Monocles Were Never Cool
Unlike other trappings of the aristocracy, the monocle has mostly been a joke since its invention. An Object Lesson.
The Military Origins of Layering
The popular way to keep warm outdoors owes a debt to World War II–era clothing science. An Object Lesson.
Candy Land Was Invented for Polio Wards
A schoolteacher created the popular board game, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, for quarantined children. An Object Lesson.
How a Bad Night’s Sleep Birthed the Sound Conditioner
In 1960, a Rubbermaid executive invented a device to tame noise in the home. Its impact has been anything but quiet. An Object Lesson.
Nobody Uses Dental Dams
So why do they still exist? An Object Lesson.
Cottage Cheese Is the New Greek Yogurt
Americans’ dairy consumption is about to get a lot more cultured. An Object Lesson.
Smartwatches Are Changing the Purpose of the EKG
Wearables help cast the medical test as a talisman of health-care competence. An Object Lesson.
Why There Are No Nuclear Airplanes
Strategists considered sacrificing older pilots to patrol the skies in flying reactors. An Object Lesson.
Why Coal Symbolizes Naughtiness
And how it should be used instead. An Object Lesson.
The Benefits of a Foreign-Language Tattoo
Even when it goes wrong, body art in another tongue can be a good thing. An Object Lesson.
The Bootleg Video Vans of the Soviet Union
I learned English—and Western culture—watching American movies in smoky minibuses. An Object Lesson.
The Star of Norwegian Knitwear
The selburose design wasn’t invented in Norway, but it became a symbol of the country. An Object Lesson.
The Fax Is Not Yet Obsolete
Law and medicine still rely on the device. Maybe they shouldn’t. An Object Lesson.
The Problem With Feedback
Companies and apps constantly ask for ratings, but all that data may just be noise in the system. An Object Lesson.
When Pop-Up Books Taught Popular Science
Before they were relegated to the domain of children, books with movable mechanisms explained anatomy, astronomy, and more to adults. An Object Lesson.
How Tea Helped Women Sell Suffrage
Private-labeled teas helped fund success during the suffragist movement. Today’s activists might learn from their model. An Object Lesson.
When Televisions Were Radioactive
Anxieties about the effects of screens on human health are hardly new, but the way the public addresses the problems has changed. An Object Lesson.
Throw Your Children’s Art Away
Childhood is short-lived. It’s okay if kids’ drawings are, too. An Object Lesson.
The Mystery of Alexander Hamilton’s Bank Clock
The origins of an 18th-century timepiece are part of an American institution even older than its financial system: embellishing facts. An Object Lesson.
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Writers Have Always Loved Mobile Devices
Writing boxes, popular from the 17th century, provided the same pleasure as today’s laptops and custom word processors: to make the experience of writing pleasurable, whether any actual writing gets done. An Object Lesson.
The Draconian Dictionary Is Back
Since the 1960s, the reference book has cataloged how people actually use language, not how they should. That might be changing. An Object Lesson.
Microfilm Lasts Half a Millennium
Millions of publications—not to mention spy documents—can be read on microfilm machines. But people still see these devices as outmoded and unappealing. An Object Lesson.
Hot-Air Balloons Are Useless
When they were invented, the vessels promised to revolutionize travel and industry. But they soon settled into life as an entertaining diversion. An Object Lesson.
Raising the American Flag Made in China
Is the banner’s patriotism undermined when it’s manufactured abroad? An Object Lesson.
Why Do People Sign Yearbooks?
Commemorative class books evolved from practical notebooks into collections of hair clippings, rhyming couplets, and “have a great summer” wishes. An Object Lesson.
Teaching Sobriety With ‘The Bottle’
Before and after Prohibition, temperance organizations turned the whiskey or beer vessel into a personification of American moral failure.
How the 50-mm Lens Became ‘Normal’
It’s often called the optic that best approximates human vision, but approximation is relative. An Object Lesson.
98 Years of Mail Fraud
How the postal letter became a tool for ingenious criminality. An Object Lesson.
Cupholders Are Everywhere
As people spent more and more time in cars, auto interiors transformed into living spaces, where food and drink became necessities. An Object Lesson.
How Cycling Clothing Opened Doors for Women
Advances in biking gear had an impact on advances in gender equality. An Object Lesson.
Humankind’s Most Important Material
Glass has changed the world like no other substance, but people usually overlook it. An Object Lesson.
The Atomic-Bomb Core That Escaped World War II
Before two deadly nuclear mishaps, scientists used to risk “tickling the tail of a sleeping dragon.” An Object Lesson.
The Bidet's Revival
Invented centuries ago in France, the bidet has never taken off in the States. That might be changing.
Women Are Reinventing the Long-Despised Speculum
The gynecological apparatus, designed by men, has a sordid history. An Object Lesson.
The Jet Engine Is a Futuristic Technology Stuck in the Past
Rockets and turbofans have promised to realize dreams of transportation progress—for decades. An Object Lesson.
The Case for Locking Up Your Smartphone
Lockers and sleeves for phones can feel like an infringement on personal rights, but they also might save people from their worst habits. An Object Lesson.
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My Pacemaker Is Tracking Me From Inside My Body
Cloud-connected medical devices save lives, but also raise questions about privacy, security, and oversight. An Object Lesson.
The Accidental Poison That Founded the Modern FDA
Elixir Sulfanilamide was a breakthrough antibiotic—until it killed more than 100 people. An Object Lesson.
Does ‘Counting Your Blessings’ Work?
Doing so has appealed to people for centuries, but the power of a gratitude list can be misused. An Object Lesson.
The Power Suit’s Subversive Legacy
Women have long borrowed from men’s dress to claim the authority associated with it. It hasn’t always worked. An Object Lesson.
A Birth Certificate Is a Person’s First Possession
Around the world, the document establishes legal, social, and economic legitimacy. But it also makes compromises. An Object Lesson.
How the Index Card Cataloged the World
Carl Linnaeus, the father of biological taxonomy, also had a hand in inventing this tool for categorizing anything. An Object Lesson.
Dog Poo, an Environmental Tragedy
When industrial fertilizer replaced dung heaps, its spoils helped fund the spread of plastics. An Object Lesson.
How a Glass Terrarium Changed the World
The Wardian case made intercontinental plant transport possible—and helped spread empires. An Object Lesson.
How Racial Data Gets 'Cleaned' in the U.S. Census
The national survey offers more identity choices than ever—until those choices get scrubbed away. An Object Lesson.
The Saintliness of Undecayed Corpses
In the medieval church, “incorrupt” remains signaled virtue, chastity, and holiness. An Object Lesson.
Your Bones Live On Without You
The human skeleton inspires wonder and terror because it lasts much longer than its owner. An Object Lesson.
The Underclass Origins of the Little Black Dress
The upper classes once imposed the fashion staple on their servants—then they stole it back from them. An Object Lesson.
How to Escape a Death Spiral
The aviator’s hazard offers a lesson about responding to supposed crises. An Object Lesson.
The Contentious Physics of Wiffle Ball
An engineer sheds light on the ball’s much-debated curve. An Object Lesson.
Oil Barrels Aren't Real Anymore
Once a cask that held crude, the oil barrel is now mostly an economic concept. An Object Lesson.
The Thunderstorm Whisperers
For centuries, lightning rods have tamed the heavens, more or less unchanged. An Object Lesson.
The Lost Origins of Playing-Card Symbols
Cards have been used for gambling, divination, and even commerce. But where did their “pips” come from? An Object Lesson.
Why It’s Better to Carry Weight on Your Head
People have done it for centuries. Maybe everyone still should. An Object Lesson.
The Moral History of Air-Conditioning
Cooling the air was once seen as sinful. Maybe the idea wasn’t entirely wrong. An Object Lesson.
The Hair Dryer, Freedom’s Appliance
For a century, the device has promised more than dry hair. An Object Lesson.
Pictures of Death
When photography was new, it was often used to preserve corpses via their images. An Object Lesson.
Why Geologists Think Glacial Mountains Look Like Sheep
Thank the French. An Object Lesson.
How Wheelchair Accessibility Ramped Up
Ramps evolved from a Greek tool for dragging ships to the front lines of disability activism. An Object Lesson.
The Troubled History of Horse Meat in America
The White House wants to reinstate the sale of horses for slaughter, but eating horse meat has always been politically treacherous. An Object Lesson.
Bathing in Controversy
For a century, school showers have anticipated the current debate about bathrooms. An Object Lesson.
The Device That Democratized the Foot Race
Thanks to starting blocks, races were no longer won by who could dig the best foothold. An Object Lesson.
The Dangers of Reading in Bed
In 18th-century Europe, the practice was considered a menace to life and property, but mostly to morals. An Object Lesson.
Does Electrifying Mosquitoes Protect People From Disease?
Maybe a little, but that’s not why bug zappers are so popular. An Object Lesson.
Why Fruit Has a Fake Wax Coating
For centuries, artificial protective coatings have preserved and protected foods—and made them look more appealing. An Object Lesson.
The Medical Uses of Maggots
Fly larvae help scientists understand and treat diseases. An Object Lesson.
The Handbag's Tale
Medieval or modern, handbags reveal their bearers’ secrets more than they hide them. An Object Lesson.
The Seductive Nostalgia of the Picnic
Once seen as an escape from the city, a meal among the trees and meadows is now a journey to the past. An Object Lesson.
Welcome, Please Remove Your Shoes
Around the world, slippers are used to keep the outside out of the home. An Object Lesson.
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The Still-Misunderstood Shape of the Clitoris
Can a 3-D printed model of the organ change views on female sexuality? Yes and no. An Object Lesson.
How the Chili Dog Transcended America's Divisions
The national dish is really a fusion of immigrant fare. An Object Lesson
How New Orleans's Favorite Mardi Gras Cocktail Was Saved From Extinction
No one knows why Ojen became so popular in the city, but it has long been the party liqueur of choice. An Object Lesson.
The Hidden History of the Laundry Chute
Stains, smells, secrets, thieves, dead bodies, and even a radioactive towel have all found their way down one. An Object Lesson.
What Killed the Pay Phone?
It was more than mobile phones. An Object Lesson.
The Heirloom Art of the Sewing Machine
Even after automation, sewing remains a craft that’s passed down through generations. An Object Lesson.
The Camera Technology That Turned Films Into Stories
A modest invention that prevented celluloid from tearing helped make modern cinema. An Object Lesson.
A Short History of the Tomboy
With roots in race and gender discord, has the “tomboy” label worn out its welcome? An Object Lesson.
The Social Advantage of Pockets
Who can use a pocket, and what it can carry, has historically depended on the person doing the pocketing. An Object Lesson.
Will Humans Run Out of Fertilizer?
It helped people spread and multiply. Now critics worry it's destroying the planet. An Object Lesson.
Tar Balls, the Beach's Fossil-Fuel Flowers
Globs of black goo occur on beaches both naturally from ocean seeps and artificially from oil spills. An Object Lesson.
Why Skee-Ball Doesn't Change
A century after its creation, the game is still a perfect balance of skill and chance. An Object Lesson.
The Toxic-Waste Drum Is Everywhere
Created by a globetrotter, the 55-gallon barrel became one of the best-traveled inventions in human history. An Object Lesson.
Three Millennia of Safety Pins
The tiny tool has held up Roman togas and decorated punk rockers. Now, it’s a symbol of support. An Object Lesson.
When Typists Were Feared as 'Love Pirates'
At the turn of the century, some women sued stenographers for seducing their husbands. An Object Lesson.
There's No Erasing the Chalkboard
Blackboards will endure as symbols of learning long after they’ve disappeared from schools. An Object Lesson.
The Global Cost of Electronic Waste
Computers, phones, and other digital devices increasingly are made to be thrown away—which is bad for both consumers and the environment. An Object Lesson.
How I Came to Love the En Space
In typesetting, the spaces between words, lines, and letters are never really empty. An Object Lesson.
Are Tote Bags Really Good for the Environment?
They’re green in principle, but not in the way people use them. An Object Lesson.
Going 'Full Tupac'
Holograms are more than science fiction, but the real-life technology isn’t what people think it is. An Object Lesson.
Sipping Scotch Chilled by an Iceberg
What hunting for cocktail ice in Antarctica taught me about climate change. An Object Lesson.
The Hearing Aid's Pursuit of Invisibility
The device has a history of shaming, rather than helping, the hard of hearing. An Object Lesson.
A Century of Highway Zombies
Since the 1920s, “highway hypnosis” has lulled drivers to disaster. An Object Lesson.
Dollhouses Weren't Invented for Play
Before they were toys, “cabinet houses” and other miniature homes were used to show off wealth and teach domestic roles. An Object Lesson.
How Real Cheese Made Its Comeback
After decades of Kraft Singles, more Americans than ever are hungry for artisanal varieties of the past. An Object Lesson.
The Call of the Billboard
The roadside battle for people’s attention has been raging for more than a century. An Object Lesson.
Why Flash Drives Are Still Everywhere
The secret of technological process is that leftover devices never truly get left behind. An Object Lesson.
The Military Origins of the Cardigan
The popular sweater has a revolutionary history that includes Riot Grrrls and Coco Chanel. An Object Lesson.
Where Do Flags Come From?
Since ancient times, civilizations have carried staffs, crests, and banners to declare their identities. An Object Lesson.
The Enduring Unpopularity of the Female Condom
The internal condom saves lives, but it has been criticized from the start. An Object Lesson.
The Rise of the Beer Can
Aluminum revolutionized America’s beverage industry, but at what environmental cost? An Object Lesson.
How Home Sewing Personalized Fashion
For generations, families have relied on thimbles, needles, and thread to transform the clothes they have into the clothes they want to wear. An Object Lesson.
Why Doctors Still Need Stethoscopes
The instrument may have outlived its use, but it hasn’t lost its power. An Object Lesson.
Why Refrigerators Were So Slow to Catch On in China
The technology was once considered superfluous, until contemporary capitalism made it a necessity. An Object Lesson.
Learning From the Swinging Bridge
What rickety, rural suspension bridges can teach us about modern infrastructure. An Object Lesson
Is the Library Card Dying?
After centuries of innovation, it faces an uncertain future: an Object Lesson.
Not Your Grandmother's Meatball
The hearty Olive Garden staple is a far cry from the dish that Italian immigrants first brought to the United States: An Object Lesson.
What Engineers Can Learn From the Design of the Penis
The mechanics of the erection may have applications for robotics: An Object Lesson.
Finding Solace in a Storage Unit
The facilities occupy a complicated place in American life: An Object Lesson.
The Slow Death of the Political Bumper Sticker
Why the campaign staple has been falling out of favor: An Object Lesson.
How Millennials (Almost) Killed the Wine Cork
A new generation of wine drinkers came of age with screw caps and plastic bottle stoppers, but cork producers are mounting a campaign to win their loyalty: an Object Lesson.
How the Microscope Redefined the Fact
By making images, not words, the most reliable source of information, the device changed what it means to know: An Object Lesson.
When the Coffee Machine Is Just a Human
How pour-over takes the automation out of the brewing process: An Object Lesson
The Wire Hanger's Flexible Symbolism
Its design hasn’t changed much over its short history, but its meaning has: An Object Lesson
Ten Thousand Years of the Mortar and Pestle
The culinary tools still look more or less the same as they did in their earliest days: an Object Lesson.
The Butterflies’ Great Migration
Each year, a new generation of Monarchs flies south for the winter—but habitat loss is making the journey harder. An Object Lesson.
Encyclopedias Are Time Capsules
How collections of knowledge remain useful even after they’re outdated: An Object Lesson
How the Remote Control Rewired the Home
Since the 1920s, it’s been changing channels and changing lives, including yours. An Object Lesson.
Dust, the Ledger of Past Existence
From which we came and to which we shall return, an Object Lesson
How Glass Magnifies Desire
We no longer just look through glass; we also want it to peer into us.
What Is a Machete, Anyway?
Weapon, agricultural tool, symbol.
The Geology of Media
Future archaeologists will have a lot of material to dig through. An Object Lesson.
The Huge Chill: Why Are American Refrigerators So Big?
From iceboxes to stainless steel behemoths: An Object Lesson.
What Is a JPEG? The Invisible Object You See Every Day
You're looking at dozens of JPEGs right now.
Black T-Shirts: The Original Invisibility Cloaks
Steve Jobs had his black turtleneck. Slavoj Žižek and Louis CK have their short sleeves. What is it with powerful men and undistinguished clothing? An Object Lesson.
A Forgettable Passage to Flight
How the jet bridge distills air travel: an Object Lesson
Go Ahead, Mess With Texas Instruments
Why educational technologies should be more like graphing calculators and less like iPads. An Object Lesson.
Let Us Now Contemplate the Key
An Object Lesson in nine parts
Fake Birds on Film
The nature of unspecial effects, an Object Lesson.
Laughter Without Humor: On the Laugh-Loop GIF
When is Natalie Portman's laughter not Natalie Portman's laughter? An Object Lesson.
Blankets, the Original Viral Media
How they uncover, communicate, and mediate life and death. An object lesson.
Kryptonite Is Crap
The weird, dumb history of Superman's ill-conceived vulnerability
Enbrel and the Autoimmune Era
How a banner biotech drug made in Chinese hamster ovary cells is changing disease even as it treats it. An Object Lesson.
Domino's, the Pizza That Never Sleeps
The imagined community of mediocre delivery pizza, an Object Lesson