In 1949, after decades of making wooden furniture and toys, Ole Kirk Christiansen's small factory in Billund, Denmark, moved to plastic and created the 'Automatic Binding Bricks', which would later be known as LEGO. When the company patented the tube system in 1958, LEGO became the dominant toy line worldwide throughout the 1960s and 1970s. When other competitors capitalized on the expiration of the company's patents in the 1980s, LEGO faced stiff competition until they reported their first loss in 1998. Poor business decisions with film licenses and the failure of the Jack Stone and Galidor lines brought LEGO to near-bankruptcy until Jørgen Vig Knudstorp took over the company and, by bringing it back to its roots, rejuvenated LEGO's profits. By the time The Lego Movie hit theaters in 2014, LEGO became the largest toy franchise in the world.
Bitcoin, the beautiful anonymity of cash, but cash that wasn't printed by governments. Instead, it was made by a bit of code, powered by citizens of the internet, and you could trust it. Today, anyone can buy cryptocurrency. A few signups, type in your credit card number, and trade in your money for digital cash. And with a few more steps, you can use Bitcoin to buy what the majority of Bitcoin is spent on: Illegal services. Virtual currencies can pose challenges for law enforcement, given the appeal they have among those seeking to conceal. Is digital cash the next revolution? Learn about this anonymous currency and why it's so coveted.
From virtually the moment we're born, there's a story that's preached across cultures and continents. It's a familiar fairy tale, that finding one true love is the key to a fulfilled and happy life. As an adult, we're forced to reconcile the messaging on monogamy with one simple fact: humans are terrible at it. What do biology, human history and the promiscuity of bonobos reveal about monogamy? Experts and everyday couples weigh in on shifting cultural norms.
This episode looks at a group of black survivalists. British Buzzfeed correspondent Bim Adewunmi looks at an unusual group of doomsday preppers who don't fit the normal stereotype for that group. She interviews people of color who train themselves to prepare for disaster.
Honey has the greatest cachet in the marketplace, of all food items. A sweetener so natural, so exalted, that its value has held up for millennia. But honey is also perfect for savvy profiteers who are secretly cutting the world's honey with cheap substitutes. With demand for honey soaring just as bees are dying off in record numbers, hidden additives, hive thefts and other shady tactics are on the rise.
By the time The Lego Movie hit theaters in 2014, LEGO became the largest toy franchise in the world.