Modern, massive-scale manufacturing is a sight to behold. When you go to a grocery store or a retailer like Wal-Mart, there's such an incredible diversity of product that it's easy to take it for granted. But then think that there's 36,148 other grocery stores just like this one or 4,400 other Wal-Marts in the United States. The scale of it is mind-boggling.
I was reminded of this recently when I listened to an episode of the podcast EconTalk where the host interviewed someone from Frito-Lay. The guest described operations at the Modesto, California factory and I couldn't tear myself away!
Images of chips whizzing by at 60 MPH while a computer scanned for defective ones flooded by consciousness. Luckily, I found some video that approximated several of the processes he discussed. What an operation to behold!