In the third installment of a series, John Green tries out those tips you read about on the internet called “life hacks.” Some work, and some don’t. There are so many of them in this episode of the mental_floss List Show that he runs through them rapidly without any, or not much, wasted time. Some seem to work very well; others are a wash. And a few just seem like more trouble than they are worth.
Also see: Life Hacks Debunked Part One and Part Two.
Comments (3)
I do have fun when the cashier apologizes for the extra time they require to read. I tell them that I understand, since the chip contains a photon that is quantum-entangled with another photon at the National Institutes of Standards and Technologies in Washington, DC. The extra time taken is because the quantum state of both photons are being compared, to ensure that both are identical.
I further 'explain' that in Europe, entangled photons are in Saint Cloud, France, where the International Standard Kilogram is stored. The British, of course, keep theirs at the Royal Observatory.
Once all retailers in America are able to use the chip reader, and once (or, "if") it starts going a lot faster, then no worries. Until then, it's just an annoyance for everyone involved, cashiers included.