Christian Bailly has built a $6-million automaton called the Bird Trainer. Now can he find a buyer? Here's a lesson learned in childhood: Dolls can be spooky. Catch one staring at you across a dim ...

Automata are mechanical moving figures; throughout history their lifelike movements have fascinated such creative minds as Da Vinci and Faberge. One century ago however, production fell silent. Now ...

In the Russia of Czar Nicholas II, no secret was more closely guarded than the surprises inside the precious eggs he gave to his wife and mother each Easter. Even Nicholas himself didn't know in ...

A Chicago doctor can direct surgery via satellite. Susan, on the South Side, can message her pal Shan in sister city Shanghai as fast as she can say shredded pork. Advanced technology is mind-blowing.