Editors' Picks

The History of the Lava Lamp

At 50, the legendary relic of the college dorm room is still groovy after all these years

The World’s Largest Collection of Coffee Cup Lids

With over 500 different disposable plastic lids, the architect-collector has pieced together a history of American innovation and culture

Designing a 51-State Flag

Even in 1958, the American flag was designed through crowdsourcing amateurs. If Puerto Rico joins the union, who will design the 51-star flag?

Arts & Culture Beats

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The piece by Taiwanese artist Cindy Chao has a surprise revealed only under ultraviolet light
March 05, 2013 | By Leah Binkovitz

Visionary designers of the 19th century believed that the future of air travel depended on elaborate airships
March 05, 2013 | By Jimmy Stamp

3D printing is a new technology that seems poised to change the world, but its origins date back all the way to the 15th century
March 01, 2013 | By Jimmy Stamp

The air quality in China's biggest cities is famously atrocious, but designers think they may have found a way to combat the issue
February 26, 2013 | By Jimmy Stamp

Artists are borrowing from biology to create dazzling "biodesigns" that challenge our aesthetics—and our place in nature
February 21, 2013 | By Megan Gambino

To combat the growing housing crisis in major American cities, architects are designing smaller, more efficient apartments that will change the way urbanites live
February 21, 2013 | By Jimmy Stamp

At 50, the legendary relic of the college dorm room is still groovy after all these years
March 2013 | By Abigail Tucker

Innovative architects are experimenting with small unmanned aerial vehicles to prove that drones can do more than cause destruction
February 15, 2013 | By Jimmy Stamp

They have recently been the subject of a lot of scrutiny, but the American military first began developing similar aerial vehicles during World War I
February 12, 2013 | By Jimmy Stamp

As drones become common as tools of the military and intelligence agencies, how are architects and designers responding?
February 08, 2013 | By Jimmy Stamp

For designers, the battle over what it means to be private in a very public world is a new frontier to be conquered
February 06, 2013 | By Jimmy Stamp

While scientists work toward perfecting the invisibility cloak, one designer has already developed a line of clothing that makes people invisible...to robots
February 01, 2013 | By Jimmy Stamp

How the New Yorker and the West Wing botched the history of the icon
January 25, 2013 | By Jimmy Stamp

We see it on the President's lectern and in the Oval Office, but who came up with the look and feel of it in the first place?
January 23, 2013 | By Jimmy Stamp

Jicky is the first fragrance to incorporate both synthetic ingredients and natural extracts, making it one of the most significant perfumes in the history of scent design
January 17, 2013 | By Jimmy Stamp

A tour through the patent files reveals a wide range of odd shapes, which collectively are a far cry from the elbow-shaped pasta of your youth
January 15, 2013 | By Dan Lewis

The Fisher Space Pen has been made famous by Apollo astronauts and Jerry Seinfeld. But just how does it work? And is NASA really spend millions making it?
January 11, 2013 | By Jimmy Stamp

When the President signed the fiscal cliff deal from 4,800 miles away, he did it with the help of a device that dates back to Thomas Jefferson
January 08, 2013 | By Jimmy Stamp

Whether they're breaking ground or topping off, these are the biggest building projects we'll be watching in 2013
December 26, 2012 | By Jimmy Stamp

With over 500 different disposable plastic lids, the architect-collector has pieced together a history of American innovation and culture
November 15, 2012 | By K. Annabelle Smith

In Tokyo, a reservation-only photo booth spits out three-dimensional replicas of its subjects
November 13, 2012 | By Sarah C. Rich

Even in 1958, the American flag was designed through crowdsourcing amateurs. If Puerto Rico joins the union, who will design the 51-star flag?
November 12, 2012 | By Sarah C. Rich

Bad design can change the results of an election. But several professional design organizations have been working to ensure that every vote counts
November 06, 2012 | By Jimmy Stamp

Hand-painted signs are making a comeback, but are they the work of artists or "mechanics"?
November 02, 2012 | By Sarah C. Rich

The evolution of Dracula, from the mind of a sickly youth to an iconic portrayal on the silver screen
October 31, 2012 | By Jimmy Stamp

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