I was skeptical the washing machine needed defending; I'm not convinced this article, or the offending tweet really need highlighting.
That said, this is a genuinely quite surprising statistic to me:
> The UN estimates that only two billion people have washing machines; for the other six billion, a life of washing clothes by hand is not a relic of the distant past but an exhausting chore that consumes a significant fraction of women’s time and energy worldwide.
I suppose that "The future is already here, it's just not evenly distributed" == "The past is still here, it's just not evenly distributed"
I wonder how that's counted; is it ownership or access? In Finland most apartment buildings have shared spaces with a washer and a dryer where you can book time for free. Doesn't mean everyone relies on them, but many people don't bother buying their own machines, especially those living alone in small apartments. I assume we're not the only country doing this.
This also clarifies that the 2 billion are those who have access to a washing machine, not own one. Of course the question is how you define access - how near does a laundromat (or similar establishment) have to be to still count as "access"? What if there is one, but you can't afford it?
Yes, I checked the source, and I don’t think it meaningfully changed my reaction. Though you’d hope more people have access to washing machines now than in 2015.
That said, this is a genuinely quite surprising statistic to me:
> The UN estimates that only two billion people have washing machines; for the other six billion, a life of washing clothes by hand is not a relic of the distant past but an exhausting chore that consumes a significant fraction of women’s time and energy worldwide.
I suppose that "The future is already here, it's just not evenly distributed" == "The past is still here, it's just not evenly distributed"