Umbrellas have come a long way since the first scraps of material arranged to keep the rain off - and nowadays, they have evolved into the elegantly designed multi-spindled construction we're so ...
The study of musical instruments ('organology' - no, really) is the study of the human condition. Every culture is defined by its own distinctive set of trills, whistles, parps, honks and beats, ...
For those who think that the glory-days of boat-building are over, think again - for there are modern-day Brunels, eager to build the next generation of ocean-faring superstructures. Here are 7 ...
What could be more welcoming than a pot of tea in the morning? (Coffee drinkers, you are not allowed to answer that). From its humble beginnings in ancient China, the teapot has gone from ...
While many of us go for a functionalist, pick'n'mix approach to home decor ("I need curtains: oh, that will do" etc.), let us be upstanding for the financially brave, creatively passionate and ...
Buildings should be rock-solid steady under our feet, surely? Our instincts certainly tell us so - but perhaps someone should tell the current wave of architects and designers who seem so intent ...
A good city, like a good wine, needs time to develop. As any Civilization-playing geek knows, it takes decades or centuries to turn a cluster of villages into a living, breathing metropolis. It ...
The best morning alarm in the world is a sneaky elbow in the ribs - but if you are a singleton or have a partner even more sleepy-headed than yourself, you will be the owner of a digital waking ...
The world's worst skyscraper disaster is still fresh in our minds, and every year sees a new calamity in our global obsession with building storey after storey, higher and higher. You would think ...
Tired of headlines like these? "Gamers most likely to suddenly die in the street", "Warcraft Ate My Boyfriend" and so on? Us too. Ever since video gaming leapt from nerdy male-only, teen-only ...
