Category Archives: Inventions

Beehive

By | |
Leave a comment
Beehive

Beehives house busy bees.

  • Artificial beehives are an invention used for raising and managing honey bees, that use the hive as a shelter.
  • Cells, shaped as hexagons, form honeycomb that can be found in a beehive, and this is used by bees to store pollen and honey, and care for the young.
  • Beehives are typically used to attract bees so that they can produce honey for commercial or domestic purposes; to attract them for plant pollination purposes; to support bees in areas where habitat destruction has occurred; or to attract bees for the production of bee products.
  • Ancient Egyptians are said to have raised bees in constructed hives, from as early as 2400 BC, and archaeological evidence of hives used in large-scale beekeeping, has been found in Israel’s Jordan Valley, in the Middle East, that dates back to the 9th and 10th centuries.
  • Traditionally, humans used natural materials to create beehives, like mud, tree hollows, clay and straw, while the latter was often used to make basket-like skeps, although many of these hives were used once only, due to the difficulty of accessing the honey, which often resulted in significant disturbance or death of bees, and/or honeycomb destruction during the harvesting process.

Beehive, Invention, Bee, Honey, Farm, Cultivating, Modern, Box, Ten Random Facts

  • Many ideas for more practical beehives surfaced around the 1700s, although it was not until the 1850s that American clergyman Lorenzo Langstroth, also an apiarist and noted for his significant contribution to the beekeeping industry, invented the now famous beehive that had movable frames; a design on which most modern hives are based upon.
  • If a beehive is to be approached, smoke is usually puffed into the hive to disguise the emissions of chemicals that bees release to alert danger, thus keeping the bees calm.
  • Modern beehives are generally reused for many years, and often feature removable frames, that contain and protect the honeycomb, and are easily removed for inspection and for harvesting honey.
  • Before the use of modern beehives, corridors were sometimes built within hives to direct the queen bee’s egg laying habits and discourage her from using the honey harvesting areas.
  • A new form of beehive, known as the ‘Flow Hive’, enables the user to extract honey direct from the hive without removing the especially designed frames, and it was released to the public in early 2015 via a crowd-funding initiative with huge success, raising $12 million dollars during its initial release, and is set to be popular among backyard beekeepers, due to its convenient honey harvesting method.
Bibliography:
American Beekeeping History, n.d, John’s Beekeeping Notebook, http://outdoorplace.org/beekeeping/history1.htm
Beehives, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beehive

Amazon:       

Barcode

By | |
Leave a comment
Barcode

Barcodes completely changed the face of business.

  • Barcodes are patterns of lines or two dimensional shapes that are usually printed onto a flat surface, and they can be read by specifically engineered machines.
  • The primary idea and form of barcodes was designed in 1949, by friends Bernard Silver and Norman Woodland, both alumni of the Drexel Institute of Technology in Pennsylvania’s Philadelphia, in the United States, for which they received a patent three years later.
  • ‘Barcode readers’, also known as ‘scanners’ are used to read barcodes, although many smart phones and other devices now have this capability.
  • American David Collins created the first commercially used barcode, that he developed from 1959 onwards for identifying railcars, and it was named ‘KarTrak’, and the stripes were coloured red and blue and were able to be read by a scanner.
  • Barcodes are said to have been loosely based on the Morse code system, by means of lengthening the dots and dashes into wide and narrow stripes, although inventors Woodland and Silver developed it into what appeared like a bull’s eye, while the reading machine used was based on technology used in the film industry.

Barcode, Scan, Line, QR, Product, Ten Random Facts, Invention

  • Barcodes are typically used to categorise and identify objects and individual people across many industries, and the information is usually compiled in a database.
  • The grocery industry became interested in the use of barcodes in 1966, and they were introduced to retailers starting mid 1974, with a packet of gum being the first ever object to be scanned, although uptake of the new technology was slow, and it was not until the 1980s that it was more commonly used.
  • The most economically viable and practical barcode scanners generally use a light sensor and lens, in conjunction with decoding technology, to interpret the code.
  • Barcodes are highly practical as they allow for easier locating and managing of items in a retail environment, and changes that affect each item stocked are readily made, by entering the information in the database.
  • There are many variants of barcodes, that can be both linear and square-based, among other shapes; with each variant having a specific name, such as ‘QR code’ or ‘Code 93’.
Bibliography:
Barcode, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barcode
Barcode History: 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Barcodes, 2012, Scandit, http://www.scandit.com/2012/03/20/barcode-history-5-things-you-didn%E2%80%99t-know-about-barcodes/
Barcode History, 2015, Barcodes Inc, http://www.barcodesinc.com/articles/barcode-history.htm
Seideman T, Barcodes Sweep the World, 2011, Barcoding Incorporated, http://www.barcoding.com/information/barcode_history.shtml

Amazon:        

Tactile Paving

By | |
Leave a comment
Tactile Paving

Tactile paving is placed quite tactfully.

  • Tactile paving is generally a group of patterned tiles or pavers, that are located in pedestrian areas to help direct visually impaired or blind people.
  • The surfaces known as ‘tactile paving’, are also known as ‘tactile tiles’, ‘detectable warnings’, ‘detectable warning surfaces’, ‘truncated domes’, ‘tactile indicators’, ‘tenji blocks’, ‘textured paving blocks’ and ‘tactile ground surface indicators’.
  • Hazardous areas, including changes in ground height, are areas where tactile paving is used as a warning for those visually impaired, as they can be sensed using a cane or by one’s feet.
  • Tactile paving is often yellow, or another bright or contrasting colour to the surrounding area, which marks as a secondary warning to those who have poor vision.
  • Tactile paving is a Japanese invention, and was originally designed in 1965 by Seiichi Miyake, who had the desire to help visually impaired people to safely move around outside, and its use was popularised by the Japan Railway due to its widespread installation on train platforms in the 1970s.

Tactile Paving, Pale, Yellow, Station, Drop, Ten Random Facts, Cross Section, Invention, Blind Tatics

  • Tactile paving is typically square or rectangular in shape, and the tiles contain significant bumps on the surface, that are generally either circular or rectangular, and usually the circular bumps indicate ‘stop’, while the rectangular bumps signify ‘go’.
  • Generally, tactile paving has various requirements and standards, regulated by each country, that determine the size, shape, colour, and distribution of the bumps, and their placement in relation to hazardous areas.
  • Britain, Japan and Australia were among the countries that adopted tactile paving first, and the United States and Canada embraced the invention during the 1990s.
  • Tactile paving is usually made of hard material like heavy duty polyurethane, stainless steel, concrete, ceramic or other durable substance, and the paving can be found on steps, transport platforms, footpaths, and in other areas, although the use of the tiles on steep slopes is not normally recommended.
  • For general pedestrians, as well as the visually impaired, the issue of safety regarding tactile paving is often controversial, as the bumps can cause difficulties for those in wheelchairs, and sometimes the tiles are hazardous or can become slippery, although there have been efforts to reduce these issues.
Bibliography:
The History of Tactile Paving for the Blind, 2015, Share Ask, http://share-ask.com/the-history-of-tactile-pavement-for-the-blind/
Integrated Tactile Ground Surface Indicators, 2012, TGSI, http://www.tactileindicators.net/integrated_tactiles.htm
Tactile Paving, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tactile_paving

Amazon:    

Compact Disc

By | |
1 Comment
Compact Disc

Are compact discs compact enough for you?

  • A compact disc is a thin optical disc, used primarily to store digital information, and it is also commonly called a ‘CD’.
  • Compact discs are circular in shape, with a central hole, and are made of plastic, that is usually coated with aluminium or gold for reflecting the laser that ‘reads’ the disc, and then a layer of lacquer is applied for protection.
  • The storage space of compact discs usually has a maximum capacity of 700 MiB – mebibytes (734 MB – megabytes) of data, in the form of programs, media or information, which equates to approximately 80 minutes of audio.
  • The typical size of a compact disc is 12 centimetres (4.7 inches) in diameter, although they can be as small as 6 to 8 centimetres (2.4 to 3.1 inches) in diameter.
  • American James Russell was the inventor of the optical digital recording and playback concept that is used in compact disc technology, which he designed in 1966, and he received a patent for the system in 1970.

Compact Disc, CD, Music, Ten Random Facts, Technology, Laser, Invention

  • In 1979, the companies Philips and Sony, formed an unusual working relationship, using James Russell’s concept, to together develop a compact disc, and in 1982 the first CDs were manufactured, being the ABBA music album The Visitors.
  • A compact disc spins when it is placed in a CD player or drive, and as it does, it is read by a laser that interprets the miniscule indents, called ‘pits’, invisible to the naked eye, found on the plastic layer of the disc.
  • Compact discs were originally designed to emit sound, however, in the 1980s it was realised that the disc could be used for a variety of purposes, including the storage of computer data.
  • Compact discs are usually purchased in a protective sleeve, like a hard plastic case; a paper packet; or a soft plastic envelope.
  • By 2007, world sales of compact discs had reached 200 billion, although sales have decreased significantly in recent years, due to digital technology and streaming; and in the music industry, 2014 marked the first year CDs were outsold by streaming technology.
Bibliography:
Hopewell L, The History of Compact Discs, 2012, Gizmodo, http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2012/08/the-history-of-the-compact-disc/
Compact Disc, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_disc

Amazon:      

Mirror

By | |
Leave a comment
Mirror

Do you ever see a double in a mirror?

  • A mirror, once known as a ‘looking glass’,  is an invented object that reflects any light directed onto it, which results in the object reflecting an image.
  • Both flat and curved mirrors are available, and the latter are able to manipulate light and images depending on the curve extremity.
  • Mirrors are commonly used to look at one’s appearance; as an ornament or part of a building, often to make spaces look larger; and in some machines, including telescopes, to manipulate light.
  • In ancient times, natural items were used to observe reflections in a similar way to mirrors, such as glossy stones and water.
  • Handheld mirrors are believed to have been used around 6000 BC, and were commonly made of polished obsidian, and metals were used some time later.

Mirror, Reflective, Invention, Ten Random Facts, Antique, Shine, Border, Oval, Flat, Ten Random Facts

  • The modern mirror is believed to have been invented in the early to mid 1800s, by the German Justus von Liebig, a chemist, who developed a silvering process that eventually superseded the hazardous mercury backed items that had been used for centuries.
  • Modern mirrors are usually made by coating the underside, of what most commonly is glass, with thin reflective layers, that often include layers of tin chloride, silver, copper, and a chemical activator, while paint is often used to seal and protect the back.
  • Mirrors are used in vehicles to display a wider view of the surroundings, as well as to see behind, and different shapes are used for various vehicles, to maximise the visibility.
  • Not many animals can recognise their own image in a mirror, and only great apes, elephants, bottlenose dolphins, orcas and Eurasian magpies are believed to have the ability.
  • Mirrors are popularly used in art, as well as to entertain, and are used in kaleidoscopes, mazes and disco balls.
Bibliography:
Flinn G, How Mirrors Work, 2015, How Mirrors Work, http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/everyday-innovations/mirror1.htm
The Inventor of Mirror, n.d., Mirror History, http://www.mirrorhistory.com/mirror-history/who-invented-mirror/
Mirror, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirror

Amazon:       

Book

By | |
Leave a comment
Book

Be well read with enough information to fill many books.

  • A book is a bound collection of sheets or pages, used for record keeping, or conveying information that generally entertains or informs.
  • The pages of books usually contain printed text or illustrations, or they can be blank so that they can be written in by hand, while sometimes the pages will feature a combination of these characteristics.
  • Paper is the most common material used to make book pages, and the text is usually printed on the page.
  • In ancient history, the first books were made of tablets of stone, metal, bark or clay, and this medium was used during the Bronze and Iron Ages.
  • Papyrus, a plant material, was used to create books, or more accurately scrolls, by Ancient Egyptians from around 2400 BC; and parchment, a product made from animal skin was also used in ancient times.

Book, Pile, Assorted, Old, Fiction, Fact, Ten Random Facts, Invention, Read, Reading

  • Before the revolutionary invention of Johannes Gutenburg’s printing press in the mid 1400s, ‘mass production’ of books was performed by wood-printing techniques.
  • ‘E-books’ are those that are available in electronic form, and this is becoming an increasingly popular way of obtaining books, while numerous electronic devices and tablets are engineered to support these electronic versions.
  • Books are available in a wide variety of sizes and thicknesses according to their purpose and number of pages, although they are mostly orientated to sizes that the printing and paper allow for.
  • Books are commonly obtained by purchasing them from retail outlets or borrowing them from a library.
  • In 2010, Google announced that there were approximately 130 million individual book titles that had existed in modern history up until that time.
Bibliography:
Book, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book
A Brief History of the Book, 2015, Charles Sturt University, http://www.csu.edu.au/faculty/arts/humss/art317/form/briefhist.htm

Amazon:     

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...