How Leonardo Da Vinci Made A “Satellite” Map In 1502
When infamous Italian politician Cesare Borgia brought Leonardo da Vinci — the guy who drew this portrait — to the city of Imola, it was as a military engineer. When Leonardo was installed at Borgia’s newly acquired fort, one of his duties was to help Borgia learn the territory.
How Ads Follow You Around The Internet
You’ve seen the pop-ups: “This site uses cookies to improve your experience. Please accept cookies.” Without cookies, the online world we know today couldn’t exist. But that world relies on advertising, which gives three kinds of companies a strong incentive to track your online behavior.
How And Why The Great Wall Of China Was Really Built
The Great Wall of China was built 2,200 years ago out of military necessity: to combat the Mongolian ancestors of Genghis Khan. Its construction was a marvel of military engineering.
The Future Of Energy Storage Beyond Lithium-Ion
Over the past decade, prices for solar panels and wind farms have reached all-time lows. However, the price for lithium-ion batteries, the leading energy storage technology, has remained too high. So researchers are exploring other alternatives, including flow batteries, thermal batteries, and gravity-based systems.
It’s Not You. Phones Are Designed To Be Addicting.
Today’s phones are hard to put down. Push notifications buzz in your pocket, red bubbles demand attention, and endless distractions sit at your fingertips. It can feel impossible to pull away from. The 3 design elements that make smartphones so hard to put down, explained by Google’s former design ethicist.
Abandoned Places: The Pontiac Silverdome
Just outside of Detroit, in Pontiac Michigan, sits one of the most famous and iconic abandoned structures in the country. At one time the largest NFL stadium and host to SuperBowl 16. This is the Pontiac Silverdome.
The Love Story That Shocked The World
When Seretse Khama, an African prince, and Ruth Williams, a white middle-class clerk from Lloyd’s underwriters, got married in 1948, it provoked shock in Britain and Africa. Khama was exiled from Great Britain and later became the first president of Botswana when it became an independent country.
China’s Leftover Men: Desperately Seeking Wives
He’s 57 and has never been in a relationship. Now he’s worried that his four nephews who live with him might end up alone – and desperate – just like him. How is China addressing its gender imbalance that has reached epic proportions?
Inside The Real Catskill Resorts That Inspired Dirty Dancing
Dirty Dancing’s setting, Kellerman’s, is based on the numerous all-inclusive vacation spots aimed at Jewish travelers that dotted the upstate New York landscape throughout much of the 20th century—a constellation of resorts commonly known as the Borscht Belt.
The Food Deserts Of Memphis: Inside America’s Hunger Capital
In the ‘food deserts’ of Memphis, Tennessee, dominated by fast food outlets and convenience stores, locals lack what seems a basic human right in the richer half of the city: a supermarket. With a big gap in life expectancy, are these Americans doomed to die younger than their neighbours – or can they fight for their right to nutrition?
Why Recycling Isn’t Quite Working Anymore
Is recycling worth it? When it first took off recycling was seen as one of the environmental movement’s great successes. But recent market forces have made more and more countries reconsider the cost of going green.
“Locker Room”, Thought-Provoking Short Film About Teenage Friendships
A teenage girl discovers her male friends’ secret group chat, forcing her to question her friendship with them. Through the lens of neither a perpetrator or survivor, Locker Room draws attention to the social responsibility of bystanders to bad behavior and the pressures that can cause them to turn a blind eye.
Why 40% Of Vietnamese People Have The Same Last Name
The 14 most popular last names in Vietnam account for well over 90 percent of the population. The 14 most popular last names in the US? Fewer than 6 percent. In Vietnam, the most popular last name is Nguyen.
Inside London’s £18BN New Railway
Join Fred Mills inside London’s new Tottenham Court Road (TCR) station – part of the £18BN Elizabeth Line that is being constructed by Crossrail beneath the UK’s capital.
Could Vertical Forests Improve Our Health?
A UN ‘World Cities’ report in 2016 predicted that two-thirds of the global population will live in cities by 2030. Could buildings like Bosco Verticale in Milan help tackle pollution and improve people’s health?
Lisbon’s Outdoor Art Gallery – In Pictures
Street art has transformed Quinta do Mocho, an area once plagued by crime and unemployment. In 2014, local officials decided to improve the district’s image, and invited Portuguese and foreign artists to paint murals for what they now call ‘the biggest open-air art gallery in Europe’.
The School Shooting That Austin Forgot
John Ray barely remembered the details of that day—May 18, 1978—when a friend at his Austin junior high school walked into class and, in front of Ray and twenty other eighth graders, shot and killed their teacher, Wilbur “Rod” Grayson. Ray and his classmates still wonder: What really happened?
“Miller & Son”, Award-Winning LGBTQ Short Film
A transwoman mechanic lives between running her family’s auto shop during the day and expressing her femininity at night until an unforeseen event threatens the balance of her compartmentalized life.
“Nursery Rhymes”, Award-Winning Single-Take Short Film
Why is a Metalhead singing Old MacDonald on the side of a rural highway? A surreal scene turns into an engaging mystery in this celebrated single-take short. Created by celebrated Australian commercial director Tom Noakes, in partnership with Will Goodfellow and Lucy Gaffy of Studio Goon.
On Walkman’s 40th Anniversary, Sony Opens Retro Exhibition In Tokyo
Sony Corp. opened an exhibition Monday in Tokyo’s bustling Ginza district to mark the 40th anniversary of its signature Walkman. The handheld audio player debuted on July 1, 1979, offering portable music to ears across the world. In the years that followed, over 400 million units would be sold.
Buried In Sand For A Millennium: Africa’s Roman Ghost City
Timgad is a lost Roman city on the edge of the Sahara desert in Algeria that remained hidden beneath the sand for nearly a thousand years. Positively obscure compared to the international notoriety of Pompeii, this ancient city is nonetheless one of the best surviving examples of Roman town planning anywhere in the historical Empire.