The Belief Is Universal and It Is Backwards
Ask anybody how a microwave differs from a conventional oven and you will be told that it heats from the inside out.…
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…
A smoke alarm is a white plastic disc with a button and a battery, and the assumption is that something inside it can somehow see smoke. Neither of the two…
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…
Three or four clocks, one person and a job that never finished. Here are twelve.
1. The Key Living Somewhere Specific
A small brass key kept inside the case, on…
Mostly about air, not water. Here are fifteen.
1. The Bend Is Holding Water on Purpose
Every fixture has a trap, a dip in the pipe that retains water after…