brief histories
Ride the Feedback: A Brief History of Guitar Distortion
Or, how one of music's happiest accidents went on to shape countless careers and spawn entire genres, from rock 'n' roll to experimental noise.
A Brief History of the Trill in Heavy Metal
The stylistic embellishment, most commonly used in classical music, has found a second life on a variety of heavy metal albums.
A Brief History of Artists Rapping About Poop
A lot of rappers talk about "dropping shit," but not all of them mean it literally. Join us as we analyze the ones who do, from Big Boi to Biggie.
How Colombia’s 1994 World Cup Campaign Led To The Murder of Andres Escobar
Having been tipped by some to win the 1994 World Cup, an own goal from Andres Escobar helped to end Colombia’s dream at the group stage. Five days later, he was shot dead in a nightclub parking lot in Medellin.
How The 2002 World Cup Became The Most Controversial Tournament in Recent Memory
The 2002 World Cup is remembered as the tournament of Ronaldinho, Rivaldo and Ronaldo. However, thanks to referees, the golden goal rule and South Korea, it is also considered one of the most contentious of all time.
How David Beckham Became Football’s First Truly Global Brand
Though many players of the nineties and noughties were at least as iconic as Beckham, and some more talented, ‘Golden Balls’ broke the corporate mould like no other. Here’s how he ceased to be a footballer and became a brand instead.
How Muhammad Ali Stunned the World at the Rumble in the Jungle
The Rumble in the Jungle was a fight of such significance that it transcended boxing, perhaps even sport as a whole, to become a moment of 20th century history. This is how it happened.
How Zinedine Zidane’s France Won World Cup ‘98
An iconic tournament for many, France ‘98 saw Les Bleus claim their first-ever World Cup on home turf. Here’s how Zinedine Zidane and his teammates did it, and what victory for the ‘rainbow nation’ meant for France.
Ride the Feedback: A Brief History of Guitar Distortion
Or, how one of music's happiest accidents went on to shape countless careers and spawn entire genres, from rock 'n' roll to experimental noise
Carnegie Mellon's 1986 Self-Driving Van Was Adorable
The NavLab was slow and huge, but it provided data that would help pave the way for the self-driving world of today.
The Cloud Is Much, Much Older Than You Think
In 1940, even before proper digital computers had taken shape, mathematicians were offloading calculations to the cloud.