erniesmith's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
story
psychology

Why Men Get More Lint in Their Belly Buttons Than Women

Also: a very brief history of navel-gazing.
February 6, 2017
story
tedium

When Networks Aired Their Failed TV Pilots in the Middle of the Summer

A lot of bad television has been made throughout history.
January 23, 2017
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tedium

From Tufting to Jingles, the Evolution of Modern Carpet

It goes back thousands of years.
January 16, 2017
Gastro Obscura
story
tedium

The Long, Unusual History of the Pickled Cucumber

Pickles.
January 9, 2017
story
tedium

The Quiet Failure of Sony’s Giant Cassette Tape

Meet the Elcaset.
January 7, 2017
story
tedium

How Pleather Saved the DuPont Company—And Some Cows, Too

It's been around for decades.
December 19, 2016
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tedium

The Video Game That Promised to Contain 52 Video Games And Failed Miserably

Action 52 wasn't great.
December 13, 2016
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tedium

The Unlikely Italian Roots and Curious Afterlives of Power Wheels

They've been around for decades.
December 5, 2016
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tedium

The Long, Politically Fraught History of Seeds in the U.S.

We’ve come a long way from the government giving away free seeds.
November 29, 2016
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tedium

How Xerox Invented the Copier and Artists Pushed It To Its Limits

The Xerox machine was a piece of technology that seemed to come out of nowhere.
November 21, 2016
Gastro Obscura
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tedium

A Brief History of the Cheese Curl, Junk Food’s Happiest Accident

It's more or less repurposed horse feed.
November 14, 2016
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tedium

How G.I. Joe Inspired a Movement to Ban War Toys

Sometimes a toy isn't just a toy.
November 7, 2016
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tedium

The Long, Weird Transition from Analog to Digital Television

Remember rabbit ears?
October 25, 2016
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retail

The Surprising Success of Halloween Pop-Up Stores

The seasonal stores are not just recession-proof—they flourish when strip malls are bare.
October 17, 2016
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tedium

The Worst-Tasting Flavor in the World Was Accidentally Discovered in a Lab

You've probably never tasted Bitrex, but it's all over your home.
October 11, 2016
Gastro Obscura
story
tedium

How Meat Science (And Marketing) Gave the World the Flat Iron Steak

It was only recently popularized.
October 3, 2016
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patent

Why Making a Better Umbrella Is Way Harder Than It Seems

Their design hasn't changed in a very long time.
September 27, 2016
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tedium

The Screw Heads That Tried, But Failed, to Topple Phillips

The history of the screw is long and surprisingly weird.
September 19, 2016
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tedium

From Waxed Canvas To Movie Screens, the History of the Air Mattress

They've never been particularly reliable.
September 12, 2016
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tedium

A Brief History of the College Textbook Pricing Racket

Its past, present, and future.
August 29, 2016
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media

Branded Newsstands, Bad Nachos, and the Evolution of Airport Retail

Why are so many airport shops named after news networks?
August 22, 2016
Gastro Obscura
story
marketing

The Biochemist Behind Light Beer, the Greatest Marketing Gimmick the World Has Ever Seen

Beer.
August 15, 2016
story
rivals week

The Linguistic Turf Wars Over the Singular 'They'

It could be close to mainstream acceptance.
August 8, 2016
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chemicals

The Slow Demise of Asbestos, the Carcinogen That Gave 'The Wizard of Oz' Snow

It took awhile.
August 1, 2016