Quite a few years ago, I don’t really know how, the Muppets character Beaker became C&EN’s unofficial mascot. If you are not familiar with the Muppets (what planet have you been living on?), Beaker is ...

See Beaker’s Secret, Pre-Bunsen Honeydew PastVintage photographs uncovered that find the Muppet Lab sidekick meeping in the Old West, and by the sides of JFK and Elvis.

Freelance writer Amanda C. Kooser covers gadgets and tech news with a twist for CNET. When not wallowing in weird gear and iPad apps for cats, she can be found tinkering with her 1956 DeSoto. If it's ...