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History

A collection of 463 issues

Up, Up, Down, Down: The Rise and Fall of the Video Game Cheat Code

Originating as developer shortcuts for testing, cheat codes became a staple of gaming culture, offering players secret advantages. Their decline was driven by the rise of online multiplayer, achievement systems, and a shift towards monetized in-game advantages.

Technology & Innovation Entertainment & Media History

A Monumental Undertaking: The Declassified Truth of the CIA's Spy Cat Program

During the Cold War, the CIA launched Project Acoustic Kitty, spending millions to surgically implant listening devices in cats for espionage. The ambitious plan was a spectacular failure, ending after the first feline agent was reportedly killed by a taxi.

History Military Technology & Strategy Oddities & Curiosities

Before Carpets: The Lost Art and Utility of the Sanded Floor

Before woven rugs became common, 17th and 18th-century households covered bare wood floors with sand. This practice was both functional and decorative. The sand absorbed spills and grime, and homeowners created intricate, temporary patterns in it with brooms.

History Culture & Design Oddities & Curiosities

The Tetris Gambit: How a Soviet Puzzle Game Sparked a Cold War Showdown

Created by a Soviet computer scientist in 1984, Tetris sparked one of gaming's most complex IP battles after crossing the Iron Curtain. Its journey from a Moscow computer to the Nintendo Game Boy is a tale of Cold War intrigue and the universal appeal of elegant design.

History Business & Economics Technology & Innovation

The Glorious Failure: How Apple's Newton Died So the iPhone Could Live

In 1993, Apple's Newton MessagePad aimed to define the future of handheld computing but became a commercial failure due to flawed handwriting recognition, a high price, and bulky design. Despite its demise, the Newton provided invaluable lessons that directly shaped the iPhone's success.

Technology & Innovation History Inventions & Discoveries

From Sacred Springs to Soda Pop: The Surprising Medicinal History of Carbonated Water

Carbonated water began as a divine elixir from sacred springs, believed by ancients to hold healing powers. This notion evolved in the 18th century when scientists like Joseph Priestley artificially created 'fixed air' water as a potential cure for disease.

History Inventions & Discoveries Medicine, Psychology & Health

Beyond Fiction: The CIA's Secret Quest for Mind Control in Project MKULTRA

In the 1950s, the CIA's top-secret MKULTRA program used drugs, hypnosis, and psychological torture to explore mind control. The illegal project tested its methods on unwitting subjects in a covert quest to weaponize the human mind and create programmable assassins.

History Politics & Power Medicine, Psychology & Health

A Glint of Sun, A Gut Decision: The Officer Who Prevented Nuclear War

At the height of Cold War paranoia on Sept. 26, 1983, a Soviet early-warning system reported an incoming US nuclear strike. Protocol demanded immediate retaliation. Lt. Col. Stanislav Petrov, however, trusted his gut that a real attack would not be so limited.

History Biography & Personal Stories Military Technology & Strategy

Stargate's Red Secret: The Declassified Story of the CIA's Psychic Spies on Mars

For over two decades, the U.S. government secretly funded Project Stargate to weaponize "remote viewing" for intelligence. While results were mixed, declassified files revealed a bizarre 1984 session depicting pyramids and a dying race on Mars a million years ago.

History Mysteries & Unsolved Cases Military Technology & Strategy

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