iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

I'm excited to share my new article in @jcmsjournal.bsky.social in a special issue on how to push the boundaries of what counts as "media." I offer a provocation about media use in bathrooms - what if we think about the toilet as media furniture? quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/i...

quod.lib.umich.edu

On Toilets as Media Furniture and Incontinent Containers

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

Super excited to give this upcoming talk for CBI!

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

I'm over the moon to be working with CBI -- an institution I've long admired. And grateful to be in the company of the fantastic @anitachan.bsky.social!

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

License to Spill, hanging with lots of cool neighbor books, at the @mitpress.bsky.social booth at @icahdq.bsky.social!

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

Cool except from my book on the wet history of media in the bathroom, now on the @mitpress reader! With perfect timing, I'll be talking about media and toilets this weekend at ICA for those attending. thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/the-wet-hist...

thereader.mitpress.mit.edu

The Wet History of Media in the Bathroom

How media technologies made themselves at home in one of the most private spaces of modern life.

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

There are a lot of folk theories and confusion out there about how water resistant our devices really are and what to do with them when they get wet.

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

A fun excerpt from my new book is now up on IEEE Spectrum, which thinks about a history of wetness and telephones -- it's fascinating that teething babies and wet umbrellas could disrupt telephone service! @spectrum.ieee.org spectrum.ieee.org/license-to-s...

spectrum.ieee.org

Teething Babies and Rainy Days Once Cut Calls Short

“Trouble men” searched for water damage in early analog telephones

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

License to Spill is now available open access to read FREE digitally! And yes, we are all soggy bodies!

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

It's been a busy week -- talking about buttons and the mess of liquids + devices -- had a great chat here about my new book.

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

It was great chatting with @scifri.bsky.social again about buttons since my last interview in 2019 -- back then they were a "dying" interface and now we're seeing a fascinating resurgence.

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · 30/04/2025

Got my hands on the real thing. They are gorgeous! With enormous gratitude to The MIT Press for the beautiful design. 😍 @mitpress.bsky.social

Copies of License to Spill books in a cardboard box.

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

Today, License to Spill is out! I puzzle through "media hygiene": maintenance, repair, protection, and messy boundaries between wet/dry, bodies/environments, and people/devices. You can purchase a copy with a 30% off discount today only!! Code MITP30 www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/777570...

penguinrandomhouse.com

License to Spill by Rachel Plotnick: 9780262551588 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

How everyday wetness—from finger smudges, sweat, and spilled drinks to showering and swimming—collides with consumers’ media devices designed to stay dry. License to Spill investigates...

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · 22/04/2025

Only one week until License to Spill hits the shelves. With back-of-the-book blurbs from people those work I deeply admire -- John Durham Peters, Nicole Starosielski, Neta Alexander, and Jussi Parikka. Totally humbled! mitpress.mit.edu/978026255158...

mitpress.mit.edu

License to Spill

License to Spill investigates the everyday moments, activities, and spaces where media technologies and liquids collide—from disastrous spilled drinks ...

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · 31/03/2025

Hard to self-promote in these difficult times, but my next book is available for pre-order and will be released April 29 in paperback and open access! I detail the muck and mess of living with media technologies - from toilets and coffee spills to sweat and saliva. mitpress.mit.edu/978026255158...

Picture of License to Spill book cover with a smartphone submerged underwater.

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

This World According to Sound podcast on Media Objects is the most beautiful and cinematic interpretation of my work. If you're into sound, put on headphones and tour through this 1-hr journey on the history and culture of buttons. Other episodes are amazing, too!! m.soundcloud.com/worldaccordi...

m.soundcloud.com

Media Objects: Buttons

Stream Media Objects: Buttons by World According to Sound on desktop and mobile. Play over 320 million tracks for free on SoundCloud.

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · 05/02/2025

Amidst all that's happening right now, I'm super excited to share a look at the cover for my next book - coming out with The MIT Press on April 29! Today thru Friday the 7th, you can get a 25% discount on a pre-order if you're a Barnes & Noble rewards member. www.barnesandnoble.com/w/license-to...

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

Today!! Come out and support ROMchip journal and bring your favorite drink of choice!

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · 24/01/2025

One week until I talk about energy drinks in gaming and their historical context - I'll be thinking about attention, fatigue, performance, and what that has to do with media. It's free but register to attend!

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

I wrote for The Toronto Star about touchscreens in cars - and how the future might just involve a return to buttons... www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · 09/12/2024

Super excited to give this talk on energy drinks for @romchip.bsky.social at the end of next month!

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Reposted by Rachel Plotnick

The Autonocast @autonocast.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

New episode now live: @niedermeyer.io and @alexroy144.bsky.social sit down with Dr Rachel Plotnick, author of "Power Button" to discuss the history of buttons in cars and what it can teach about the future of UI. www.autonocast.com/blog/2024/11/21/320-pushing-buttons-with-dr-rachel-plotnick

autonocast.com

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Rachel Plotnick @rachelplotnick.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

Having chatted in interviews and on a podcast this week, I'm fascinated by how impassioned people get by the interfaces they love (and love to hate). People have so much to say about their favorite button or the touchscreen that drives them crazy!

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