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THE ORIGINS OF EFFICIENCY
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Reading List 09/13/2025
3D printing company Icon, transporting wind turbine blades on the largest airplane in the world, insurers funding cloud seeding, earthquakes in the…
Sep 13
•
Brian Potter
47
2
An Engineering History of the Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project, the US program to build an atomic bomb during WWII, is one of the most famous and widely known major government projects: a…
Sep 11
•
Brian Potter
143
23
Reading List 09/06/2025
London homebuilding, historical home prices, a humanoid robot loading a dishwasher, France’s history of nuclear reactor construction, and more.
Sep 6
•
Brian Potter
79
3
August 2025
I Was Wrong About Data Center Water Consumption
But there are also some issues with how the Berkeley Lab report is estimating it.
Aug 30
•
Brian Potter
208
40
Ford and the Birth of the Model T
Ford’s status as a large-volume car producer began with the predecessor to the Model T: the Model N, a four-cylinder, two-seater car initially priced at…
Aug 28
•
Brian Potter
148
2
Reading List 08/23/25
Thermal energy storage, an adjustable allen wrench, the new race to the moon, the former world’s largest indoor water park, and more.
Aug 23
•
Brian Potter
82
3
How Does the US Use Water?
Water infrastructure often gets less attention and focus than other types of infrastructure.
Aug 21
•
Brian Potter
184
29
Reading List 08/16/25
Efforts to stop solar and wind permitting, Ford’s new manufacturing process, Lake Powell’s water levels, Tesla’s used car prices, and more.
Aug 16
•
Brian Potter
92
3
My Book "The Origins of Efficiency" is Now Available for Preorder
I’m happy to announce that my book, The Origins of Efficiency, is now (officially) available for preorder, and will be released on September 23rd. You…
Aug 12
•
Brian Potter
244
39
Reading List 08/09/2025
Microplastics in the air, the Blanchard lathe, the report on the OceanGate sub disaster, a plan to visit a black hole, and more.
Aug 9
•
Brian Potter
85
5
Group Technology, the Forgotten Cousin of Lean Manufacturing
Industrial improvement systems — strategies for making a business more profitable, more efficient, or better operated — rise and fall in popularity over…
Aug 7
•
Brian Potter
127
15
Reading List 08/02/2025
European multifamily construction, a robot lamp, China’s self-driving car test, a “mini Moravec's paradox”, and more.
Aug 2
•
Brian Potter
35
1
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