Science

The World’s Most Official Cup of Tea

An international standard tells us how to brew tea in glorious detail. It has a surprisingly practical purpose.

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For many, a cup of tea is a simple daily ritual, but there’s actually a group of people that takes it a bit more seriously. This is the International Organization for Standardization. An expert body that compiles reference documents for consistency in manufacturing and services, they are the ones making sure the technical specifications for brewing a cuppa exist—and make the world a better place.

ISO brings together experts from across the globe to help agree on the proper way all sorts of things should be made or managed. Much of the group’s production of standards, voluntary but widely followed sets of specs, is about as dry as you’d expect.…