Welcome to the automated warehouse of the future
A look at the Ocado warehouse in Andover, UK, where automation has been implemented sufficiently effectively to allow the company to sell their solution to other organisations.
How Canada’s Health Care System Helped Create a Killer
A piece looking at failures in treatment that led to a tragic outcome when an innocent person was murdered in Ontario by a young man with a well-documented history of mental health issues. The author interviews key people involved to try to understand what happened and how it came to pass.
Deep Intellect
A thoughtful and engaging piece examining the remarkable intelligence of the octopus – followed by an interview with the author in National Geographic.
This Armada of Saildrones Could Conquer the Ocean
A British man who previously spent ten years living in the desert off $10,000 a year in his effort to break the land sail speed record, has started an even more ambitious, and likely more lucrative endeavour. His company, armed with venture capital investment, is building unmanned saildrones that could have a huge impact on our understanding of the ocean, as well as myriad commercial and governmental applications.
The Lost Children of Tuam
The tragic story of the fate awaiting the Irish children born out of wedlock who ended up at St. Mary’s Mother and Baby Home in Tuam.
Do civilisations collapse?
A piece reassessing common tropes we use to explain how civilisations decline, from Easter Island to the Maya.
How to spot a perfect fake: the world’s top art forgery detective
As the prices commanded by landmark works and artists rise ever higher, so too does the sophistication of forgeries being produced to dupe collectors and institutions. A tip: it’s apparently far easier to copy a Modigliani than a Leonardo – at a recent exhibition of his work, 20 out of the 21 works on display were found to be counterfeits. This piece profiles the man said to be the very best in the field of science-led authentication.
This Lawsuit Goes to 11
Entertainment meets accounting in this piece looking at a lawsuit brought by the creators of the cult classic This Is Spinal Tap. They initiated the suit when they were told that despite a healthy percentage share in earnings from their creation, they would be entitled to under $200 in royalties over a period spanning 20 years.
The Rise and Fall of Silk Road
A long look at the infamous online marketplace for illegal goods, starting with a DEA raid on a grandpa in Utah who had just taken receipt of $27,000 of cocaine. http://www.bit.ly/wired-silkroad