Small Thing. Big Idea: the history of everyday objects

Two years ago, a series about everyday objects was born. That’s also when I first wrote about it.
Now that is back for the second season, I decided it’s a good idea to update this post and give you a little recap on some of the newest episodes.

Overview of the series

Ted created a video series called Small Thing. Big Idea in 2018. Every week, a video between 3 and 4 minutes would reveal the history behind a daily object, and how much that small object impacts our daily life.

I honestly thought that it would be over, even though there was still so much to explore.
Fortunately, at the beginning of the year, they managed to bring it back, and it’s even more interesting than it was. I suspect that the reason they manage to do it, it’s because they have new sponsors, and therefore, can invite bigger names.

What everyday objects can you expect to see

So far, there have been some interesting episodes such as the purpose of the shape of pasta, the chopsticks invention, and the evolution of the coffee cup lid. Other videos include topics such as the invention of the compass, the social power of the afro pick, and the anatomy of the surfboard.

As far as design celebrities, Paola Antonelli, Chip Kidd, and Debbie Millman are some of the people you can expect to see this season.
Paola explains pasta and its origins, Chip talks about what he does best — books — and Millman takes us on a journey through eyewear history.

As a result, in four minutes or less, we can take a break from our work, and spend our pleasant pause learning something interesting that we never stopped to think about before.

If you’re curious about the upcoming episodes, follow on Facebook, and keep an eye out for some interesting facts on everyday objects.