A bit of a diversion here. I recently stumbled upon Gloss-Meters.com, a website specializing in devices that measure the gloss of just about any particular item on the planet. It's a fascinating mix of light, angles, math and workmanship. And I surprised to read about just how many people use gloss meters.

Carpenters, workman, manufacturers - just about anyone who's involved in building and making items uses a gloss meter. Apparantly, there's a theory that "gloss sells." That people are simply more interested and attracted in glossy, shiny looking items versus objects that are dull and matte. A gloss meter can accurately detect just how much gloss an object gives off.

Once the gloss reading is determined, then I suppose it's up to the manufacturer - along with the aid of some human behavior experts - to decide whether or not the item is glossy enough to capture the imagination, and, ultimately, the dollar of the public. Now, this is my own theory, but it's an interesting mix of technological science and the science of human behavoir.

Gloss meters are also helpful in determing any quality issues in certain items. If you have built 10 of the same objects, you can measure the gloss. If one of the 10 has a significantly higher or lower gloss measurement than the other 9, then it's obvious that either the material or the workmanship is not the same as the others. These are things that, while not always visible to the naked eye, will not escape the detection of a gloss meter.