Neomano · est. 2014
Stories of science, the past, electronics and other curiosities.
The books · born from this blog
Atahualpa con su abrigo de pelo de murciélago
y otras 49 historias verdaderas que parecen mentira
The stories I tell here, gathered and expanded: 50 real episodes so incredible they sound made up. The same wonder of Neomano, now to read cover to cover.
Get it on Amazon
Tocar madera
Pequeña historia de las supersticiones que el mundo no ha podido soltar
Why do we knock on wood, fear Friday the 13th, or avoid walking under a ladder? A short, fascinating tour through the origins of the superstitions we still practice without realizing it.
Get it on Amazon
100 futuros
Cien escenarios del mundo que viene con la inteligencia artificial
A hundred short scenarios of how artificial intelligence could reshape work, love, war, even death. Not predictions but possible futures, to imagine where we are headed.
Get it on AmazonLatest articles
243 articles
The History of the Compass: From Lodestone to GPS
The history of the compass, from the Chinese lodestone that pointed south to the GPS in your phone: how we learned to find our way without the sky.
The Origin of the Word “Disaster”: A Bad Star
Where does the word disaster come from? From astrology: dis- “bad” plus astrum “star.” A disaster was, literally, the fault of an ill-placed star.
The Origin of “Ojalá”: God Willing, in Arabic
Where does the Spanish word ojalá come from? From Andalusi Arabic law šá lláh, “if God wills it.” A Muslim prayer hidden inside everyday Spanish.
Why Power Plugs Are Different in Every Country
There are about 15 plug types worldwide and voltages from 110 to 240 V. Here is why power plugs are so different from one country to the next.
How a Lithium Battery Works and the 1% Myth
The lithium battery powers your phone and your electric car. Here is how it works inside and why the percentage you see is never quite exact.
The Origin of the Word “Salary”: Salt and Soldiers
Where does the word salary come from? From Roman salt. But the idea that soldiers were paid in salt is more myth than actual history.
The War of the Currents: Edison vs. Tesla
In the late 19th century Edison, Tesla and Westinghouse fought the war of the currents to decide whether the world would run on direct or alternating current.
Grace Hopper and the True Origin of the Computer Bug
On September 9, 1947 a moth got stuck in the Mark II. But Grace Hopper didn't coin the word bug: Edison was already using it back in 1878.
Ada Lovelace and the First Program Never Run
In 1843 Ada Lovelace wrote history's first algorithm for a machine that was never built. This is the story of the first computer program, a century early.
Alfonso Graña, the Spaniard who became king of an Amazon tribe
Alfonso Graña fled hunger in Galicia, vanished into the Amazon and ended up crowned king of the Jívaros of the Upper Marañón. The true story of Alfonso I.
The Origin of the Word “Robot”: Born in a Czech Play
Where does the word robot come from? Czech writer Karel Čapek coined it in 1920 from robota, forced labor; and the idea was actually his brother Josef's.
Why Planes Don't Fly in Straight Lines on Maps
On a flat map a plane's route looks curved and bent. Here is why the shortest line between two cities is not a straight line at all.