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What is a blacklight and how do you make one? This is the topic of a recent MacGyver episode in which he quickly creates an improvised blacklight to find hidden messages on a wall. You can watch the scene here-and a disclaimer, I am currently the Technical Consultant for the show. But still, there's lots a great science in this one little scene. What is "Blacklight"? OK, it's not really a black light. It's better to call it what it is: ultraviolet light. Let's start with a quick overview of light. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Virtual reality needs motion controls, period. If you're an Oculus Rift owner, you may have had some fun times playing games that use the Xbox One controller packed in the box. Eagle Flight's pretty good. But eagles don't got no hands anyway. Any other situation, you're gonna want hands, and that means motion controls. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Pen-to-paper digital capturing tools like Wacom’s Bamboo Slate ($150) have been around for a while now, but they still seem like magic. There should be no way that you can draw a picture on a pad of paper, press a button, and have a perfect facsimile almost instantly pop up on your phone or your iPad. It defies the laws of… everything. Even if you know how it works, it still seems like it shouldn’t be possible. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Editor's note: We're proud to bring NextDraft-the most righteous, most essential newsletter on the web-to WIRED.com. Every Friday you'll get a roundup of the week's most popular must-read stories from around the internet, courtesy of mastermind Dave Pell. So dig in and geek out. The Mile Spry Club Like the US and many other countries, Britain has a childhood obesity problem. One teacher witnessed the issue firsthand when she watched a group of 11-year-olds struggle to complete a lap. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Playtime meets programming tool in Ozobot’s Evo, “the smart and social robot toy.” Well, let’s not get too carried away. Evo responds to programming, but that doesn’t exactly make it smart. I’m not sure a bunch of flashing lights, beeps, and whirrs qualify as social, but I suppose I’ve seen worse on Facebook. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Discover the features and audio quality of the Como Audio Solo, a clock radio with retro design and multi-room audio capabilities. From Cambridge SoundWorks speakers to Tivoli Audio booth memories, explore the evolution of home audio technology.

ZenBook is an awfully good name for the laptop we consider today. Careful meditation will come in handy when pondering whether to fork over a stratospheric $1,599 for a 12.5-inch ultrabook. Asus offers its latest ZenBook 3in two incarnations, both in the same 12.5-inch chassis. The $1,099 cheapie model offersstripped-down specs, while paying $500 more for theupscale version gets you all the bells and whistles: Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a high-end 512GB SSD. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

In one corner of John Knoll’s office at Lucasfilm stand three racks of imposing black computer servers. The sleek 6-foot-tall towers, complete with mechanical switches and fans, flash blue LEDs. Each bears the insignia of the Galactic Empire from Star Wars and a name—Death Star 748, Death Star 749. Imperial computers, these are. As impressive and menacing as the machines appear, they aren’t real. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

One day in early July, the poet Claudia Rankine was working in her study when her husband walked in. "I can't watch this," he said. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

You don't even have to watch the whole movie to get the best line from Doctor Strange. Let me set this up (mostly spoiler free). Stephen Strange (Doctor Strange) ends up meeting with The Ancient One and she shows him some seriously awesome stuff. Here is the conversation they have. Strange: How do I get from here to there? The Ancient One: How did you become a doctor? Strange: Study and practice-many years of it. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices