Michael Franco
Bob Vila
Asheville, NC, United States
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Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
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Past articles by Michael:
The Right Way to Light a Fireplace
Choose from two methods for how to start a fire in a fireplace, both of which give off better heat (even less smoke) while requiring little maintenance. → Read More
Watch a 120-year-old 'Millionaire' machine do some astounding calculations
Astronomer Clifford Stoll shows off a big, beautiful mechanical adding machine from 1895 in a new Numberphile video. → Read More
'Best Picture' nominees reimagined as striking pop-art posters (pictures)
From "Mad Max" to "The Martian," designers give a nod to their favorite pop artists with movie posters that capture the essence of this year's Oscar picks. → Read More
These kinky male spiders could star in 'Fifty Shades' for arachnids
Male nursery web spiders give Christian Grey a run for his money, but only because they like to continue living after they've enjoyed a little romp. → Read More
A spider's erection, and other cool things trapped in amber (pictures)
The translucent, semiprecious substance amber can quite literally provide a window for seeing back millions of years. Here are a few of the most amazing sights the fossilized resin has sealed in time. → Read More
NASA craft captures a trio of moons amid Saturn's rings
Tethys, Enceladus and Mimas pose like celestial siblings for a dramatic image just released from the Cassini mission. → Read More
Reaching Mars in a few days? It's possible, NASA video says
A new video released by the space agency discusses the possibility of speeding up our missions to other worlds by harnessing the power of lasers. → Read More
Watch a homemade flip-open batarang do some batastic damage
Batman's going to need all the help he can get against Superman in the upcoming film. Perhaps he needs YouTuber Patrick Priebe on his side? → Read More
This trash bin can drive to the curb and back
Find taking out the trash a bit tedious? YouTube tinkerer Colin Furze has an idea that makes the chore as fun as piloting a remote-controlled car. → Read More
This trash bin can drive to the curb and back
Find taking out the trash a bit tedious? YouTube tinkerer Colin Furze has an idea that makes the chore as fun as piloting a remote-controlled car. → Read More
Chewbacca actor to tweet original 'Star Wars' script, hints at epic news
Peter Mayhew has Twitter all aflutter, saying he'll share pages of an early draft of the first film a little at a time and then make a "big announcement." → Read More
If Facebook 'likes' were votes, the next US president would be...
The answer definitely comes as a bit of shocker in this new analysis of the current candidates conducted by ESPN-owned political site FiveThirtyEight. → Read More
Hubble probes atmosphere on 'diamond planet'
Using data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers analyze the atmosphere of a super-Earth for the very first time. → Read More
Hubble probes atmosphere on 'diamond planet'
Using data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers analyze the atmosphere of a super-Earth for the very first time. → Read More
Space graffiti discovered inside Apollo 11 command module
Workers at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum uncover astronauts' scribbles that haven't been seen for 40 years. → Read More
Watch where the shadows will drop during March's solar eclipse
The moon will get in the way of our sunlight again in March, at least for some of us. Two new animations from NASA show how it all works, and where the darkness will be strongest. → Read More
Ancient amber proves early insects were keen on high society
"Downton Abbey" has nothing on these ants and termites. Thanks to 100-million-year-old amber, we now have even earlier proof that insects have long known something about social class. → Read More
Ancient amber proves early insects were keen on high society
"Downton Abbey" has nothing on these ants and termites. Thanks to 100-million-year-old amber, we now have even earlier proof that insects have long known something about social class. → Read More
Ancient amber proves early insects were keen on high society
"Downton Abbey" has nothing on these ants and termites. Thanks to 100-million-year-old amber, we now have even earlier proof that insects have long known something about social class. → Read More
This guy wants to set millions of CIA documents free
A huge cache of declassified CIA documents are technically open to the public, but too difficult for most to access. A Kickstarter campaign wants to change that. → Read More