@Stompy1: IIRC, there are apparently very few cosmic strings left over from the Big Bang; the reason we haven't been sucked into one yet is that there isn't one near us. And yeah, I'd think it's their gravity which is said to have affected the quasars.

I'm less interested in how they're synthesizing the DNA and more interested in what they're doing to replicate the secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structures found in chromosomes. For example, if the histones bind to the wrong place, it'll block access to important regions of DNA (unlike the natural chromosome,…

Do they realize that zeppelins are the key indicator of being in an alternate universe? It's pretty simple, really: if you've got zeppelins, something has gone horribly wrong with the timeline. So let's all hope that this doesn't come to pass, or we'll wake up tomorrow to find that Germany won WWII.

Wait, a report produced in 2002 referenced Avatar, a movie released in 2009? Did it discuss the ethical use of time travel as it pertains to writing reports on the ethical use of time travel?

@EdificeComplex: Whatever happened to io9's own Legion of Doom (or whatever it was called), anyway? I haven't heard anything from them in years, it feels like; should I be comforted or worried?

Instead of naming Gliese 581g, why not finally give Gliese 581 itself a decent name? It's got six planets orbiting it now, including one in the middle of the habitable zone and two others at opposite edges of the habitable zone. It deserves more than a catalog number.

Wouldn't the atmosphere freeze on the night side, meaning that there'd be nothing to breathe (and protect you from cosmic radiation)?

Transcranial magnetic stimulation: f**king with your head both figuratively and literally since 1985.

I actually was a synthetic biologist for a couple of years in the mid-2000s; aside from too much sexism and not enough pipetting, that video looks about right. Tom Knight is one of the leading names in the field, so if he's involved with this company, it must be pretty serious.

@Evdor: The phrase "British magicians" makes me think of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, actually.

You know this rumour about the army of invisible vampire ghosts that's heading this way? The one about there being millions of them? Well, it's not true. So make sure you tell people there's no truth in this rumour, will you? Set their minds at rest. And there are not 2,300,009 of them, no matter what anyone says. Nor…

Why is Richards even in this? Has he ever been accused of madness? Sure, if this were a poll for "superscientist smackdown" or "extreme scientist smackdown," maybe he'd have a chance. But for a character who has equal parts madness and science, you can't beat Walter.

Buyer Beware: the Stargate doesn't include a DHD, so it's bring-your-own-naquadah-generator if you want to use it.

Altlivia! Her name is Altlivia!

OK, question: How does a pion composed of an up quark and an up antiquark not self-annihilate? I mean, when an electron and a positron collide, they annihilate, so shouldn't the same happen when a quark and an antiquark of the same flavor combine? Or do they have to have the same color to annihilate?

For the record, it's properly referred to as "Comet Halley", rhyming with "Comet Sally;" if you're thinking "Halley's Comet" to rhyme with "Baily's Comet," you're wrong on two counts.

"and this new skin puts those abilities within robots' grasp."

@Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.: When you had LN2 ice cream, did you mix it with a wooden spoon? We used to do that, but then someone realized that the blender's whisk attachment fit perfectly into the power drill...that must have cut down our preparation time by 75%, and increased the awesomeness by at least 200%.

Never mind sticking your hand in, I've poured a teaspoon of LN2 onto my tongue. Probably not a great idea, but as long as you keep your mouth open (for the nitrogen gas to escape) and don't swallow, it's harmless fun.

@Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.: Seconded. Seriously, I want to send him a copy of the D&D Player's Handbook so he can start varying the gods he invokes; at this point, "Blood for the Blood God!" would be an improvement.