Archives May 2013

"Later locks were so beautifully fashioned that the artist obscured the mechanical intention." F. J. Butter, Locks and Builders 'Hardware The Egyptians, and possibly other ancient peoples around the same time, invented the first mechanical locks some 4,000 years ago. The locks were a development of the simple wooden crossbeam that slides horizontally across the back of a door to bar entry. To hold the beam, or bolt, in place, a set of movable pins were located on the back of the door which dropped by gravity into recipient holes on the bolt as it moved into place. To unlock the door from the outside, a wooden key with matching pegs or prongs was inserted through a hole; the key raised the pins above the bolt, allowing it to be pulled back by a handle. Such keys could be up to 2 feet (0.6 m) long. The introduction of metal more...

"We were satisfied that, with proper lubrication..., a little more power could be expected."       Orville Wright, aviation pioneer Elijah McCoy (1843-1929) was the son of former African slaves who had escaped to slavefree Canada. At around the age of sixteen he traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland, where he studied engineering. Upon his return to the United States he worked as a fireman and Oilman on the Michigan Central Railroad. It was his job to ensure that the moving parts of the train's engine, as well as axles and bearings, were well lubricated. Locomotive trains suffered considerable wear and tear on all their moving parts. Engineers had already devised a way to keep the axles lubricated by encasing them within oil-filled chambers. But since many parts of the engine ran under the immense pressure of steam, oil would tend to get propelled away from the moving parts. It was more...

"Paper on which there are ...the names of sages, I dare” not use for toilet purposes." Yan Zhitui, The Family Instructions of Master Yan (589) The earliest recorded use of toilet paper comes from China in the sixth century when government official and scholar Yan Zhitui warned against using paper printed with philosophical utterances for the wiping of bottoms. By the end of the fourteenth century, when the rest of the world was using water, the Chinese were producing more than 700,000 sheets of aromatic toilet paper a year for the Imperial court. Prior to the advent of the first commercially packaged, premoistened toilet paper by Joseph Gayetty of New York City in 1857, how people used to clean themselves depended to a large degree on where and how they lived, and their standing in society. Coconut shells were used widely throughout an egalitarian Hawaii, while lace and hemp proved more...

'"Cannot access printer'? Why can't you... access printer? i've plugged you in!" Eddie Izzard, comedian Long-term computer users will be all too familiar with the frustration of having to switch off and reboot their machines. Thanks to USB (universal serial bus) connectivity, however, this scenario has become, largely, a distant memory. These days, almost every device you plug into a computer, such as a printer or scanner, comes complete with a USB connector, instead of a card. that, the machine has to- learn to recognize in a lengthy installation process. The impetus behind-the USB was toward a future where you could connect any device to any computer, using any port—because all the ports and plugs would match. The universal, three-pronged "trident" symbol is used on all plugs and sockets to indicate USB functionality. The reality, of course, is that there are still a few rogue devices that do not conform, more...