Topic

History

A collection of 428 issues

Apollo's Ghost: The Real Reason Returning to the Moon Is So Hard

We landed on the Moon in under a decade with slide rules and primitive computers. So why is returning with the Artemis program taking so long? The answer isn't technology, but a dramatic shift in goals, funding, and the immense, forgotten industrial might of the Cold War.

Space & Astronomy History Technology & Innovation

The Unlikely History of 'OK': How a Boston Newspaper Joke Conquered the Planet

The most successful word on Earth began as a joke. In 1839 Boston, 'OK' was a witty, misspelled abbreviation for 'oll korrect' that should have vanished. Instead, a presidential campaign and the telegraph transformed it into a global symbol of agreement.

Linguistics & Communication History Oddities & Curiosities

The $100 Trillion IOU: A Post-Mortem on Zimbabwe's Dollar

In 2008, Zimbabwe's monthly inflation hit an estimated 79.6 billion percent, forcing its central bank to issue a $100 trillion banknote. This is the story of how a nation's currency became a global punchline and a stark warning about broken economic trust.

Business & Economics History Politics & Power

The Golden Superweapon: How an Ancient Sweet Became a Modern Hope Against Superbugs

This ancient sweetener isn't just for tea; it's a dormant biological weapon. A unique combination of extreme acidity, dehydrating power, and a self-producing disinfectant allows honey to kill bacteria, offering a surprising new hope in the fight against superbugs.

Science & Nature History Medicine, Psychology & Health

When the Pentagon Declared War on the Weather

In a secret Cold War chapter, the U.S. government's attempt to weaponize weather began with a seeded hurricane that veered off course and slammed into Georgia, a spectacular failure that foretold the ultimate limits of playing God with the sky.

History Military Technology & Strategy Science & Nature

Canada's Forgotten Tsunami and the Deep-Sea Mystery It Solved

A 1929 earthquake off Newfoundland triggered Canada's deadliest tsunami, devastating a remote coastline. The disaster also accidentally solved a major scientific mystery when the force of the underwater landslide snapped transatlantic cables, proving a new theory of oceanography.

History Science & Nature Geography & Places

The Engineer Who Taught Computers to Save Astronauts From Themselves

Margaret Hamilton developed the Apollo software so robustly it could avert disaster, a necessity she fought for after her superiors insisted astronauts would never make a critical error—a mistake one promptly made on the very next mission.

Technology & Innovation History Space & Astronomy

Forging the Past: The Thirty-Year Experiment to Build a Medieval Castle by Hand

In a French forest, a team of artisans is building a 13th-century castle using only medieval tools. This audacious experiment has unearthed forgotten skills and revealed surprising truths, including why a single stained-glass window could cost a small fortune.

History Inventions & Discoveries Work & Labor

An Edible Contract: The Surprisingly Strict Legal Life of Bologna

The humble slice of bologna is a masterpiece of federal regulation, bound by a strict "standard of identity" that legally defines its ingredients, water content, and fat percentage more precisely than many other foods in the grocery store.

Food & Lifestyle Law, Crime & Justice History

Drugged and Watched: The Secret History of the CIA's Sex Experiments

In a paranoid Cold War gambit, the CIA established secret brothels to drug unsuspecting American men with LSD. Behind one-way mirrors, agents watched the effects, creating one of the most disturbing chapters in the history of domestic espionage.

History Politics & Power Law, Crime & Justice

Loading more posts...