Best of Matter Collection

This item was featured in last month's box of Matter, so subscribers received this item early.  Own a piece of one of the oldest computer programs ever created. Perforated paper tape, also known as computer tape, was an early form of...

In the past, glass manufacturers added uranium to glass for color. Uranium has since become more strictly regulated, but the old uranium glass objects are still floating around. Because of the uranium content, these marbles glow bright green under ultraviolet light. ...

During the 1970s–80s, NASA used state-of-the-art computers from the company Modular Computer Systems. These "MODCOMP" systems were used in processing and controlling the telemetry of many space projects including the Voyager probes, Skylab, as well as the early Space Shuttle launches....

This vial contains simulated moon dust. It was engineered to be chemically and mechanically identical to the surface of ancient volcanic plains on the Moon, called maria. The particle size and composition was designed to match that of the samples returned...

Minié Ball: The Minié ball is a lead, conical bullet with three exterior grooves and a hollow base. It was the first bullet to accommodate the rifling of gun barrels which significantly increased range and accuracy—just in time for the American Civil War....