The Romney gaffe piques Alex Knapp's curiosity:
[The Etch-A-Sketch is] actually pretty elegant in its simplicity. Inside the plastic case is a non-toxic aluminum powder, mixed in with some plastic beads to keep the powder flow smooth and consistent. The screen of the Etch-A-Sketch is glass, and when you shake the Etch-A-Sketch, the powder coats the inside of the glass. The knobs are connected to a pulley system, which moves a brass stylus along an X-Y axis. Twiddle the left knob, and the stylus moves horizontally. The right movies it vertically. As you turn the knobs, the stylus is actually etching the powder from the screen, not drawing on it.
The Dish 