Wednesday, January 12, 2011

TEDTalk: How I built a toaster -- from scratch

"It takes an entire civilization to build a toaster. Designer Thomas Thwaites found out the hard way, by attempting to build one from scratch: mining ore for steel, deriving plastic from oil ... it's frankly amazing he got as far as he got. A parable of our interconnected society, for designers and consumers alike."

1 comment:

DKB said...

It's actually quite impressive for what he accomplished, and very much the way Douglas Adams would have had Arthur Dent stumble through it... the point being less about making toast and more about making a plastic-covered gewgaw that makes the toast.

I think I'd just make a frame to hold the toast over fire, but I'm a pragmatist.