Good one. I more-or-less stopped caring about disk latency once I gotnmy first SSD - it was truly a marvel.
The 200-500 kiloton/year is from https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.3c05955
For a deeper dive you can peruse the works that cite these articles, there's lots of research into microplastic population dynamics. Unfortunately most reach similar conclusions.
The abstract said a large proportion of microplastic fibers found in the marine environment may be derived from sewage as a consequence of washing of clothes. Not is derived. And not microfiber solely.
Laparoscopy, electric bikes, water bottle tech (steel vs soft plastic), audio & video editing/ CGI /etc (not sure what to call this one)
I had to look this one up. I don't think I've ever seen filtered milk in the US, but it looks like the ones sold here are specialty high protein/low lactose milks which I can't imagine tastes the same.
They also appear to expire 9-14 days after opening which doesn't seem all that different from other milk with practice?
I wouldn't want to drink ordinary milk after it's been open for 14 days.
Fairlife tastes excellent. I switched for the extra protein as I'm a bodybuilder. I bought the 3.25% fat version at first because I love the silky mouthfeel of a whole milk cappuccino. Then I found the 2% Fairlife satisfies in the same way as 3.25%, with less fat calories, and froths up beautifully in the pitcher.
> They also appear to expire 9-14 days after opening which doesn't seem all that different from other milk with practice?
Anecdotally I think it's better. I've never had to toss one (but they are half gallons) while I find myself tossing sour regular milk frequently.
The only thing that's come close to the "wow!" factor that SSDs invoked was the Apple M1. Many Windows laptops STILL haven't caught up to its performance, and I don't think ANY have caught up to its iPad-like battery life!
Filtered milk. Tastes the same as ordinary homogenized milk but double (or better) the shelf life. Very convenient if you only use small quantities at a time, e.g. for adding to tea.
Microfiber cloths. Much better cleaning than traditional cloths. In many cases all you need is water, or use them dry for dusting. Reusable too.
SSDs. In my opinion, the biggest computer upgrade in my lifetime. Access latency goes from obvious to imperceptible. A great many interactive tasks involve waiting for IO, and this is far more pleasant when you don't feel the delay.
Cheap but transparent audio DACs/amplifiers. This is essentially a solved problem at headphone power levels. Most modern designs have zero perceptible noise or distortion.