Ed Conway

edconway.substack.com

Unexpected stories from the underbelly of the modern world. Click to read Material World, by Ed Conway, a Substack publication with tens of thousands of subscribers.

Popular posts: 4
Total points: 622
HN comments: 362
Rank: #3,983 personal

Visit edconway.substack.com → RSS feedOn Hacker News May 2023 – Sep 2026

Society, Policy & Culture 3 History & Retro Computing 2 Tech Industry & Business 2 Science & Space 1

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Kerosene did not save the sperm whale (2024)

2025190 points69 comments History & Retro Computing details

How we carried on exploiting sperm whales long after the conventional wisdom said we'd stopped. Forgotten Material #1

Watching Paint Dry: The unexpectedly interesting story of car coatings

2023175 points99 comments Science & Space details

The unexpectedly interesting story of car coatings and what they tell us about the modern world

How the Chorleywood Bread Process transformed British bread

2026135 points134 comments History & Retro Computing details

How a Hertfordshire research lab quietly transformed an iconic British staple food, and the complexion of the countryside - without anyone actually noticing

The Glass Famine

2026122 points60 comments Society, Policy & Culture details

Spies, war, industrial subterfuge and secret recipes. And it all really happened. Honestly, what more could you ask for?