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.
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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.
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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.
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287 articles
How a Microwave Works, and Why Not from Inside Out
How does a microwave work? It doesn't cook from the inside out; it heats the water in your food. The story began with a melted chocolate bar.
Vacuum Tube vs Transistor: The Battle for Electronics
For decades the vacuum tube ruled electronics, until a tiny chip of metal dethroned it. The story of the battle that shrank technology into your pocket.
The Transistor: The Tiny Switch That Built the Digital Age
In 1947, three Bell Labs physicists invented the transistor and shrank electronics forever. The story of the tiny switch that built the digital age.
Why One CD Lasts Decades and Another Dies
Some compact discs survive 30 years while others die on their own in a few. Disc rot, CD bronzing and why manufacturing — not age — decides everything.
The LaserDisc: The Future That Came Too Early
In 1978 the LaserDisc already offered sharp images, instant access and digital sound — everything DVD would bring twenty years later. It came too early.
The Forgotten War Between VHS and Betamax
Betamax was technically better and still lost. This is the story of the format war between Sony and JVC that decided how we would watch movies at home.
How a Touchscreen Works
How does a touchscreen work? Your finger alters an invisible electric field in the glass. The story runs from the first 1965 prototype to the iPhone.
Why We Measure Screens in Inches
Why are screens measured in inches, and diagonally? It all started with round cathode-ray tube TVs and continued thanks to a clever marketing trick.
The Origin of the Word “Pixel”: Born in Space
Where does the word pixel come from? It joins pix (picture) and element, and was first published in 1965 at NASA to describe images from probes to the Moon and Mars.
The History of Ethernet: How an Office Learned to Share
In 1973, at Xerox PARC, an engineer wired an office's computers to a laser printer. That was the birth of Ethernet, the network we still use today.
The First Message Ever Sent Over the Internet Was 'LO'
On October 29, 1969, the first message in internet history was meant to be 'login', but the network crashed after just two letters: 'LO'.
The History of the Floppy Disk and the Save Icon
The floppy disk held 80 KB in 1971 and survives today as the «save» icon many young people never touched. This is the full history of the floppy disk.