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The Ice King
Episode 198
In the mid-19th century, decades before home refrigeration became the norm, you could find ice clinking in glasses from India to the Caribbean, thank…
10 years, 5 months ago
Fish Cannon
Episode 197
The Iron Curtain was an 8,000-mile border separating East from West during the Cold War. Something unexpected evolved in the “no man’s land” that the…
10 years, 5 months ago
The Fresno Drop
Episode 196
In September 1958, Bank of America began an experiment – one that would have far reaching effects on our lives and on the economy. They decided after…
10 years, 5 months ago
Best Enjoyed By
Episode 195
Date labels (e.g. “use-by”, “sell-by”, “best-by”, “best if used by,” “expires on”, etc.) are on a lot of products. Forty-one states require a date la…
10 years, 6 months ago
Bone Music
Episode 194
In 1950s Soviet Russia, citizens craved Western popular music—everything from jazz to rock & roll. But smuggling vinyl was dangerous, and acquiring t…
10 years, 6 months ago
Tube Benders
Episode 193
The skyline of beautiful downtown Oakland, California, is defined by various towers by day, but at night there is one that shines far more brightly t…
10 years, 7 months ago
Pagodas and Dragon Gates
Episode 192
For Americans, the sight of pagoda roofs and dragon gates means that you are in Chinatown. Whether in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, or Las Ve…
10 years, 7 months ago
Worst Smell in the World
Episode 191
Many material trifles, such as Silly Putty, started as attempts at serious inventions, but in rare cases, the process works in reverse: something dev…
10 years, 7 months ago
Fixing the Hobo Suit
Episode 190
Superhero costumes for TV and film used to be pretty cringe-worthy. Lately, however, super outfits are looking much better. Costume designers are lea…
10 years, 7 months ago
The Landlord’s Game
Episode 189
From rock-paper-scissors, to tennis, to Mario Kart, every game is a designed system and all games are grounded in the same design principles. One pop…
10 years, 8 months ago