For the last several years, Tom Whitwell, has written an annual list of 52 things he's learned that year. He just posted his new one.
Here are five samples:
There are just 16 trademarked scents in the US, including Crayola crayons, Playdoh, an ocean-scented soft play in Indiana and a type of gun cleaner that smells of ammonium and kerosene. [Via Gabrielle E. Brill]
Casio sells a premium desk calculator called the S100X-BK. It has exactly the same functions as a normal calculator but is handmade in Japan from milled aluminium. It costs £359.99. [darkhorse_log]
You can buy 200 real human molars for $900. [B for Bones, via Lauren]
In the US, table saws are responsible for around 4,300 amputations per year. All other products are responsible for 3,600 amputations per year combined. [Ben Blatt]
Between the 1920s and 1950s, millions of 'enemies of the people' — often educated elites — were sent to prison camps in the Soviet Union. Today, the areas around those camps are more prosperous and productive than similar areas. [Toews & Vézina]
One thing I learned this year is that Tom made modular synthesizer, called the Music Thing Modular Workshop System. "It's slightly smaller than a hardback book and comes in a foam-lined hard case."
Previously:
• 52 interesting things Tom Whitwell learned in 2022
• A list of productivity and collaboration lessons from The Beatles
• Music Thing's Tiny Music Makers series
