Latest stories
MTV opened with a song about the radio star
MTV staff crossed a river to watch their first broadcast; musicians played for hours to sound like machines. The story of “Video Killed the Radio Star” between two eras.
Latest stories
How electronic ink keeps text visible without power
Electronic ink holds an image rather than continually lighting and refreshing it. While a reader stays on one page, the display can retain that page without power.
The small zipper mechanism that releases when pulled and locks when let go
A zipper moves when you pull it and stays in place when you let it go. A locking mechanism is hidden in the small movements our fingers use every day.
Following the shelves upward at Book Mountain
At Book Mountain in the Netherlands, shelves form a mountain inside the library. Looking for a book becomes a walk around and up the building.
Repair Café brings people together to fix broken things
An item you might have discarded goes onto the table. At Repair Café, its owner sits alongside the person helping to repair it.
Android alerts you to unfamiliar trackers that move with you
Technology for finding lost objects also helps detect unfamiliar tracking. Android’s alerts look for supported tags traveling with you while separated from their owners.
How a removable adhesive became the Post-it note
Adhesives usually earn their keep by staying stuck. Post-it notes found a use for the opposite property: they can be lifted and moved, which keeps them useful.
Kengo Kuma’s public restroom divided into five small houses
Five small buildings wrapped in cedar boards stand in a Tokyo park. Kengo Kuma’s public restroom offers a different approach, beginning with the path to its entrances.
The Offline Club makes room to read and talk without phones
Read a book or talk to the person beside you. The Offline Club creates a setting where not looking at your phone need not feel awkward.