Hey Reader, Happy Wednesday! Last week, I went to Lake Tahoe in California for the long weekend. Let’s look at how a SOS signal works this week. I aim to write my newsletter issues in a way one can follow them while traveling on a bus, having a coffee, waiting for food, etc. Let’s jump in! How it works: 15-second answer SOS is a universal distress signal used in emergencies. It works through Morse code, which combines short (·) and long (—) signals to form letters and words. The letters SOS...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Hey Reader, Happy Wednesday! Last week, I experimented with preparing Chinese cuisine at home for every meal. Let’s look at how Velcro works this week. I aim to write my newsletter issues so one can follow them while traveling on a bus, having a coffee, waiting for food, etc. Let's jump in! How it works: 15-second answer Velcro is a hook-and-loop fastener made of two parts: loops and hooks. When pressed together, the hooks latch onto the loops, creating a secure bond. Pulling them apart...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader, Happy Wednesday! Finally, I’m back in California after my hiatus. I got married in November and wanted to take a long break for the first time since I started writing this newsletter 2 years ago. Also, fortunately, the stars and time aligned for me to travel to Vietnam, Thailand, and India during this break. After all the fun and frolic, I thought now was the right time to get back at it and continue the newsletter marathon. So let's jump in and look at how a barcode you see on...
2 months ago • 4 min read
Hey Reader, Happy Wednesday! Last week, I visited Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with my friends, and revisited my grad school after 5+ years. Let’s look at how a thermos flask works this week. I aim to write my newsletter issues in a way one can follow them while traveling on a bus, having a coffee, waiting for food, etc. Let's jump in! How it works: 15-second answer A thermos flask slows down heat transfer to keep your coffee hot. Firstly, it uses a vacuum between the inner and outer glass layers...
6 months ago • 4 min read
Hey Reader, Happy Thursday! Last week, I watched American football for the first time at a stadium in Berkeley. Let’s look at how noise-canceling headphones work this week. I aim to write my newsletter issues so that one can follow them while traveling on a bus, having a coffee, waiting for food, etc. Let’s jump in! Shoutout! Before diving into today’s topic, I’d like to give a special shoutout to Gowtham Sivaraman for suggesting this week’s topic: how noise-canceling headphones work! Thanks,...
6 months ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader, Happy Wednesday! Last week, I moved to Berkeley to stay out of a camper van for 50 days. And the following was originally my blog post that I'm revamping as a newsletter for this edition. Let’s look at how self-cleaning water bottles work this week. I aim to write my newsletter issues in a way that allows one to follow them while traveling on a bus, having coffee, waiting for food, etc. Many innovations and developments related to clean water have popped up in the recent few...
7 months ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader, Happy Wednesday! I'm taking a short break for the first time in the last 2 years of writing this newsletter, so I'm resending one of the most opened and popular newsletters this week. Thank you all for your support! Let’s look at how Airport body scanning technology works this week. It is also called Millimeter wave detection and spot this title written on one of these machines the next time you are at an airport. I aim to write my newsletter issues in a way one can follow them...
7 months ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader, Happy Wednesday! Last week, I finished my swimming classes in India and ‘almost’ learned to swim. Let’s look at how Ships work this week. I aim to write my newsletter issues in a way one can follow them while traveling on a bus, having a coffee, waiting for food, etc. Let's jump in! How it works: 15-second answer Ships float because they are less dense than water. Though made of dense materials like steel, ships have hollow interiors filled with air, reducing their overall...
9 months ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader, Happy Friday! Last week, I came to India to visit my family and friends. I fell sick so I’m sending this newsletter on a Friday instead of the usual Wednesdays. Thank you for the support! Let’s look at how a watch works this week. I aim to write my newsletter issues in a way one can follow them while traveling on a bus, having a coffee, waiting for food, etc. Let's jump in! How it works: 15-second answer A quartz watch uses the piezoelectric effect. A quartz crystal vibrates...
9 months ago • 4 min read
