Lateral with Tom Scott 179: The 3-in-1 adaptor
7 snips
Mar 13, 2026 
Iszi Lawrence, children’s author and comic raconteur; Matt Gray, science-and-tech video maker; Abby Cox, fashion historian and cultural storyteller. They tackle a Rosetta Stone charger gag, why tablets were misidentified on live TV, piano safety tricks in Chopin, pressurized tunnel flying risks, porridge-as-mine experiments, lead ammo in 1822 Athens, and when horses were dropped from competitions.
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Rosetta Stone Design On A Charger
- A three-in-one charger sold at the British Museum gift shop used the Rosetta Stone design to clever effect.
- The Rosetta Stone's three scripts mirrored the charger’s three connectors, making the motif a witty visual pun.
Surface Tablets Mistaken For iPads On NFL Broadcasts
- Microsoft supplied Surface tablets to NFL players and coaches in 2014 as part of a $400m deal, but broadcasters repeatedly called them iPads on live TV.
- Tech journalists found the slip-ups amusing and Microsoft had to remind commentators to use correct branding.
Pressurised Tunnel Work And The Bends
- Munich construction can use compressed-air workspaces with airlock doors to keep groundwater out.
- Workers in 1.5× atmospheric pressure must avoid flying afterward to prevent decompression sickness (the bends).
