By Amanda Green Inventors who came before Willis Haviland Carrier tinkered with cooling machines. But it was Carrier’s creation that launched the modern idea of air conditioning. To mark the 110th anniversary of his invention, we look back at the long story of a/c. 1758 All liquid evaporation has a cooling effect. Benjamin “I invented […]

This interview with Stewart Butterfield, the co-founder and chief executive of Slack, a communication service for businesses, was conducted and condensed by Adam Bryant. Q. What were some early influences for you? A. I was born in a little town called Lund, in British Columbia. It’s like a fishing village. My parents were hippies. They […]

McDonald’s says there are no plans to take a talking Happy Meal toy out of distribution, even though some customers say it sounds like it uses curse words. The fast-food restaurant introduced a Happy Meal on July 3 with toys inspired by the movie “Minions.” The Oak Brook, Illinois-based company issued a statement saying the […]

Originally posted by Bryce Haymond The handshake has become a common form of communication all around the world. It is used to say “hello”, “goodbye”, “we agree”, as a greeting upon first acquaintance, and as a mutual sign of goodwill and peace. A handshake can establish a first impression with someone, whether it be good and […]

This interview with R. Donahue Peebles of the Peebles Corporationwas conducted and condensed byAdam Bryant. Q. What were some early influences for you? A. My parents divorced when I was 5, and I lived with my mother. She was a working single parent, and I learned to be a bit more independent. By the time […]

Disney said Friday that it is banning them from its theme parks. “We strive to provide a great experience for the entire family and unfortunately selfie sticks have become a growing safety concern for both our guests and cast,” said Disney spokeswoman Kim Prunty. The ban kicks in Tuesday at Walt Disney World in Florida […]

Booking a hotel seems pretty straightforward, right? And most times it is: Pick a destination, choose your dates, enter payment info and voila, happy travels! However, there are some big blunders you could be making when it comes to hotel reservations. From booking on the wrong sites to forgetting to check some vital information, these […]

Excerpted from PBS American Experience The roller coaster has its origins in St. Petersburg, Russia, as a simple slide that took thrillseekers down an icy ramp past a variety of colored lanterns. Catherine the Great gave this custom a boost when she fitted her imperial sleigh with wheels for summer use. The next leap forward […]

Excerpted from U.S. News Travel We’ve narrowed down the field of the diverse and abundant beaches in the United States to help you choose the spot best suited for your next vacation. In addition to user votes and expert opinion, U.S. News considered which beaches boast smooth sand, pleasant waters and high-quality tourist attractions to bring you […]

by Marshall Brain The moon is where the concept of a month comes from. Many cultures used months whose lengths were 29 or 30 days (or some alternation) to chop up a year into increments. The main problem with this sort of system is that moon cycles, at 29.5 days, do not divide evenly into […]