Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Birdman, out October 17th, marks his first formal foray into the comedy world, but this film only strengthens his reputation for touching, intricately woven narratives. A little too intricate, perhaps, as Iñárritu’s focus on contradiction, validation, and all things meta blend into a swirling mass of crises for both viewers and characters alike.

FX’s American Horror Story established itself as a true original in its first three seasons with a cast of big name actors portraying a new set of characters each season in a different, creepy setting. Season one took place in a haunted house, season two in an insane asylum, season three in a coven.

This week on Txchnologist, engineers have reported that they created a surface that can repel all liquids, like a Teflon pan on steroids. Made of a structured silicon dioxide, the coating is covered with microscopic nailheads that hold up any liquid while distributing its weight through many contact points.

Would playing catch and dancing with your teachers increase the quality of your education? Perhaps not, but playing catch and grooving are two impressive features of NAO, a humanoid robot created by Aldebaran Robotics that can teach a number of subjects. From touch sensors to directional microphones, the 58-centimeter-tall robot was built to interact with children.

The makers of a glowing sphere of polycarbonate called Sense are promising to make your mornings much less groggy. San Francisco-based Hello has created a device that monitors your sleeping patterns and environment, including light, motion, sound, temperature and humidity as well as particle counts for dust and pollen in the air.