The Thing That Is Missing Is Ink
Open a photocopier and there is no liquid anywhere. No reservoir, no cartridge of fluid, no nib, no pad, no ribbon. The consumable…
It is loudest before it boils, and the switch never measures the water. Here are fifteen.
1. The Element Heats the Water, Not the Kettle
In an electric kettle the…
The Bars Are Not the Code
The intuitive reading of a barcode is that each bar is a symbol, like a letter, and the sequence of bars spells out the…
The cheapest components on the building, protecting the most expensive ones. Here are eleven.
1. They Stop the Roof Edge Being Fed Into the Wall
A roof with no gutter…
Nobody numbered a house until somebody official wanted something. Here are eleven.
1. Numbering Was Imposed, Not Adopted
Systematic house numbering spread through Europe in the eighteenth century, introduced by…
The least designed-looking thing in the street, and all of it is deliberate. Here are ten.
1. The Backrest Decides How Long You Stay
A bench with a back supports…