Technology
Discover facts about technology. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Technology
Your guitar amp’s reverb may come from metal springs
That iconic, wet surf-rock echo is quite literally just the sound of springs violently shaking in a metal box. Amplifiers send the audio signal into a…
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Betamax was better—but lost to VHS
The ultimate tragic hero of home video was undeniably superior but hilariously outmaneuvered. Betamax format was smaller and offered better visual resolution…
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How strobe lights make motion look frozen
Because reality is too fluid, we invented a light that constantly interrupts your visual cortex. By flashing high-intensity bursts at specific frequencies,…
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Some sitar strings vibrate without being touched
Why pluck a string when you can just let acoustics do the heavy lifting? Beneath the main playing strings of a sitar lies a hidden row of sympathetic…
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What's hidden inside an instant photo's white border
Taking a classic instant photo is less about art and more about triggering a localized chemical spill. The thick white border of the film actually hides tiny…
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LaserDiscs used lasers to read analog video
Imagine a disc the size of a dinner plate that weighed enough to double as a throwing weapon. Despite reading the media with a complex laser, the video signal…
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Rotoscoping requires tracing live footage frame by frame
Because animating realistic human movement from scratch is agonizing, studios just traced over actual actors. By filming live-action reference footage and…
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Google once claimed pigeons powered its search engine
Tech giants used to have a sense of humor before they controlled global democracy. In a 2002 April Fools' prank, Google exploited our collective tech…
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The dating-site founder whose girlfriend left him for a Match.com date
Alanis Morissette really should have written a verse about Gary Kremen. He built the foundational architecture for online dating by launching Match.com in…
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The tiny metal argument that launches your toast
Your breakfast is held hostage by two pieces of metal that fundamentally hate each other. A bimetallic strip consists of two different alloys sandwiched…
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Siphons drag water up hills using atmospheric pressure
Emptying a fish tank requires convincing water to essentially climb a hill. By filling a bent tube and letting the long end hang down lower than the source,…
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How car shock absorbers turn bumps into heat
Surviving potholes without a brutal jolt works by forcefully converting road impacts into rapidly dissipating heat. While springs allow the car to bounce, the…
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Traffic cones survive being crushed due to flexible plastic
Roadwork is protected by brightly colored hats designed to cheerfully survive vehicular assault. Instead of shattering upon impact, high-grade polyvinyl…
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Vintage carburetors mix fuel and air via fluid dynamics
Before digital fuel injection, old engines relied on spooky fluid dynamics to siphon gas into the airstream. As the engine aggressively gulps air, it passes…
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Why tempered glass breaks into safer pebbles
Instead of causing catastrophic injury in a crash, car windows are specifically engineered to politely explode into dull pebbles. During manufacturing, the…
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Pneumatic tubes launch physical items via air vacuums
Old offices and banks used to fire physical items through the walls like oversized spitballs. Placing a cylindrical canister into a sealed pipeline exposes it…
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Steamrollers flatten roads using absurd mass and vibration
Making perfectly flat roads requires a piece of equipment that simply bullies the dirt into submission. Modern compactors rely on a colossal, incredibly dense…
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Automatic watches wind their own springs using your wrist
You are the primary power source, violently swinging your arm around to keep a tiny metal spring tightly coiled. Inside the case, a freely rotating, heavy…
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How a kite stays in the air
Playing with string is elevated to an aerodynamic art form by violently redirecting the sky. The tension you keep on the line forces the fabric structure to…
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Manual transmissions trade raw speed for maximum torque
Driving a stick shift is just a constant negotiation between moving fast and actually having power. To get a heavy vehicle rolling, a small engine gear slowly…
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Old parking meters tracked time using wound metal springs
Municipal sidewalks used to feature a coiled piece of metal ticking down your legal parking limits. Twisting the knob after inserting a coin literally wound…
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How a tiny pump can lift a bulldozer
Construction equipment bullies massive boulders just by aggressively squeezing thick fluid through tiny tubes. Because oil cannot be compressed into a smaller…
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Fountain pens pull ink to paper via subtle capillary action
Signing treaties relies on ink quietly climbing down a piece of metal through microscopic channels. Rather than violently rolling out, fluid is drawn through…
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Desktop 3D printers slowly drool melted plastic into shapes
Manufacturing has peaked with machines that act like highly precise hot glue guns. Instead of carving away material, these devices violently force plastic…
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