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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · Sep 5

License to Spill, spotted at 4S! @4sweb.bsky.social @mitpress.bsky.social

Picture of MIT Press table of books, including License to Spill.

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · Jun 23

So kind - thank you! I'm a huge fan of your work!!!

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · Jun 13

License to Spill, hanging with lots of cool neighbor books, at the @mitpress.bsky.social booth at @icahdq.bsky.social!

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · Jun 12

Cool except from my book on the wet history of media in the bathroom, now on the @mitpress reader! With perfect timing, I'll be talking about media and toilets this weekend at ICA for those attending. thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/the-wet-hist...

The Wet History of Media in the Bathroom

How media technologies made themselves at home in one of the most private spaces of modern life.

thereader.mitpress.mit.edu

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · Jun 3

There are a lot of folk theories and confusion out there about how water resistant our devices really are and what to do with them when they get wet.

The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · Jun 2

Nearly everyone has encountered the unthinkable: Your smartphone landed in the toilet. A technology researcher debunks 5 common myths about devices getting wet and how to deal with them: buff.ly/cDIGiHX @rachelplotnick.bsky.social, Indiana University

Debunking 5 myths about when your devices get wet

When it comes to drying out your drenched device, problematic myths about liquid protection and repair make it hard to separate fact from fiction.

buff.ly

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · Jun 2

I've got a new article out with @theconversation.com, which debunks common myths about water resistance and consumer technologies - building on my new book, License to Spill! theconversation.com/debunking-5-...

Debunking 5 myths about when your devices get wet

When it comes to drying out your drenched device, problematic myths about liquid protection and repair make it hard to separate fact from fiction.

theconversation.com

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · May 24

Yes!!!! I knew my hyper-niche research topic would find a home one of these days 😂

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · May 15

A fun excerpt from my new book is now up on IEEE Spectrum, which thinks about a history of wetness and telephones -- it's fascinating that teething babies and wet umbrellas could disrupt telephone service! @spectrum.ieee.org
spectrum.ieee.org/license-to-s...

Teething Babies and Rainy Days Once Cut Calls Short

“Trouble men” searched for water damage in early analog telephones

spectrum.ieee.org

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · May 14

License to Spill is now available open access to read FREE digitally! And yes, we are all soggy bodies!

MIT Press @mitpress.bsky.social · May 13

"@RachelPlotnick.bsky.social, our premier cultural historian of technological mishap and subversion, won’t let us forget that we—like our machines—are soggy bodies. Hugely fun and illuminating." — John Durham Peters

"License to Spill" is out now and #openaccess: mitpress.mit.edu/978026255158...

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · May 9

It's been a busy week -- talking about buttons and the mess of liquids + devices -- had a great chat here about my new book.

MIT Press @mitpress.bsky.social · May 9

If you’ve dropped your phone in a puddle, you know about "death by liquid." Listen to @rachelplotnick.bsky.social discuss her new book "License to Spill" on the Something You Should Know podcast:
www.somethingyoushouldknow.net/1197-water-v...

1197 Water vs. Tech: How Moisture Ruins Your Devices & Why We Need Stress

www.somethingyoushouldknow.net

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · May 9

It was great chatting with @scifri.bsky.social again about buttons since my last interview in 2019 -- back then they were a "dying" interface and now we're seeing a fascinating resurgence.

Science Friday @scifri.bsky.social · May 9

In recent years, digital touchscreens have replaced many car controls, but now physical buttons and knobs seem to be making a comeback. @rachelplotnick.bsky.social and @jmorri2.bsky.social join us to talk about the pros and cons of physical controls and why automakers might choose one over another.

Are Physical Buttons And Knobs Making A Comeback?

Some car designers are turning from touchscreen controls back to physical buttons. Two researchers explain why that could be better.

www.sciencefriday.com

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · Apr 30

Thank you so much!

Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · Apr 30

Got my hands on the real thing. They are gorgeous! With enormous gratitude to The MIT Press for the beautiful design. 😍 @mitpress.bsky.social

Copies of License to Spill books in a cardboard box.

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · Apr 29

Absolutely, will do!

Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · Apr 29

Thank you so much! I hope you're doing well!

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · Apr 29

Thank you so much, Tamara!

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · Apr 29

Thanks so much, Dave!!!

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · Apr 29

Thank you so much! I've been reading and enjoying your work!

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · Apr 29

Today, License to Spill is out! I puzzle through "media hygiene": maintenance, repair, protection, and messy boundaries between wet/dry, bodies/environments, and people/devices. You can purchase a copy with a 30% off discount today only!! Code MITP30 www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/777570...

License to Spill by Rachel Plotnick: 9780262551588 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

How everyday wetness—from finger smudges, sweat, and spilled drinks to showering and swimming—collides with consumers’ media devices designed to stay dry. License to Spill investigates...

www.penguinrandomhouse.com

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · Apr 25

Thank you so much!!! ☺️

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · Apr 25

Thanks so much!!!

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · Apr 23

Barnes & Noble is once again offering a good 25% preorder discount for License to Spill and other books. I know it's hard to afford books these days!!! www.barnesandnoble.com/w/license-to...

License to Spill: Where Dry Devices Meet Liquid Lives|Paperback

How everyday wetness—from finger smudges, sweat, and spilled drinks to showering and swimming—collides with consumers’ media devices designed to stay dry.License to Spill investigate...

www.barnesandnoble.com

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · Apr 22

Only one week until License to Spill hits the shelves. With back-of-the-book blurbs from people those work I deeply admire -- John Durham Peters, Nicole Starosielski, Neta Alexander, and Jussi Parikka. Totally humbled!
mitpress.mit.edu/978026255158...

License to Spill

License to Spill investigates the everyday moments, activities, and spaces where media technologies and liquids collide—from disastrous spilled drinks ...

mitpress.mit.edu

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · Mar 31

Hard to self-promote in these difficult times, but my next book is available for pre-order and will be released April 29 in paperback and open access! I detail the muck and mess of living with media technologies - from toilets and coffee spills to sweat and saliva. mitpress.mit.edu/978026255158...

Picture of License to Spill book cover with a smartphone submerged underwater.

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · Mar 12

Hooray!!!

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