David Pierce serves as editor-at-large and co-host of Vergecast, bringing more than ten years of expertise in consumer technology reporting. He has previously worked at Protocol, The Wall Street Journal, and Wired.

School used to offer easy opportunities to misbehave since instructors often faced the chalkboard while writing. However, a technology once primarily employed for military applications, known as the overhead projector, arrived and transformed much beyond student discipline records.

In this installment of Version History, the tale of the overhead projector unfolds. David Pierce teams up with The Verge's Jake Kastrenakes and Stanford professor Antero Garcia to explore the origins of overhead projectors, their integration into educational settings, and their influence on learning methods. They also examine the reasons behind the decline of overhead projectors and assess if successors such as PowerPoint slides, computer displays, or modern smart boards truly advanced beyond the original OHP.

This concludes the fifth season of Version History, focused on notable educational technologies. We appreciate all the viewership, listenership, comments, and support! Beyond the OHP, this season covered Oregon Trail, the first Chromebook, the One Laptop Per Child initiative, the LeapFrog LeapPad, and the common Texas Instruments calculators. For any missed episodes from the season, find them here:

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David Pierce