technology

The Week

A Brief History of the Real-Life Invisibility Cloak

The evolution of the cloaking device, from its origins in Star Trek fantasy to intricate new metamaterials.... READ ON

Videos

What Portable Computers Were Like in 1987

The Week

The Biggest Cyberattack in Internet History Happened Yesterday

A spat between a Dutch webhost and a spam-fighting organization is crippling the Internet.... READ ON

List

Early Adopter Beware: 7 Huge First Gen Products

As tempting it may be to be the first in your circle to purchase and use a new product, there’s reason to abstain until the kinks of a first generation model have been worked out.... READ ON

Article

Watch 24 Hours of Internet Activity Around the World in 8 Seconds

The animated map, from an anonymous researcher, is beautiful, mesmerizing — and made using highly illegal means... READ ON

Videos

How to Buy a New Computer (in 1993)

Weird Science

Einstein's Design for a Fridge to Last 100 Years

After establishing the theory of relativity as a founding principle of modern physics, Albert Einstein turned his thoughts to higher matters: home appliances.... READ ON

Big Question

How Do They Make the "Pope Smoke"?

When the Catholic cardinals meet to pick a new pope in the “papal conclave,” they’re sequestered in the Sistine Chapel so that their deliberations aren’t influenced by the outside world and that their ballots, burned after each round of voting, remain secret. Updates from within the conclave, then, come not from press conferences or the pontifical Twitter account, but the chapel’s chimney.... READ ON

List

A Brief History of 7 Baby Basics

While our fearless leader/proud father Jason is away on paternity leave with the latest of three little girls, let’s take a look at the origins of some of the baby basics on every new parent’s baby shower registry.... READ ON

SXSW

The Challenges of Building the Hubble Telescope’s Replacement

In the SXSW panel “Beyond Hubble: Building NASA’s Next Great Telescope,” scientists and engineers discussed what the Webb telescope will look for and all the engineering challenges that go into actually building the instrument.... READ ON