A Brief History of Bloggering
Even a fake history of blogging—going back to the Old Internet, when HTML templates were so raw—offers insight into how we reached today’s web and survived comments.
Giles Turnbull
A Lifetime’s One Regret
Does hindsight improve with age? People, ages five to 60, name their life's biggest mistake and what they learned.
The Window Cleaner
Dirt is difficult to see on glass. That’s why so many people don't bother to hire a professional for the job—they just can’t see what’s wrong.
Spies Like Them
A group of gray-haired representatives from across Europe gather in a central London gentlemen’s club to discuss the United States’ aggressive spying techniques.
Songs in the Key of Eno
Much to the chagrin of his former 25-year-old self, a man in his forties—with no singing experience outside the shower—joins the village chorus. Terror, learning, and intense joy, all while making Brian Eno proud.
The Internet of Actual Things
As we progress from smartphones to smart toasters, our things are becoming increasingly connected. Soon they'll be on Facebook alongside us. From there, it's only a few steps to tactful beds.
Games Kittens Play
How to play, how to win, and how to act like you won whether you did or not.
Shoegazing
As every man should know, of all our clothing purchases, shoes are the most important. Not only do they protect us from dangers underfoot, the right pair can soothe our weary souls.
Touching From a Distance
Technology is moving so fast, it’s easy to overlook that what's to come is already right in front of us. Stop for a moment, and you’ll see the future.
Catlike DIY
A long-ignored home improvement project awaits. The tools and materials are at the ready, and there’s nothing to stop you. Then enters a cat named Jeeves.
Interstellar Hard Drive
All your precious data, everything you've created and every memory you’ve captured and stored, is etched on a hard disk somewhere on Earth. Back it up all you want—it won’t matter if the planet goes. The search for storage beyond the cloud.
How to Attend the Olympics Without Really Dying
Rules are strict. Instructions are confusing, intimidating. Are your possessions “unclean” and therefore banned? Will you survive? A guide through the rules and corporate yatter of London’s sparkling Olympic mess.
All Your Futures Are Known
Our correspondent forecasts the week ahead for five volunteers and discovers an eerie rate of success. Secrets, tips, and truths revealed about how to predict the future.
The Sound of the Internet
If the internet makes a sound (and it does), are you listening? Our correspondent uses software to transform the digital ephemera of web browsing—from network traffic to JavaScript, browser histories to JPGs—into music.
Twitter by Post
Twitter is the contemporary postcard—social updates that are limited by size, but not imagination. For a month, with a billion stamps, our correspondent moved his tweets from the laptop to the post office, and rediscovered the joy of mail.
Things That Go Fifff Striiik Bam! in the Night
The day you become a parent, your sonic world expands to include hundreds of new sounds to amaze, annoy, and terrify. A field report of 14 alarms and ambient textures.
The Man Who Loved to Have Coffee With Women
From playing with childhood friends to sharing tips with other new parents, the author concedes he just gets along better with girls.
Handheld Time Machines
Cities are full of noise and scuffle, and they don’t always reveal their history. Armed with a fistful of maps from 1901 and a smartphone bristling with data-recording apps, one man tries to uncover a city’s secrets.
Behind the Pulse
When I collapsed in public two weeks ago, I could hear everything happening around me, but could barely respond. Making sense of it all was even more difficult.
Define the Ratio of People to Cake
After the world’s oddest job-interview questions, from companies like Citigroup and Facebook, were revealed, our writer decided to take all of them to prove he’s hirable anywhere.
What the Fuck Cricket Is
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week, we solve one of Earth’s trickiest mysteries involving bats, balls, and scuttlewicks.
Cloud Fracas
Once again, our British explorer discusses the latest news with a talking dog while they investigate odd features of the English countryside. This week: iCloud and deadly mud pits.
Constitutional Monarchy for the Win
Preparing for Britain’s big fat royal wedding, our writer undergoes a crisis of republicanism when Labrador Ella questions his arrogance about the family that wears the crown.
Dogs Like Prog, Pop Is for Humans
During a visit to Peter Gabriel’s recording studios, our writer and his borrowed companion Ella discuss the gap between prog and pop while learning about British bridges.
The Year of Practical Thinking
You learn something new every day, or so they say. In 2010, our writer decided to keep track. Revelations, lessons, and the wisdom of dishwashers in 365 parts.
Where Secrets Harden
Accompanied by a nervous, loudmouth dog, our writer sneaks into a hidden, underground city where Britain hides thousands of extremely dull documents.
Stiff Upper Lip Meets Sword of Truth
David Cameron explained his plan yesterday to build a “big society” and no one understood a word of it. A translation, with help from droid Margaret Thatcher.
The Passing of the Commons Plate
The British electoral system can be confusing for outsiders. An explanation of its rituals and inner workings—e.g., the role of the Chief Whife—to make things clear.
About Time
Britain’s national superhero has alternately worn a scarf, a leather jacket, and lots of question marks. No longer.
Come On, Sugar, Let Me Know
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week, we reach out to the masses on Chatroulette for advice on sexiness, with horrifying consequences.
Songs My Mother Never Taught Me
A swear-laden review of some glorious cursing in pop music.
From Cover to Cover
Music connects to memories, and so do album sleeves. From ELO’s spaceship to Róisín Murphy’s see-through top, the covers that made one writer a fan.
A Common Nomenclature for Lego Families
Thousands of different Lego exist, yet when your seven-year-old asks for “a clippy bit,” you know exactly what to hand him. A breakdown of the atoms of a Lego universe.
OK Genius
Apple’s iTunes software claims to be a Genius at making mixes. We beg to differ, knowing how mixes should be made, and propose a duel of “Fingertips.”
The Present Sound of London
A big city creates a unique din and racket as recognizable as its skyline. Presenting a day in the sounds of London.
The Pride of the Bernard-Barnards of West Wickingham Is Wounded
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we receive a letter from a student in distress and do absolutely nothing to assist her.
When the Going Was Good
British elites have been caught using public money to clean their moats, and a nation seethes. A primer on Parliament and the latest controversy sweeping Great Britain.
Attractive With Glasses
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we counsels a reader on the beauty of frames.
Love Sic
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. Our mailbag is stuffed with questions about love, often oddly phrased. We address one of the more curious examples.
The Crippling Fear of Corriearklet
Pity the English. Not only are they cursed with bad weather, and the habit of talking about it all the time, they also fear eye contact with strangers in long corridors.
Mr. Bowyer’s Fantastic Machine
Lots of machines can manufacture things. What about one that could produce everything, including itself? Visiting the man who taught a machine to replicate.
A Writer by Any Other Name
Describing a character over 300 pages is one thing—reducing yourself to three lines is another. One man struggles with a writer’s greatest challenge: the byline.
Please Spool to End of Tape Before Playing Other Side
For music listeners of every era, our audio formats define us—until we grow up and upgrade. Remembering the sweet squeak of cassettes.
Murder and the Masseuse
Many of us imagine killing our bosses; some people actually take it a little further. Meet a woman who got into the massage business to avoid a homicide rap.