
The Engineering of a Disposable Diaper [video] - mhb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYNX8y6lQMc
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jasonkester
Disposable Diapers are the most technically advanced thing that mankind has
ever produced. Before becoming a parent, I used to wonder why we as a
civilization have never sent a manned mission to Mars, cured Cancer, or
invented a working Hoverboard. Now I understand where all of our Engineering
resources went instead.

We used Cloth diapers for a while with kid #1, and they are in fact amazing at
what they do, given what they're made of. But they can't hold fourteen gallons
of urine for an entire weekend, so it doesn't matter.

I console myself by envisioning a future society threatened with imminent
destruction, saving itself by mining the landfills of the 21st century for
large quantities of highly absorbent material and perfectly preserved infant
urine.

The planet is saved. Thanks, Disposable Diapers.

~~~
nl
One of the things I found interesting is how much pressure supermarkets exert
to reduce the size of diaper packages. Thar shelf space is expensive, and any
company with a technical advantage that allows them to fit more on the shelf
(and thus sell more) will do well.

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JshWright
Bill's videos are consistently some of the best stuff on YouTube, in my
opinion. Even the early, super corny, stuff was great.

Their series on the Harmonic Analyser was especially interesting.

[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0INsTTU1k2UYO9Mck-i5...](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0INsTTU1k2UYO9Mck-i5HNqGNW5AeEwq)

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scoj
That is definitely some neat engineering and manufacturing. The downside is
how much landfill waste is created.

It's also interesting how we've been using the same principles with cloth
diapers for a long time using cotton, fleece, wool, bamboo, and plastic
covers.

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Feneric
The NEARTA site has a lot of interesting info on disposable diapers vs.
reusable ones. If you're of a technical mind start off with the analysis of
SW-152c:
[https://www.nearta.com/Papers/SW152cAnalysis.pdf](https://www.nearta.com/Papers/SW152cAnalysis.pdf)
but then look at the cost comparison:
[https://www.nearta.com/Papers/DiaperCostComparison.pdf](https://www.nearta.com/Papers/DiaperCostComparison.pdf)
and the review on the (surprising) impact to municipal governments:
[https://www.nearta.com/Papers/GovernmentDiapers.pdf](https://www.nearta.com/Papers/GovernmentDiapers.pdf)
You're probably not aware of it, but there's a good chance you're subsidizing
your neighbor's disposable diapers.

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lordnacho
I always wondered why I'd occasionally see blue crystals. Turns out they're
mostly water.

It's a magnificent thing, the disposable diaper. My second kid is six months,
using a good few each day. And it somehow costs barely anything. Much easier
than washing cloths or whatever people did before.

~~~
junke
There is a renewed interest for washable diapers (see e.g.
[http://www.mothercare.com](http://www.mothercare.com)). They are really easy
to use and wash. The initial cost is in fact lower than the cumulative cost of
disposable diapers after some months. This is an alternative worth
considering.

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oori
I use such washable diapers for my kid since day one. he's two year old, and
I've probably saved a ton of landfill (800 days * 5 per-day * 250gr (??) = 1
Ton (!!!).

What's scarier is how plastic diapers are pushed in the developing world,
specifically India - where there is no proper landfills, which escalates this
problem considerably.

Modern washable diapers aren't what you parents used, they are slick and
simple to use. highly recommended.

