Oil Barrels Aren't Real Anymore
Once a cask that held crude, the oil barrel is now mostly an economic concept. An Object Lesson.
Object Lessons
Articles published in partnership with Object Lessons
The Thunderstorm Whisperers
For centuries, lightning rods have tamed the heavens, more or less unchanged. An Object Lesson.
The Lost Origins of Playing-Card Symbols
Cards have been used for gambling, divination, and even commerce. But where did their “pips” come from? An Object Lesson.
Why It’s Better to Carry Weight on Your Head
People have done it for centuries. Maybe everyone still should. An Object Lesson.
The Moral History of Air-Conditioning
Cooling the air was once seen as sinful. Maybe the idea wasn’t entirely wrong. An Object Lesson.
The Hair Dryer, Freedom’s Appliance
For a century, the device has promised more than dry hair. An Object Lesson.
Pictures of Death
When photography was new, it was often used to preserve corpses via their images. An Object Lesson.
Why Geologists Think Glacial Mountains Look Like Sheep
Thank the French. An Object Lesson.
How Wheelchair Accessibility Ramped Up
Ramps evolved from a Greek tool for dragging ships to the front lines of disability activism. An Object Lesson.
The Troubled History of Horse Meat in America
The White House wants to reinstate the sale of horses for slaughter, but eating horse meat has always been politically treacherous. An Object Lesson.