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Want to vacation like a scientific explorer would? We've put together the ultimate travel guide for people who want to journey back to the earliest ages of the Earth. This guide to North American prehistory will take you to valleys full of fossils, mountains carved by ice ages, and petrified forests that are millions of years old.

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As any traveler knows, coming home always seems to be faster than going somewhere in the first place. But this strange fact of life is actually a well-studied psychological phenomenon. So then, what's behind the mysterious return trip effect? More »
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If you're about to fly somewhere for Thanksgiving, you're probably dreading the possibility that you'll catch a bug along the way. And you're not alone. Many people report coming down with something in the days following an airplane flight. It's not like we're all lining up to lick the lavatory handles — so why can't our immune systems handle a plane trip? What are our bodies really up against? More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5862234&view=rss&microfeed=true Here's a rare chance to help a few important voices in the global science fiction conversation — and help make conventions more interesting at the same time. The World SF Travel Fund aims to "enable one international person involved in science fiction, fantasy or horror to travel to a major genre event." The first recipient: Charles Tan, from the Philippines. Tan writes for his own Bibliophile Stalker blog, as well as the Nebula Awards blog, the Shirley Jackson Award blog, SF Signal and The World SF Blog. And he edited two online anthologies of SF from the Philippines. More »
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A recently uncovered archaeological site in the Scottish highlands dates back to the Mesolithic, roughly 10,000 years ago. What makes it so unusual is that this isn't a settlement - it's the prehistoric equivalent of a highway pit stop. More »
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This guide is brought to you by Atlas Obscura, and is dedicated to this question: If aliens ever do make contact with the earth... Where will they park? More »
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You can't travel to other planets or other times — not yet, anyway. But there are plenty of great landmarks from science fiction and fantasy that you can visit, right here on Earth. Here are 10 great fannish tourist destinations. More »
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The Norwegian town of Andalsnes may add a hotel, and some public structures, that roll along existing train tracks. Guests, and locals will be able to tour the fjords and mountains while sitting in their rooms. If it works out, they may add a rolling public bath, at which sloshing may be a problem. [Via Inhabitat.] More »
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The site of the worst nuclear accident in history is going to open for business as soon as next year. Take a hike around the facilities and check out the catfish in the cooling pond. More »
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Justin Van Genderen's minimalist travel posters had us ready to book a cruiser to Hoth. In his latest set of posters, he invites us to hit the great comic book cities, where superheroes roam and disaster strikes. [Flickr via ComicsAlliance] More »
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I spent the past week chasing otaku in Tokyo. Otaku are geeky fans who love comics, videogames, and music - and in Tokyo there are so many otaku that they have created their own nightlife scene. Here's what it's like. More »
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Book your next flight to Coruscant aboard an Imperial Star Destroyer and watch the stars fly by in wicked luxury. Or maybe you'd prefer an icy Hoth adventure. Whatever your travel plans, these Star Wars posters offer the perfect destination. More »
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Photographer Allison Davies hasn't yet been able to leave Earth for other biospheres. But the photographer has made it to some of Earth's most otherworldly locations, in between her assignments as an undercover investigator for a private detective firm. More »
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It's the opportunity of a lifetime. The Science Fiction Foundation is having a masterclass on science fiction criticism, led by The Quiet War author Paul McAuley and two other luminaries. Spend a weekend in London getting drunk on ideas. More »
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Sick of curling up on airport benches and worrying about someone stealing your carry-on? Russian firm Arch Group imagines rentable, capsule-inspired Sleepboxes lining the world's airports, providing a secure place to catch up on work and catch some Zs. [Dezeen] More »
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This isn't concept art for Dr. Manhattan or CG work for a nude android — it's the body of a random man, walking through an airport scanner. You won't meet the person viewing this ultra-revealing image, but still. More »
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Looking for an interstellar getaway? Consider a vacation in sunny Epsilon Eridani. Earlier this week, NASA astronomers reported that the nearby solar system looks a lot like our own and could hold Earth-like planets, and maybe even life. Luckily, many science fiction novels have already used this planetary system as a setting, and they offer some thrilling ideas of what you can expect if you make a stop-over there. Here's our travel guide to some of the most exotic Eridani locales from science fiction. More »
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Welcome back to MangoBot, a biweekly column about Asian futurism by TokyoMango blogger Lisa Katayama. Earlier this week, I joined a team of experts from Gizmodo Japan on an expedition to the world's most famous geek mecca. For half a century, people trekked to Akihabara to buy electronics parts. But in the last 10-15 years, the neighborhood has turned into a giant playground for otaku to express their love for anime in any and every way—whether it's dressing up as them, being served by them at restaurants, or collecting fan-made manga and figurines that depict them as porn stars. Today, I'm going to give you a quick guide on figurine shopping in Akiba. More »
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Star Trek: The Experience closed earlier this week, meaning that Las Vegas will no longer serve as the destination for those looking to survive a Borg attack or enjoy a Risa Colada at Quark’s Bar. And, unless you’ve got $20 million to drop on a ticket, actual space tourism remains off the table. But fear not, we’ve got a host of suggestions for your next science or science fiction-themed vacation that are right here on Earth. More »
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Vernor Vinge has said that he drew inspiration for the planet of the Tines from a visit to Norway, and Amy Thomson told me recently that she traveled to Mongolia to get a feel for the planet where her recently-finished novel is set. If the otherworldly photographs George Steinmetz recently took in Bolivia are any indication, this cold, arid, beautiful country could easily inspire a novel about life on a terraformed Mars. Here, in the massive salt flats of Uyuni, you can see the pale piles of mineral that miners have chipped from the ground with pickaxes. A very thin layer of water over the salt creates a reflective surface. More uncanny images below. More »
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Who said the future of travel had to require brand new vehicles? Foreseeing a coming trend in land travel, designer Kevin Fitzsimons restored a 1978 Sovereign 31' Airstream Land Yacht and turned it into a super-fancy high-tech mobile home for the luxe traveler. The Mobitat, or MObi for short, has built-in furniture with white leather and walnut finishes, stainless steel appliances, flat panel hi-def TVs, fancy plumbing, and eco-friendliness written all over it. More »
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Massive futuristic cubes are surrounded by waiting spaceships and transports in this concept set on a moon orbiting a ringed planet. Artist Steve Burg says he intended it to look inter-dimensional. More »
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Now this is one police officer we wouldn't mind pulling over for, and that's not even counting her dangerous curves. Check out the sweet streamlining and attention to detail on that jetpack. Plus she has what looks like Iron Man-esque propulsion units in her fingerless gloves, and a red and blue tipped light-helmet to boot. No idea where she keeps her nightstick, though. Click through for the full image. More »
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Never before have we seen a hotel whose rooms let you pretend you're an officer embarking on the maiden voyage of a new starcruiser. If you're in London next month, try out the new Yotel, a Japanese capsule hotel in the Queen's backyard. More »
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