#8 - "Stone Mill II"

#9 was the Internet! Glitch with #9 invention kept this week's blog out of the homes of hundreds of my followers. It appears those out-of-state (Peyton, Joani, and Mike Di.) fared better than the home-grown ones! 

"Stone Mill II"

 The Stone Mill was the meeting location for my Scott Kelby 2016 Photo Walk. Because of the threat of rain, I decided to drive the extra distance as there was an option to shoot indoors. And, did it rain - many of the other Walks in New England were cancelled. So we spent a great part of our shoot inside the old mills.

I walked by this shot a few times knowing that there was something there. The lighting and the contrast on the building was causing me concern. With my trusty tripod in hand, I went the way of HDR as I took five shots of this from an over exposure of 2 stops to an under one of 2 stops as well. Then with the help of PhotoShop and NIK filters I was able to combine them into this final frame.

Each Photo Walk leader is allowed to choose one image from his group to submit to Kelby for further honors. My "Stone Mill" was the 2016 Choice for the Lawrence Mills Shoot! (ED Note - my 2017 shot also took top honors in my photo group!)


Greatest Inventions of All Time!
Recently I came across an article about the greatest inventions as determined by a large group of scientists, philosophers, educators, and other professions. Their task was to create a list of "the Greatest Inventions of All Time." Conveniently, the final list numbered fifty! so, I'm starting with #50 and working my way down to Numero Uno in December.

Fear not as I will offer you some hints as to what the invention was.

Getting closer to Numero Uno!!

#8 

is the administration of an antigenic to stimulate an individual’s immune system to develop adaptive immunity to a pathogen. They can prevent or ameliorate infectious diseases. When a sufficiently large percentage of a population has gone through #8, herd immunity results. It is the most effective method of preventing infectious diseases; widespread immunity is largely responsible for the worldwide eradication of smallpox and polio, measles, etc. 

Murphy's Laws

Jones' Law (aka Nixon's Law). . .

The man who can smile when things go wrong -- 

has thought of someone he can blame it on.

Leaving You with a Laugh, I Hope. . .

"iPhone Accessory"

#9 - "Weights and Measures"

#10 - Full STEAM ahead for Michelle, Mike, Elaine, Peyton, Milt, and Joani as it was the Steam Engine!

"Weights and Measures"

The clock tower at the Fairhaven Town Hall had a huge bell in it. Fortunately, I was NOT in the area when it struck the hour! These items were used to counterbalance the clock mechanism. At present they were just resting in place. I'm not sure if they were still in use. 


Greatest Inventions of All Time!
Recently I came across an article about the greatest inventions as determined by a large group of scientists, philosophers, educators, and other professions. Their task was to create a list of "the Greatest Inventions of All Time." Conveniently, the final list numbered fifty! so, I'm starting with #50 and working my way down to Numero Uno in December.

Fear not as I will offer you some hints as to what the invention was.

#9

#9 is the global system of interconnected computer networks that use the (TCP/IP) to link devices worldwide. It is a network of networks that consists of private, public, academic, business, and government networks of local to global scope, linked by a broad array of electronic, wireless, and optical networking technologies. It carries a vast range of information resources and services, such as the inter-linked hypertext documents and applications, electronic mail, and file sharing!

Its origins date back to research commissioned by the federal government of the U. S. in the 1960s to build robust, fault-tolerant communication with computer networks. The funding of the NSF Network as a new backbone in the 1980s, as well as private funding for other commercial extensions, led to worldwide participation in the development of new networking technologies, and the merger of many networks.

Murphy's Laws

Miksch's Law. . .

If a string has one end, 

then it has another end.

Leaving You with a Laugh, I Hope. . .

"Auto Repair Chart"

#10 - "Oil Pump II"

#11 nitrogen fixation! Those who chose "C" were more correct than the others - Michelle, Joani, Peyton, and Tony!

"Oil Pump II"

At the Stone Mill I came across this pump still attached to a large drum. I believe it was used to get the oil or grease from the drum into the proper machinery. What fascinated me the most was seeing the cobwebs on it. I guess this hand device had not been disturbed in quite some time. Because of the little hint of blue paint on the rust, I opted to keep this in color and not try a B&W conversion. Also, the rust and yellow on the back wall helped to pop out the pump. 

Greatest Inventions of All Time!
Recently I came across an article about the greatest inventions as determined by a large group of scientists, philosophers, educators, and other professions. Their task was to create a list of "the Greatest Inventions of All Time." Conveniently, the final list numbered fifty! so, I'm starting with #50 and working my way down to Numero Uno in December.

Fear not as I will offer you some hints as to what the invention was.

#10 - Top Ten Time!

The use of boiling water to produce mechanical motion goes back over 2000 years, but early devices were not practical. The Spanish inventor Beaumont obtained a patent for a rudimentary water pump in 1606. In 1698 Thomas Savery patented a pump that used this medium in direct contact with the water being pumped. Savery's device created a partial vacuum and draw water into a chamber, and then applied pressurized medium  to further pump the water.

Thomas Newcomen’s idea was the first commercial true #10 using a piston, and was used in 1712 for removing flood water from a mine. 104 were in use by 1733. Eventually over two thousand of them were installed.

In 1781 Scottish engineer James Watt patented his invention that produced continuous rotary motion. Watt's ten- horsepower devices enabled a wide range of manufacturing machinery to be powered. They could be sited anywhere that water and coal or wood fuel could be obtained. This stationary invention was a key component of the Industrial Revolution, allowing factories to locate where water power was unavailable.

# TEN powered the factories, trains, and ships that drove the Industrial Revolution!

Murphy's Laws

 First Law of Laboratory Work. . .

Hot glass looks exactly the same as cold glass.

Leaving You with a Laugh, I Hope. . .

"Obsession Cure"

#11 - "Gearing Up"

#12 was sanitation systems! Well done, Peyton, Joani, Michelle, Elaine, Milt, and Mike!

"Gearing Up"

Another recent grab from Slater's Mill was this set of gears that helped to run the elaborate cotong threading machines. The docent was pretty sure that any machine designs that were brought over from England had to be memorized in detail as it was illegal to have hard copies of them! These devices were made up of thousand of pieces! 


Greatest Inventions of All Time!
Recently I came across an article about the greatest inventions as determined by a large group of scientists, philosophers, educators, and other professions. Their task was to create a list of "the Greatest Inventions of All Time." Conveniently, the final list numbered fifty! so, I'm starting with #50 and working my way down to Numero Uno in December.

Fear not as I will offer you some hints as to what the invention was.

#11

#11 is essential for some forms of life because inorganic nitrogen compounds are required for the biosynthesis of the basic building blocks of plants, animals and other life forms, e.g., nucleotides for DNA and RNA, and amino acids for proteins. Therefore, as part of the nitrogen cycle, it is essential for agriculture and the manufacture of fertilizer. 

It is also, indirectly, relevant to the manufacture of all chemical compounds that contain nitrogen, which includes explosives, most pharmaceuticals, and dyes. This process is carried out naturally in the soil by a wide range of nitrogen fixing bacteria.

The German chemist Fritz Haber, also the father of chemical weapons, won a Nobel Prize for his development of the ammonia-synthesis process, which was used to create a new class of fertilizers central to the green revolution (No. 22).

I realize these clues are not very helpful so if you still need help, go to the bottom of this week's blog for multiple choices. . . 

Murphy's Laws

Lowrey's Law. . .

If it jams -- force it. 

If it breaks, 

it needed replacing anyway.

Leaving You with a Laugh, I Hope. . .

Possible Answers:

A. Nitrogen Fixation B. Nitrogen Fixation

                    C. Nitrogen Fixation D. Nitrogen Fixation

#12 - "No Escape Hatch"

#13  refrigeration! Slow week out there or the answer was too easy. Thanks for responding - Elaine, Mike, Peyton, and Joani!

"No Escape Hatch!"

 Secured hatches were all over the Boston Waterworks Museum. I especially liked this one because of the red against that light gray. The peeling paint around the hatch as well as that situation on the red cover was an added bonus. Trying to keep it simple, I simply filled the frame with it!


Greatest Inventions of All Time!
Recently I came across an article about the greatest inventions as determined by a large group of scientists, philosophers, educators, and other professions. Their task was to create a list of "the Greatest Inventions of All Time." Conveniently, the final list numbered fifty! so, I'm starting with #50 and working my way down to Numero Uno in December.

Fear not as I will offer you some hints as to what the invention was.

#12

A major reason we live 40 years longer than we did in 1880! 

Major human settlements could initially develop only where fresh surface water was plentiful, such as near rivers or natural springs. Throughout history people have devised systems to get water into their communities and households, and to dispose (and later also treat) wastewater. The focus of #12 at that time was on conveying this disposal to a natural body of water where it would be diluted and dissipated.

In ancient Rome this was quite extensive. These systems consisted of stone and wooden drains to collect and remove wastewater from populated areas. It is estimated that the first devices of ancient Rome were built between 800 and 735 BCE. 

There is little record of other systems in most of Europe until the High Middle Ages. Unsanitary conditions and overcrowding were widespread throughout Europe and Asia at this time. This resulted in pandemics such as the Black Death (1347-1351), which killed tens of millions of people. Very high infant and child mortality prevailed in Europe throughout medieval times, due partly to deficiencies in setting up #12.

Murphy's Laws

Prudhomme's Law of Window Cleaning. . .

It's always on the other side!

Leaving You with a Laugh, I Hope. . .

"MAGA, sort of. . ."