Archive
Writing
Explorations across design, food, drink, and language. Long-form, historically anchored, always opinionated.
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Potato: A Deep-Rooted Word1
Read: Potato: A Deep-Rooted Word1A humble tuber with a surprisingly complicated identity. The potato’s names — from pomme de terre to 馬鈴薯 — tell a story of empire, confusion, and one very embarrassing supermarket incident in Taipei.
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Automotive Design I: The Dawn of Mass Production
Read: Automotive Design I: The Dawn of Mass ProductionHenry Ford’s assembly line didn’t just change how cars were made — it changed what they looked like. The story of mass production, and what design lost and gained in the process.
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Horseless Carriages? Electric Cars? The Early Days of Automobiles
Read: Horseless Carriages? Electric Cars? The Early Days of AutomobilesBefore cars were cars, they were horseless carriages — modified coaches built by coachmakers, steered by tillers, and powered by steam, electricity, or petrol. The surprisingly open-ended origins of the automobile.
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The Power of Love: Why is Automotive Design so Interesting?
Read: The Power of Love: Why is Automotive Design so Interesting?Car design is never just about the car. It reflects culture, technology, politics, and aspiration — and the word “automotive” tells you more about that than “automobile” ever could.
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Car Design: An Introduction
Read: Car Design: An IntroductionA childhood racetrack made of cardboard, a Volvo 340, and a lifelong obsession with cars. An introduction to the design, history, and culture of the automobile.
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The History of Beer III – Medieval Europe 2: Society & Culture
Read: The History of Beer III – Medieval Europe 2: Society & CultureIn medieval Europe, beer wasn’t a luxury — it was nutrition, hydration, and social currency all at once. Liquid bread, and why that nickname is more accurate than it sounds.
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Dragon Boat Festival/端午節
Read: Dragon Boat Festival/端午節The Dragon Boat Festival traces back to a banished poet, a loyal minister, and a leap into a river. The surprisingly rich origin story of one of Taiwan’s most celebrated festivals.
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The History of Beer III – Medieval Europe 1: Production
Read: The History of Beer III – Medieval Europe 1: ProductionFrom monastery to marketplace — how medieval Europe’s brewing industry tracked the rise of urbanisation, commerce, and early capitalism. Beer wasn’t just a drink; it was an economic force.
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Mummy? Maman? 媽媽?
Read: Mummy? Maman? 媽媽?Why does “mother” sound so similar across dozens of unrelated languages? The answer starts with the sounds babies make — and tells us something profound about language itself.
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