erniesmith's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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psychology

Why Men Get More Lint in Their Belly Buttons Than Women

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

The Long, Unusual History of the Pickled Cucumber

Pickles.
January 9, 2017
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tedium

The Quiet Failure of Sony’s Giant Cassette Tape

Meet the Elcaset.
January 7, 2017
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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
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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
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marketing

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

Beer.
August 15, 2016
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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