technology

How Muzak Shaped A Conformist America

While Muzak's background music was easy to ignore, the company's surprising story says a lot about postwar America.

By John Kuroski • Aug 18, 2015

How Muzak Shaped A Conformist America

While Muzak's background music was easy to ignore, the company's surprising story says a lot about postwar America.

By John Kuroski • August 18, 2015

California Throws Shade (Balls) To Help Solve Its Drought

The remedy to California's drought-stricken lands or just the world's biggest ball pit? See for yourself how shade balls are making a huge impact.

By Kiri Picone • Aug 13, 2015

News

California Throws Shade (Balls) To Help Solve Its Drought

The remedy to California's drought-stricken lands or just the world's biggest ball pit? See for yourself how shade balls are making a huge impact.

By Kiri Picone • August 13, 2015

Your World This Week, Volume IV

Bombings Rock Iraq, Afghanistan A small, but terribly destructive, wave of bombings hit Iraq on Sunday, leaving 35 dead and 100 wounded. Deadliest among the attacks was a car bomb coupled with a suicide bomb that killed 19 in the Shaab neighborhood of Baghdad. However, smaller attacks killed several others...

By John Kuroski • Jul 13, 2015

Science News

Your World This Week, Volume IV

Bombings Rock Iraq, Afghanistan A small, but terribly destructive, wave of bombings hit Iraq on Sunday, leaving 35 dead and 100 wounded. Deadliest among the attacks was a car bomb coupled with a suicide bomb that killed 19 in the Shaab neighborhood of Baghdad. However, smaller attacks killed several others...

By John Kuroski • July 13, 2015

Thomas Midgley Jr.: Accidentally The Most Dangerous Man Who Ever Lived

Thomas Midgley Jr. was a proponent of technology's capacity for good, but he helped put lead in the air and annihilate Earth's ozone layer.

By Richard Stockton • Jul 9, 2015

Thomas Midgley Jr.: Accidentally The Most Dangerous Man Who Ever Lived

Thomas Midgley Jr. was a proponent of technology's capacity for good, but he helped put lead in the air and annihilate Earth's ozone layer.

By Richard Stockton • July 9, 2015

WTF? 20 X-Rays Of Things That Aren’t Supposed To Be In Humans

A spatula can go there?! The weirdest x-rays are often the most gruesome ones. Squeamish friends, you've been warned.

By Erin Kelly • Jul 9, 2015

WTF? 20 X-Rays Of Things That Aren’t Supposed To Be In Humans

A spatula can go there?! The weirdest x-rays are often the most gruesome ones. Squeamish friends, you've been warned.

By Erin Kelly • July 9, 2015

The Worst Cars Ever Sold

Owning a terrible car is a rite of passage for most of us. It’s a rare, and very lucky, Westerner who hasn’t at some point been roped into buying a rolling lemon that’s three-quarters replacement parts and one-quarter rust. This is usually because we were dumb enough to buy used...

By Richard Stockton • Jul 2, 2015

The Worst Cars Ever Sold

Owning a terrible car is a rite of passage for most of us. It’s a rare, and very lucky, Westerner who hasn’t at some point been roped into buying a rolling lemon that’s three-quarters replacement parts and one-quarter rust. This is usually because we were dumb enough to buy used...

By Richard Stockton • July 2, 2015

3 Historic “Firsts” That We’ve All Got Totally Wrong

A tragic flaw of most elementary history lessons is that we focus on teaching trivia. As it turns out, most of these "facts" are totally wrong.

By Richard Stockton • May 31, 2015

3 Historic “Firsts” That We’ve All Got Totally Wrong

A tragic flaw of most elementary history lessons is that we focus on teaching trivia. As it turns out, most of these "facts" are totally wrong.

By Richard Stockton • May 31, 2015

After Two Years of Edward Snowden Revelations, What Have We Learned About NSA Spying?

On May 20, 2013, Edward Snowden boarded a flight from Hawaii to Hong Kong. The laptop and thumb drives he carried with him contained hundreds of thousands of secret government documents. In a Hong Kong hotel room, he met with journalists and a filmmaker named Laura Poitras, and together they...

By John Schellhase • May 21, 2015

After Two Years of Edward Snowden Revelations, What Have We Learned About NSA Spying?

On May 20, 2013, Edward Snowden boarded a flight from Hawaii to Hong Kong. The laptop and thumb drives he carried with him contained hundreds of thousands of secret government documents. In a Hong Kong hotel room, he met with journalists and a filmmaker named Laura Poitras, and together they...

By John Schellhase • May 21, 2015

7 War-Time Inventions That You Use Every Day

Sorry, Edwin Starr. It turns out that war is good for absolutely…something. The life-or-death havoc of war electrifies human creativity in a powerful way. A number of the world’s most useful inventions have come from the military. Some appeared by accident, others as solutions to particular problems that seem much...

By John Schellhase • Apr 25, 2015

7 War-Time Inventions That You Use Every Day

Sorry, Edwin Starr. It turns out that war is good for absolutely…something. The life-or-death havoc of war electrifies human creativity in a powerful way. A number of the world’s most useful inventions have come from the military. Some appeared by accident, others as solutions to particular problems that seem much...

By John Schellhase • April 25, 2015

X-Ray Art Reveals The Internal Beauty Of Everyday Objects

In a world obsessed with appearances, X-ray art disregards exteriors in favor of highlighting the internal beauty and structure of everyday objects.

By All That's Interesting • Apr 20, 2015

X-Ray Art Reveals The Internal Beauty Of Everyday Objects

In a world obsessed with appearances, X-ray art disregards exteriors in favor of highlighting the internal beauty and structure of everyday objects.

By All That's Interesting • April 20, 2015