Refrigerator
I want this engraved on my tombstone like the Epitaph of Stevinus.
I want this engraved on my tombstone like the Epitaph of Stevinus.
Randall proposes the idea of a refrigerator with conveyor belts tuned to different speeds such that food is moved along to the right (main compartment) or left (door) as time passes, with the time appropriate markings letting you know how much time is left until it spoils. When the expiry date is reached, the food will have reached the rightmost part of the refrigerator and conveniently fall into the "Bad" tray at the bottom right of the fridge.
The title text is a reference to Simon Stevin's proof of a problem of equilibrium consisting on balancing a weight on an inclined plane by another weight hanging off the top end of the inclined plane. Stevin, also known as Stevinus, had the proof inscribed on his tomb, and as such the proof is commonly known as the "Epitaph of Stevinus". Randall expresses his interest in having his own ostensibly brilliant idea likewise engraved on his own tombstone.