The Marginalian
The Marginalian

Reads tagged with “technology”

A Brief History of the Toilet
A Brief History of the Toilet

How the most appropriately named inventor in history saved humanity from a centuries-long crisis.

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Happy Birthday, Standard Time: How the Railroads Gave Us Time Zones
Happy Birthday, Standard Time: How the Railroads Gave Us Time Zones

How the quest to prevent train collisions forever changed the global clock.

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Buckminster Fuller Presages Online Education, with a Touch of TED, Netflix, and Pandora, in 1962
Buckminster Fuller Presages Online Education, with a Touch of TED, Netflix, and Pandora, in 1962

A prophetic vision for mobile, time-shifted, tele-commuted, on-demand education.

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The Secret Life of the Radio
The Secret Life of the Radio

From Marconi to the microwave, by way of revolutionary technology, legal battles, and magical materials.

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Dame Steve Shirley, the World’s First Freelance Programmer
Dame Steve Shirley, the World’s First Freelance Programmer

“Few things in life are as solid as they seem.”

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Isaac Asimov on the Thrill of Lifelong Learning, Science vs. Religion, and the Role of Science Fiction in Advancing Society
Isaac Asimov on the Thrill of Lifelong Learning, Science vs. Religion, and the Role of Science Fiction in Advancing Society

“It’s insulting to imply that only a system of rewards and punishments can keep you a decent human being.”

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Orgasm Without Release: Alan Watts Presages Our Modern Media Gluttony in 1951
Orgasm Without Release: Alan Watts Presages Our Modern Media Gluttony in 1951

A prescient admonition from the pioneer of Eastern philosophy in the West.

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How Apple Went from Underdog to Cult in Six Design and Innovation Strategies from the Early Days
How Apple Went from Underdog to Cult in Six Design and Innovation Strategies from the Early Days

“Apple had to make real the dreams people didn’t know were dreamable.”

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Ada Lovelace, the World’s First Computer Programmer, on Science and Religion
Ada Lovelace, the World’s First Computer Programmer, on Science and Religion

“Everything is naturally related and interconnected.”

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November 14, 1963: The First-Ever Footage from Space
November 14, 1963: The First-Ever Footage from Space

“Through the magic of the camera, earthlings take their first ride into space.”

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