How Zora Neale Hurston Helped Her Readers Understand the World

Today, 7 January 2016, marks what would have been the 125th birthday of American author Zora Neale Hurston. Best known for her book “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” Hurston’s words exposed the violent realities of black people in America to the rest of the world. As essayist Roger Rosenblatt explains in TIME, Hurston’s books helped the nation understand the challenges of being an outsider in …

The “Sperm Switch” Male Contraceptive

Aside from vasectomies, few viable male contraceptive options exist. The latest entrant into the market, called the Bimek SLV, is a proposed “sperm switch” created by German inventor Clemens Bimek. The small device works by attaching to the spermatic duct valve and can be switched to the “off” position to divert the flow of sperm back into the testicles upon ejaculation. According to Bimek, the …

Take a Ride in This Passenger-Ready Drone

At CES in Las Vegas, Chinese drone company Ehang unveiled a 500-lb quadcopter, called the Ehang 184, capable of transporting a human. The personal, pod-like drone employs four arms and eight propellers to transport a person (up to 220 lbs) at speeds reaching 62-miles-per-hour on a 23-minute trip. Navigation is controlled through an on-board app, which allows flyers to select their destination and then sit …