The new lighter-than-air race for space
Source: BBC
Massive near-space balloons are making a comeback in a powerful way. These vessels, capable of travel, surveillance, and disaster relief, are challenging satellites.
Technology
How Alaska Natives created an Xbox game to preserve, spread their culture
Source: Al Jazeera America
A local council of Alaska Native groups took a story passed down by generations of the Inupiaq tribe and turned it into a video game. The game has already won several awards and has introduced the culture to a wider audience.
7 Epic Fails Brought to You by the Genuis Mind of Thomas Edison
Source: Smithsonian
Part of Thomas Edison’s ability to succeed came from his willingness to try things that failed. Check out the photo gallery for a slideshow of the failed inventions the article describes.
Seven Time Management Strategies from Some Brilliant Teenage Prodigies
Source: Fast Company
Does it seem as if there is never enough time to get all your work done? Everyone has the same number of hours a week, but these teens manage their time well. Read their strategies for fitting in time for work and play.
How Wingsuit Flying Works
Source: How Stuff Works
In Greek mythology, Daedalus created wings with feathers and wax to escape Crete, but those wings had their limitations. Modern science has provided us with a working flight suit (minus the feathers and wax).
Michael McDaniel: Cheap, Effective Shelter for Disaster Relief
Source: TED
Each year, disasters drive an average of 31.5 million people from their homes, and many remain homeless for months or years afterward. In this speech, Michael McDaniel outlines his efforts to design, build, and find support for a temporary shelter for disaster victims. Will he succeed? View the video and decide for yourself.
Odysseus’ Journey
Source: Peter T. Struck/University of Pennsylvania
The Odyssey is one of the most exciting stories ever told, of a long and complicated heroic journey. This interactive story map summarizes Odysseus’s journey using a modern-day map and representations in art.
How the California Gold Rush echoes in Silicon Valley
Source: Medium
Writer Mike McPhate discusses the mindset of settlers willing to take risks during the California gold rush of the mid-19th century. He ties that idea to tech entrepreneurs’ willingness to fail in the same state today.
How technology and capitalism shaped America after the civil war
Source: The Economist
A critic from The Economist magazine reviews The Republic for Which It Stands, in which author Richard White outlines the politics and economics of the United States following the Civil War.
A controversial technology could save us from starvation — if we let it
Source: Business Insider
This article examines the benefits of CRISPR, a gene-editing technology that could improve how we produce food.