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Tech NewsGraphene’s Newest Trick Is Fighting Deadly Blood Clots
Man, graphene is shaping up to be a real wonder-material (if it can make it out of the lab and into the real world). Chalk up another future use: a coating that eliminates blood clotting in medical devices by kickstarting the body’s natural clot-fighting mechanism that lasts way longer than anti-clotting drugs. Cool! In a … Continued
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io9
Nature had finally reclaimed the colonists’ original home
Two hundred years ago, when our founders declared independence from Earth, this station was their only stronghold against the dangers of Neo-Earth. But today the only people who visit are historians and exo-anthropologists. This illustration was created in Photoshop by Montreal concept artist Nivanh Chanthara. He works at Eidos, and you can see more of … Continued
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Tech News
Every Living Room Needs a 15-Foot USB Charging Hub
Like it or not, living rooms around the world are no longer dominated by the TV. Sure, it’s still on in the background, but our attention is now mostly held by smartphones and tablets while we lounge about. So forget a surround sound setup, the best upgrade for your living room is now an extra … Continued
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Tech NewsSploidThe Winter Olympics are a lot more fun when you add Star Wars lasers
I’d watch more Winter Olympics sports if they had Imperial AT-AT walkers firing lasers at the athletes. Non-lethal lasers, that is. Or lethal. I’d watch anyway. SPLOID is a new blog about awesome stuff. Join us on Facebook
By Jesus Diaz -
Tech News
Tomorrow’s Spacecraft Could Be Made of the Same Bone You Are
Human bones are amazing—seriously, they’re incredibly cool—but up until recently, it’s been hard to engineer a synthetic material that replicates the super-strong structure of the real thing. Now, scientists in Germany are using a 3D printer to do just that—and it could mean a breakthrough for how we build everything from architecture to spacecraft. A … Continued
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io9Listen to the entirety of The Lego Movie‘s awe-inspiring Batman song
In a movie full of awesome moments, Batman’s self-composed theme song from The Lego Movie may be the awesomest. But you only got to hear part of it! Here’s the full-length track, which should be legally required to accompany every single Batman appearance from here on out. [Via Badass Digest]
By Rob Bricken -
io9MoviesWas Deus Ex: Human Revolution a re-imagining of Robocop?
The Robocop remake is out today — but it might not be the only re-working of the original movie’s world. After reading the movie review, a discussion began about the differences between a remake and a re-imaging — and just where videogame Deus Ex: Human Revolution , with its direct references to the original Robocop … Continued
By Ria Misra -
Tech News
The New High Line for Queens Could Include This Human Roller Coaster
If you could build your own High Line, what would it look like? That’s the question the QueensWay Project, an effort to turn an abandoned stretch of railway in Queens into an elevated pedestrian and bike path, recently asked designers to answer. Some of the winners announced today are truly wild. QueensWay has been compared … Continued
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Tech News
What Happens When Your Olympic Site Turns Into a War Zone
The second life of Olympic structures is a challenge to manage for any host city. But none, perhaps, offer as stark an image as Sarajevo’s battle-scarred Olympic buildings. Eight years after the 1984 winter games, the Bosnian War left the city with buildings full of bullet holes, ski slopes dotted with land mines, and a … Continued
By Sarah Zhang -
io9Television
There’s still a way Firefly could come back to television
As much as we would all absolutely love to see more episodes of Firefly, getting the gang back together is a tricky proposition. But former Firefly writer and producer Tim Minear says he wouldn’t “foreclose the possibility” of more Firefly and has a proposal for another flight aboard Serenity. Firefly creator Joss Whedon has said … Continued
By Lauren Davis -
Tech NewsSploid
Lake Superior’s ice looks like Superman’s Fortress of Solitude
It’s still so cold throughout the Midwest and Northeast that roughly 80 percent of the Great Lakes have frozen over for the first time in decades. These incredible shots of frozen formations on the surface of Lake Superior, captured by The Cookery Maven’s Mary Dougherty, capture the region’s sense of frigid desolation. SPLOID is a … Continued
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io9Television
The directors of Lego Movie are creating a post-apocalyptic TV show
That didn’t take long. Now that Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s brilliance is being recognized, they’ve gotten a series order for a Fox show called Last Man on Earth, starring Will Forte (Nebraska). It’s a single-camera comedy about, well, the last man on Earth. According to Variety, Lord and Miller are producing but also directing, … Continued
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Tech News
No, These Clever Pasta Pot Grips Aren’t Edible
As convincing as Avichai Tadmor’s ‘Italian Job’ cooking accessories look, you’re going to have a heck of a time turning these Farfalloni silicone pot holders into something that’s even remotely edible. But, if you happen to be boiling up some actual pasta, they’re the perfect way to get the pot to the sink for draining … Continued
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io9
Art Deco furniture makes your house look like a Metropolis set
Art Deco is a futuristic style from the early twentieth century that influenced the design of everything from buildings to science fiction movies. And when you look at these pieces of Art Deco furniture, you’ll see why. A custom daybed with bookshelves from the New York apartment of composer and pianist George Gershwin (via 1stdibs) … Continued
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io9
How a satellite actually creates images of the Earth
On February 11, 2013, NASA’s Earth-mapping Landsat 8 satellite was launched into our planet’s orbit. To celebrate a year in space, Landsat team leader David Roy has used imagery acquired by the satellite to create a most unusual composite photograph of the United States: a patchwork of parallel strips, each one 115-miles wide. Image Credit: … Continued
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Tech News
London’s Brutalist Housing Blocks Just Got a Bright Upgrade
Housing estates in London are a little intimidating from the outside; many of the post-war structures are hulking Brutalist towers surrounded by a complicated labyrinth of monochrome concrete. But one complex in London just got an upgrade—and oh, what a difference color can make. Lambeth’s Stockwell Park, the estate in question, recently got a new … Continued
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Tech NewsSploid
You can see the Olympic Flame from space
Astronauts on board the International Space Station have been able to photograph Sochi at night, completely free of clouds. The result is this 600mm straight-down image that shows the Fisht Stadium—the bright white circle. That yellow dot is the Olympic Flame. SPLOID is a new blog about awesome stuff. Join us on Facebook
By Jesus Diaz -
Tech News
Why Olympic Mascots Are Always So Goddamn Creepy
Every two years, the world takes part in a figurative dance that’s been decades in the making. First, it’s the iconic passing of the torch. Then, an epic, national-pride-filled opening ceremony. And, finally, it’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for. The holiest and most timeless of Olympic traditions: It’s time to mock the mascots. … Continued
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Tech News
Toolbox Chess Sets Make You the Bobby Fisher of Shop Class
Grabbing your toolbox and tackling a few repairs around the house can certainly teach you some new and useful skills. But if you really want to better yourself, and increase your brain power, you’ll reach for these lovely toolbox chess sets instead. Made by a pair of Etsy sellers who also happen to be father … Continued