In the 1700s, prior to copyright laws, piracy was a respectable business. “Take a book that is selling well, reprint it…then haul in the profit.” But pirating literature was also a risky enterprise; if it is printed and sold too late, it was unlikely that your pirated copies would sell well. Even so, it was a risk that businessmen like Frédéric-Samuel Ostervald were willing to take, especially when Voltaire himself encouraged piracy of his work. Read full article here
Technology
The First Solar-Powered Car Comes at a Hot Price
The Lightyear O is a revolutionary electric car powered by the sun. Developed by a Dutch startup, the four-door sedan has over 50 square feet of solar panels on its roof and hood, generating up to 43 miles of energy a day. With production now underway in Finland, the car does come with a hefty price tag at $262,000, but the company hopes to introduce a more affordable version, the Lightyear 2, by 2025. Read full article here