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Dot-Matrix Printers Were Born To Play Bach

Is using computer-controlled ancient electronics as instruments a new fad? Not even close. So why is this old dot-matrix printer playing Bach worthy of note? It’s because this particular piece of classical music, Toccata and Fugue in D minor, was originally composed to be played on an organ. And at times this old printer sounds…

This Giant “Straw” Will Suck Vegas’s Water From the Desert

Las Vegas gets 90 percent of its water from Lake Mead, the lake created by the Hoover Dam about 45 miles away. It’s also a lake that’s only half full—with water levels that are decreasing every year. Now the city must dig a massive tunnel that will dip deeper into the lake to ensure Las…

How Do You Treat Mental Illness in a Bonobo?

Brian is a male bonobo who was born at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, but spent most of his life at the Milwaukee County Zoo. His childhood was rough, thanks to an abusive father, and as he transitioned into early adulthood, his prospects seemed grim. When humans suffer mental illnesses, we can talk to…

Report: “Google Fit” Is Coming Soon Because Of Course It Is

Google I/O is just around the corner, and according to a report from Forbes it will bring a new Google service called “Google Fit.” This is after Samsung announced its nebulous SAMI concept, and Apple its HealthKit. It only makes sense Google would be working on its own fitness thingamajig. It makes sense for Google…

A Perpetual Slinky Treadmill Might Be Humanity’s Greatest Achievement

The Slinky has always been at its most entertaining while walking down a flight of stairs. But it’s a short-lived thrill—over as quickly as it started—given most staircases only rise a single story. And that’s why some genius, working in some secret laboratory, came up with Project NESM—otherwise known as the Never Ending Slinky Machine.…

This machine produces edible mist in 200 delicious flavors

The Lick Me I’m Delicious laboratory is the brainchild of food inventor Charlie Harry Francis, who invented a portable nitro ice cream parlor in 2011. Now he has invented an awesome machine that produces edible mist in more than 200 flavors, including mango, chocolate, apple pie, and smoked bacon. To inhale the the mist you…

Why the First Antibiotic-Resistant Superbug Found in Food Is a Big Deal

In very bad news, a superbug resistant to last-resort antibiotics was found in imported squid, according to a report this week. This is a scary development in antibiotic resistance—even if you don’t eat squid. Here is why one small finding has frightening implications. What you need to know about “nightmare bacteria” When the CDC released…

Illinois has become the first state to ban microbeads, those tiny round balls of plastic found in face cleansers and soaps. When microbeads are washed down the drain, they’re missed by filtration systems, ending up in waterways where they become toxic and harm wildlife.

The Big Twist Ending On The 100 Just Saved The 100

This wasn’t so much a season finale as a gigantic lead up unto a whole other reveal. And the reveal was good—we have to say we did not see that coming. So that’s good, and the rest of the episode was OK, which is kind of how we feel about this show as a whole.…

A Toiletries Bag Made From a Fire Hose Doesn’t Mind Getting Wet

You can try as hard as you want, but the laws of the universe dictate that anything crossing the threshold of a bathroom is going to eventually get wet—and that includes the toiletries bag you travel with. But even joining you in the shower won’t bother this one, because it’s made from a recycled fire…

No human has seen tonight’s full honey moon in almost 100 years

As the clock ticks over to 12:11am (EDT) tonight, the world will experience the first full honey moon on Friday the 13th in almost 100 years. It will appear golden and huge in the sky, so pay attention because it will not happen again until June 2098. Also, remember to watch out for werewolves too.…

​How To Find The Perfect Pocket Knife

Want to be prepared? That starts right here, with a good pocket knife you can carry with you everywhere. Here’s what to look for and how to buy one. Why Not A Multitool? If you rarely use a knife, then multitool with a blade may work for you. But, the blades in them tend to…

The Three Biggest Airlines Just Made Carry-On Sizes Even Smaller

It’s a tale as old as time: Traveler meets luggage. Traveler falls in love. Traveler buys luggage. Traveler causes a scene as flight attendant forces traveler to pay $75 for improperly-sized baggage. And if you’ve secretly been holding out hope that we might one day be able to put this bit of passenger pageantry behind…

Concept Art Writing Prompt: A Behemoth In The Cornfield

Fortunately, these farmers were prepared for the wormy invader. Write your own short story inspired by this scene. This illustration by Sung Choi is simply titled, “A Giant Worm.” As always, we invite you to come up with a story based on this image and post it in the comments.

This Enormous New Icebreaker Ship Is Flat-Out Incredible

This is concept art for an extraordinary new icebreaking ship currently under construction at the Arctech Helsinki Shipyard. Commissioned by the Finnish government, it will be able to smash its way through 1.2 meters of ice, creating a 25-meter wide channel. The ship’s engines will be capable of running on low-sulfur diesel fuel, as well…

Mind-controlled Exoskeleton Opens World Cup, But You’d Never Know

Talk about dropping the ball. Earlier today, Juliano Pinto — a 29 year-old paraplegic — successfully kicked off the 2014 FIFA World Cup by using a mind-controlled exoskeleton. But sadly, most TV networks failed to show it. After months of hype, the official broadcast of the opening ceremonies showed only a fraction of it, while…

Amazon Prime, the Best Deal in Tech, Just Keeps Getting Better

For years we’ve been saying that an Amazon Prime subscription is simply the best deal in tech. You get so darn much for your money that you’d be crazy not subscribe. And in the few months since we last said it, Prime has only become a better deal, thanks to new services like today’s unveiling…

Extraordinary Photos of Everyday Life in Oak Ridge, the Secret City

Here’s a collection of rare historical photos from Oak Ridge, Tennessee, a town established by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1942 on an isolated farm. It was a secret location that became one of the most significant sites of the Manhattan Project. Signs at Graphics Department, 1943-1944 Workers load uranium slugs into the X-10…

NASA reveals why new World Cup 2014 ball is so much better than 2010’s

Every four years there is a new World Cup ball and players have to adapt to its new behavior due to changes on its aerodynamic properties. Players hated the 2010 ball—Jabulani—for its unpredictable moves. Has the new 2014 ball—Brazuca—solved these problems? NASA has the answer. In South Africa, players said that Jabulani sucked. I remember…

Pixar Didn’t Just Change the World of Film — It Transformed Business

What’s the secret to Pixar’s string of amazing films, from Wall-E to Toy Story? In the new book Creativity, Inc., Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace delve into just how Pixar made hit after hit, revealing how the film industry changed as they did. The first thing to know about Creativity Inc., is that it’s not…