Audion TubeThe Audion acts as an amplifier, transforming quiet electric signals into loud ones. Background In 1906, Lee de Forest invented the “three-electrode Audion” vacuum tube. In 1906, Lee de Forest invented the “three-electrode Audion” vacuum tube. The Audion acts as an amplifier, transforming quiet electric signals into loud ones. Originally de Forest wasn’t quite sure … Continue reading "Audion Tube"
BraCommunist spitfire Ida Rosenthal came from a line of Jewish intellectuals in what was then Russia and is now Belarus. She returned from college an outspoken communist revolutionary and with a boyfriend, William. Threatened with jail, the army, or both they fled to the US in 1905 and married in 1906. Ida, who was 4′ … Continue reading "Bra"
Circular Saw1813 Tabitha Babbit In 1777, Samuel Miller patented the first circular saw. However, the wind-powered saw did not have enough power to be of practical use. In 1813, Tabitha Babbit, a Shaker, invented the circular. Her insight was that sawing back and forth wasted half the motion of a saw. In response, she created a … Continue reading "Circular Saw"
- Blue Ocean Strategy Basics – Buyer Experience Cycle
Put yourself in the shoes of your buyer The Buyer Experience Cycle (BEC) is a superficially short and often overlooked blue ocean exercise. In the books, tutorials, and even the tool itself, the BEC is always coupled with the Buyer Utility Map though they’re separate parts of the exercise. In short, the BEC is a … Continue reading "Blue Ocean Strategy Basics – Buyer Experience Cycle"
Intrauterine Device (IUD)Intrauterine Devices (IUD’s) are long-lasting passive birth control for women. Once inserted they work anywhere from ten years to life. IUD’s are the most common birth-control method in the world. Background IUD’s were first developed in 1909 by Richard Richter of Waldenburg, Germany. Ernst Gräfenberg also supported the devices. He is the doctor the “G-Spot” … Continue reading "Intrauterine Device (IUD)"
Light Emitting Diode (LED)“New York City and you’re flying in an airplane and you see all these lights. And you think lights, lights, lights, lights, lights.” Nick Holonyak Nick Holonyak Jr.’s mom was an orphan. His dad was a coal miner. After a stint in the mine’s, Nick decided school sounded like a fine idea. Holonyak was the … Continue reading "Light Emitting Diode (LED)"
Synthetic DyeAs the Industrial Revolution gained steam (OK – bad pun), England’s population became denser. Eventually, the resulting pools of water bred mosquitos that eventually became a malaria epidemic. Perkin, a 15-year-old student, ran crude experiments to create lower-cost quinine, a malaria medicine. One of his processes accidentally produced a strong purple liquid. Useless as a … Continue reading "Synthetic Dye"
Steam Engine (Newcomen)The Newcomen steam engine removed water from mines. It worked but was extremely inefficient. Steam was not recycled (re-condensed) so the Newcomen engine required an enormous amount of coal to continually boil water. When used at a coal mine, where scrap coal was essentially free, this cost less than having workers remove water by the … Continue reading "Steam Engine (Newcomen)"
Automation: Robots in Real LifePart I, “Automation Armageddon: a Legitimate Worry?” reviewed the history of automation, focused on projections of gloom-and-doom. “It smells like death,” is how a friend of mine described a nearby chain grocery store. He tends to exaggerate and visiting France admittedly brings about strong feelings of passion. Anyway, the only reason we go there is … Continue reading "Automation: Robots in Real Life"
Bullet TrainsBullet trains are capable of travel at 300kph (186mph). They cost less to operate than aircraft and have a lower environmental impact. Japan invented bullet trains and started acquiring land for their super-fast train in the 1930s, before WWII. In 1959, they broke ground for the first bullet train, or Shinkansen as they’re called in … Continue reading "Bullet Trains"
Consumer Shared Computer Network (CompuServe)CompuServe is the first computer network targeted towards ordinary people though it did not start out that way. Background Jeff Wilkins sold burglar alarms. His father-in-law ran a small insurance company and needed to buy a computer. However, the DEC model he wanted had far more computing power than his father required. Wilkins realized he … Continue reading "Consumer Shared Computer Network (CompuServe)"
Chlorofluorocarbons “Freon”Freon is the brand name of a Chlorofluorocarbon gas. It replaced other refrigerant chemicals that were more toxic or volatile, including ammonia. Throughout the 20th century, Freon became the dominant refrigerant gas. The team that invented Freon was led by Thomas Midgley, Jr., who earlier had invented leaded gasoline. It was a joint venture between … Continue reading "Chlorofluorocarbons “Freon”"
SCUBAEarly bell suits that contained air hoses allowed people to function underwater. These bell diving suits were heavy and dangerous. Later systems relied upon compressed air and regulators, yet these were still large and impractical. In 1942 Nazi-occupied France, Frenchmen Cousteau and Gagnan invented the first practical underwater breathing apparatus, Aqua-Lung. In their system, called … Continue reading "SCUBA"
Polio VaccineAppearing out of nowhere in the late 1900s, polio terrified American communities in the early 20th century. 1 in 200 infections led to irreversible paralysis. Of those, 5-10% died from breathing paralysis. Iron lungs that breathed for polio sufferers also trapped them. The virus paralyzed President Roosevelt. No sooner did the virus appear than entire … Continue reading "Polio Vaccine"
MimeographMimeographs are essentially low-cost but low-quality and easy-to-use printing presses. They produced good-enough copies at a cost far lower than hand copying. Copies are produced from user-created stencils. Mimeographs remained the dominant form of document duplication for almost a century until photocopy machines became inexpensive and ubiquitous. For decades, mimeographs were the only way to … Continue reading "Mimeograph"
