
The red Solo Cup is a marvel of modern engineering - SmkyMt
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/12/30/2-reasons-why-the-red-solo-cup-is-a-marvel-of-modern-engineering/?utm_term=.a9c4604f532a
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rm999
I've purchased generic red plastic cups before, and the experience was
terrible. They were hard to pull apart, weren't stable laterally (i.e. the
force when you grip it with your hand), and sagged after an hour of being full
of liquid. The experience made me appreciate how well designed solo cups are,
especially for how simple they look.

I added it to my short list of items I never buy generic (paper towels, paint,
and car tires).

~~~
wnevets
I've had zero problems with the BJ's brand red plastic cups

[http://www.bjs.com/berkley-jensen-18-oz--plastic-cups--24--
c...](http://www.bjs.com/berkley-jensen-18-oz--plastic-cups--24--ct----
red.product.287735)

~~~
myowncrapulence
Do those cups also act as measurement cups for ounces? Doesn't from the looks
of it.

~~~
wnevets
No, I don't think so.

------
benmarks
Marvel of modern engineering and cultural talisman:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Solo_Cup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Solo_Cup)

~~~
Freak_NL
Since a couple of years red plastic cups are now being sold in stores in The
Netherlands alongside the more common plain white cups. Not because the Solo
company started selling them here, but (ostensibly) because a red cup carries
the connotation of college students partying and alcoholic drinks, and
apparently that image sells cups.

The colour of these cups is a cultural import from the US; if your frame of
reference is the cup's portrayal in media, then the red Solo cup appears to be
exclusively used for partying and drinking with abandon (e.g., consider the
image of college students playing beer pong), so you get red cups if you're a
teenager organizing a party.

~~~
owenversteeg
Yep. I'm a dual American-Dutch citizen and I've noticed that as well. You can
find "American party cups" in practically every store that sells the plain
white ones (I've only seen one store that breaks that rule.)

Funny enough, the Dutch ones are completely inferior, and way more expensive.
They crush easily, don't separate well, and are weirdly small, not to mention
several euros for a tiny package. This has annoyed me to the point where I now
bring a little stack of Solo cups each time I fly to the Netherlands.

~~~
freshflowers
The latter has to do with the fact that those cups have a very different
purpose, which is why the solo cups are marketed as "American party cups". The
"American" refers to the format of the party as much as the cups.

At normal parties in the Netherlands we just drink beer from bottles because
we have an entirely different beer and alcohol culture, without the whole age
limit BS (despite recent legal changes raising the purchase age to 18).

With the exception of the transparant hard plastic cups used is stadiums and
at festivals, we tend to not drink our alcohol from plastic cups.

------
Shank
While the diagrams in this post were extremely cool, the fact that there
wasn't at least one prominent shot of a single cup highlighting these features
was a missed opportunity. Describing all the design details is one thing, but
I don't have a Solo Cup next to me to see what the article is trying so hard
to describe.

------
booleandilemma
Apparently the inventor's favorite Solo Cup color was blue.

You can mention this factoid next time you're at a party with red Solo Cups.

[https://apnews.com/be9f84bd35ab402bafc45f142dc86920](https://apnews.com/be9f84bd35ab402bafc45f142dc86920)

------
gkya
This reminded to me (even before reading the article) of the marvellous piece
of text: I, pencil, by L. E. Read:
[http://www.econlib.org/library/Essays/rdPncl1.html](http://www.econlib.org/library/Essays/rdPncl1.html)

------
ptrsenter
It's also a marvel of plastic pollution. That people don't see that, as much
as whatever benefits it offers, is surprising.

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IslaDeEncanta
Everything is a marvel of modern engineering now.

~~~
ximeng
This would read less like an advert if it mentioned any other plastic cup
engineering details other than the product in question.

~~~
bearcobra
That's a fair critique, but I think it's worth noting that news of the
inventor passing away came out the day before the article was published. It
seems reasonable to me to focus on one brand with that as the framing.

~~~
MAGZine
Yes, it's more of an homage rather than an advert. People don't need to be
told to buy Solos, they're already a staple for when they're needed.

------
shedShedding
You know, I get that it's a holiday and all, but what's with all the bike
shedding threads?

What's next? A discussion of knot theory, as pertaining to balloon animals?

~~~
DanBC
...that's not what bike shedding is.

~~~
shedShedding
Okay, there are two types of threads on HN (cue false dichotomy):

    
    
      1. Threads that everybody tries to
         sound smart in.
    
      2. Threads that you can't actually 
         post a constructive comment in 
         unless you're a subject matter
         expert, with substantial experience
         within the given problem domain.
    

Bike shedding posits a similar premise. Ask for an opinion about a difficult
problem, say the plumbing in a nuclear cooling tower, and very few people will
have much to say.

Contrast this with opinions on the color of the bike shed next to the cooling
tower, et cetera, et cetera...

So, care to clarify specifically how this is _not_ a bike shedding thread?

~~~
akerl_
Because bike shedding is when there's something to discuss and people debate
the trivial detail because it's what they understand. The act of debating the
trivial facet is bike shedding. The presence of a spectrum of topics on HN,
with this post falling where lots of folks have relevant knowledge, is not.

