Umbrellas 2.0

For this fun little NGM piece about the future of umbrellas, I interviewed three different inventors/designers. I wish there had been more space to convey just how passionate they all were about what seems, on the surface, like such a simple device. And they aren't the only ones with a lot to say about umbrellas! In the course of research, I came across an entire quirky old book about "that dearest and truest friend in need and indeed, the Umbrella."

The author, writing in the 1860s, pities those who lived in less modern times:

"Strange to say, it is a fact, melancholy enough, but for that all too true, that our forefathers, scarce seventy years ago, meekly endured the pelting of the pitiless storm without that protection vouchsafed to their descendants by a kind fate and talented inventors."

Oh, the horror!

The Elusive Okapi

Here's a short article I wrote for NGM on an obscure animal that's probably endangered -- but it's so little-studied, no one knows for sure. Had you ever heard of the okapi before? They're wonderfully weird!

Brazil's Machisma

There's a feature in our September issue about the rapid decline of Brazil's fertility rate. Sociologists suspect a surprising influence: Strong female characters in soap operas, called telenovelas there.

I didn't write the story (that would be the very talented Cynthia Gorney), but this was my first opportunity to write a full set of photo captions---or legends, as they're called around here. I enjoyed it.

A pint-sized piece

Did you know that a British imperial pint holds about 20 percent more beer than a typical American pint? Somehow I missed this fact during my junior year abroad. (Probably because I had never had an American pint, being underage and boringly law-abiding.) And because the Brits are a bit uptight about weights and measures, regulations dictate exactly what fractions of a pint pubs may serve: One half or one-third, nothing more or less. But it looks like they might be relaxing a bit this year, allowing for a two-thirds pint. Cheers!

How to Feed a Growing Planet

After writing text for the catchy gatefold graphic about food waste in our July issue, I now fear discarding so much as a crouton from the office salad bar. Researching this also reinforced my commitment to a mostly vegetarian diet: some sources count the diversion of arable land for animal grazing as "food waste," and I see their point. You can feed a lot more people per square foot on soybeans than burgers.

Sunlight in the Dark

My first byline in NGM, where I now work as an editor! A very, very short piece about "microsolar" power in Africa. If you're interested in learning more about microsolar projects, I'd suggest checking out the websites for Lighting Africa and the organization Solar Aid.

Are Video Games Good for Us?

That's what Jane McGonigal thinks -- check out my Smithsonian interview with this "alternate reality" game designer. She makes a lot of excellent points, and makes me feel better about all the hours I spent playing King's Quest.

The Future of Global Food Security

Rosamond Naylor directs the Program on Food Security and the Environment at Stanford University. An economist by training, she studies the world food economy and sustainable agriculture. Though she says she is deeply worried about climate change and population growth, she described herself as “optimistic” in a conversation with Smithsonian’s Amanda Bensen.

By 2050, there will be an estimated nine billion people in the world. Do we have the land and water to feed them?

Read Naylor's response, and the rest of our conversation, in the 40th-anniversary special issue of Smithsonian. I also wrote this sidebar about new and under-utilized traditional crops that could help feed the hungry in the future.

A Taste of Vermont

As a web extra to accompany one of the features I helped edit this month (a nice piece about Vermont's Route 100), I highlighted a few of the many food- & drink-related tours available in my home state. Read "A Culinary Adventure in Vermont" on Smithsonian.com.

Home is Where the Kitchen Is

For her latest book, photographer Dona Schwartz chose the home’s busiest shared space to observe how a newly blended family—two adults, one preteen, three teenagers, two college kids and two dogs—learned to live together. She spoke with Smithsonian’s food blogger, Amanda Bensen, about what she saw "In the Kitchen."

Read the Q&A and view Dona's photos here.