Why the World’s Best Mathematicians Are Hoarding Japanese Chalk

Here’s the latest from Great Big Story: “Once upon a time, not long ago, the math world fell in love … with a chalk. But not just any chalk! This was Hagoromo: a Japanese brand so smooth, so perfect that some wondered if it was made from the tears of angels. Pencils down, please, as we tell the tale of a writing implement so irreplaceable, professors stockpiled it.”

Head over to Amazon and try to buy it, and all you get is: “Currently unavailable. We don’t know when or if this item will be back in stock.” Indeed, they’ve stockpiled it all.

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Open Culture was founded by Dan Colman.