history stories

Getting 8 hours of restful sleep may be unnatural

Evan Ackerman
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 - 2:11pm
 
Do you make a point of going to bed early so that you can get eight solid hours of uninterrupted sleep? Well, YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG. Human sleep cycles were a lot different just a few hundred years ago, with waking up for a few hours in the middle of the night being the norm. We can likely blame technology for the change, and it may not be for the best.

How two monkeys, two chimps and a robot made Mercury possible

Evan Ackerman
Monday, February 20, 2012 - 11:27am
 
Today, February 20th, is the 50th anniversary of John Glenn's orbital spaceflight. In 1961, Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth (three times!), which as far as I can tell, is why we're all taking the day off today. Such an achievement was one of the primary objectives of the Mercury Program, which preceded Gemini and Apollo. While Glenn was most definitely the first American to orbit, his mission (Mercury-Atlas 6) was the twenty-first Mercury mission. Before NASA was ready to launch a human into space, they had to make sure that the rockets were safe, the space capsules were safe, and that space itself was safe (since we had no idea). And NASA had to be absolutely, positively sure, because if they got it wrong, it would have disastrous implications for the future of space exploration. So. NASA tested everything out. Thoroughly. Before they ever sent a human to space, they had to get as close as they could get while not sending a human, and this means that the first American residents into space included two monkeys, two chimpanzees, and a robotic "crewman simulator." This is their story.

Optical sensors coax voices from 125 year old records

Evan Ackerman
Thursday, December 29, 2011 - 9:47pm
 
In the early 1880s, recording sound was a brand new thing. It was so brand new that people like Alexander Graham Bell and his buddies were still experimentin' with the best way to make it work. The Smithsonian has some of these trial-and-error recordings, and using 3D optical scanners, they've been able to play them back for the first time in over a century.

Space travel bookings from 1950 capture our dreams, fears

Kevin Hall
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 - 9:51am
 
Now booking, now booking! Trips to the moon, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn! Come one, come all, and reserve your trip into space today! At least, that's what you could have done at New York City's Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History back in 1950. That begs the question: if you could book an interplanetary flight today, where would you go? I'm still partial to the Red Planet, myself, though there are some interstellar options that are looking better every day.

A truly global vision of space exploration in 'Beyond Planet Earth'

Kevin Hall
Friday, November 18, 2011 - 3:25pm
 
On Saturday, November 19, the American Museum of Natural History in New York City will welcome a new special exhibit to its halls, titled "Beyond Planet Earth: The Future of Space Exploration." Before you read any further, you should know this isn't just any ordinary space exhibit. Beyond Planet Earth isn't a collection of relics from the space race and a history of America's efforts to explore the vastness surrounding Earth. It's got that, sure, but what the exhibit is really about is where we're going: both in the near-term, and as far out as 500 years from now. More than that, it's either the first — or certainly one of the few — major exhibits that presents space exploration as a global effort, and one that will become more international as humanity reaches out into the stars. Beyond Planet Earth doesn't brush NASA under the carpet by any means, but the exploration of space is a human endeavor, and one that's adding new nations and corporations to its roster all the time. Read on to find out what you can expect to see beyond the cradle.

8 groundbreaking 'first' gadgets that are now dead and forgotten

Hal Rappaport
Monday, October 24, 2011 - 1:00pm
 
We all dream of having the revolutionary idea that makes us successful. In fact, the number of patents filed each year almost doubles every ten years to almost half a million in 2010 alone. Unfortunately, being first to market with a new technology product, even a great product, doesn't necessarily guarantee success. For your enjoyment, we've compiled a list of "successful" technology firsts that weren't quite so successful in their original incarnation. Whether it was poor marketing, some supporting technology just wasn't "there" yet, or something unforeseen, you have to admire these brave first attempts. The lessons taught by these technological firsts is all the more apt on this, the day of the iPod's 10 birthday, considering the iPod itself followed in the footsteps of another, now forgotten MP3 player.

Pages