HackerTube / Video
The world depends on a collection of strange items. They're not cheap
Veritasium
Veritasium visits NIST to explain Standard Reference Materials, the carefully characterized items such as peanut butter used to calibrate instruments and keep measurements consistent. It covers why they exist and why they are expensive.
Whenever NIST's pricey peanut butter or reference materials come up, commenters point to this as the clear explanation of why they exist.
10 Hacker News mentions · 2023–2026