Phil Fernbach

So the most popular flush toilet in North America is the siphoning toilet. And by the way, this is a really ingenious mechanism that was created. Its most important components are a tank, a bowl, and a trapway. The trapway is usually S or U-shaped, and it curves up higher than the outlet of the bowl before descending into the drain pipe that eventually feeds the sewer.

The tank is initially full of water, and when the toilet is flushed, the water flows from the tank quickly into the bowl, raising the water level above the highest curve of the trapway. This purges the trapway of air, filling it with water. As soon as the trapway fills, the magic occurs.

The tank is initially full of water, and when the toilet is flushed, the water flows from the tank quickly into the bowl, raising the water level above the highest curve of the trapway. This purges the trapway of air, filling it with water. As soon as the trapway fills, the magic occurs.

The tank is initially full of water, and when the toilet is flushed, the water flows from the tank quickly into the bowl, raising the water level above the highest curve of the trapway. This purges the trapway of air, filling it with water. As soon as the trapway fills, the magic occurs.

A siphon effect is created that sucks the water out of the bowl and sends it through the trapway down the drain. It's the same siphon action that you can use to steal gasoline out of a car by placing one end in the tank and sucking on the other end.

A siphon effect is created that sucks the water out of the bowl and sends it through the trapway down the drain. It's the same siphon action that you can use to steal gasoline out of a car by placing one end in the tank and sucking on the other end.

A siphon effect is created that sucks the water out of the bowl and sends it through the trapway down the drain. It's the same siphon action that you can use to steal gasoline out of a car by placing one end in the tank and sucking on the other end.

Well, I think we should test that with a plumber, not with me. But I think you did a pretty good job.

Well, I think we should test that with a plumber, not with me. But I think you did a pretty good job.

Well, I think we should test that with a plumber, not with me. But I think you did a pretty good job.

I think we both should. But what this highlights is just how complicated the world is. Whoever thought, you know, there's this ingenious mechanism in this object that we use every single day and we never think about.

I think we both should. But what this highlights is just how complicated the world is. Whoever thought, you know, there's this ingenious mechanism in this object that we use every single day and we never think about.

I think we both should. But what this highlights is just how complicated the world is. Whoever thought, you know, there's this ingenious mechanism in this object that we use every single day and we never think about.

I think this reflects a really deep fact about the nature of the mind and what thinking is actually for. Thinking evolved to make us more effective at acting in the world. The world is extremely complex. And to be able to choose effective actions in the world really requires acting in environments that are very different from one another. We almost never see the same exact situation arise twice.

I think this reflects a really deep fact about the nature of the mind and what thinking is actually for. Thinking evolved to make us more effective at acting in the world. The world is extremely complex. And to be able to choose effective actions in the world really requires acting in environments that are very different from one another. We almost never see the same exact situation arise twice.

I think this reflects a really deep fact about the nature of the mind and what thinking is actually for. Thinking evolved to make us more effective at acting in the world. The world is extremely complex. And to be able to choose effective actions in the world really requires acting in environments that are very different from one another. We almost never see the same exact situation arise twice.

And so our minds have to be really effective at generalization. They have to understand that this situation is similar to this situation in some way to be able to act effectively. So storing a huge amount of detail about the world and the way that it works is actually counterproductive.

And so our minds have to be really effective at generalization. They have to understand that this situation is similar to this situation in some way to be able to act effectively. So storing a huge amount of detail about the world and the way that it works is actually counterproductive.

And so our minds have to be really effective at generalization. They have to understand that this situation is similar to this situation in some way to be able to act effectively. So storing a huge amount of detail about the world and the way that it works is actually counterproductive.

What we really want to do is throw away all of the irrelevant detail and just retain the deeper principles, the deeper generalizable structures that are going to allow us to choose effective actions.