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Past Forward

This series looks at historical artifacts that embrace the boundless potential of technology
Why L. Ron Hubbard Patented His E-Meter
History of TechnologyPast ForwardArticle

Why L. Ron Hubbard Patented His E-Meter

The device was intended to put the science in Scientology

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 TechnologyMagazineEnergyArticlePast ForwardMarch 2024

This Clock Made Power Grids Possible

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

7 min read
Photo of a crude-looking musical instrument with a keyboard and a rough wooden stand.
History of TechnologyMagazineArticlePast ForwardFebruary 2024

What Is an Electronic Sackbut?

It’s probably not what you think it is

7 min read
Photo of a box that says “The Clapper” and shows a pair of hands preparing to clap.
History of TechnologyMagazineArticlePast ForwardConsumer ElectronicsJanuary 2024

The Cheesy Charm of the Clapper

Its earworm of a jingle made it a cultural touchstone

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 TechnologyDecember 2023MagazineArticlePast ForwardConsumer 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

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 TechnologyNovember 2023MagazineArticlePast Forward

A Brief History of the Office Cubicle

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

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 TechnologyMagazineOctober 2023ArticlePast Forward

The Marimba Virtuoso’s Desktop Planetarium

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

7 min read
Black and white photo of smoke rising from buildings, some of which are collapsed.
History of TechnologyMagazineSeptember 2023ArticlePast 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

6 min read
A multiple-exposure black and white photo showing a man flexing a prosthetic arm.
History of TechnologyAugust 2023MagazineBiomedicalArticlePast Forward

The Cold War Arms Race Over Prosthetic Arms

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

7 min read
This 1920 Chess Automaton Was Wired to Win
History of TechnologyJuly 2023MagazineArticlePast ForwardRobotics

This 1920 Chess Automaton Was Wired to Win

Inventor Leonardo Torres Quevedo aspired to build machines that think

7 min read
A photo of an antique contraption having glass disks, a wooden base, and supporting wires.
History of TechnologyMagazineArticlePast ForwardJune 2023

James Wimshurst’s Electrostatic Immortality

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

4 min read
A photo of a dented metal object encased in a tan outer coating.
History of TechnologyAerospaceMagazineArticlePast ForwardMay 2023

Skylab: The Space Station That Fell on Australia

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

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 TechnologyMagazineArticlePast ForwardApril 2023

Tiny Exploding Houses Promoted 18th-Century Lightning Rods

Zapping gunpowder with an electric spark made a compelling demo

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 TechnologyMagazineArticlePast ForwardMarch 2023

Smalltalk Blew Steve Jobs’s Mind

Its graphical user interface inspired change at Apple’s core

1 min read
A photo of a cathode-ray tube television set housed in clear plastic.
History of TechnologyMagazineArticlePast ForwardFebruary 2023

RCA’s Lucite Phantom Teleceiver Introduced the Idea of TV

In 1939, RCA had to convince people they wanted television

5 min read
A rectangular kitchen appliance with a metal housing, a glass door, and two dials on the righthand side.
History of TechnologyMagazineArticlePast ForwardConsumer ElectronicsJanuary 2023

Always Break Yolks: The Joy of Microwave Cooking

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

6 min read
A small electronic gadget encased in clear plastic has a speaker and some buttons.
History of TechnologyDecember 2022MagazineThe Transistor at 75ArticlePast ForwardSemiconductorsSpecial Reports

John Bardeen’s Terrific Transistorized Music Box

This simple gadget showed off the magic of the first transistor

5 min read
A boxy retro game console with a CRT screen with the word Pong on the front.
History of TechnologyMagazineArticlePast ForwardNovember 2022

Pong Was Boring—And People Loved It

50 years on, we reflect on what made this simplest of video games so seductive

7 min read