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Past Forward

This series looks at historical artifacts that embrace the boundless potential of technology

Color photo of a complex metal apparatus with a spherical end covered in cones.

A Brief History of the World’s First Planetarium

Crowds flocked to see an artificial starry sky projected onto a dome

01 May 2024

6 min read

History of Technology Magazine Article Past Forward April 2024

Why L. Ron Hubbard Patented His E-Meter

The device was intended to put the science in Scientology

31 Mar 2024

7 min read

Two photos show a close-up and then a full image of a tall cylindrical apparatus with a clock face.

History of Technology Magazine Energy Article Past Forward March 2024

This Clock Made Power Grids Possible

The clock’s motors kept electricity at a steady 60 cycles per second

29 Feb 2024

7 min read

Photo of a crude-looking musical instrument with a keyboard and a rough wooden stand.

History of Technology Magazine Article Past Forward February 2024

What Is an Electronic Sackbut?

It’s probably not what you think it is

01 Feb 2024

7 min read

Photo of a box that says “The Clapper” and shows a pair of hands preparing to clap.

History of Technology Magazine Article Past Forward Consumer Electronics January 2024

The Cheesy Charm of the Clapper

Its earworm of a jingle made it a cultural touchstone

30 Dec 2023

6 min read

Photo of the box of an electronic game that says “Simon” and shows two hands pressing colorful buttons on a round object.

History of Technology December 2023 Magazine Article Past Forward Consumer Electronics

Why Are We Still Doing What Simon Says?

45 years after its launch, Milton Bradley’s iconic memory game continues to challenge and charm

29 Nov 2023

5 min read

A photo showing two people in separate cubicles. One is playing a French horn and the other is typing at a computer.

History of Technology November 2023 Magazine Article Past Forward

A Brief History of the Office Cubicle

In the 1960s, Herman Miller popularized the open office. The lead designer lived to regret it

21 Oct 2023

5 min read

A color photo of an electronic device with knobs across the bottom and a round display depicting the solar system.

History of Technology Magazine October 2023 Article Past Forward

The Marimba Virtuoso’s Desktop Planetarium

The inventor of this space-age orrery had a soft spot for Halley’s Comet

01 Oct 2023

7 min read

Black and white photo of smoke rising from buildings, some of which are collapsed.

History of Technology Magazine September 2023 Article Past Forward

Taking the Measure of the Earthquake That Destroyed Tokyo

A century on, we’re good at detecting earthquakes, not so good at protecting against them

01 Sep 2023

6 min read

A multiple-exposure black and white photo showing a man flexing a prosthetic arm.

History of Technology August 2023 Magazine Biomedical Article Past Forward

The Cold War Arms Race Over Prosthetic Arms

The Russian Hand came first, but the Boston Arm was better

30 Jul 2023

7 min read

History of Technology July 2023 Magazine Article Past Forward Robotics

This 1920 Chess Automaton Was Wired to Win

Inventor Leonardo Torres Quevedo aspired to build machines that think

29 Jun 2023

7 min read

A photo of an antique contraption having glass disks, a wooden base, and supporting wires.

History of Technology Magazine Article Past Forward June 2023

James Wimshurst’s Electrostatic Immortality

Little is known about the man, but his iconic generators live on

14 May 2023

4 min read

A photo of a dented metal object encased in a tan outer coating.

History of Technology Aerospace Magazine Article Past Forward May 2023

Skylab: The Space Station That Fell on Australia

Repaired during one of the riskiest missions ever, it orbited for 6 years

30 Apr 2023

6 min read

A dollhouse-size model house and tower made of painted metal. The tower has a long rod protruding from its top.

History of Technology Magazine Article Past Forward April 2023

Tiny Exploding Houses Promoted 18th-Century Lightning Rods

Zapping gunpowder with an electric spark made a compelling demo

01 Apr 2023

6 min read

A screenshot of a bitmapped and mostly grayscale computer desktop with text in multiple windows and a cartoon of a leprechaun.

History of Technology Magazine Article Past Forward March 2023

Smalltalk Blew Steve Jobs’s Mind

Its graphical user interface inspired change at Apple’s core

01 Mar 2023

1 min read

A photo of a cathode-ray tube television set housed in clear plastic.

History of Technology Magazine Article Past Forward February 2023

RCA’s Lucite Phantom Teleceiver Introduced the Idea of TV

In 1939, RCA had to convince people they wanted television

30 Jan 2023

5 min read

A rectangular kitchen appliance with a metal housing, a glass door, and two dials on the righthand side.

History of Technology Magazine Article Past Forward Consumer Electronics January 2023

Always Break Yolks: The Joy of Microwave Cooking

A homeowner’s intro to microwave oven cuisine, circa 1980

30 Dec 2022

6 min read

A small electronic gadget encased in clear plastic has a speaker and some buttons.

History of Technology December 2022 Magazine The Transistor at 75 Article Past Forward Semiconductors Special Reports

John Bardeen’s Terrific Transistorized Music Box

This simple gadget showed off the magic of the first transistor

30 Nov 2022

5 min read

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© Copyright 2024 IEEE — All rights reserved. A not-for-profit organization, IEEE is the world's largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity.