52 things I learned in 2020 - Magnetic Notes - Medium
Tom Whitwell’s 52-item list collects brief surprising facts and observations encountered in 2020, spanning technology, history, health and culture. Entries note how [[Apple AirPods]] would rank as a standalone business, how [[iPod]] development took 41 weeks, and the UK shift in the [[National Grid]] from coal to low-carbon sources. He surfaces curiosities from a WW2 shipwreck in the [[Thames Estuary]] to loan-shaming via Kenyan app [[OKash]] and [[Tuvalu]]’s income from the [[.tv]] domain. The list mixes science (mimicking smell, micromorts), policy and corporate oddities (sarcasm detection, stock-name confusions), and human stories, linking sources and contributors. It cites research from [[Emory University]] and historical anecdotes involving the [[CIA]] and ancient travelers like [[Ibn Battuta]], offering readers an array of verifiable leads.