Gallery: A Stunning Rainbow Made of Junk and Inspired by Philip K. Dick

  • Image may contain Rug
    Dan Tobin Smith
    01

    Kipple-Studio-Clean-004

    For the London Design Festival, photographer Dan Tobin Smith covered his studio floors with kipple.
  • Image may contain Plant Flower Petal and Blossom
    Dan Tobin Smith
    02

    Kipple-Studio-Clean-057

    Not familiar with kipple? The science fiction writer Philip K. Dick coined the term in his 1968 book, *Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?*
  • Image may contain Electronics Human Person and Phone
    Dan Tobin Smith
    03

    01.tif

    Kipple describes the useless, inanimate objects that surround us everyday.
  • Image may contain Petal Flower Plant Blossom Rubble and Leaf
    Dan Tobin Smith
    04

    01.tif

    London Design Festival is a time when Smith says, “people launch new things, and a lot of it is beautiful, but not all of it very useful."
  • Image may contain Turquoise Rubble Nature Road Dirt Road and Gravel
    Dan Tobin Smith
    05

    EYI0014W-01.tif

    He took thousands and thousands of un-sellable items from charities, and from closed down studio sets, and divided the objects into 27 color groups.
  • Image may contain Nature
    Dan Tobin Smith
    06

    EYI0014W-02.tif

    The rainbow ombre installation covers over 2,100 square feet in Smith's studio.
Read More
What’s Worse Than Romance Scams? Adoption Scams
This week in WIRED Book Club, we recap the final chapters of The Yahoo Boys.
Kate Knibbs
Beatbot’s New Pool Robot Cleans Itself (Mostly)
The AquaSense X brings self-cleaning technology to pool robots for the first time, but is it worth nearly twice the price of Beatbot’s flagship cleaner?
Christopher Null
Skylight’s Touchscreen Calendar Got my Whole Family on the Same Page
The Skylight has become the informational and organizational hub of my household. My touchscreen-native kids have also gained more agency over our family activities.
Jaclyn Greenberg
The Samsung Micro RGB R95H Is a Good, Not Great TV
There’s a new fleet of TVs using new mini and micro RBG display tech, and Samsung’s R95H model isn’t as impressive as it should be.
John Brandon
AI Found a Root Bug in Linux That Everyone Missed for 15 Years
Plus: The Pentagon is training amateurs to become part of its hacker army, a Flock license plate reader error led to cops surrounding a car reviewer, and more.
Dell Cameron
We Make Lovely Home-Cooked Meals for Ourselves. Why Not Do the Same for Our Dogs?
More dog owners have begun cooking for their canine companions in recent years. When my own dog fell ill, I became part of this growing group.
Alicia Kennedy
The Best Hiking Boots and Shoes for Any Adventure
From strenuous hikes and serious summits to weekend rambles in the park, these boots help you make the most of your time outdoors.
Chris Haslam
China’s Tianwen-2 Space Probe Has Rendezvoused With Earth’s Quasi-Moon
The probe sent back the first pictures of the asteroid Kamo’oalewa. Next step: landing on the surface and collecting samples to send back to Earth.
Ritsuko Kawai
El Niño Is Already Wreaking Havoc on Pacific Fisheries
As the climate phenomenon sends warm water surging across the eastern Pacific, some parts of the fishing industry are suffering—but other regions are seeing a windfall.
Joseph Winters
Exclusive: How Jay-Z Pulled Off a Surprise-Filled Show During New York’s Wildest Summer
Summer 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of Jay-Z’s debut Reasonable Doubt. To honor it, he put on a massive concert at Yankee Stadium—complete with performances from Beyoncé, Nas, and Alicia Keys.
Angela Watercutter
OpenAI’s Head of Safety Is Leaving the Company
Johannes Heidecke’s departure comes as OpenAI tries to further integrate its research and safety teams.
Maxwell Zeff
Microsoft Reports a Massive 25 Percent Jump in Emissions
Data centers are driving up the company’s use of electricity—and carbon pollution.
Molly Taft