The Dvorak Keyboard Controversy / Chasing QWERTY
When I was first learning to type, many years ago, I asked the same question everyone else asks: why are the keys arranged so stupidly? Why aren’t they laid out in a more logical order, as in, just to...
View ArticlePeanut Milk / The magic peanut elixir
Every child who grows up in the United States hears the story of George Washington Carver, a former slave who became a botanist and agriculturalist. Carver is best known for devising over 300 uses for...
View ArticlePastis / The noble successor to absinthe
It’s all Peter Mayle’s fault. Before I fell under his nefarious influence, I had very simple tastes. Food was food; a burger and fries eaten on the run was a perfectly satisfactory dining experience....
View ArticleLight Pollution / Urban assault on the night sky
I used to go for a walk every night. It was a pleasant habit—exercise, fresh air, quiet time alone to think. I made a point, whenever possible, of walking in an area away from the city lights, where...
View ArticleLightsabres / The myth and technology of the Jedi weapon
Like most people, I thoroughly enjoyed the three original Star Wars films, and like most people, I found the prequel installments rather disappointing. The special effects and visual quality were...
View ArticleGrass Photographs / Photosynthetic art
When I was about 12 (give or take a couple of years), I had what I thought was a fantastic idea. I was going to build myself a volcano. I’m not talking about a little model made out of clay with...
View ArticleWhite LEDs / How to make a blue light special
Thirty years ago, the most interesting thing I knew of was the digital watch. Never mind that digital watches were harder to read than analog watches, that they went through a set of batteries every...
View ArticleEye-to-Eye Video / Solving the eye contact problem
Perched atop my computer is a shiny, high-tech video camera. Through the miracles of modern technology, I can have live video chats with friends or business associates on the other side of the country...
View ArticleHelioseismology / Listening to the inside of the Sun
Although in general I have tremendous faith in science, there are a few concepts I’ve always had some trouble grasping. For example, textbooks have told us for decades—with great certainty—details...
View ArticleA Perfect Baguette / Daily bread as it was intended to be
Last spring my wife, Morgen, and I had the great privilege of spending a month in Europe. Our goal for that trip, unlike ordinary vacations, was not primarily to see lots of museums and tourist...
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