Test Fantastic Four Theory
Would cosmic rays turn a man into a fantastically stretchable being, human torch or just plain (orange) rocky thing? That's a question that NASA may be about to answer, as they test the body's endurance to space radiation. More »
4,934
Comment by The_Thing: Also they apparently strapped one of these dummies to the outside of the International Space Station. For some reason that... 6 Responses | Other threads
-
mad science
Now Your DNA Can Be Used For Machine Parts
We're closer than ever to turning our bodies into computers. A study published this week in Science demonstrates how to turn DNA into a simple counter. That means your DNA could eventually be reprogrammed with a shut down command. More »
9,531
Comment by atomic1fire: The problem with genetically engineering humans is that once you start, what ethics are still available, when is it okay to... 4 Responses | Other threads
-
mad science
Could Metal-Excreting Bacteria Avert The Next World War?
Scientists at the Institute of Physiological Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany want to prevent the next generation of international conflict over scarce natural resources. So they're trying to reverse-engineer metal-extracting bacteria. More »
2,790
By MeganComment by crashedpc : ゴキブリ and 蟑螂 division: "THE PLATE IN MY HEAD!!! THEY'RE EATING MY BRAINS!!" 7 Responses | Other threads
-
virtual worlds
How To React To Your VR Environment
How convincing is virtual reality? To our conscious mind, not at all (Seriously, have you seen Second Life?), but to our subconsciousnesses? Well, it depends how real everyone else thinks it is, apparently. More » -
mad science
Scientists Measure Communication Between Quantum Entangled Atoms
Einstein called it "spooky action at a distance:" one particle can instantaneously tell what another is doing without being anywhere near it. It's called quantum entanglement. And now NIST physicists have brought this effect to the real world. More »
4,683
Comment by Aaron Roberts: "communicating with each other, faster than the speed of light" Where on the linked site does it state this experiment showed... 17 Responses | Other threads
-
mad science
California's Laser Beams To Nuclear Tomorrows
It may look like a mid-70s prog rock album cover, but this is actually an illustration of the potential future of thermonuclear energy production in progress. More »
3,369
Comment by Globe*99: Dude, sorry but I think you got taken for a ride by the government science propaganda machine. There are a... 16 Responses | Other threads
-
mad science
Transgenic Mice Engineered With A Human Gene For Speech
A team of German scientists have created a batch of transgenic mice with a human gene for speech. Could they be the prototypes for future hyper-intelligent rodents? More »
5,392
Comment by Khmylevs Kheroes: Gee, Brain, what do you want to do tonight? 11 Responses | Other threads
-
mad science
One Unit of Lab-Grown Human Skin Now Costs 34 Euros
Thanks to advances in biotechnology, German researchers can now rapidly mass produce swatches of real human skin. At 34 Euros per unit, this manufactured skin is so cheap you might soon find it for sale next to bandages in the pharmacy. More » -
mad science
Cyborg Technologies You Can Implant Now
Did you think that artificial heart in Crank 2 was fake? Think again. It's just one of many cyborg technologies in production right now. More » -
mad science
Headless Fire Ant Zombies Are Your Friends
Farmers fighting invasions of fire ants have a new weapon in their arsenal. It's a natural, non-toxic way to kill the ants by turning them into zombies whose heads pop off. More »
10,505
Comment by TemporalSword: Yup. Then the flies will take over and become a problem, so they'll have to bring in special frogs to... 14 Responses | Other threads
-
mad science
Pig Science Makes Post Swine-Flu Comeback
Could pig embryos help humans become healthier and more resistant to illnesses like swine flu? That's a theory that's currently being investigated by Israeli scientists, but is it kosher? More »
692
Comment by jamesryan: To answer the first question you post: It's immaterial whether this can be considered kosher, as the Laws of Kashrut... 3 Responses | Other threads
-
mad science
Physicists Prove That Vampires Could Not Exist
Two physicists have published an academic paper where they demonstrate, by virtue of geometric progression, that vampires could not exist, since they would almost immediately deplete their entire food supply (a.k.a, all of us).
More »
100,373
By Mark StraussComment by shaithis: WTF...You mean people get PAID to do that kind of CRAP research. And we wonder why the world economy is... 21 Responses | Other threads
-
mad science
Daily Show Explains Why There's A 50/50 Chance Of Apocalypse
Last night's Daily Show revealed the horrible truth behind the dangers posed by the Large Hadron Collider... as well as introducing a whole new way of calculating probability. Thank God someone's explaining science so simply.
8,145
Comment by Citizen Kang: You know...I'm one of those people who thinks that the sad state of education in the United States is, for... 19 Responses | Other threads
-
mad science
Inject New Bones Into Your Body, Just Like Wolverine
You can't get an indestructible adamantium skeleton, but a new surgical technique can help you fix broken bones with just one shot. That's right: You can get a bone graft injected via syringe. More »
8,596
Comment by BadUncle: On the one hand: awesome! It's the future! On the other: you are so right about the body modification implications,... 4 Responses | Other threads
-
mad science
Two Stem Cell Research Breakthroughs You Should Know About
Stem cell therapy has the potential to rejuvenate Alzheimers-damaged brains, and has already helped cure some kinds of blindness. And there are two more reasons to be hopeful about stem cell treatments, announced this week.
More »
34,272
Comment by turniptable: How long before we can get stem cells to form into a Shakey's Pizza? 5 Responses | Other threads
-
genetic engineering
A Drug To Re-Awaken Ancient Human Genes And Fight HIV
"Junk DNA" are inactive parts of your genome, switched off long ago in evolutionary history. Now scientists say there's a junk gene that fights HIV. And they've discovered how to turn it back on.
More »
19,569
Comment by ZetaCrossfire: but is there a catch? What is if we do turn them back on will i grow a 3rd arm?... 17 Responses | Other threads
-
human cloning
Doctor: There Is "Absolutely No Way" Cloned Humans Won't Happen
Video of a fertility doctor injecting cloned human embryos into a woman's womb have made their way online, outraging the medical community. But the doctor in question is defiant about the importance of his work. More »
4,457
Comment by capntim: I guess another problem i'd have with cloning is that it's making a new person. stop. making. people. we don't need more... 17 Responses | Other threads
-
glowing clone dogs
Introducing Glowing Puppy Cam
Okay, they're not on a 24-7 webcam yet, but this cloned beagle is part of a litter of the world's first translucent dogs. Yes, you read that right. Under certain lights, this puppy's proteins glow. More »
5,199
Comment by crashedpc : ゴキブリ and 蟑螂 division: PUPPY RAVE! OONTZ-OONTZ-OONTZ-OONTZ 11 Responses | Other threads
-
brain science
New Technology Allows Hands-Free Twittering Via Brainwaves
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have created a revolutionary new way for sufferers of locked-in syndrome to communicate using only their brainwaves...and, even more shockingly, found a use for Twitter that's actually worthwhile. More »
2,194
Comment by crashedpc : ゴキブリ and 蟑螂 division: Oh gods. I hope Twitter can filter out Freudian slips. "AWWW YEAH I'MA GONNA HIT THAT" "SHIT THAT WAS WIFE'S SIS" "HONEY SORRY... 5 Responses | Other threads
-
spring mating season
Seven (Mostly) Scientific Devices for Measuring Sexual Arousal
Scientists can measure atoms and they can measure the distance from our sun to the edges of the universe. So of course they also have instruments that can determine precisely how sexually aroused you are. More »
32,931
Comment by ManchuCandidate: I can't wait for someone to design these measuring devices with a USB connector. 4 Responses | Other threads
-
mad science
Everything You Know About Human Evolution Is Wrong
Well, maybe not everything, but new research suggests that we're not as closely related to apes as you may have thought. The giveaway? The way we climb trees, apparently. More »
9,293
Comment by thesis: This article is pure win for that picturing of the scientist aping the chimp. I wonder what the intelligent designers are... 13 Responses | Other threads
-
mad science
Man Becomes Cyborg For The Sake Of Art
Take a close look at that picture. There's no camera trickery going on, and no special effects; that man really does have an LED implanted in his right eye socket. And that's only the beginning. More »
13,634
Comment by acrobatic rabbit: Just because you can doesn't mean you should. 17 Responses | Other threads
-
overweight galaxies
The New Victim Of Obesity: Galaxies
Scientists are getting worried about the potential threat posed by "overweight" galaxies snacking on their neighbors. Anyone got NBC's number? We've just had this great idea for a new season of The Biggest Loser. More »
1,954
Comment by corpore-metal: It seems that the evidence for dark matter continues to build. Considering that most of the universe is composed of... 6 Responses | Other threads
mad science
San Francisco, 5:48 PM
Thu Jul 9
27 posts in the last 24 hours
Tip your editors: tips@io9.com
Editor:
Annalee Newitz | Email
News Editor:
Charlie Jane Anders | Email
Associate Editor:
Meredith Woerner | Email
Weekend Editor:
Graeme McMillan | Email
Contributors:
Lauren Davis | Email
Joshua Glenn
Nisha Gopalan | Email
Ed Grabianowski | Email
Austin Grossman
Paul Hogan | Email
Chris Hsiang | Email
Lynn Peril | Email
Mark Strauss
Alasdair Wilkins | Email
Graphic Designer:
Stephanie Fox | Email
Interns:
Alexis Brown | Email
Stephen Goldmeier | Email
Caitlin Petrakovitz | Email
Sarah Williams | Email
Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.
