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io9How Ada Lovelace Became Famous Again
The career of computer science pioneer Ada Lovelace has been shrouded in mystery since her death in 1852. Even today her contributions to science are often overshadowed by the Victorian equivalent of Twitter gossip about her life. And yet that gossip is part of what made her life so futuristic. I’ve just been reading Ada’s … Continued
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io9Books & Comics
1,000 Years of Scientific Texts From The Islamic World Are Now Online
Between the 9th and 19th centuries, Arabic-speaking scholars translated Greek, Latin and even Sanskrit texts on topics such as medicine, mathematics and astronomy, fostering a vibrant scientific culture within the Islamic world. Some of the most influential texts are now available at the Qatar Digital Library. The library, a joint project of the British Library … Continued
By Mark Strauss -
io9
Did A Pope And An Emperor Team Up To Erase 300 Years Of History?
Pope Sylvester II and Holy Roman Emperor Otto III were two powerful men and two ambitious friends. Just how ambitious? There is a (very controversial) theory that between them, they forcibly ushered in a new millennium… 300 years early. Holy Roman Emperor Otto III was a man with a lot of power and a flair … Continued
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io9
The CIA and FBI Had 1,000 Nazi “Assets” During Cold War
A new report suggests the U.S. government used at least 1,000 Nazis as spies and informants during the Cold War. Amongst these “compromised men” was a top advisor to Hitler and another presumed guilty of “minor war crimes.” Writing in the New York Times, Eric Lichtblau cites interviews and declassified records to show how the … Continued
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Tech News
You Can Buy an Ejector Seat From an F-4 Phantom for Quick Escapes
If you’re an aviation enthusiast, there’s a lot of fun stuff to be found in Boeing’s online store. But none are as unique—and some would say even historic—as this authentic de-commissioned ejector seat from an McDonnell F-4 Phantom II fighter jet, one of the U.S. military’s workhorses of the Vietnam War. Made by the British … Continued
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io9Books & Comics
This Is How We Imagined Aerial Warfare 120 Years Ago
These gorgeous illustrations from the late nineteenth century reveal what people imagined air combat would be like in the future. It’s pretty spectacular — and weirdly prescient, too. These illustrations come from the novels The Angel of the Revolution: A Tale of the Coming Terror and its sequel Olga Romanoff (also known as The Syren … Continued
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io9
Wrecks From WWII Convoy Battle Discovered Off North Carolina Coast
Researchers from the NOAA have discovered two sunken vessels from a Second World War convoy battle about 30 miles off the coast of North Carolina. The German U-boat 576 and a merchant ship, Bluefields, were found just a few hundred yards apart. The find shows just how close the war came to American shores. Top … Continued
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io9
The Greatest Representations of Comets in the History of Art
We may not have known what comets were until the late sixteenth century, but humans have been recording their impressions of these orbiting ice balls for thousands of years. Some of the most beautiful art ever made reveals how long comets have been inspiring our imaginations. The Halley’s comet on Bayeux Tapestry, made in the … Continued
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Tech News
200 years ago today, the London Beer Flood killed eight people
On October 17, 1814, over a quarter million gallons of beer were unleashed onto London’s streets. The 15-foot tall tidal wave of booze crashed into buildings and flooded cellars, even killing eight especially unfortunate souls. The culprit? A bursting vat. The epicenter of the London Beer Flood was Horse Shoe Brewery on Tottenham Court Road, … Continued
By Sarah Zhang -
io9
Unseen Photos Of The Titanic‘s Launch Will Give You Chills
There’s a new exhibition at an Irish museum showcasing previously unpublished sepia-tinged photos of the ill-fated Titanic as it’s being launched to sea. The goose-bump inducing images show the luxury liner as it’s going down the Belfast shipyard’s slipway, along with excited spectators cheering on. If only they knew… The images were taken by a … Continued
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io9
Our New Favorite Tumblr: First Drafts Of History
John Overholt, Curator of Early Modern Books & Manuscripts at Harvard’s Houghton Library, just launched a fascinating blog called “First Drafts of History,” featuring the earliest extant versions of Wikipedia articles. Here’s the first entry for Star Trek (dated September 2001): Barack Obama (dated March 2014): And “IPhone” (dated June 2005 – two years before … Continued
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io9
How WWI Shaped Air Combat — And Still Influences Modern Missions
Planes first appeared over a century ago, but they’ve changed considerably since then. What hasn’t changed, however, is their role in controlling the air, striking, reconnaissance, and mobility — the roots of which go back back to the first World War. Top image: Time to change the world: Thirtyfootscrew, CC BY-NC-SA. Since the end of … Continued
Peter Gray — The Conversation -
Tech NewsDesign
A Brief History of Buildings That Spin
It wasn’t just the recipes that were faddish. The 1960s were halcyon times for restaurant experiences that hold almost no appeal today, from the dine-o-mat to the drive-in diner. But one curious product of this era had true staying power: the revolving restaurant. These spinning buildings are an institution that’s enjoyed a surprisingly long life—and … Continued
Anthony Paletta -
io9
Archaeologists working in Norway have found a 1,300 year-old ski with the binding and leather straps still attached. The discovery, made possible because of melting ice, shows that Vikings were able to move fast and steady on the snow. It’s one of only 20 pre-modern skis to be found in Norway, and only the second … Continued
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io9
Why Did NASA Kill the One-Person Spacecraft?
On February 7, 1984, astronaut Bruce McCandless made history as the pilot for the test flight of the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU). On live TV, he backed away from the Space Shuttle Challenger, venturing 320 feet into space, becoming the first human satellite. But, by the end of the year, the MMU was mothballed. Writing … Continued
By Mark Strauss -
io9The Surprising Origin Of Copyright Law, And How It Came From Censorship
While today, we think of copyright law as a way to protect the property of creators, English copyright law was actually based on systems designed to enable censorship and allow the government to control print works. This cartoon takes you through a quick history of printing and copyright. This is the third episode of the … Continued
By Lauren Davis -
io9
Study Reveals The Dust Bowl Was The Worst Drought In 1,000 Years
In the 1930s, the southwestern Great Plains suffered a series of severe droughts. Overfarming and overgrazing had destroyed prairie grasses, making the topsoil even more vulnerable to strong winds. NASA scientists now say that one of those drought years, 1934, was the driest and most widespread in a millennium. An estimated 100 million acres were … Continued
By Mark Strauss -
io9
Archaeologists Search For English King Killed By An Arrow To The Eye
Digging up British royalty seems to be the latest fad in archaeology. Having found Richard III, researchers now want to exhume the body of King Harold II to find out whether he really died in the manner portrayed in a famous section of the Bayeux Tapestry—with an arrow shot into his eye. As ITV News … Continued
By Mark Strauss -
io9
Preston McAfee, now Microsoft’s chief economist, once wrote a paper pondering what if Columbus had sailed off the edge of the world? How would that have affected U.S. history and economic growth? His goal was to ridicule economists who sought precise statistical answers to impossible questions. Read more about it here.
By Mark Strauss -
io9
Adolf Hitler Was Apparently A Regular Meth User
Notorious dictators may not be the people we typically associate with methamphetamine, but a report claims that, during World War II, Adolf Hitler regularly took methamphetamines for a variety of ailments, including the drug Pervitin, a precursor to crystal meth. Last year, letters written by Heinrich Böll—who was conscripted into the Wehrmacht during World War … Continued
By Lauren Davis