Link About It: This Week’s Picks

Medical marijuana for pets, designing utopia, using VR to solve crime and more in this week's look at the web

1. The Origins of Monopoly’s Iconic Playing Pieces Ever wonder how such random items as a shoe, thimble, wheelbarrow and battleship became the playing pieces of possibly the most iconic board game in history? According to Cool Material, their origins date back to the 1930s, when Monopoly inventor (and probable idea thief) Charles Darrow developed the idea to use small items from around the house …

Link About It: This Week’s Picks

A kaleidoscopic church installation, edible beer packaging, and how Venmo is making you stingy in this week's look at the web

1. The Most Important Era of Innovation A recent article in The New York Times asks, “What Was the Greatest Era for Innovation?” It’s a difficult question to answer—if there even is an answer—as everything from plumbing to airplanes, Kellogg’s Corn Flakes and smartphones have shaped the evolution of American life. Instead, The Times surfaces some of the most notable inventions and ground-breaking ideas of …

Link About It: This Week’s Picks

A new Siri, a new Instagram, the Transit of Mercury and more in this week's look around the web

1. Watch the Shadow of Mercury Cross the Sun in Real Time The Transit of Mercury—an astrological event that takes place just 13 times per century—happened earlier this week. The event occurs when our solar system’s smallest planet, Mercury, appears to cross the sun from Earth; producing a tiny, dot-sized shadow moving across the massive face of the glowing sun. The phenomenon is only viewable …