The Secrets of Viking Sword Making
New research scans three Viking swords and finds that, while well-made, they were not strong enough to withstand a fight.
Secret Communities: Why We Confess Online
How can it be helpful to disclose secrets online? A look at sites like PostSecret, where users anonymously confess to things they've never told anyone.
Thank Minitel for the French Election
Minitel gave the French a very specific experience of the digital realm, compared with other places where networked information arrived via the internet.
Grief? There’s an App for That.
Would you want to be able to talk to a loved one after they'd passed away, knowing it wasn't really them? Would it help? Would it hurt?
How to Lose a Pyramid
Archaeologists recently discovered evidence of a long-lost pyramid dating to the thirteenth dynasty of Egypt’s Old Kingdom. How does a pyramid get lost?
How Early Adopters Take Charge of Their Tech
Being an early adopter isn't about how quickly you snap up the latest smartphone. We can all be early adopters in the more meaningful sense of tech mastery.
Our Spam Emails, Ourselves
More money, more hair, less belly fat, better health: our spam emails expose our worries and weaknesses.
Why Can’t We End Spam? Ask An Economist.
Law enforcement recently took out a bot network capable of sending 1.5 billion spam emails a day. So what are the economic incentives—and costs—of spam?
Are Some Solar Panels More Environmentally Friendly Than Others?
A new solar process utilizing nanoparticles has to potential to nearly double the energy output per unit area of solar panels.
How to Understand the Resurgence of Eugenics
The extreme right wing has brought the discredited idea of eugenics back into the national conversation. Brave New World and Gattaca offer perspective.