Containerization - It Changed Everything

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containers are the same boxes that are being a pulled by trucks, right? Like, it's literally exactly the same box. And this is not automatic or or natural. It happened starting the 19 fiftiesd it changed everythinga and the word container is not just a box containing things. It's a very specific kind of container, these intermodal things that go on ships and everything. So any time you want to create a system, whether it's the inter net or a, you know, a network of fungi in the forest,you want to containerize things. I think containerization, it's actually a much deeper phenomenon, because thit 's also how the inner

As the holidays approach, we are being reminded of the fragility of the global supply chain. But at the same time, the supply chain itself is a truly impressive and fascinating structure, made as it is from multiple components that must work together in synchrony. From building an item in a factory and shipping it worldwide to transporting it locally, processing it in a distribution center, and finally delivering it to an address, the system is simultaneously awe-inspiring and deeply dehumanizing. I talk with Christopher Mims about how things are made, how they get to us, and what it all means for the present and future of our work and our lives.

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Christopher Mims received a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and behavioral biology from Emory University. He is currently a technology columnist at The Wall Street Journal. He has previously written for publications such as Wired, Scientific American, The Atlantic, and Smithsonian. His new book is Arriving Today: From Factory to Front Door — Why Everything Has Changed About How and What We Buy.

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