Explore 72 Tedium Collections - Atlas Obscura
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Television moved from analog to digital in 2009.
television

The Long, Weird Transition from Analog to Digital Television

Remember rabbit ears?
Ernie Smith October 25, 2016
A Halloween pop-up in Michigan.
31 days of halloween

The Surprising Success of Halloween Pop-Up Stores

The seasonal stores are not just recession-proof—they flourish when strip malls are bare.
Ernie Smith October 17, 2016
science

The Worst-Tasting Flavor in the World Was Accidentally Discovered in a Lab

You've probably never tasted Bitrex, but it's all over your home.
Ernie Smith October 11, 2016
animals

How Meat Science (And Marketing) Gave the World the Flat Iron Steak

It was only recently popularized.
Ernie Smith October 3, 2016
water

Why Making a Better Umbrella Is Way Harder Than It Seems

Their design hasn't changed in a very long time.
Ernie Smith September 27, 2016
news

The Screw Heads That Tried, But Failed, to Topple Phillips

The history of the screw is long and surprisingly weird.
Ernie Smith September 19, 2016
tedium

From Waxed Canvas To Movie Screens, the History of the Air Mattress

They've never been particularly reliable.
Ernie Smith September 12, 2016
colleges

A Brief History of the College Textbook Pricing Racket

Its past, present, and future.
Ernie Smith August 29, 2016
Fox Newsstand at Minneapolis Airport
shops

Branded Newsstands, Bad Nachos, and the Evolution of Airport Retail

Why are so many airport shops named after news networks?
Ernie Smith August 22, 2016
beer

The Biochemist Behind Light Beer, the Greatest Marketing Gimmick the World Has Ever Seen

Beer.
Ernie Smith August 15, 2016
literature

The Linguistic Turf Wars Over the Singular 'They'

It could be close to mainstream acceptance.
Ernie Smith August 8, 2016
film

The Slow Demise of Asbestos, the Carcinogen That Gave 'The Wizard of Oz' Snow

It took awhile.
Ernie Smith August 1, 2016
politics

The Libertarian Economic Theory That Might Be Secretly Driving Pokémon Go

This is not about catching them all.
Ernie Smith July 25, 2016
film

The First Hollywood Film to Imagine a Fictional President Was Some Weird Propaganda

Funded, incidentally, by William Randolph Hearst.
Ernie Smith July 19, 2016
stores

The Surprisingly Resilient History of IGA, Which Gave Small Towns Groceries

You've probably been to one.
Ernie Smith July 11, 2016
television

The Sneaky Way Broadcasters Are Using TV on the Radio

Chicago, for one, has a semi-secret FM station.
Ernie Smith July 5, 2016
film

A Brief History of the White House, as Portrayed by Hollywood

Independence Day wasn't the first, of course.
Ernie Smith June 27, 2016
libraries

The Strange History of Microfilm, Which Will Be With Us for Centuries

From carrier pigeons to comic books.
Ernie Smith June 20, 2016