A brief history of when trains ran on air

Isambard Kingdom Brunel was and is one of the most celebrated engineers ever to have lived. There's a London university named after him, statues commemorating him across the UK, and many of the tunnels and bridges he built are still in use today. He...

The ancient earthquake detector that puzzled modern historians

Modern seismographs are extremely sensitive pieces of equipment. By recording the slightest movements of laser light or magnets, these devices can detect the smallest of rumbles even when we can't sense them. There are networks of thousands upon thou...

The automated in-car navigator that predated satellites

Standalone navigation devices are a dying breed. These days vehicles tend to have navigators plumbed into their dashboards, and as long as there's a smartphone to hand... well, there's an app for that. Demand for the devices nosedived years ago, but...

Dr. Julius Neubronner’s fantastic flying cameras

The first aerial photograph was taken in 1858 by Frenchman Gaspard-Félix Tournachon, also known by his alias Nadar, from a tethered gas balloon suspended over Paris. While the images captured on this flight have since been lost to time, there...

Fiske’s Reading Machine was a pre-silicon Kindle

E-readers have become one of the most pervasive pieces of tech for many reasons. They survive alongside tablets because they're accessible -- Amazon's entry-level Kindle is just $80 -- and don't require daily charging. E-ink displays don't strain you...

The undersea electric railway built and abandoned within six years

The seaside town of Brighton sits on the south coast of England, roughly 50 miles from the center of London. Famed for its pebble beaches, piers and cool residents, Brighton remains a popular destination for Londoners wanting a quick fix of fresh air...