528- A Whale-Oiled Machine

99% Invisible

14-03-2023 • 34 mins

Back when whale oil was mainly used as a fuel to burn in lanterns and streetlights, an enterprising man named William F. Nye found a new way to sell whale oil to a rapidly changing world: as a lubricant for all the new fangled machines. Nye specialized in specialization- selling different oils for watches, sewing machines, bicycles. Lubrication has had a largely invisible role in the design of the modern world, but its importance cannot be overstated.

A Whale-Oiled Machine

You Might Like

The Moth
The Moth
The Moth
99% Invisible
99% Invisible
Roman Mars
Myths and Legends
Myths and Legends
Jason Weiser, Carissa Weiser, Nextpod
The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio
The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio
Adam Graham Radio Detective Podcasts
McCartney: A Life in Lyrics
McCartney: A Life in Lyrics
iHeartPodcasts and Pushkin Industries
LeVar Burton Reads
LeVar Burton Reads
LeVar Burton and Stitcher
Anxiety Rx
Anxiety Rx
Russell Kennedy
Snap Judgment
Snap Judgment
Snap Judgment and PRX