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Smells Like a Stupid Idea
From a machine to send smells over the internet to a cartridge full of terrible games, some of the most terrible product ideas ever put into the market. Today in Tedium: Let's say you had a terrible...
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The Drugs Don't Work
Why are we so ready to look toward alternative medicine when the regular kind of medicine generally does the job? Maybe it's a tonal thing. Today in Tedium: Does meditation make for a good replacement...
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Rock & Retro
Before there was "Rock Band" or "Guitar Hero," bands didn't really know how to handle making video games. Which meant their games were usually very bad. Today in Tedium: After Lemmy Kilmister of...
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Greenlandia
The Arctic country of Greenland is one of the world's sparsest and most remote, but despite that, the country has had success in building unique culture. Today in Tedium: What does your pop culture...
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You Don't Win Friends With Salad
The salad bar is something that many restauranteurs claim to have invented, but we know for sure that just one guy invented the sneeze guard. Today in Tedium: Last month, a major lobbying group for the...
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Make Some Noise
Sound cards like the Creative Sound Blaster were the missing element that computers needed to take on multimedia. Then, they faded from view. Here's why. Today in Tedium: Before we embraced MP3s as the...
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Brand Indigestion
"Gut Guy," Xifaxan's infamous intestine-shaped mascot, is disturbing, but it's OK; he's gonna make Valeant Pharmaceuticals a billion dollars this year. Today in Tedium: Mascots can be great ways to...
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A Little off the Top
The average barber shop or hair salon for some reason has a major aversion to credit cards despite their wide use. Blame the economics of being a barber. Today in Tedium: If you find yourself in a...
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Books on Vinyl
Audiobooks are common these days, but advocates for those with vision disabilities saw their value early—as well as the value of the vinyl record. Today in Tedium: It's the great challenge of a...
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A Magazine You Can't Bend
For a brief time in the '90s, publishers thought that CD-ROM magazines were the future. But, as it turned out, readers were more interested in the internet. Today in Tedium: The promise of multimedia...
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You Can't Drink Saltwater
We’re getting better at converting saltwater to drinkable freshwater, but the environmental costs of the desalination process aren’t cheap. Today in Tedium: Salt is a great substance, and one that...
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Talent is a Curse
The ability to do multiple things well, or multipotentiality, is a big problem for some people. Why? Because they're often stuck having to choose one thing. Today in Tedium: Sometimes, it sucks to be...
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You've Been Warned
We pass by all sorts of crazy warning signs every single day—including police tape, wet floor signs, and crazy road warnings. But do they actually connect? Today in Tedium: On a daily basis, we're...
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Am I the Walrus?
From the Peruvian band that carried the Beatles' torch to the random releases of Apple Records, doing a deep dive into The Beatles gets obscure, fast. Today in Tedium: As well-loved as his productions...
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Damage & Dissonance
Sure, we're used to seeing rockers break guitars. But depending on the six-string being thrown, a broken guitar can ruin a rock star's entire weekend. Today in Tedium: It's not often that we get to...
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Let's Bowl 'Em Over
Could cereal's waning popularity in the United States have something to do with a lack of exotic options? Let's look at what the rest of the world is doing. Today in Tedium: Cereal is basically the...
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No Vacancy
Hotels are bastions of consistency, especially when it comes to the amenities. But with Airbnb out there, is hotel psychology losing its grip on travelers? Today in Tedium: When we go to a hotel,...
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Seedy Politics
We've come a long way from the government giving away free seeds. Nowadays, the seed industry is so powerful it's not even clear if seed exchanges are safe. Today in Tedium: This time of the year is...
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Jack Abramoff, Film Producer
Before Jack Abramoff became an infamous lobbyist, he co-wrote and produced a schlocky Dolph Lundgren film that broke a cultural boycott of South Africa. Today in Tedium: No matter how many redemption...
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Between the Bars
A fateful decision by the movie industry six decades ago created a long-term compatibility problem between film and television. The solution? Letterboxing. Today in Tedium: Taking an experience like...
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