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September 2, 2025

Barcodes, thermodynamics, and a unique display

Hello again my friend,

This past month I’ve been thinking about the reasons why our goals seem to die on the vine, and what we can do about it. Check it out.

Articles of note

  • The Onion’s take on AOL shutting down their dialup service - A solid outtake for the end of dial up.

  • Penguin group logos - A look into the design of the Penguin publisher’s logo.

  • The Barcode Engineered Its Own Downfall - The barcode turns 51 this year, and is responsible for the Cambrian explosion in variety available in stores. The alternative formats that were proposed are a solid example of Asimov’s theory of “rightness” being a continuum not a binary.

  • Invisible intelligence - A New Zealand former teacher’s thoughts on why standardised tests fail students with knowledge and skills beyond what the test writers imagined.

Neat web gizmos

  • A wooden pixel display -  Ben Holman built a 1000 pixel display that uses wood blocks for the pixels. It’s something to behold (and you can draw on it)

  • Historical Tech Tree- An interactive timeline of technology over the millennia

Quotes

“When you’re curious, you find lots of interesting things to do.”

– Walt Disney

That’s all for now folks, until next time

Justin

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