Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by OnlyOneCannolo 2071 days ago
Pretty difficult.

That would be like saying "How hard can it be to type a program into a computer?". Statistical process control, polymer science, release agent chemistry, die metallurgy / thermal / fluid / mechanical design, etc are large and deep fields.

There's probably a better video, but here's the official one about how Lego are made.

https://youtu.be/C3oiy9eekzk
2 comments
bnegreve 2071 days ago
Actually, the video suggests that the complicated part is not the baking process itself, but the handling of thousands of blocks of different types and colors.
link
OnlyOneCannolo 2071 days ago
The logistics are obviously challenging too. But their process is a trade secret, so of course the video glosses over it. Having thousands of block types also means solving the challenges I listed thousands of times.
link
stdbrouw 2070 days ago
It seems obvious that the real question that was being asked was "How hard can it be to bake a piece of plastic into shape [given the current state of the plastics industry and technology in general]?" and the answer to that question is "not difficult at all."

If you consider everything that goes into setting up an email filter in your mail app, starting with how transistors work but also including ocean cables and the liquid crystals of your display, well, sure, it's crazy how much is needed just to drop a couple of emails into the right folders... but outside of a science documentary, that's not really what people have in mind when they ask whether something is difficult.

link
OnlyOneCannolo 2070 days ago
It seems obvious that the real question that was being asked was "How hard can it be to type some computer words to make a program [given the current state of the software industry and technology in general]?" and the answer to that question is "not difficult at all."

Sure, you're not reinventing computer science. But a lot more work goes into making and maintaining a product than setting up an email filter.

link
molsonhart 2070 days ago
Injection molding is really hard. I can program and I find it to be harder than computer science, by a lot.
link
OnlyOneCannolo 2070 days ago
Thank you. It's amazing how dismissive some people are about it.
link