Catching up to technology

December 11, 2023  |  My Take

The first motor vehicles hit the road in the 1880s, but according to healinglaw.com, the first laws to regulate them, enacted by Connecticut almost 20 years later in 1901, set speed limits of 12 MPH on city streets and 15 MPH on country roads. That’s it. The sum total of traffic laws for “motors…
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Nobody said this would be easy

November 13, 2023  |  My Take

You might think that after several years of attending the Advanced Textiles Association’s Expo, it would be pretty repetitious, but I can assure you, it’s really not. Since I work in a market area (emerging technologies) that’s always changing (and expanding, I might add), there are always new…
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Think small

October 9, 2023  |  My Take

My dad had a fascination with things that are small: a compass the size of your thumbnail, six doors opening into one tiny hallway in his house—anything that could be made smaller and still be functional delighted him. Maybe that’s why a story I read recently caught my attention, and I had to tr…
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The fun of being a researcher

September 11, 2023  |  My Take

Scientists are often hesitant to speculate (publicly, at least) about future innovations that could impact our industry when the ability to accomplish that is little more than a fantasy. They are more than willing, however, to share information on known-but-very-new technologies or materials that co…
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Everybody is a consumer

August 28, 2023  |  My Take

Price counts, but it isn’t the only thing. Quality, in the long run, is often more economical, even if it costs more upfront. Can I get what I want when I need to get it? What if something isn’t right? Will the vendor make it right? How long will that take? How will this impact my use of it? Sur…
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Provocative books

August 14, 2023  |  My Take

My sister, who is an author, ran across a book that she thought would interest me. That turned out to be quite an understatement. The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World by Virginia Postrel may sound a bit bombastic, but Postrel has done such thorough research, and she lays out her…
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Tennies and the footwear revolution

July 31, 2023  |  My Take

The world calls them “sneakers,” but Minnesotans (at least older folks) call them “tennies.” This is the shortened version of tennis shoes—so called, I assume, because of their original purpose.
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Timing a great idea

June 26, 2023  |  My Take

I have a confession to make. My editorial calendar is prepared at least six months before it kicks in, and it sometimes happens that I have a great idea for a feature, but before we hit the month designated for articles covering this great idea, it’s apparent that I’ve already covered it. My exp…
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Idea generating

May 22, 2023  |  My Take

My son asked me recently how I thought of all the ideas for stories in this publication. He thought it would be hard to keep coming up with something new to say. (After all, I’ve been doing this for quite a few years.) Well Joe, it would, if I had to come up with all the ideas.
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Ubiquitous polyester

April 24, 2023  |  My Take

I was recently looking for some clothing items made of cotton. That used to be easy. Everything was made out of cotton, or another natural fiber such as wool or silk. I’m giving my age away here, because I know this transition away from “natural” fibers has been ongoing for a long time. But fl…
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