Edward Tenner

Edward Tenner is a historian of technology and culture. He was a founding advisor of Smithsonian's Lemelson Center and holds a Ph.D in European history. More

Edward Tenner is an independent writer and speaker on the history of technology and the unintended consequences of innovation. He holds a Ph.D. in European history from the University of Chicago and was executive editor for physical science and history at Princeton University Press. A former member of the Harvard Society of Fellows and John Simon Guggenheim fellow, he has been a visiting lecturer at Princeton and has held visiting research positions at the Institute for Advanced Study, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and the Princeton Center for Information Technology Policy. He is now an affiliate of the Center for Arts and Cultural Policy of Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School. He was a founding advisor of Smithsonian's Lemelson Center, where he remains a senior research associate.

Is Your Kindly Neighbor a Serial Killer?

Is Your Kindly Neighbor a Serial Killer?

Sociopaths often seem nice and respectable. Should you be afraid of the man next door? More »

The 'Anonymous' Question: Did Shakespeare Write Shakespeare?

The 'Anonymous' Question: Did Shakespeare Write Shakespeare?

Why is it so hard for some to believe that Shakespeare wrote his own plays? More »

Digital Excavations of Ancient Analog

Digital Excavations of Ancient Analog

Physical documents can be incredibly durable, retaining ancient information through earthquake, fire, and damage by insects and molds More »

Is Philosophy the Most Practical Major?

Is Philosophy the Most Practical Major?

What sets philosophy apart from other subjects in the humanities More »

Dennis Ritchie: Remembering Another Computing Genius

Dennis Ritchie: Remembering Another Computing Genius

The passing of a different computer great highlights the different philosophies of leading tech companies when it comes to basic research More »

What the iPhone 4S Says about Inequality

What the iPhone 4S Says about Inequality

An expected 25 million people will buy these new phones by the end of 2011. How does this happen during these tough times? More »

First They Came for the Anthropologists

First They Came for the Anthropologists

In Florida universities, humanities programs are under attack -- but will an emphasis on science and engineering really stimulate the economy? More »

Mourning Steve Jobs' Death—and Our Own Future?

When Thomas Edison died during the Great Depression, the nation was far more optimistic than it is today More »

Denmark's Fat Tax: Now That's Rich!

Denmark's Fat Tax: Now That's Rich!

The Danes want to make it harder for their own people to eat fatty foods despite being one of the world's great producers and exporters butter, cheese, and bacon to other countries More »

Should We Blame the Colleges for High Unemployment?

Should We Blame the Colleges for High Unemployment?

Are jobs really unfilled because of a shortage of basic cultural knowledge and good writing? More »

Who Killed the Great American Toaster?

Who Killed the Great American Toaster?

Most toasters today can't hold a candle to the Sunbeam T-20, introduced in 1949 and going strong ever since More »

Are Print-On-Demand Books an E-book Alternative?

Are Print-On-Demand Books an E-book Alternative?

Books printed as they are ordered save paper resources, but they still lack the quality of traditional volumes More »

Is Bob Dylan a Plagiarist, or the New Paul Revere?

Is Bob Dylan a Plagiarist, or the New Paul Revere?

The question of what it means to copy something isn't new More »

Solyndra's Failure and the Importance of Intelligent Risks

Solyndra's Failure and the Importance of Intelligent Risks

The Solyndra scandal shows how unstable the tech industry can be, but in some cases failure is better than not trying More »

How to Choose an Office Chair

How to Choose an Office Chair

Very few people can sit perfectly still for a whole work day; the best desk chairs are the ones that adapt to your movements, allowing you to sit up, recline, lean forward and, yes, even slouch More »

Solyndra and Commodity Markets: Volatility Giveth and Taketh Away

Solyndra and Commodity Markets: Volatility Giveth and Taketh Away

It wasn't government mismanagement that brought Solyndra to bankruptcy; it was volatile silicon prices More »

The Inevitability of Chaos and Major Losses in Strategic High Tech

The Inevitability of Chaos and Major Losses in Strategic High Tech

The technology frontier has always been a turbulent place. Solyndra's failure should be no surprise or cause for alarm. More »

Economic Pessimism Is the Opium of the Commentariat

Economic Pessimism Is the Opium of the Commentariat

When inexpensive products become popular in the marketplace, commentators jump to the conclusion that the economy has weakened More »

Will Children Save Printed Books?

Will Children Save Printed Books?

E-books are targeted towards working adults, and kids tend to shy away from trends that are popular with their parents More »

Can a New York Day School Teach True Grit?

Can a New York Day School Teach True Grit?

Inner-city charter schools may have an advantage over expensive private ones -- they build character More »

The Biggest Story in Photos

Protests Spread Across Brazil

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