Bolt VII: Write it Down
Commentary
Notebooks and work logs are the most important tools of science.
Ancient science texts were not much more than carefully curated work notebooks. Endeavor to keep a notebook and writing tool with you at all times. This is especially critical in the workshop where writing down your ideas, plans, failures, epiphanies, and lists are so important. The workshop stock of notebooks and writing tools is one of the most important consumables - they should never run out. And every room has a stock of pens and pencils.
If you or someone else makes a mistake (fails to Work To Code, makes the workshop unsafe for others), inscribe the details into the Codex of Failure. Mistakes are the currency of progress, we must not hide or bury them. Especially small mistakes, we should be so lucky as to only be making small mistakes.
Writing things down adds another stone to the Workshop's archaeological record. They become the Captain's Log that can allow us to diagnose problems or predict the future. They are the most enduring form of feedback. They tell our story, and given enough time, there is no such thing as a boring list.
In the workshop, we prefer analog methods of writing things down over digital ones. Electronic devices fail, the best method is ink or graphite on cellulose (paper or wood). It will not let you down.
You will never regret writing it down.
"By writing things down they become more real." - Tom Sachs, TEDx Poland 2018
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References
It came while we were filming an episode about bullets skipping off the pavement and into cars. We had a devil of a time doing such a thing safely, but with the help of our frequent contributor, ballistics expert Alex Jason, we succeeded.
The shoot was a tough one, but once we had all of our data, the result was clear. Alex turned to me and said the quote in question. The SECOND he said it, I told him that I was going to say it on camera, and that it would be a big hit of a phrase. He said that was fine with him. He thinks it's hilarious that it's gone so viral. I'm pleased to give him credit.