My second son loves flying.
Consider a plane. Not an actual plane, but a small, styrofoam plane from the hobby store—as in, the simplest version of plane you can think of.
The propeller on that plane was pressed alongside 100,000 other propellers in a cast iron press, in a plastic factory, in Taipei. The press was designed in 1962 and hasn’t taken a day off since. Before that, each propeller was carved out of wood by hand. Manufacturing efficiency for common plastic items has sped up exponentially in the last 50+ years.
The wings and body of that plane were also made in a preformed press, but they were made in a different factory, 500 miles north of Taipei, in a city called Qindao, mainland China. And the styrofoam was sourced from another city in another country. All the parts are assembled in yet another city. Supply chain continuity and barge transportation is a fraction the cost as it was even 30 years ago, making all the moving of that material financially pencil out.
Speaking of styrofoam, did you know that it’s made of styrene, which is a petroleum-based product? In other words, it’s a byproduct of oil, and it’s made through a process called polymerization. (Yes, chemists with phD’s are involved.)
My son has a couple of styrofoam planes. And given his affinity for flying, those “toys” are easily a means of learning about history, math, geopolitics, manufacturing, macro economics, commercial transportation, ecology, chemistry, and on and on.
Everyday objects are a sophisticated application of every subject offered at the nearest university.
Literally, everything can be learned through anything! (h/t July Bogart)
Don’t miss the learning opportunities all around you.
