464 Items Tagged

Technology

Van de Wall telescope.

Leiden, Netherlands

Van der Wall Telescope

Once the world's biggest telescope, it was later used as a coat hanger by a famous Dutch astronomer.

Inside the World's Best Collection of Unintentionally Funny VHS Tapes

Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher have made a career of their never-ending hunt for oddball footage.

Lizzie Philip October 1, 2018

MOFAD's puffing gun in action.

The Puffing Gun

Many popular cereals exploded out of its chamber and into existence.

Twitter might be a useful source of data for "charismatic" events, such as an outpouring of ants or a dramatic grouping of birds.

The Upside of Freaking Out About Insects on Twitter

When people post about bugs and birds, ecologists can gain some solid data.

Jessica Leigh Hester September 12, 2018

Meet the 'Radio Guy,' an Obsessive Collector of Old Tech

Steve Erenberg's passions include medical helmets and antique radios.

Lizzie Philip September 10, 2018

The statue.

Washington, D.C.

Philo Farnsworth Statue

This statue of the "father of television" stands prominently in the United States Capitol.

Salem, Massachusetts

Lyceum Hall

The lecture hall where Alexander Graham Bell first demonstrated the long-distance phone call.

Installation shots from inside the exhibition.

museums and collections

The Secret London Exhibition for Spies' Eyes Only

During World War II, the Natural History Museum showcased tools for sabotage.

Carianne Whitworth August 28, 2018

From left: Workers lower the 5.3-kiloton bomb used in the Salmon test into the ground; The second bomb was set off in the cavity gouged out by the first test two years earlier.

In the 1960s, the U.S. Government Set Off a Pair of Nukes Under Mississippi

It’s a nearly forgotten chapter of Cold War history that seems hard to fathom today—even for those who were there.

Matt Smith August 15, 2018

A popcorn-powered robot actuator successfully grips a balloon.

How to Make a Robot Move, Using Popcorn

The future is now and it’s happening, appropriately, at Cornell University.

Cara Giaimo August 7, 2018

Brixton Windmill

London, England

Brixton Windmill

A fully functional, 200-year-old remnant of the time when Brixton was mostly fields.

Video • AO Docs

Inside the World of an Obsessive Collector of Old Tech

The cable hut.

Main Beach, Australia

Southport Cable Hut

The Australian terminal of the Pacific Cable that linked the continent to North America.

Figueres, Spain

Technology Museum of l'Empordà

This overlooked museum houses an amazing collection of rare, antique typewriters.

Vintage bikes such as this 1941 Schwinn were key to the development of mountain biking.

Fairfax, California

Marin Museum of Bicycling and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame

Centuries of biking history are nestled in the shadow of the birthplace of contemporary mountain biking.

Albuquerque, New Mexico

The Z Machine

The most powerful laboratory radiation source in the world pulses with 1,000 times the electricity of a lightning bolt.

Early Television Museum

Early Television Museum

A retro walk through the history of the tube.

The MegaZapper.

Bellingham, Washington

SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention

An electrifying collection of gadgets and literature from the 16th through 20th centuries.