Remarkable People

With more than 100 patents, illustrious inventor Lanny Smoot is making history as the first Disney Imagineer to be inducted into the National Engineers Hall of Fame. The only other employee from The Walt Disney Company to do so is Walt Disney himself.

The aviation world has lost one of its brightest luminaries. Major Brian Shul was an incredible survivor and a top gun pilot – but also a gifted photographer and storyteller, whose stories about the extraordinary SR-71 Blackbird will live forever.

An adventurous professor from the University of South Florida has broken the world record for living in an underwater habitat. Joseph Dituri has called the submurged Jules’ Undersea Lodge home since March 1, and intends to remain there until June 9.

The wreck of one of the most famous exploration ships in history has been located. Using a robotic submersible, the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust has found Sir Ernest Shackleton's Endurance, which was crushed in the Antarctic pack ice in 1915.

New Atlas was at Snake River Canyon five years ago when Eddie Braun spectacularly finished the terrifying rocket bike jump that nearly killed Evel Knievel. The event is now a gorgeous documentary on Disney+, and we sat down with Braun to reminisce.

The artist Christo recently passed away at the age of 84. For decades, he and his wife Jeanne-Claude made headlines with their striking and provocative artworks, such as installing a giant orange curtain between two mountain slopes in Colorado.

After the death of Larry Tesler this week, New Atlas takes a brief look back at the invention of those now-ubiquitous computer commands: cut, copy and paste.

A new book celebrating the science illustrations of Ernst Haeckel has launched on Kickstarter. The book features numerous drawings of microorganisms by the German zoologist and naturalist who identified thousands of new species during his career.

Whenever computer scientist Sir Tim Berners-Lee makes the headlines, a significant minority of outlets inevitably, and wholly incorrectly, refer to him as “the inventor of the internet.” Here’s why they’re wrong.

What connects the America's Cup, a dinner in Egypt and a house with no knocker? The answer is a man called Robert, born 216 years ago today, and his ill-fated sail boat: a schooner by the name of Titania.

The Amish would be better off without so many horses, says this "technoskeptic" MIT graduate, who has dedicated his career to examining the 360-degree effects of technology on human life and happiness.

The second biggest search engine in the world isn’t about words or information, it’s about body language and emotional expression, and you’re probably using it daily without realizing it.

TV star and racer dies in the prime of a life few would dare to live, driving a jet car that would freeze lesser mortals in fear.

Twice now, Tanner Godfrey has jumped further in a UTV than anyone in history. Since he doesn't have full use of his legs, he's done it by literally poking the gas and brake pedals with a stick. And on Monday, armed with a new stick, he's lining up for the biggest jump of his life. This guy's nuts.

Archaeologists excavating an abandoned burial ground under Euston Station in London have uncovered the remains of the Royal Navy explorer Captain Matthew Flinders, who led the first expedition to circumnavigate Australia in 1802 and gave the country its name.