Very cool. Penguin's book vending machine dispenses free books from the 'Lit In Colour' list by authors of colour to diversify students' exposure to literature: 'Fewer than 1% of students in GCSE study a book by a writer of colour'.
The more sustainable and comprehensive strategy is to diversify the set curriculum, but I I like the innovation here - maybe the packaging will create a spark in young learners.
https://www.thebookseller.com/news/penguin-unveils-book-vending-machine-at-secondary-school
Back when I first started my professional life, I used to enjoy watching talks from Guy Kawasaki. One story he used to share a lot in various talks was about the history of refrigeration in the United States. (This story has a point. Stick with me.) Ice farming Way back in the day, people would store perishable food in ice boxes (literally a box filled with ice), and ice was harvested from the cold North.