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Technology & Inventions
Every technology solves a constraint and creates a new one. These lessons trace the inventions that changed daily life and the trade-offs baked into them.
2 lessons · 1 quiz
Lessons
Technology & Inventions/beginner
Why the Transistor Beat the Vacuum Tube
Vacuum tubes worked. They were also hot, fragile, power-hungry and slow to switch. The transistor replaced them in two decades — and then kept shrinking for sixty years.
6 min read
Technology & Inventions/intermediate
The Hidden Cost of the Cloud
“The cloud” is a building full of servers with a power bill and a water pipe. Understanding that turns a vague metaphor into concrete engineering.
5 min read
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