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ReviewsOther GadgetsThis Smart Pet Drinking Fountain Has Made My Cats Insufferable Water Snobs
When my household was just myself and my gray tabby Charlie, a basic water bowl and food bowl was all she (well, me really) needed. But after adopting Katniss, my black and white tuxedo kitty, our daily routines completely changed. I had to worry about Charlie stealing food from her sister, and I had to … Continued
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io9Toys & CollectiblesAt 9,036 Pieces, the Roman Colosseum Is Officially the Largest Lego Set Ever
Realizing that 2020 has given people lots and lots (and lots) of free time at home, today Lego announced the largest set the toymaker has ever released: the 9,036-piece Roman Colosseum letting anyone visit one of Italy’s most historic landmarks without risking their health by traveling. The previous record-holder for largest Lego set was, of … Continued
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ScienceHuman HistorySanctuary Temples in Ancient Greece Had Accessibility Ramps, New Research Suggests
Ramps at ancient Greek healing temples provided access for people with disabilities, according to new research. If confirmed, this would be the earliest evidence of a society making architectural adjustments to support accessibility. Ramps at the entrances of ancient Greek temples are common, but as new research published today in Antiquity argues, some of these … Continued
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ScienceHuman HistoryLost Monument of Early Maya Civilization Discovered in Mexico
The surprising discovery of a 2,800-year-old monumental structure in Tabasco, Mexico, is shaking our conceptions of Maya civilization and its emergence as a cultural force. Using a technology called lidar, in which lasers are used to map hidden surface features from above, archaeologists discovered a previously unknown monumental structure at the Aguada Fénix site in … Continued
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io9Toys & CollectiblesWe Live in a World With a Dak Ralter Action Figure, and More of the Most Unbelievable Toys of the Week
Welcome back to Toy Aisle, io9’s regular round up of all things toy. This week, we’re catching up on New York Toy Fair with some lovely Star Wars reveals, snoozing with Pikachu, and swinging into action with Spider-Man. But there’s also a truly weird Chia Pet, and K’nex takes on the architectural icons of the … Continued
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ScienceHuman HistoryBefore Cranes, Ancient Greeks May Have Used This Ingenious Lifting Machine to Move Heavy Stones
Cranes first appeared in ancient Greece over 2,500 years ago, but new research suggests a primitive lifting machine—a kind of forerunner to the crane—was in use around 150 years earlier. The ancient Greeks are renowned for their monumental stone architecture, which they managed to build without the aid of modern equipment. That said, the ancient … Continued
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Tech NewsResearchers Made 3,900-Pound Boulders They Can Move by Hand, Giving More Insights Into Ancient Engineering
How were giant ancient structures like Stonehenge, or the towering Moai heads on Easter Island, assembled at a time when cranes and trucks were still hundreds of years away? Researchers at MIT have given more credence to theories that ancient engineers were masters of balance and leverage with a new experiment that produced giant concrete … Continued
