Ian Steadman



21 Stories by Ian Steadman

The Human Machine

A series about the increasingly blurred lines between us and our machines.
1 min read

Introducing the Human Machine

Our new series exploring the increasingly blurred lines between humans and technology.
0 4 min read

Solar Trains Could Help Us Rethink Energy

Harnessing the sun could be the perfect way to convert existing train networks to clean power.
0 7 min read

Recovering the Fabrics Lost to History

Golden thread, blue dye, stolen muslin.
0 5 min read

A.I. is Defending the Earth From Asteroids

Imagine some scientists from NASA are meeting with the president of the United States. There’s a piece of space coming toward us; it is...
0 6 min read

Amateur Rocketeers Are Keeping the Space Age Spirit Alive

Around the world, a community of amateurs is designing, building, and launching their own rockets into space.
0 12 min read

A Brief Explainer of Why Everyone Seems to Hate Gluten, in GIFs

The facts and mysteries behind the health fad.
0 3 min read

Fusion: “We’re So Close We Can Taste It”

Atomic Energy Authority head Steve Cowley talks tokamaks, tritium, and the tantalizing prospect of enough power for a billion years.
0 15 min read

6 Perpetual Motion Devices That Didn’t Work

Always fake, but not always hoaxes.
0 6 min read

The Rise and Fall of Unusual Instruments

Why did some of the 20th century's most radically experimental instruments succeed–and others fail?
0 3 min read