We Are All Number 2 Pencils
How the global community works to create us all
I saw a meme the other day that was pointing out the fact that no one person in this world could make a number 2 pencil on their own. The main point was that it takes a global community to produce even the simplest of our tools.
As a mechanical brain, I endeavored to pull the argument apart and much to my surprise, I couldn’t. They were correct. A number two pencil requires quite a list of resources.
Just for the basics components you are looking at the following:
- Lead
- Wood
- Rubber
- Brass
- Paint
On top of these basic ingredients, they need to have specific tooling in order to piece them all together. Things like:
- Saws
- Lathes
- Metal working tools
- Wood working tools
- Rubber processing equipment
- Lead refinement equipment
- Paint producing equipment along with pigments
- Final assembly tooling
If we go even a step further, you’d need to know the practices and processes of each of those. We won’t even…