Four Neat Things

A Friday Hodgepodge

1. Alison Green asked readers for examples of how their jobs followed them home recently and posted her favorites at Ask a Manager. Best of the bunch for me is the following example:

Back in the 90s, I volunteered at a zoo and I still scramble eggs the way the raven preferred them. [bold added]

Yes. I searched the comments in vain for how the raven preferred scrambled eggs, but only found a cute short poem in the style of "The Raven."

2. For fans of my "smart" car updates, I have found two lists that might come in handy the next time you need to buy a car. Both "Things That Annoy Me About Cars in 2026" and the "EV Stupidity Checklist" surprised even me with the ridiculous stunts automakers are pulling these days.

My favorite bit comes from the former, and reminds me of my annoyance with all the cute (but stupid) takes on the humble shower controller I encounter seemingly every time I stay in a hotel:

These door handle designs got so bad and unsafe in emergencies, that the Chinese government is mandating "the outside of every passenger door except the boot, to have a recessed space measuring no smaller than 6cm (2 in) by 2cm by 2.5cm to allow access to the handle" as of Jan 1st 2027.

Not only are these unconventional door handles awkward to use for passengers who are unfamiliar with your car - I got very tired of explaining how to open the door to anyone that got into my Tesla when I owned one - they are difficult for people with wrist, finger or other hand issues compared to a classic door handle.

We solved door handles 60 years ago, why are we fucking around with them!? [bold added]

Amen.

3. Hacker News gem of the day: the Wikipedia entry on wax motors, which use the expansion of wax during melting to do work. Here's an excerpt on one application:

Greenhouse Vents

Wax motors are widely used to operate the temperature regulating vents of greenhouses.

In this application, as the ambient temperature within the greenhouse increases, the wax melts, activating the plunger and opening the vents. When the greenhouse temperature has cooled sufficiently, the wax cools and solidifies, allowing the vents to close again.

The technology seems to be under a century old, albeit common in applications most people -- myself included until now -- are unaware of. The embedded video below is a time lapse of greenhouse vents opening via such a motor.

4. I don't play tennis, and you don't need to, either to be able to enjoy the creativity in design and setting on display in this pictorial of "The 30 Most Beautiful Tennis Courts Around the World at Architectural Digest"

-- CAV