Features
Dodging and Dazzling: Responses to Mass Surveillance
Growing numbers of designers are devising tools to enable personal anonymity and invisibility responding to the erosion of our privacy.
35 Years of Mass Hitchhiking
In San Francisco, economic pressures have given rise to an informal system in which commuters get into strangers’ cars to get to work.
The Magnificent Facekinis of Qingdao
Chinese women hide their natural beauty behind a colorful, mysterious beauty of another kind
Disappearing Act
Even at close range, it takes an extremely sharp eye to spot a sniper in the field.
Where the Streets Have No Name
Amidst the chaos of Brazil’s largest slum, three entrepreneurs have made a small fortune by providing a basic service — delivering mail.
Addressing the World
An ingenious system gives addresses to huts and shacks that never had them before, and indeed to every spot on the planet.
Bells and Whistles: Giving Devices a Voice
Modern life is full of beeps, buzzes and chirps that we recognise as important messages. Who creates these sounds and how?
Bringing Clarity to the Diamond Trade
The diamond trade is a high-security operation hidden from daily view, but recent scandals have sparked demands for greater transparency.
The Art and Science of Military Camouflage
Drawing on nature, science and practical experience to create camouflage that can buy soldiers precious seconds in the field.
Ships That Dance in the Night
At night, the Nile is home to the extravagant floating clubs of Cairo’s wealthy elite, but also to working-class versions accessible by all.
Rwanda’s War on Plastic
Eight years after their government banned the use of plastic bags, Rwandans—for the most part—have learned to live without them.
Hiding in Plain Sight
Some safes protect valuable items by being difficult to open, other by being difficult to find.