Transistor (https://transistor.fm) https://feeds.transistor.fm/the-learning-curve-ca4990cc-4046-4fbc-a82e-9880a25b74f7 One fascinating thing, every Monday. How the world works, or a skill worth having, explained by Maya and Ellis. © 2026 Chris Bookman 28075e7c-d9b6-5ac2-8c4e-029f6d7e9cbc yes en Mon, 09 Nov 2026 05:51:47 -0800 Mon, 09 Nov 2026 05:52:12 -0800 https://img.transistorcdn.com/WvWRcQCQlTZWkts8eCQKfsnz9k46IZ84PoMaklmRZi4/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8xNjk4/ZmE5YTRlN2M0MDc1/ZjMzN2Y5OGI0ZjRl/NTVlOS5qcGc.jpg episodic Chris Bookman One fascinating thing, every Monday. How the world works, or a skill worth having, explained by Maya and Ellis. One fascinating thing, every Monday. Chris Bookman No No Sixty Times a Second: The Grid Is One Spinning Machine full a89b864d-2c83-41b7-876a-a70ed3b4dd2d https://share.transistor.fm/s/9515c602 Mon, 09 Nov 2026 05:51:46 -0800 Chris Bookman Chris Bookman 765 Flipping a switch makes a distant generator work a little harder in that same instant, because the grid stores almost nothing and holds a continent-wide tug of war at exactly 60 hertz. Texas runs its own separate grid, and in 2018 a dispute between Serbia and Kosovo made electric clocks across Europe lose about six minutes. Flipping a switch makes a distant generator work a little harder in that same instant, because the grid stores almost nothing and holds a continent-wide tug of war at exactly 60 hertz. Texas runs its own separate grid, and in 2018 a dispute between Serbia No Sour Means Early, Bitter Means Late: Coffee Extraction full b04f7fc0-9ab0-42e9-a72c-334a50ec9dad https://share.transistor.fm/s/50b3fefb Mon, 02 Nov 2026 05:55:06 -0800 Chris Bookman Chris Bookman 666 Coffee flavors dissolve in a fixed order: acids first, sweetness in the middle, bitterness last, so a great cup means stopping extraction in the sweet 18 to 22 percent window. Maya and Ellis teach the two-dial system (ratio for strength, grind, time and temperature for extraction), the bloom, and a first pour-over you can run tomorrow morning. Coffee flavors dissolve in a fixed order: acids first, sweetness in the middle, bitterness last, so a great cup means stopping extraction in the sweet 18 to 22 percent window. Maya and Ellis teach the two-dial system (ratio for strength, grind, time and t No The Code That Can Lose a Third of Itself full 60f6a0ed-822b-40c8-8e43-f45cfece776e https://share.transistor.fm/s/cfe95fb7 Mon, 26 Oct 2026 05:51:21 -0700 Chris Bookman Chris Bookman 652 A QR code can be torn, stained, or covered by a logo and still scan because it stores Reed-Solomon backup math alongside the message, the same idea that helped Voyager and CDs survive damage. Maya and Ellis explain the finder patterns, the four protection levels, and why a badly damaged code says nothing rather than something wrong. A QR code can be torn, stained, or covered by a logo and still scan because it stores Reed-Solomon backup math alongside the message, the same idea that helped Voyager and CDs survive damage. Maya and Ellis explain the finder patterns, the four protection No