2021 Tedium Highlight by Andrew Egan: How NYC got its unique restaurant grading system. 

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Andrew Egan’s 2021 Highlights

November 2021

Dead on Archival

Considering the challenges that face shuttered newspapers with decades or even centuries of material to preserve.
October 2021

Would I Lie to Monty Hall?

The logic problem involving a game show host that drove people crazy in the early ’90s … and whether it applies to the panel shows of today.
September 2021

Yikes! You Call That a Pencil?

How a pencil made out of compressed particle boards became a schoolyard fad—and what that pencil line has to do with olestra.
August 2021

Renamin’ Cajuns

How a somewhat obscure Louisiana university got a gradual name upgrade in the eyes of state law—and of college football (of course).
July 2021

The Things That Go Bump On The Web

Explaining the power of collaborative fiction on the web—particularly the extremely compelling work of the SCP Foundation.
June 2021

Billboard Empire

The evolution of the billboard, an object that very much tends to keep pace with the times. Who doesn’t love outdoor advertising?

Home Security Insecurities

Wait, so why could changes to the cellular system cause headaches for your home security setup? And honestly, is it really that big of a deal?
April 2021

The Letter in the Window

The wacky and surprising history of NYC restaurant inspections. That letter grade is a lot more effective than you might think.
March 2021

No Shortage of GPUs Here

What makes a GPU a GPU, and when did we start calling it that? Turns out that’s a more complicated question than it sounds.
February 2021

Ignoring The Warnings

Two decades later, a parable about safety in sports—one that led to the death of a NASCAR legend—feels more relevant than ever.
January 2021

Canada’s Vegas Vacation

The tale of the star player you’ve probably never heard of … unless your definition of “football” extends past the Canadian border.

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