Latest stories
The Carpenters, siblings who represented American pop in the 1970s
Karen first picked up drumsticks; Richard found a hit in a bank advertisement. Seven songs revisit the siblings and the musicians behind a familiar voice.
Latest stories
X-59 tests a quieter approach to supersonic flight
NASA’s X-59 aims to reduce the sound of supersonic flight. Its performance in the air and the noise reaching the ground require separate tests.
An electric scooter that folds into its own carrying case
Honda Motocompacto stows its seat and handlebars to form a flat case. Its design considers what a scooter becomes when the ride is over.
Three years to design one soy sauce bottle
Kikkoman’s red-capped dispenser gives air and soy sauce separate paths. Nearly 100 prototypes helped refine the simple act of pouring at the table.
People smelling chocolate in old books
Researchers documented the smell of old books through both people’s descriptions and chemical analysis. An odor wheel links terms such as chocolate and coffee with another dimension of heritage preservation.
Stone skimming has a world championship too
On a small Scottish island, competitors see how far a stone will skim across water. A former quarry provides the venue, and local slate supplies the equipment.
Crossing a river through an art gallery at The Twist
The Twist in Norway serves as both a bridge and an exhibition space. A route through its twisting interior leads from one riverbank to the other.
Sending music to one seat without filling the room
Two curved ultrasonic beams create audible sound where they meet. Researchers used microphones inside a model head’s ears to measure where the sound could be heard.
This chair contains clothes that someone used to wear.
Kvadrat Really turns discarded textiles into rigid boards. A chair made from customers’ returned clothing shows how fibers can take on a new role inside a shop.