The rise and fall of the powered wig (2020)
17 comments
·October 11, 2025ljlolel
mkl
It's not nearly as clear-cut as that, as there is evidence of its presence in Europe earlier: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syphilis#History
litoE
> In 1700, 800 shillings was approximately £40.
Since there were 20 shillings to a pound, 800 shillings were exactly £40. </nitpicking>
jachee
That’s a funny typo in the HN headline. :D
all2
I was wondering, does it light up? Spin on demand? A spinning wig could be a fun party trick.
summa_tech
It rises and falls. It's right in the title! Perhaps it has little jets, or maybe a particularly specialized form of antigravity.
Waterluvian
The powered wig is the must-have ubiquitous tech device that everyone has in 2057. It’s our version of your era’s smartphone. It is an AI-powered neural interface used to communicate with people, get the latest news, watch some vids, or even check your emails, if you still do that.
It’s essentially the “killer app” for AI, taking a good 21 years for the tech industry to figure it out. Don’t ask about the form factor, that’s a long story. But I promise it looks less silly when everyone’s wearing one.
Oh, and a little tip from the future: don’t overpower your wig.
dmitrygr
> The rise and fall of the powered wig (2020) (battlefields.org)
s/powered/powdered/g
stocksinsmocks
Perhaps, but I prefer it this way. The 10 horsepower wig is an underserved market.
octoberfranklin
Go go gadget hairpiece!
Theodores
Batteries weren't included, but a good article, nonetheless.
Interesting how baldness used to mean syphilis, few people know that.
What I also find interesting about men's hair is that long hair was common until the war machine came along with the short back and sides. Instead of hair, men got helmets.
The only time Americans got majorly anti-war was during the Vietnam War era, and the counterculture very much meant long hair for men, not a military style buzz cut.
Also fun to know, going grey prematurely isn't just 'genetics', as in that wonderful catch-all for anything medical we don't understand. Vitamin B12 also plays a part. Don't ask me how I know!
WalterBright
The Romans had short hair. The Romans associated short hair with freedom.
My dad, being in the military, had short hair. He said that short hair was practical when living in the mud. Short hair also allowed an enemy to use it as a handle to pull your head back and cut your throat. There are zero pictures of him with any remotely long hair.
I've had short hair for a long time, now. It's super easy to take care of. Doesn't need combing at all. Haircuts are cheap. And I use the top of my head to reflect light onto whatever I'm working on.
gnabgib
(2023) Powdered wig
more_corn
You missed a letter in the headline which makes it more appropriate for hacker news but less accurate.
ahartmetz
Yeah, I was hoping that it wasn't a typo!
null
nevster
Ven vill you vear vigs?
Interestingly, this doesn't mention that, like the tomato and the potato, Syphilis was from The New World. It’s a disease that caused this hair loss, unlike European diseases which killed a lot of Native Americans. Syphilis caused these issues but didn't cause death. However, it's interesting to note why this trend happened after the year 1492.