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Marshmallow-Topped Hot Chocolate Will Keep You Warm This Long Solstice Night

Marshmallows and hot chocolate each have a long history, but their union only dates back about a century

An image from the Slater Mill Historic Site in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

How Industrial Espionage Started America’s Cotton Revolution

To the British, Samuel Slater was ‘Slater the traitor,’ but to the Americans, he was the father of the American industrial revolution

Pearls have been a symbol of extreme wealth for thousands of years.

Here’s Why Pearls No Longer Cost a Fortune

Coming up with ways to lower the price of pearls—either through culturing or by out-right fakery—took centuries

You Don’t Have to Have Synesthesia to “Hear” This Silent Gif

How we perceive the world is the result of the complex intertwining of illusion, synesthesia, and suggestion

For the 1960s, Coach's sporty, practical styling was unique.

A Paper Bag Was the Inspiration for the First Coach Purse

Lillian Cahn reached back to her childhood experiences to design the ‘leather shopping bag’ that was the company’s first purse

This is not what the world's first industrial robot looked like.

How Robots Left the Lab and Started Helping Humans

Computers were the size of refrigerators—or larger—but robots were on their way

In this Dec. 21, 2012 file photo, people gather in front of the Kukulkan temple in Chichen Itza, Mexico. Mexican experts said Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016 they have discovered what may be the original structure at the pyramid of Kukulkan at the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza.

Ancient Maya Heritage Comes Alive…With Some Help From Google and the British Museum

Victorian explorer Alfred Maudslay’s images are now available online for all to see

Winter recreationists circa 1975.

The Snowmobile Changed How Americans Did Winter

As the cold comes in, snowbound communities are tuning up their vehicles and recreationists are making speedy winter plans

A family of four buying gas at a service station.

A Short Picture History of Gas Stations

Gas stations have evolved a lot from their humble roots

Spandex, under the brand name Lycra, quickly took off after it was introduced in 1962. This ad was published in Good Housekeeping in October of that year.

Thank(?) Joseph Shivers For Spandex

From Spanx to space suits, spandex has shaped modern garments

Janelle Shane's neural network needs a lot of first lines before it can teach itself to write good ones.

This Neural Network Can (Maybe) Start a Novel Better Than You

As the end of NaNoWriMo draws near, take a look at one researcher’s effort to help find that perfect first line

The new softbots can lift an astonishing amount with the assistance of only air or water pressure.

New Research

This Artificial Muscle Can Lift 1,000 Times Its Own Weight

They were inspired by origami

A CARE package intended for West Germany in 1948.

How WWII Created the Care Package

Technically, the innovation was originally trademarked

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Self-Taught Rocket Scientist Will Launch From California This Weekend

Mike Hughes built his homemade rocket in an effort to “prove” the Earth is flat. He also plans to run for governor

Hetty Green circa 1900 in the black widow's mourning clothes that earned her nickname.

The Peculiar Story of the Witch of Wall Street

Walking the streets in black clothes and making obscene amounts of money, Hetty Green was one of the Gilded Age’s many characters

Sperry today sells a variety of footwear beyond the iconic deck shoes.

The Story of the Sperry Top-Sider

Paul A. Sperry’s innovative boat shoes were inspired by his dog

An Eagle Brand Condensed Milk ad from 1891.

Like Condensed Milk? Try the ‘Meat Biscuit’

The meat biscuit was a practical idea but Gail Borden, also the inventor of condensed milk, never made it work

The Kremer Museum features more than 70 works by Dutch and Flemish Old Masters

Pop-Up VR Museum to Bring Dutch and Flemish Masterpieces to the Masses

The Kremer Museum was imagined up after its creators grew disillusioned with constraints associated with showcasing a collection in a physical building

The tenth inkblot in Rorschach's series.

Hermann Rorschach’s Artistic Obsession Led to His Famous Test

Rorschach’s high school nickname was “Kleck,” which means “inkblot” in German

A familiar-looking image from the Uncrustables patent.

Can a Sandwich Be Intellectual Property?

This is the story of a patent war over PB&J

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