Why Milk Cartons Look the Way They Do

The Secret Physics of Pour: Why Milk Cartons Look (and Flow) the Way They Do

Open a fridge on any continent and a familiar prism waits: a gable‑top milk carton with a crease that remembers the fold and a roof that pinches into a spout. We rarely question it. But the carton is an argument in laminated cellulose, tuned by paper chemistry, crease mechanics, human factors, and the fluid dynamics of breakfast. It exists because factories need flat stacks, schools need portion control, designers need printable billboards, and you need to pour without baptizing your cereal in a tidal wave. 🥛 (more…)