Nuts and Bolts
The more complex the gear, the more (not less) attention it will require. The natural inclination toward change is inescapable, even for the most abstract entities we know of: bits.
Kevin Kelly • The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future
It’s not about reinventing the wheel; it’s about mass producing the wheel so more people can more easily experience their own adventures.
Dan Mall • Design That Scales
Have you ever thought, not only about the airplane but whatever man builds, that all of man’s industrial efforts, all his computations and calculations, all the nights spent working over drafts and blue-prints, invariably culminate in the production of a thing whose sole and guiding principle is the ultimate principle of simplicity?
Naomi Klein • Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman--Including 10 More Years of Business Unusual
Steels come in four major categories.[51] Carbon steels (90 percent of all steels on the market are 0.3–0.95 percent carbon) are everywhere, from bridges to fridges and from gears to shears. Alloy steels include varying shares of one or more elements (most commonly manganese, nickel, silicon, and chromium, but also aluminum, molybdenum, titanium, a
... See moreVaclav Smil • How the World Really Works: The Science Behind How We Got Here and Where We're Going
First, we can all try to engage more actively with the material world, not merely the digital or natural world. Go ahead and pick an industrial phenomenon and learn more about it. Learn more about the history of aviation, and what it took to break the sound barrier; gaze at the container ships as they sail into port, and keep in mind that they carr... See more
danwang.co • Definite optimism as human capital
The modern makers’ machine does not want you to create heavy things. It runs on the internet—powered by social media, fueled by mass appeal, and addicted to speed. It thrives on spikes, scrolls, and screenshots. It resists weight and avoids friction. It does not care for patience, deliberation, or anything but production .