At MIT, Dava Newman studies how humans move in micro-gravity; we call it outer space. She describes how she went about designing a new spacesuit that’s streamlined for maximum performance. Produced by Erin Davis.

Wylie Dufresne loves state-of-the-art equipment, but his favorite kitchen tool is modest: the whisk. We asked an expert, Gourmet Magazine’s style director Corky Pollan, what makes a whisk really mix and beat.

Kevin Kallaugher, better known as KAL, has been the cartoonist at The Economist for 30 years. He explains how the donkey and elephant came to represent the parties, and charts their evolution in our culture. Produced by Gretta Cohn.

On America’s first highways, road signs were hand-painted on wood. When interstates became standardized, so did the typeface. But in all sorts of conditions it still looks fuzzy. Designer Don Meeker helped bring signage back into focus. Produced by Derek John.

Early humans hollowed out gourds to carry their water. Today we drink melted icebergs housed in crystal-studded bottles. Is this progress? Elizabeth Royte tracks the evolution of the water bottle. Produced by Catherine Epstein.

Today rock band T-shirts are sold at major retailers, to kids who weren't alive when classic rock was born. But when music writer Johan Kugelberg was growing up in Sweden, wearing the Sex Pistols or Ramones on your chest was its own act of rebellion. Produced by ...

If you're heading outside for a picnic this weekend, don't forget your box of wine. That's right, box. It may call to mind sorority parties and bad hangovers, but design curator Ellen Lupton thinks that boxed wine deserves a second look. Produced by Katie ...

Firearms expert Gary James explains why a pistol made a century ago is still being used by American forces and law enforcement. Produced by
Dennis Nishi.

Lately writer Philip Nobel has been obsessing over skateboards, specifically long boards: a sleek update to the wide "trick"-oriented boards popular in the 80s and 90s.

Bob Clevenhagen has been the head designer at Rawlings for more than thirty years -- and he's only the third person to hold that title in the company's 130-year history. We found Bob in his office at the Rawlings factory in Washington, Missouri. Produced by ...

Cookbook author Meredith Deeds gets passionate about the kitchen tool that revolutionized baking and became a status symbol in the process. Produced by Kim Gittleson and Jillian Goodman.

Tea historian Jane Pettigrew explains why the world has never recovered from an American innovation. Produced by Deanna Kashani.

Stefan Sagmeister is an award-winning graphic designer who grew up in Austria and has designed album covers for the Rolling Stones and Talking Heads. When we asked him about his favorite album cover of all time, Sagmeister picked a notorious design by Andy Warhol: The Rolling Stones’

The writer Akiko Busch explains how, over the years, kids’ school accessories have ascended into high style. Produced by Jocelyn Gonzales.

On America’s earliest highways, road signs were hand-painted on wood. When interstate highways became standardized, so did the typeface. But in all sorts of conditions it still looks fuzzy. Graphic designer Don Meeker helped bring highway signage back into focus. Produced by Derek John.

Judith Dupre talks about the innovative Penobscot Narrows Bridge in Maine.

This summer’s bridge collapse in Minneapolis shook us in a deeper way than other failures of infrastructure. Guest host Julie Burstein talks with structural engineer Guy Nordenson and cultural historian Judith Dupre about why bridges resonate in our collective imagination.

Graphic designer Steven Heller tells the story of a seaside landmark known as the "Eiffel Tower of Coney Island."

Jeff Wiltse, author of Contested Waters: A Social History of Swimming Pools in America, offers a brief history of taking the plunge. Produced by Hadara Graubart.

Darren Wershler-Henry, a professor of Communications, pays tribute to the whack of metal against paper, the smell of ink, and a technology we’ve almost forgotten. Produced by Zeke Turner.