Design

You may have never noticed the extra holes on the sides of your Chuck Taylor All-Stars, but they serve a clever purpose.

If you’re wearing jeans, you’ll probably spot some tiny metal rivets surrounding the front pockets. Like a lot of details in life, we’ve become accustomed to seeing them. So why are they there?

The location of a car's gas tank can be a guessing game.

To annoy you? Possibly. For other good reasons, like keeping you alive? Also yes.

Apple's iconic logo is rumored to have been inspired by Eve's bite into the apple of knowledge, Newton's discovery of gravity, and Alan Turing's untimely end. Are any of these stories true?

Though hopefully you’ll never need it, the loop on your seatbelt is there to prevent injury or even death in a crash.

Can your MacGyver air scrubber do the work of a purifier costing hundreds of dollars? Science says yes.

Loop Biotech's eco-friendly mushroom coffins are designed to decompose.

Unpacking the reason hyperlinks are blue requires dipping into early internet history.

Civil engineer Siswanti Zuraida built a concrete structure using diapers that would otherwise sit in a landfill for decades, making for a literal brick sh-t house.

Speedos, the famously ultra-tight swimming attire, showed so much leg on the conservative beaches of Australia that men were arrested.

Isamu Noguchi at the Noguchi Garden Museum in New York City.

Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988) was one of the most influential designers and sculptors of the 20th century.

Retro furniture from IKEA's Nytillverkad line.

IKEA’s Nytillverkad line is inspired by vintage looks that should be familiar to long-time shoppers.

There have been major advancements in Oreo science.

Researchers at MIT looked at "postmortem crème distribution" to see if two Oreo wafers can have an equal amount of filling after being twisted.

Made from 80 percent wood chips, the composite toilet from Woodio is waterproof and splinter-free.

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei used LEGO bricks to build a 50-foot long tribute to Monet.

The silhouetted player in the MLB logo is ambiguous in more ways than one.

Posters from a Jeff Tweedy concert (left) and Lotus concert (right).

Burlington, Vermont’s Higher Ground has a long history of producing iconic concert posters in collaboration with local arts organizations.

Toblerone is no longer Swiss enough for the Swiss mountain peak in its logo.

Elizabeth Magie created 'The Landlord’s Game,' a precursor to 'Monopoly.'

Here are some of the best inventions by women throughout history, from the paper bag to windshield wipers, circular saws, and more.

The Academy Award for Best Costume Design doesn’t *always* go to a period drama.

‘Viva Magenta’ is ‘brave,’ ‘fearless,’ ‘audacious,’ and ‘full of wit.’ What does that look like? Magenta.

‘Äpplet’ had a more successful naval career than its short-lived sibling, the ‘Vasa.’ Studying its wreck could help explain why.

Giant Pumpkin Jack O Lantern carved with a Chainsaw

See what a chainsaw does to a pumpkin that's too big to fit on most people's porches.

No, you're not supposed to use the square McFlurry spoons from McDonald's like a straw.

The Reason Your Converse Sneakers Have Extra Holes on the Side

The Riveting Reason Blue Jeans Have Those Little Metal Studs Over the Pockets

Why Aren't Car Gas Tanks Always on the Same Side?

Did Alan Turing Inspire the Apple Logo?

That Extra Loop of Fabric on Your Seatbelt Is Actually an Important Safety Feature

Do DIY Air Purifiers Really Work to Combat Wildfire Smoke, COVID, and Other Pollutants?

Mushroom Coffins Are the Latest Green Burial Trend

Why Are Hyperlinks Blue?

Big Poo-Tential: Researchers in Japan Built a House Using Old Diapers

'Budgie Smugglers': A Scandalous History of Speedos

8 Facts about Isamu Noguchi

IKEA Is Reviving Designs From Its Past in Celebration of Its 80th Anniversary

Finnish Company Debuts 'World's First' Flushable Wooden Toilet

Ai Weiwei Recreated Monet's 'Water Lilies' Using 650,000 LEGO Bricks

There’s an Optical Illusion Hidden in the MLB Logo

Higher Ground—Burlington, Vermont’s Beloved Music Venue—Is Releasing a Book Full of Its Iconic Concert Posters

Toblerone Must Remove the Matterhorn From Its Logo Due to 'Swissness' Law

20 Things You Might Not Know Were Invented by Women

All the Oscar-Winning Costume Designs From the Last 20 Years, Illustrated

Viva Magenta! Pantone’s Color of the Year ‘Promotes a Joyous and Optimistic Celebration’

The Wreck of the ‘Äpplet’—Sister Ship of Sweden’s Infamous ‘Vasa’—Has Been Found After More Than Three Centuries

How Do You Carve a Giant Pumpkin? With a Chainsaw, Of Course

Why Do McDonald's McFlurry Spoons Have Square Holes in the Handle?