How One Man Built A Fully-Functional Batman Grappling Gun

Plus, VW shows off a new robot car charging prototype The Futurist uncovers unique and inspiring topics that feed your curiosity. Curated articles on technology, science, and culture delivered to your inbox. Not for you? Unsubscribe anytime below. /science [One Third Of U.S. Rivers Have Turned Yellow Or Green | Mic]( [SCIENTISTS DON'T KNOW WHY ONE-THIRD OF U.S. RIVERS HAVE TURNED YELLOW OR GREEN]( Satellite images of rivers across the U.S. have revealed a troubling color-changing trend: Over the past three decades, one-third of formerly blue rivers have turned a shade of yellow or green. The discovery comes after an analysis of nearly 235,000 images taken from 1984 to 2018. Amongst the rivers that changed color, 56 percent were mostly yellow and 38 percent were mostly green. [Mic]( /gadget [Save On This Galaxy Projector | Mashable]( [SAVE 20% ON THIS GALAXY PROJECTOR AND LIE BENEATH A SEA OF STARS EVERY NIGHT]( Everyone loves the idea of lying underneath the stars. But between the frigid temperatures and the discomfiting thought of bugs and wild animals running amuck, it’s not always as enjoyable as it seems. We can't all be outdoorsy people. That’s why galaxy projectors that fully immerse you beneath a sea of stars from the comfort of your home are so popular lately. [Mashable]( /story [Why You Should Talk To Yourself In The Third Person | Vice]( [WHY YOU SHOULD TALK TO YOURSELF IN THE THIRD PERSON]( This suggestion might garner a certain gut reaction: that talking to yourself in the third person is strange at best, and annoying, narcissistic, or idiotic at worst. "Just think of Elmo in the children’s TV show Sesame Street, or the intensely irritating Jimmy in the sitcom Seinfeld—hardly models of sophisticated thinking,” [wrote]( science journalist David Robson in The British Psychological Society Research Digest. Yet decades of research now show that talking to yourself this way inside of your head—also called "distanced self-talk" can help foster psychological distance, a phenomenon that leads to better emotional regulation, self-control, and even wisdom. [Vice]( /money [Digital Car Insurance For The Savvy Shopper - Clearcover | [Partner]]( [DIGITAL CAR INSURANCE FOR THE SAVVY SHOPPER]( Imagine: car insurance that offers better coverage, at lower prices, and it's all accessible right on your phone. Sound too good to be true? The folks at [Clearcover]( beg to differ, and that's exactly why they're changing the game with their hassle-free car insurance that's better suited for the digital age. [Partner] /interior [@douglasfriedman on Instagram]( [@douglasfriedman]( /machine [VW Shows Off Futuristic Car Charger | Futurism]( [VW SHOWS OFF FUTURISTIC CAR CHARGING ROBOT PROTOTYPE]( German carmaker Volkswagen has unveiled a working prototype of a robot that can autonomously charge electric cars. The company has had the idea [for at least a year]( but only now has VW shown off a working robot capable of charging a car. [Futurism]( /gear [Smart Lock Lets You Keep Your OG Deadbolt | Amazon]( [THIS SMART LOCK LETS YOU KEEP YOUR OG DEADBOLT]( This smart lock might be August's most expensive model, but it's also their smallest and most convenient. It doesn't require an extra hub or bridge for you to control remotely, and, unlock most smart locks, it doesn't cover up your deadbolt, so you can still use your old keys to unlock the door if you want to (though we’re not entirely sure why you’d want to do that, it’s 2021 guys). [Amazon]( /tech [One Man Built A Working Batman Grappling Gun | The Verge]( [HOW ONE MAN BUILT AN IRL WORKING BATMAN GRAPPLING GUN IN ONLY A YEAR]( If you’ve ever watched a Batman movie or played Just Cause, you’ve probably thought “wow, using a grappling hook would be so much fun.” YouTuber Built IRL, whose name is JT, thought so too — and he’s been working on making that happen for the past year. The end result is a grappling hook gun that functions pretty similarly to the ones we’ve seen in movies and games. [The Verge]( /posted [@beasquire on Instagram]( [@beasquire]( THE FUTURIST [Advertise]( [Talk to Us](mailto:letschat@getthefuturist.com) | [Shop]( | [Subscribe]( Powered by StackCommerce 21 market street venice, ca 90291 [unsubscribe](