Tag Archives: Invention

Insect Repellent

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Insect Repellent

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. That’s insect repellent for you.

  • Insect repellents are a compound that is put onto a surface, typically the skin, to deter insects from the surface and the immediate surrounding area.
  • ‘Insect repellent’ is also known as ‘bug spray’, and the best repellents ward off insects like mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, flies, and mites.
  • Both natural and synthetic ingredient versions of insect repellents are available; however synthetic versions, in general, produce better results; and while ultrasonic technology has been experimented with as a form of repellent, studies have proven it to have a lack of effectiveness.
  • Typically, insect repellents are available as an aerosol spray; roll-on liquid; a cream; or a gel, although some repellents are in the form of an object, like candles; wrist bands; mosquito coils; and clothing or nets typically treated with permethrin.
  • Various communities have utilised natural insect repellents since ancient times, typically obtained from vegetation or other insects, or by burning a natural chemical or plant material.

Insect Repellent, Bug Spray, Mosquito, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Invention, Chemical, Can, Tube

Insect Repellents
Image courtesy of U.S. Department of Agriculture/Flickr
  • Synthetic exploration of insect repellents began in the 1920s, and it wasn’t until 1944 when a particularly effective repellent was discovered, known as DEET (N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide also known as ‘diethyltoluamide’), first used by United States military in World War II; and it has been the main active ingredient in most repellents sold since the 1950s, due to its ability to deter most disease-ridden biting insects; its notable safety record; and its long-lasting effects.
  • How insect repellents exactly repel insects is uncertain, although it is hypothesised that the repellents masks certain human molecules that are detected by and attract insects.
  • While a product like DEET, in rare circumstances can cause undesirable reactions, it is considered fairly safe, especially in the adult population, however, insect repellent can be hazardous, especially if used for extended periods in high doses, and it may cause adverse effects to the human body, especially in very young children and potentially in unborn babies.
  • Insect repellents can provide protection from three to twelve hours, with shorter lengths typically attributed to lower active ingredient concentrations, while longer times usually result from higher concentrations of the active ingredient.
  • Substantially more effective insect repellents than the commonly used DEET are presently in testing processes, while the relatively new picaridin (also known as ‘icaridin’) has become a rival on the market; while lemon eucalyptus oil has been discovered to have an effectiveness similar to DEET, unlike the once commonly used citronella oil which needs reapplying every half hour or so to remain effective.
Bibliography:
A Brief History of Insect Repellents, Part 1, 2010, Incognito, http://www.avoidingbites.com/a-brief-history-of-insect-repellents-part-1/
DEET, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DEET
Insect Repellent, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect_repellent
Katz T, Miller J & Hebert A, Insect repellents: Historical perspectives and new developments, 2008, Journel of the American Academy of Dermatology, http://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622%2807%2901467-3/pdf
Keim B, DEET Mosquito Repellent Could Lose Its Bite, 2010, Wired, http://www.wired.com/2010/05/deet-resistance/

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Zipper

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Zipper

You can’t get more zippy than a zipper.

  • Zippers are an invention used to secure and close the edges of two pieces of material, commonly textiles.
  • A ‘zipper’ is also known as a ‘zip fastener’, ‘zip’ and ‘fly’, and it was once called a ‘clasp locker’.
  • Popularly zippers are utilised on clothing such as trousers, jackets or dresses, along with fabric camping items and baggage.
  • Zippers consist of two strips of teeth that link together or separate, when a central slider is moved across the strips.
  • Both plastic and metal materials can be used to produce a zipper, and the zip is typically attached to a fabric tape which allows it to be sewn or adhered to an item.
Zipper, Invention, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Information, Metal, Slider, Teeth, Fashion
Zipper
Image courtesy of Clare Bell/Flickr
  •  The term ‘zipper’ is said to be derived from the ‘zip’ sound the invention makes when zipping, first used in 1923 by the American B. F. Goodrich Company, an aerospace company.
  • Zippers are notorious for breaking easily after significant use, such as when the slider fails to zip; it jams while zipping; or it detaches from a strip of teeth entirely.
  • An early zipper was first patented in 1851 by American Elias Howe Jr, a major innovator of the sewing machine; however the invention, known as a ‘fastening for garments’ was not commercially successful.
  • Some zippers are visible, however others are hidden from view under special textile flaps, and these zips are particularly useful for dresses or camouflage clothing.
  • The first patented zipper with a slider, filed in 1891, was designed by American Whitcomb Judson and it was called a ‘clasp locker’, and originally invented for use on shoes.
Bibliography:
Invention, n.d, The Zipper, http://thezipper.umwblogs.org/invention/
Zipper, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zipper

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Wedding Ring

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Wedding Ring

A wedding ring is virtually part of many a person’s identity.

  • A wedding ring is a jewellery item, generally given and worn as a symbol of a person’s marriage.
  • Wedding rings are most frequently made of a metal such as platinum, gold or palladium, and are sometimes decorated with jewels or precious stones, and/or engraved with words or patterns.
  • ‘Wedding rings’ are also known as ‘wedding bands’, and they are typically exchanged during a marriage ceremony.
  • Wedding rings are thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt, made of reeds or other plant material, but later leather, ivory or bones became more common due to their durability, and in Roman times, iron became a popular choice.
  • It is traditional for a wedding ring to be placed on the fourth, or ring finger, more commonly on the left hand, and some people rarely remove their ring, wearing it both night and day.

Wedding Ring, Trivia, Invention, Jewelry, Assortment, Band

  • In a number of countries, wedding rings were originally exclusively given to the female of a wedded pair, and this is still the case in some places; though, in the United States, by the end of the 1940s, rings given to both genders became the norm, particularly due to the ongoing public promotion by jewellers.
  • Historically, the value of a wedding ring often symbolised the extent of love the giver had for the receiver, and commonly the cost of the ring was associated with the means of the giver.
  • Wedding rings, or more specifically circles, were a symbol of eternity in Ancient Egypt, describing eternal love between the partners, however on its adaption into Roman culture, the ring’s meaning grew into a symbol of a man’s possession over a woman.
  • According to popular legend, the fourth finger is believed to contain the mythical ‘love vein’ (Vena amoris), hence the wedding ring’s traditional position on the left hand; however, the position possibly originated from the Christian practice of a priest touching the first three fingers with the ring to symbolise the holy trinity, and then placing the ring on the fourth finger; or it may simply be that the ring was traditionally placed on one of the least used fingers on the least dominant hand to avoid wear of the material.
  • Some cultures consider the wedding ring to be the final gift in a series of wedding gifts, and it may be the second ring given, the first being an ‘engagement ring’, however, for some people, it may be the only ring given.
Bibliography:
Fox C, History of the Wedding Ring, 2010, America’s Collectible Network, http://www.jtv.com/library/wedding-ring-history.html
The Origins of Wedding Rings and Why They’re Worn on the 4th Finger of the Left Hand, 2010, Today I Found Out, http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/09/the-origin-of-wedding-rings-and-why-theyre-worn-on-the-4th-finger-of-the-left-hand/
Wedding Ring, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_ring

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Straight Pin

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Straight Pin

There are so many versions of pins! So… which pin is the straight pin?

  • Straight pins are a form of pin, typically used to temporarily keep two or more pieces of material together, and they usually have a head on one end and a sharp point at the other.
  • Today, fabric or other textiles are what straight pins most commonly pin together, however, throughout most of history, most of the time these pins were only used for holding papers or clothing together.
  • ‘Straight pins’ are also known as ‘common pins’ or simply ‘pins’; as well as ‘sewing pins’, when intended for use in the making of textile objects.
  • Straight pins were originally purposed to keep clothes together, known to be in use as far back as Ancient Egypt, and they have since been prominent throughout Medieval Europe and the Renaissance.
  • Originally, bone, iron or thorns were used to make straight pins, however modern varieties are typically made of steel or brass, often with a plastic or glass head.

Straight Pins, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Sewing Pin, Assortment, Coloured, Plain, Facts, Invention

  • Straight pins were originally quite expensive and of high demand, as each pin required handcrafting and most women required one to pin their clothes and accessories together.
  • In the Middle Ages, straight pins could be used to distinguish a person of a specific social class, with nobles affording more intricate and valuable pins.
  • Modern straight pins with metal heads are made by pressing cut pieces of wire into a die or against a hard surface to form the head, and the other end is sharpened, while plastic or glass headed pins are made in a similar way, though the wire is either forced or fused into the head.
  • Straight pins utilised for pinning paper have generally been replaced with staples, while safety pins are now commonly used for pinning clothing items.
  • Many later versions of straight pins were notorious for rusting as its nickel coating flaked off, which led to the introduction of pin cushions containing emery grit to remove said rust.
Bibliography:
Henson B, Sewing Pins – Knowing the Different Types, 2016, Create For Less, http://www.createforless.com/buying-guides/sewing-and-quilting/sewing-pins-types-and-sizes.aspx
Pin, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pin
Regency Pins, 2011, The Regency Redingote, https://regencyredingote.wordpress.com/2011/09/16/regency-pins/
Straight Pin, 2016, How Products Are Made, http://www.madehow.com/Volume-7/Straight-Pin.html

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Polymer Banknote

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Polymer Banknote

Polymer banknotes may be uncommon and unfamiliar, but they certainly are not unidentified.

  • Polymer banknotes are an invention used to represent an amount of currency, using flat, generally rectangular, printed notes made of polymer plastic, and they were introduced as a replacement for paper banknotes.
  • ‘Polymer banknotes’ are also known as ‘polymer money’, ‘plastic banknotes’ and ‘plastic money’; and they are particularly difficult to forge, especially with added security features.
  • Together, the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Australian science research centre CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation), headed by Australian chemist David Solomon, invented polymer banknotes, releasing the first batch in Australia in 1988, after twenty years of development, and a cost of 20 million Australian dollars.
  • The project to develop polymer banknotes was initiated after a large Australian forgery of newly released paper ones, spanning over 1966 to 1967, mounting to approximately 800,000 Australian dollars worth at the time.
  • The first successful polymer banknote was the Australian ten-dollar note released in 1988, which originally featured an indigenous Australian on one side, and European settlers and a ship on the other, and was issued to commemorate the bicentenary of European settlement in Australia; while a full set, the first in the world, of Australian notes was not released until 1996, after some further improvements were made.
Polymer Banknotes, Money, Australian, Assortment, Plastic, Real, Collection, Types
  • For security purposes, polymer banknotes will often include watermarks; embossing and micro printing among other printing methods; various threads, including magnetic, that are embedded in the note; transparent plastic windows containing an optical variable device (OVD) – an iridescent or holographic image; and other measures, many of which were once unique to polymer money.
  • Traditionally, polymer banknotes are made by inking a plastic film with white, usually leaving a small transparent shape, cutting the film into sheets and printing on them with a variety of inks using diverse range of techniques over multiple processes, and then are varnished and cut.
  • In 2014, only 22 countries were using polymer banknotes, while only a few countries had full sets in circulation, and these included Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Vietnam, Romania, Papua New Guinea and Brunei.
  • The practical advantages of a polymer banknote compared to a paper note include its resistance to water, dirt, burning, tearing and crumpling – general factors that improve note longevity.
  • One of the primary issues against introducing polymer banknotes into many countries is its cost for initial introduction, as well as higher production costs, which in 2011, for Canadian notes was 19 cents per banknote, slightly more than double the cost of paper notes.
Bibliography:
How Plastic Money is Made, 2016, AZO Materials, http://www.azom.com/materials-video-details.aspx?VidID=430
Polymer Banknote, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymer_banknote
Robertson G, Funny money: How counterfeiting led to a major overhaul of Canada’s money, 2012, The Globe and Mail, http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/currencies/funny-money-how-counterfeiting-led-to-a-major-overhaul-of-canadas-money/article554632/?page=all
Spurling T & Solomon D, Proceeds of Crime: How Polymer Banknotes were Invented, 2014, The Conversation, http://theconversation.com/proceeds-of-crime-how-polymer-banknotes-were-invented-34642
Weiczner J, Canada’s Plastic Money Is Stumping Counterfeiters, 2016, Fortune, http://fortune.com/2016/01/15/canadian-dollar-usd-counterfeit/

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Braille

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Braille

Letters aren’t the only way to read – try reading braille!

  • Braille is an alphabet-like system of ‘letters’ that enables the blind or visually impaired to read through the sense of touch, as opposed to sight.
  • Braille primarily translates the letters of a language using a specific placement of raised dots, generally six dots in a two (wide) by three (high) grid, and is usually read by the touch of fingertips.
  • Braille is based on a rejected dot communication system designed by Frenchman Charles Barbier in the the early 1800s, known as ‘Ecriture Nocturne’ or ‘night writing’, developed for use by Napoleon’s soldiers to ‘talk’ with each other without making noise or using light at night.
  • The night writing system became known to Louis Braille, a French boy, in 1821 in Paris, who identified its flaws and by 1824, at age 15, had reworked it into braille for the blind by reducing the grid from twelve to six dots, and encoding letters rather than sounds.
  • Two grades are typically used to classify braille; Grade 1 is usually used for encoding letters, while Grade 2 is generally an abbreviated and shortened version of words, without the need to spell each letter out as found in the first grade; though there is a Grade 3 system, which is usually one’s own shorthand version of the writing system.

Braille, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Invention, Embossed, Toilet Block, English

  • Although braille differs in various countries, depending on the language, it is generally ordered and based on the original French version and alphabet, to reduce confusion; while a music notation system is also available, though it has also traditionally varied from country to country.
  • Braille is typically written using a typewriter, embossing printer, or a slate and stylus, although other printers are also used, and various handheld embossing devices with adhesive tape are also manufactured, that are popular for home use.
  • In both the United Kingdom and the United States, the large majority of visually impaired people cannot read braille, and the number of people learning the system has declined due in part, to new technologies like computerised screen readers being utilised.
  • Medicine labels in the United Kingdom are required to be embossed with braille, and while some other manufactured products and public signs include this writing system, most products and signs do not.
  • According to statistics, blind people fluent in braille are far more likely to be employed, than those who are not.
Bibliography:
Braille, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braille
Braille: Deciphering the Code, 2014, American Foundation for the Blind, http://braillebug.afb.org/braille_deciphering.asp
What is Braille?, 2015, American Foundation for the Blind, http://www.afb.org/info/living-with-vision-loss/braille/what-is-braille/123

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