Chris Carter deserves all the credit in the world for creating The X-Files. But he has never, ever been the series’ strongest writer. And, man, have the movies never been a particularly great venue for his creation. So maybe he should just leave his script for X-Files 3 in a drawer.

On Fox’s Television Critics Association panel, Carter admitted that the second movie was a mistake. Carter says the problem with I Want to Believe was that “We tried to do a very small movie about faith the second time out. And it was released in the middle of summer tentpole movies. It was a misstep in that way. I think [a third movie] has to be more like the first movie.” He said it had to be giant and big-budget because “that’s what X-Files fans want.” Which isn’t exactly correct. What X-Files fans want is a good story that’s true to the characters. Some of the most beloved episodes weren’t big blow-outs, they were small, well-conceived stories.

And Carter told the TCA that he’d already written a script for the third movie.

“I actually wrote a third movie, just because I was interested in the idea of where that might go,” he said. And then thought he could maybe make it work for TV. “I let my wife read the third movie, and she said ‘I think not for television,’” he concluded. It apparently isn’t affected by anything in the new series, so he could dust off that script if Fox wanted.

Let’s hope Fox doesn’t want that. If we have the X-Files back, let’s keep it in a format where people other than Chris Carter get to do the writing.

[The Hollywood Reporter and Entertainment Weekly]

Contact the author at katharine@io9.com.

I know, okay? I know that complaining about remakes and reboots and prequels and sequels is basically pointless now. Everyone’s bitched and moaned, and nothing has changed. But I pick this hill to die on. Don’t remake Jumanji. Please.

Yesterday we got the news that Jake Kasdan had been hired to direct the remake. Jake Kasdan is an okay director, but nothing in his filmography indicates that he has any experience or even interest in anything but comedies. The most prominent projects he’s done are New Girl, Bad Teacher, and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. And while the original Jumanji was funny, it wasn’t a comedy. And any version of its story is going to have to include a lot of effects and at least a few action sequences. Which is, again, not something I’m seeing a lot of in Kasdan’s background.

I really, really don’t want a Jumanji that is conceived of, from the start, as a comedy. The original was surreal and had a number of dark concepts and undertones that made it great. The funny moments it had were accent notes, not the whole story. The frantic attempt to beat the game and save everyone was the story.

A remake of Jumanji is also a weird notion in the first place. It did fine at the box office, but it didn’t break any records. Most reviewers, and ordinary moviegoers, saw it as... basically average. There’s some nostalgic love for it, but not nearly enough to bank on. The core appeal of the original was Robin Williams’ performance. Does anyone really think they can top (or even equal) it? This is a terrible idea.

Let’s also not forget that the studio behind this is Sony Pictures, which has struggled to reach success with family-friendly action-adventure franchises like Goosebumps, Pixels—oh, and the Spider-Man films. They’re rushing this remake through, with a release date of December 25, 2016. And the director was just named yesterday. If they stick to that, Jumanji’s going to have a shorter turn around than Jem and the Holograms. And look how great that turned out.

They idea is, as it always is, to update the premise for the modern day. If Jumanji turns into a fucking app, I swear to god I will punch someone. Possibly the slow, fat rhino that will be last out of my phone. But I think we all know that a lazy remake of a movie about a board game is going to go the “crazy kids and their crazy technology” route. If it’s not an app, I guarantee the kids are forced to play it because someone pried smartphones out of their freakishly strong child grips. Both ideas are awful.

So here’s an idea: let’s not remake Jumanji. Let’s just let the original live on in our memories. Okay?

Contact the author at katharine@io9.com.

Not long ago, we thought the Flash Gordon movie was dead. Then there was talk that Matthew Vaughn, of Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class, and Kingsman: The Secret Service fame, might direct, although it was never confirmed. But now, things are looking even more promising, with the announcement that screenwriter Mark Protosevich (Thor, I Am Legend) has joined the film.

Protosevich himself made the announcement via his Facebook page, Hitfix reports:

“I can’t wait to get started and if you’re curious about the take? I’m not saying a word. All I’ll say is this - it will be nothing like any version of Flash Gordon you’ve seen.”

Soooooo ... no Brian Blessed, then? Oh well. We’re still excited for this one!

Fallout 4 was not always the game that we actually got to play. Like most games, it changed and morphed during development—and it’s fun to look back on what could have been.

In this video, I show a few things that never made it into the post-apocalyptic trash collecting game, from quests to alternate character designs, to differently-designed levels.

What I really dig into, however, is something that was teased in a pre-release trailer but that, so far at least, isn’t actually in the game. After digging through Fallout 4's files, I present to you some unused audio clips that give us a different look at one of the most disappointing areas of Fallout 4.

It’s well-worth a watch if you’ve played the game, or if felt let down by Fallout 4's focus on combat, or if you’re interested in looking at some neat scrapped content. Here’s hoping Bethesda or modders make some of this stuff playable at some point!

Marceline the Vampire Queen was a lot of fun in her first appearances on Adventure Time, but nobody could have predicted how much she’s evolved, and how much of a fascinating, key part of the series she’s become. We talked to Olivia Olson, who voices Marceline, about Marcy’s relationships... and her future.

Spoilers ahead, if you’re not caught up on Adventure Time!

Marceline just starred in her very own miniseries, Stakes, which comes out on DVD next week. So we were lucky enough to speak to Olson on the phone about Marceline and her journey.

http://www.amazon.com/Cartoon-Networ...

In “Stakes,” we learn a lot more about how Marceline became a vampire, and why she blames herself for a lot of the destruction she’s caused. The end of that miniseries is the first time we really get to see her holding herself responsible, because she finally lets her guard down, says Olson. “She’s such strong independent chracter most of the time, so to see that she has those feelings of doubt, and not is really feeling herself, is really cool to play.” At the end of the miniseries, Marceline realizes that, “Okay, this is my life, and I just have to deal with it.”

At first, when Olson saw that Marceline was being cured of vampirism, she thought they were getting ready to kill her off. She only got the scripts for that miniseries a week at a time, as they were recording, so she was in major suspense about how Marceline would escape being tied to a windmill and exposed to sunlight, and all the other dangers she’s put into. Because the episodes were shown on consecutive days the fans actually got to know how the story turned out more quickly than Olson did.

Marceline “has changed so much,” says Olson. “She’s progressed a lot as a character.” Back in season one, “she was more of this prankster,” and was set up as a “funny antagonist character towards Finn and Jake.” Over time, she’s turned into their close friend, and we’ve learned more about her tragic backstory that helps to explain why she was so mean when we first met her.

Back in season one, too, Marceline seemed like she was just a teenager. “I think she was sort of stuck in those sort of ways, because physically, she hasn’t changed,” says Olson. “I think she was just hiding a lot of her emotional pain, and just trying to be sort of the fun prankster friend.” But after the events of “Stakes,” she’s matured a lot, and we’ll see her in a new light, says Olson.

Meanwhile, Olson says Marceline is always holding onto hope that she can get her friend Simon Petrikov back from the curse that turned him into the Ice King. She saw a glimmer of hope in the episode “Betty,” where Simon is briefly back and knows who she is. “I think she saw him slipping away into this crazy new different person, who doesn’t really know her,” says Olson. “I think she’s aware that it’s a long shot. She doesn’t want to get her hopes up about it. There’s always going to be that hope there,” and Marceline will always be “wanting him to just snap out of it.” She has no idea what will happen with Marcy and Simon, but she doesn’t think anything will happen quickly. Still, Marceline will be there if and when Simon needs her.

Meanwhile, a lot of these recent episodes have raised some questions about Marceline’s actual father, Hunson Abadeer. “Who knows what’s up with Hunson?” says Olson. “Hunson Abadeer is played by my real life dad, so it’s always really fun to act, and play a charater with him, and call my dad ‘Dad.’ Marceline and her father have such a strange relationship. It doesn’t seem like Marceline is Hunson’s priority. I think she feels that.”

In fact, her relationships with both Simon and her father are kind of similar, says Olson. “It’s pointless to try and change her dad, and have this good father-daughter relationship.” Olson can’t help wondering where Hunson was when Marcy was stuck in a post-apocalyptic hellscape with Simon, and then hunting vampires on her own.

That’s one of the things that Olson likes about Adventure Time: “They have these storylines where not everything works out for everyone. When Finn meets his dad, he’s building him up, he expects him to be a hero like Finn, and that’s so not the case.” Marceline will always love her father, because “they’re family,” but “there’s family that’s not great to be around, because it’s a toxic relationship. I think it’s a good thing that Adventure Time puts these kinds of relationships out there, because life doesn’t always work in this cookie-cutter way.” This series shows people that you can have messed-up family relationships and “still be a strong person and come out on top,” adds Olson. That’s an especially great message to see on children’s television.

Meanwhile, when it comes to the relationship between Marceline and Princess Bubblegum, “I have no idea.” She keeps trying to ask people every day. “It’s so funny, because when this whole internet thing blew up, I think it started with me singing, ‘I’m Just Your Problem.’” The internet crashed with all these theories and stuff.”

“It’s a really fun storyline,” says Olson, but she’s not sure if romance is “the direction the show is going to go in.” There’s definitely something going on with Marceline and PB, but it could be either a relationship or just a friendship ending in a weird fashion.

“I’m curious as a fan of the show, to see what happens with their weird space,” says Olson. “I’m excited to see where the writers take it. I’m hoping to see some Team Bubbeline, but we’ll see.” At least in recent episodes, they seem to be getting along better. “They’re such opposite characters.”

“I had this conversation with Hynden Walch, who plays Princess Bubblegum,” adds Olson. “It’s so interesting to see where our characters are. Marceline started out as the bad guy, but she’s actually the sweetest, nicest, realest character. Princess Bubblegum started out all pink and sweet and everyone adores her, but she’s really kind of dark. We joked that she’s kind of a German dictator to these candy people. Everything is not what it seems on Adventure Time.”

Charlie Jane Anders is the author of All The Birds in the Sky, coming Jan 26 from Tor Books. Follow her on Twitter, and email her.

Chipotle announced it will be closing up shop nationwide for a few hours as part of its attempt to halt its ongoing E. Coli outbreak. But why hasn’t the company been able to stop the outbreak, or even find the source yet? The answer isn’t in the restaurant chain—it’s in the bacteria.

To understand the problem, ask yourself a simple question: What’s everything you’ve eaten in the last four days? If you find that difficult to answer at the spur of the moment, you’ve basically sussed out the problem of E. coli tracking.

Some bacteria get people sick within hours, and in those cases it’s fairly simple to find and test a source. E. coli, however, usually takes from three to 10 days to hit. By the time a common food among all the people who are ill has been traced to a particular kitchen, whatever ingredient that was getting people sick is most likely gone, making simple testing an impossibility.

Top image: Chipotle salad / Michael Saechang; Chart: E. Coli timeline / CDC

Which means that when tracking E. coli, you’re almost always weeks behind the curve—and once someone has gotten sick, there’s even more time devoted to confirming that it’s really E. coli and that every illness is part of the same outbreak. Combined, each case takes almost up to three weeks to confirm.

Food security theater

Tracing E. coli is essentially detective work, and like most detective work, the majority of it is neither glamorous nor showy. Instead, the details are gleaned by combing through statistics, medical records, and lab reports. The behind-the-scenes nature of the actual investigation—combined with the very public nature of the outbreaks themselves—can lead to what’s essentially food security theater. In other words, measures are taken more to show action than to actually trace and end the outbreak.

Chipotle isn’t the only chain food supplier to have a major outbreak of food-poisoning. What sets the company apart is that it’s a growing and (until fairly recently) mostly lauded fast food chain. All of Chipotle’s marketing has been based on the idea that it’s fast food is somehow higher in quality than the average.

These outbreaks, and Chipotle’s inability to trace the source, strikes at the very core of that. So what of the company’s announcement that they’re closing up nationwide for a few hours of food safety training? Can that be expected to solve the chain’s E. coli problem? Although widespread food safety training is a good idea, if the source is an ingredient that remains contaminated, it probably won’t solve the problem.

How does an E. coli outbreak actually end? The most foolproof method is to figure out which ingredient caused it in the first place. So far, though, the CDC says there’s been no luck in identifying the source. The agency is currently investigating possible new cases across nine states, which may have occurred as recently as December 18th.

Follow the author at @misra.

Superheroes pass on mantles all the time: Sam Wilson is Captain America. Batman is Jim Gordon; Peter Parker and Miles Morales are both Spider-Man. And yet, Janet Van Dyne has endured for over half a century as the sole incarnation of the Wasp (in the comics, at least)... until now.

Marvel started this week teasing something that had potential tie-ins to the Wasp with an image featuring a quote from Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew:

If the yellow and black background wasn’t enough of a hint, today Marvel made it official: Having been absent since the “All-New, All-Different” reboot happened, the Wasp is making a comeback. The twist? For the first time ever, it won’t be Janet Van Dyne.

The new Wasp will make their debut in Marvel’s Free Comic Book Day offering, which will also act as a prelude for Civil War II: The Civilening. Although we know it’s not Janet, other details about the new incarnation are sparse, other than that they are suitably shrouded in mystery and will play a role in the current All-New, All-Different Avengers series after an appearance in this Free Comic Book Day special, in a backup story for the main prelude, penned by Mark Waid and with art from Alan Davis.

Like I said, superheroes passing on mantles is by no means a new thing. But it seems insane that Janet has managed to avoid that fate for 53 years, only to succumb to it now. Who can possibly replace one of the original Avengers? Will it be some form of Hope, to tie into the Ant-Man and the Wasp movie? We’ll find out on May 7, Free Comic Book Day..

“Okay everyone, I’ve gotta get to Star Wars.” These were the words uttered by President Barack Obama at the end of a White House press conference on December 18. And yet, Obama did not see the film.

In his post-State of the Union interview with YouTube star Azande “sWooZie” Thorne, it was revealed that on December 18, The Force Awakens was, in fact, screened in Obama’s basement.

And yet, Obama did not see the film.

The White House, in fact, hosted the screening for members of the military and their families—which Obama called the “most important thing” happening at the White House that day.

And yet, Obama did not see the film.

In fact, the president’s press secretary hosted a mock press conference about the film in the White House briefing room with R2-D2 and two Stormtroopers standing on either side of the podium in a way that was not at all creepy.

And yes, Obama did not see the film.

Not that day. Or the next day. Or any day. One month later, Obama has still not seen the film.

You know who has seen it? A real American. Ted Cruz.

[Breitbart]

AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

H.G. Wells has inspired people’s imaginations for a century. There’s not an art form out there that hasn’t been touched by his brilliant, fascinating stories like The Invisible Man, The War of the Worlds, The Island of Doctor Moreau or, most famously, The Time Machine.

That last one, which is arguably Wells’ most noteworthy work, is the subject of a brand new poster by artist Julien Lois. Printed by Nautilus Art Prints in Belgium, these dynamic, colorful posters will be on sale January 22 at this link. Check them out.

This is the 24 x 36 inch regular in an edition of 200. It’ll cost about $56.

And this is the variant. Also 24 x 36 in an edition of 100. It costs about $84.

Lois’ composition is what makes this poster shine. He takes multiple aspects of the story and seamlessly blends them into a single image, where they all flow together and provide a real sense of adventure.

For more on the artist, visit his site.

Contact the author at germain@io9.com.

Drunk driving combines two of America’s favorite pastimes: getting absolutely hammered and driving an automobile. But before the invention of the modern breathalyzer in the 1950s, determining if someone was too intoxicated to operate a motor vehicle was incredibly subjective. It took decades for law enforcement technology to catch up with one of our most pervasive crimes.

Before the advent of the car, being drunk was a relatively minor nuisance for society at large. Most of the time, imbibing too much of your preferred poison did little to put strangers in harm’s way. The automobile, with its incredible speed and considerable weight, changed all that. Today, roughly 30% of America’s traffic fatalities involve a drunk driver. Back in the 1950s and ‘60s, that percentage was closer to 50%.

Those staggering numbers kicked off the pursuit of a simple device, one that could determine any defendant’s guilt with the push of a button. That was the hope (and fear) of people who were fighting over the development of the very first breathalyzer technologies.

The Bad Old Days

After World War I, the car was becoming increasingly popular on American roads. What had once been a plaything of the rich was quickly finding its way into the hands of people with more modest incomes. And despite the passage of alcohol prohibition in 1920, more and more Americans were getting drunk before sliding behind the wheel.

http://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/the-invention-...

The first serious scientific work on mechanizing the determination of whether someone was driving drunk took place in the 1920s. A doctor and researcher in Los Angeles by the name of Dr. Emil Bogen conducted a landmark study in 1927 on how to scientifically determine inebriation. By this time it was fairly well-established that testing blood gave you a solid idea of how drunk a person might be. But by testing urine, blood, and breath, Bogen found that the latter could indeed function as a reliable estimator for blood alcohol content (BAC).

Dr. Bogen’s breath test used a large football bladder that contained sulphuric acid and potassium dichromate. A patient would breathe into it, and as the chemicals in the football bladder changed from yellow to various shades of blue and green, they were compared to tubes of the same chemicals in which different amounts of alcohol had been added. Effective, but not the most practical for a traffic stop.

Another person whose early work would contribute to the birth of the breathalyzer was W.D. McNally in Chicago. The picture above ran in the November 1927 issue of Science and Invention magazine showing off McNally’s “breath analyzer.”

McNally was a chemist whose early breathalizer-like device used the same principles as Dr. Bogen; blowing into the tube of the device would cause the chemicals to turn a greenish hue if there was any alcohol present. Photos of McNally’s device ran in popular tech magazines, promising that soon, there would be a reliable and objective way to determine if someone had indeed been driving drunk.

The Post-Prohibition Surge

By the early 1930s, more and more researchers in the United States and Europe were becoming interested in different ways to test for intoxication. And for good reason.

The prohibition on alcohol was repealed in the U.S. in late 1933, creating an even greater sense of urgency among public health officials and scientists who were concerned about drunk driving. Too many people were dying on the nation’s roads, and it was clear that alcohol was a major factor. In Chicago, drunk driving deaths quadrupled in the first six months of 1934 over the same time the year before. In Los Angeles, city officials noted a similar rise in drunk driving injuries and fatalities.

A biochemist at Indiana University by the name of Dr. Rolla N. Harger first announced his own method for measuring alcohol by means of a breath test in 1931. By 1938, Harger had a working device that was being tested by the Indiana State Police. The first real-world test of Harger’s device was conducted by the Indiana State Police on December 31, 1938—75 years ago today. By 1940, other police departments around the country were using Harger’s device, pictured above at the New Jersey Police Department that year.

When people asked Harger (pictured below) and his research team what they called their new alcohol breath analyzer, they jokingly said the “Drunkometer.” But joke or not, the name actually stuck.

Harger’s wasn’t the only breathalizer on the market competing for attention. There was also the Alcometer, developed in the early 1940s by Leon Greenberg and Frederic Keator at Yale, as well as the Intoximeter, pictured below in use by the L.A. Police Department.

These devices went by different names, but they all employed the same principles: comparing the ratio of carbon dioxide and alcohol in a person’s breath to pre-mixed alcohol solutions. These were then translated to the equivalent measurements in the blood.

But even as the technology slowly evolved and improved in the first half of the 20th century, the qualifications for what was considered “too drunk” to drive also changed.

Pushing the Limits

Scandinavian countries were ahead of the curve in adopting strict limits on drunk driving. In his 2011 book One For The Road, Barron Lerner explains that Norway’s BAC limit was 0.05% by 1936, while Sweden’s was 0.08% by 1941.

http://www.amazon.com/One-Road-Drunk...

But Americans were much more lenient when it came to drunk driving. Even as late as the 1960s, American courts in many states saw anything less than 0.15% as probably not worthy of prosecution, still adhering to guidelines set up in 1939 by the National Safety Council and the American Medical Association. They gave three ranges for BAC, which would become the standard in a majority of state legislatures:

• 0.05% and below: Defendants should not be considered under the influence
• 0.05% to 0.15%: Not considered “under the influence” but taken into account if other evidence is presented
• 0.15% and above: Presumed “under the influence” of alcohol

Fascinatingly, the justice system was especially lenient in part because of the many recent failures of alcohol prohibition in the U.S. during the 1920s. Even organizations like the AMA and the NSC thought it best not to be too harsh on people who drove drunk.

As Lerner notes in One For The Road:

http://www.amazon.com/One-Road-Drunk...

Well aware of the recently concluded and highly criticized Prohibition experiment, [AMA and NSC] committee members erred far on the side of leniency when it came to the apprehension and prosecution of impaired and drunk drivers. As Stanford University neurologist and alcoholism expert Henry W. Newman later explained, “We would not like to see a parallel to prohibition occur here, with the subsequent revulsion of feeling and the license that followed after prohibition which still prevails to a certain extent at the present time.”

Today, the federal limit in the U.S. is 0.08%. That’s much more in line with other countries, but still more liberal than most.

Boozer Boom

America saw another explosion in automobile ownership after WWII, as expansion of the suburbs caused many people to drive greater distances (with and without a drink) than ever before.

But testing for intoxication was incredibly controversial, even in the 1950s. Countless people tried to challenged the efficacy of the devices. Could Harger’s Drunkometer really hold up in a court of law?

In 1950, Harger wrote a defense of his invention for the American Journal of Police Science. Titled, “Debunking” The Drunkometer, Harger outlined the many ways in which his new device had been challenged over the last decade. Harger came out swinging, quickly knocking down every possible criticism and each way people could allegedly beat the test.

One criticism published in a letter to the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1940 claimed that a lack of oxygen would create a false positive in chemical tests for intoxication. So what did Harger do? He drowned 50 rabbits in his lab and took blood tests, proving that there were no false positives for intoxication in the dead animals. Not very nice for the rabbits, but Harger certainly proved his point.

Another criticism continually leveled against Harger and his ilk was the fact that breath tests aren’t a direct measure of alcohol in the blood. Lawyers and lobbying groups contended that because every breathalyzer had to convert the alcohol-carbon dioxide ratio that it finds into a blood proportion to be understood as BAC, they were unreliable.

With over two decades of research now under his belt, Harger was more than ready to contest these claims. His Drunkometer, though, was about to get usurped by a new technology for roadside breath testing.

Enter the Breathalyzer

In 1954 Robert F. Borkenstein invented the Breathalyzer. Borkenstein had been hired as a police photographer at the Indiana State Police Lab in 1936, and quickly became interested in drunk driving thanks to the work of Harger and his Drunkometer.

As Lerner explains:

Over the next seventeen years, Borkenstein, building on his work with color photography, conceptualized a device that would improved on the earlier one. Then, in February 1954, during his annual two-week vacation, he built [the Breathalyzer] in the basement of his home. The Breathalyzer, in Borkenstein’s own words, was “so amazingly simple — two photo cells, two filters, a device for collecting a breath sample, about six wires.”

Police departments were becoming more and more interested and confident in breath test technology, thanks in large part to the advancements of Borkenstein’s technology. Gone were the football bladders and complex solutions that needed to be mixed, in their place a device whose reliability—and portability—would truly set it up as an essential tool in every police officer’s toolkit.

Push-Button Justice

During the 1950s, the American public and the judicial system were still erring on the side of the drunk driver. Oddly enough, some people were concerned that the mechanization of measuring sobriety was somehow not fitting with the American way. With an attitude that seems counterintuitive to many of us here in the 21st century, people didn’t trust machines more than a cop’s testimony of slurred speech or sloppy behavior.

Opponents even had a name for the rise of technologies like the breathalizer: push-button justice.

A 1955 article in the Virginia Law Review by Edwin Conrad explained that the concerns about push button justice were even larger than just one issue. Conrad argued that new scientific advancements—such as improved photographic technology, radar for measuring traffic speeds, and yes, Drunkometers for determining a driver’s level of intoxication—should be embraced to move society and the field of criminal justice forward.

Push-button justice was nearly here. But American public attitudes were still seemingly stuck in the 1930s.

The 1960s brought about a turning point in the public health community. Borkenstein conducted a landmark study in 1964 known as the Grand Rapids Study which concluded that there was a definitive link between increased BAC and car accidents. Amazingly, people were still debating in the 1960s whether drunk driving really posed a risk on the nation’s roads.

Just a few years later, in 1968 a study by the U.S. Department of Transportation found that about half of the nation’s auto fatalities (about 25,000 deaths) involved alcohol. Slowly but surely over the course of the next two decades, Americans would come to see drunk driving as without question dangerous and immoral. And the technology for testing BAC (which would become electronic by the end of the 1970s) would help put an end to an era that some people called the Golden Age of Drunk Driving.

Tonight, police officers will be out in full force looking for drunk drivers. And some departments (like the LAPD) even have new tests to quickly gauge whether a driver has been using any other forbidden substances—like marijuana, cocaine, or even prescription drugs like Xanax.

With the legalization of marijuana for recreational use in states like Colorado, society is yet again debating what acceptable levels of intoxication there may be before someone gets behind the wheel. Only this time it seems that marijuana has an uphill battle. At the beginning of the 20th century, drunk drivers started with the benefit of the doubt and societal norms evolved to a point of low tolerance for such behavior. Unfortunately for fans of weed, they’re starting here in the 21st century with just the opposite.

Sources: Push-Button Evidence?By Edwin Conrad (1955); One for the Road: Drunk Driving Since 1900 by Barron H. Lerner (2011); Evidence –Admissibility of a Drunkometer Test by Richard Crotty (1951); The Diagnosis ofDrunkenness – A Quantitative Study of Acute Alcoholic Intoxication by EmilBogen (1927); The Method andSignificance of Blood Alcohol Estimations by John McGrath (1939); Debunking theDrunkometer by R. N. Harger (1950); Anstie’s AlcoholLimit: Francis Edmusn Anstie by Arthur D. Baldwin (1977); Physiological Aspectsof Breath-Alcohol Measurement by A.W. Jones (1990); A Study of ChemicalTests for Alcoholic Intoxication by Richard R. Burgee (1957); Laboratory Tests forAlcoholism in Motor Accident Prosecutions by Lawrence Vold (1938); Medicolegal Aspects ofChemical Tests of Alcoholic Intoxication by I.M. Rabinowitch (1948); Alcohol and AutomobileDriving by A.T. Cameron (1940); The Possibility ofUsing Chemical Tests to Determine Alcoholic Intoxications in State of Missouriby Walter J. Taylor Jr. (1950); PsychologicalEffects of Drugs by Chester W. Darrow(1929)

Images: Dorothy Brengel helps W.D. Foden, Chairman of Statler Safety Committee, demonstrate the “Drunkometer,” on display at the Greater New York Safety Council, Hotel Statler, March 28, 1950; W.D. McNally’s breath analyzer scanned from the November 1927 issue of Science and Invention magazine; A drunkometer in New Jersey police station circa 1940 via Getty Images; Dr. Rolla Harger in an undated photo from the IUPUI University Library; A man takes an “intoximeter” test administered by the LAPD in 1951 via USC Libraries; Screenshot of a Drunkometer test from the 1951 film This Is Your Police Department via the Internet Archive; A suspected drunk driver in Plainfield, New Jersey takes a sobriety test with a drunkometer circa 1955 via Getty Images; Robert F. Borkenstein at work on his Breathalyzer in an undated photo via Indiana University Archives; Robert F. Borkenstein (far left) holding his Breathalyzer prototype in 1954 via Indiana University Archives

He gave us The Simpsons and Futurama—but it’s been years since Life in Hell author Matt Groening has spawned a brand new cartoon series. Now he’s in talks with Netflix about writing and creating something. But what is it? And could it live up to Futurama’s legacy of erudite weirdness?

http://www.amazon.com/Huge-Book-Hell...

Top image: Matt Groening self-portrait.

Charlie Jane Anders is the author of All The Birds in the Sky, coming Jan 26 from Tor Books. Follow her on Twitter, and email her.

It’s probably not aliens. Seriously guys, it’s very, very unlikely that it’s aliens. But the weird, flickering star known as KIC 8462852 still isn’t sitting right with astronomers. In fact, it just got a lot weirder.

Ever since KIC 84628532 was spotted in the Kepler Space Telescope’s dataset, astronomers have puzzled over what the heck could be responsible for the star’s logic-defying light curve. Over four years of observational data, KIC 8462852 flickered erratically, its light output sometimes dropping by as much as 20%. That’s highly unusual stellar behavior, and it can’t be explained by a transiting planet.

Some astronomers proposed that KIC 8462852 might be occluded by a swarm of comets. Others suggested aliens.

Specifically, astronomer Jason Wright tossed out the idea that the star’s weird distortion might be the result of a giant alien construction project—you know, like a Dyson sphere. The idea electrified the citizens of Earth and mobilized a worldwide SETI search for hard evidence of our celestial neighbors. Sadly, two independent searches, for radio signals and laser beams—both of which could indicate a technological society—didn’t pan out. (And remember, we’ve confused inexplicable observations for aliens many, many times before.)

But according to a study just released arXiv, the comet hypothesis is now falling flat, too, and the mystery of KIC 8462852 has deepened considerably. While Kepler only has a few years of data on the star, astronomer Bradley Schaefer of Louisiana State University decided to look at photographic plates of the sky dating back to the late 19th century. To his amazement, he learned that over the last hundred years, KIC 8462852's light output has steadily faded by about 19%, something that’s “completely unprecedented for any F-type main sequence star.”

“This presents some trouble for the comet hypothesis,” Tabetha Boyajian, a lead researcher on the team that originally discovered the star, told New Scientist. “We need more data through continuous monitoring to figure out what is going on.”

Indeed, it’s hard to imagine either aliens or natural celestial bodies dampening a star’s light output that much over such a short period of time.

It’ll be a while yet before we’ve solved the mystery of KIC 8462852. But this is what’s great about scientific discovery. Literally all possible explanations are on the table at this point—and the truth about this tantalizing star could be more fascinating than we ever imagined.

[New Scientist]

Follow the author @themadstone

Top image via NASA/JPL-Caltech

By Crom, it is good to see Conan the Barbarian as reimagined by the great fantasy artist Brom.

This new Conan artwork was created for Robert E. Howard’s Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of, a brand new role-playing game from Modiphius Entertainment. Here’s the lowdown, via Modiphius’ website:

ROBERT E. HOWARD’S CONAN: ADVENTURES IN AN AGE UNDREAMED OF is a brand new roleplaying game based on this incredible character and world. The team includes industry veterans as well as newcomers, with acclaimed Conan artists such as Brom, Tim Truman, Estaban Maroto, Mark Schultz, Tomas Giorello, Sanjulian, and others...

...all under the watchful eye of world-renowned Conan experts and scholars, working together to bring you the most authentic Conan roleplaying experience yet, focusing exclusively on Robert E. Howard’s original stories.

Featuring Modiphius’ 2d20 game system, also seen in the Mutant Chronicles, Infinity, and John Carter RPGs, the Conan core rulebook will contain everything you need to play original characters in the Hyborian Age.

Here’s the full cover in all its Cimmerian glory:

Charlie Jane Anders is the author of All The Birds in the Sky, coming Jan 26 from Tor Books. Follow her on Twitter, and email her.

A few years back, Jim Carrey played the nefarious Uncle Olaf in the big screen version of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. Now, that children’s book series is coming to Netflix as a show and they have their own Olaf: Neil Patrick Harris.

The Hollywood Reporter broke the news of the casting, which also comes with a caveat. Mark Hudis (That ‘70s Show) was previously on board as showrunner, but has now left, leaving the show without someone at the helm. It does, however, have Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black) attached to direct at least some of the 13 episodes Netflix has ordered (Sonnenfeld produced the movie version.)

A Series of Unfortunate Events is a series of books written by Lemony Snicket, the pen name of author Daniel Handler. They follow three children who lose their parents and are placed in the care of their evil Uncle Olaf. Olaf wants to steal their fortune and “unfortunate events” take place as he schemes and the kids wind up in adventures.

The 2004 movie was a moderate hit. But this medium—a 13-episode Netflix series—feels more fitting for the material, especially since there are 13 total books. The series does not yet have a premiere date.

[Hollywood Reporter]

Contact the author at germain@io9.com.

For her fall thesis at MICU, Molly Stanard brought us Tri Phi, a “sorority for collegiate monster girls.” Everything in her series is happening at the same time on a single Friday, confirming that Phi Phi Phi is the best sorority around.

See more of Molly’s work at her tumblr and website. You can buy Tri Phi prints from her here.

Contact the author at katharine@io9.com.

Over the last five years, Beat Down Boogie has been all over the country filming cosplayers at sci-fi shows and nerd conventions. And wherever there were cosplayers, there were Star Wars cosplayers. This video catalogues the best of them.

I love the mix! Yes, there is film-quality cosplay on show, but there are also a ton of joke outfits and costumes that are as much about creativity and imagination as they are concerned about faithfully recreating some character from Star Wars canon.

PS, if the Sith in the gif up top looks familiar, that’s because we featured Miss Sinister’s work last year.

Entertainment Tonight visited the set of Star Trek Beyond recently, and they revealed some surprising things that we can look forward to, including one member of the crew who’s started a family.

Spoilers below...

Other revelations? The Enterprise is 2 years into its mission and the ship has ‘aged’ a bit, the sets are a bit more ‘retro’, and Sulu has a daughter! Could it be Demora, the daughter he has in Star Trek Generations?

John Cho mentions that the entire crew is somewhat homesick after being deep into space for so long, and it seems that his character is missing more than just the scenery. Cho hints that there’s a bit more when it comes to revelations for the baby that will come with the film.

There’s a couple of other videos as well, talking about how they’ll be looking back to the original Star Trek series. They also talk about the insane security around the script: each cast member has a unique document, with their names on it and with certain spelling errors that allow for it to be traced back to a single person.

[Entertainment Tonight, Trek Core]

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In celebration of Mozart In The Jungle’s Golden Globes victories, Amazon has made a year of Prime $73 through the weekend for new members.

In the past, there have been loopholes for existing members to take advantage of this deal, but we don’t think that will be case this time around. That said, if you still haven’t signed up for Prime, this is a fantastic opportunity.

Need convincing? Here are all of the benefits you get with Prime, including free two day shipping, access to thousands of streaming TV shows and movies, and (as of earlier this week) 20% off all video game preorders and new releases. It really is the best deal in tech. [Amazon Prime]

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With Amazon’s announcement of their latest Prime benefit: a 20% discount on video game preorders that carries through their first week of release, we’ve resurrected our game release calendar. Check it out.

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Amazon has never listed the Fitbit Aria Smart Scale for less than $100, and the last time that happened was early 2014. Today you can grab one on eBay for $90 and no tax for most. The Aria will give you your weight, BMI, and body fat % and of course upload them for syncing to places like MyFitnessPal and HealthKit. [FitBit Aria, $90]

At just $80 with no tax for most and free shipping, this Galaxy Gear is a great way to test the smartwatch waters. [Samsung Galaxy Gear Live R382 AMOLED Display Android SmartWatch, $80]

These DOTTI Pixel Art Lights can be used as visual alerts for iOS/Android notifications, or used to create your own pixel art. [DOTTI Smart Pixel Art Light with Notifications, $30]

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These stainless steel and wood adhesive hooks are the best-selling towel holders on expensive, and are going to look way more expensive than $7 for a 6-pack in your entryway. [Oak Leaf 6-pack Wood & Stainless Steel Decorative Stick Wall Hooks, $7 with code MDIECQP5]

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The best DVR for cord cutters is back in stock, complete with discounted lifetime service.

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The TiVo Roamio OTA is the TiVo box you know and love, but designed specifically for users of HDTV antennas. The box itself retails for $50, but it typically comes saddled with a $15 monthly service fee. While supplies last though, you can get the box plus lifetime (of the box, not of you) service for a single, upfront $300 fee. That’s a hefty investment, but it’ll pay for itself in 17 months compared to committing to a monthly fee.

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Lifetime service for most TiVos costs an exorbitant $500, so you’re actually saving a ton of money by forgoing the cable card here. Unfortunately, they only seem to sell these boxes in limited quantities, so be sure to grab one before it sells out again. [TiVo Roamio OTA HD DVR with Product Lifetime Service, $300]

This HooToo gadget is actually three devices in one:

• Travel Router: Turn any ethernet jack you find into a Wi-Fi hotspot, which can still come in handy at certain hotels and conventions.
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All of those are ideal use cases for travelers, and since it’s an all-in-one solution, it’ll save space in your bag. [HooToo Wireless Travel Router / 10400mAh External Battery Pack, $40]

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We love a good take, minimal take on something, but these edition of the Harry Potter series just blow us away. Created by Kincső Nagy in Hungary,

Nagy noted in a post that “The cover is simple: black paper cover, laser-cut illustrations. The magic of the book is reflected by glowing in the dark.”

The design extends to the contents as well, which features interior artwork that pops out:

The interiors are also gorgeous, with stark, minimal paintings set against text. These editions are a work of art in and of themselves.

Sadly, these aren’t an edition that you can out and buy: “These books (as far as I know) will never be published, so please, please dont write to me that you would like to buy it... Thank you!”

Hopefully some publisher will take a look at these and realize how awesome they are.

[Behance]

Image credits: Kincső Nagy

We’ve been excited for Jon Bernthal to take on the role of The Punisher in the upcoming season of Daredevil: now, it looks like Marvel is ready to spin off the character into a show of his own.

TVLine is reporting that Marvel is very close to developing a spinoff series of The Punisher to join Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist on Netflix. This is awesome news, considering that the next season of Daredevil doesn’t drop until March 18th: Marvel clearly has a lot of confidence in Bernthal’s portrayal of the character, enough to create an entirely new series.

If a series goes forward, we’d be interested in what ground it would cover: we’ve already seen an origin story with Thomas Jane’s Punisher, but as Daredevil showed us, you can show off the origins of the character through flashbacks, rather than that being the focus of the series.

That said, we really hope that this doesn’t mean that Marvel won’t do a second season of Jessica Jones. That would be a really unfortunate move, given how excellent Jessica Jones was as a series.

[TVLine via Deadline]

Photos: Patrick Harbron/Netflix