We deal with objects every day without giving their inner workings all that much thought. That is, until something goes wrong and they mysteriously stop working. If we’re lucky, sometimes it’s only a battery that needs replacing or a port that needs cleaning. But there are more serious cases, too. And that’s when, for the adventurous, the screwdrivers come out, sleeves are rolled up, and metaphorical guts are spilled. It’s hard not to see the appeal.
Sure, there’s something rewarding about fixing something yourself. It certainly beats having to replace it. But there’s also something innately satisfying about seeing an object’s innards—all those moving parts packaged so neatly and discreetly that we forget they’re even there. And that’s kind of the appeal of many of the cross-sections we’ve gathered for you today. You might never have stumbled upon objects like these, let alone had the opportunity or means to cut them open yourself. But there’s something fascinating about seeing what’s hidden beneath the surface, and surprisingly often, the results can be pretty exquisite.
