That's All Folks!

Joe's pick - the Ballpoint Pen! Well, I did not hear from anyone else about their invention for the Top Fifty! Last call from Pete (y'all remember him), Tony, Jeff W., and Joani.

Think about how much convenience has been added to our lives because of the ballpoint pen. I remember having to use ink and nib when practicing penmanship in grammar school. We had to dip the nib into the inkwell and write. We had to then blot our words. Can't tell you how many white shirts had to be thrown out after an afternoon of Palmer Method!

Another year of blogging with some of my favorite images and you comes to an end. You were the reason for my efforts. There were weeks when I did not feel like digging up the image or the other parts of the weekly blog BUT I had an audience that was expecting me to come through - so I did. Thank you for playing along.

Where do I go from here? I wish I knew. Do I have images? You betcha? What about a theme? Probably. Cartoons, you were thinking - plenty of them.

Just not sure if I am up for another run at this though. 

Watch your mailbox. . .


One of the Greatest Inventions of All Time!
The Ballpoint Pen!

The first patent for a ballpoint pen was issued on 30 October 1888, to John J. Loud who was attempting to make a writing instrument that would be able to write "on rough surfaces-such as wood, coarse wrapping-paper, and other articles” which then-common fountain pens could not. Loud's pen had a small rotating steel ball, held in place by a socket. Although it could be used to mark rough surfaces such as leather, as Loud intended, it proved to be too coarse for letter-writing. With no commercial viability, its potential went unexploited and the patent eventually lapsed.

The manufacture of economical, reliable ballpoint pens as we know them arose from experimentation, modern chemistry, and precision manufacturing capabilities of the early 20th century. Patents filed worldwide during early development are testaments to failed attempts at making the pens commercially viable and widely available. Early ballpoints did not deliver the ink evenly; overflow and clogging were among the obstacles inventors faced toward developing reliable ballpoint pens. If the ball socket was too tight, or the ink too thick, it would not reach the paper. If the socket was too loose, or the ink too thin, the pen would leak or the ink would smear. Laszio Biro, a Hungarian newspaper editor frustrated by the amount of time that he wasted filling up fountain pens and cleaning up smudged pages, noticed that inks used in newspaper printing dried quickly, leaving the paper dry and smudge free. He decided to create a pen using the same type of ink. Bíró enlisted the help of his brother György, a chemist, to develop viscous ink formulae for new ballpoint designs.

Bíró's innovation successfully coupled ink-viscosity with a ball-socket mechanism which acted compatibly to prevent ink from drying inside the reservoir while allowing controlled flow. 

Bíró filed a British patent on 15 June 1938

Done!

Murphy's Laws

Corry's Law. . .

Paper is always strongest 

at the perforations.

Leaving You with a Laugh, I Hope. . .

"No Regrets here!"

Thank you for your support. . . 

#00 - "The Wheel"

#1was the printing press! Joani, Mike, and Peyton managed to get their final responses in on time. Also, Long time follower, Carol dropped by1

"The Wheel"

Here's one that definitely should have made the list. Think of all of the places/items/inventions that employ the wheel! Beyond transportation there are a plethora of other uses for the wheel.

I personally give credit to Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble for its invention!


Greatest Inventions of All Time!

Well, that was certainly an educational ride through these Top Fifty inventions! You should be proud of yourselves - you did very well.
Since we have run the list, you have this week off.

What invention do you think should have made the list? For me, it was something simple which I will share with you next week. So send me your one invention that should have been included.




Murphy's Laws

Conference Principle. . .

The speaker with the most monotonous voice 

speaks after the big meal.

Leaving You with a Laugh, I Hope. . .

"Basic Algebra. . ."

#1 - "Trashed!"

#2 was electricity! Peyton, Tony, Mike, Milt, and Joani lit their bulbs for this one1

"Trashed!

As I wrapped up a model shoot inside this East Bridgewater Abandoned Factory, I noticed this trash barrel outside the back door. It had character and potential for a grunge look.

After five minutes with PS and my NIK family of filters, I got this final image. Right away I knew it had to be part of my "industrials!"


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.

#1 Greatest Invention of All time. . .

Almost 90% of those responding choose this to be the greatest invention of all time! You have benefitted from it greatly most of your life. Top Fifty Invention author, Dyson described its invention as the turning point at which “knowledge began freely replicating and quickly assumed a life of its own.”

#1 is a device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a medium (such as paper or cloth), thereby transferring the ink. It marked a dramatic improvement on earlier methods in which the cloth, paper or other medium was brushed or rubbed repeatedly to achieve the transfer of ink, and accelerated the process. Typically used for texts, the invention and its global spread was one of the most influential events in the second millennium.

Johannes Gutenberg, a goldsmith by profession, developed, circa 1439, a system by adapting existing technologies.

Murphy's Laws

Panic Instruction. . .

When you don't know what to do, 

walk fast and look worried.

Leaving You with a Laugh, I Hope. . .

"Tree Delivery Service"

#2 - "WTC Cross"

#3 was penicillin! A shot in the arm from Elaine, Peyton, Tony, Milt,  Mike, and Joani.

"WTC Cross"

Some time after the tragedy of 9/11, I was in NYC. My wife and I walked around various sites and came upon this makeshift memorial to 9/11 at Ground Zero. The beams formed a cross and someone took it upon himself to make it a memorial. 

I am not sure where this WTC Cross finally ended up. I do know my hometown managed to get one section of the steel girders for display at our fire station.




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.

#2 - Winding Down. . .

Our next invention made it possible for at least eight of the top 50 inventions to be! It happened somewhere in the late 19^th century.

#2 is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. In early days, it was considered as being not related to magnetism. Later on, many experimental results and the development of Maxwell’s equations indicated that both #2 and magnetism are from a single phenomenon. 

This Top Ten invention is at the heart of many modern technologies. It has been studied since antiquity, though progress in theoretical understanding remained slow until the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Even then, practical applications for it were few, and it would not be until the late nineteenth century that engineers were able to put it to industrial and residential use. The rapid expansion in this technology at this time transformed industry and society, becoming a driving force for the Second Industrial Revolution. 

Hint: Menlo Park   

Murphy's Laws

First Maxim of Computers. . .

To err is human, 

but to really screw things up 

requires a computer!

Leaving You with a Laugh, I Hope. . .

"Pride Cometh. . ."

#3 - "Gearing Up II"

#4 was the semiconductor! Well done my semi-conductor friends - Peyton, Michelle, Milt, Joani, and Mike. Elaine claims she never got the blog. . .

"Gearing Up II"

Still in Slater's Mill, I found these gears waiting patiently for me. These gears are quite larger than those from last week but this is what was needed to run these mill devices smoothly - gears of all sizes. I did like the accessibility and the up and down position of these two.


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.


#3

#3 was accidentally discovered in 1928, though antibiotics were not widely distributed until after World War II, when they became the silver bullet for any number of formerly deadly diseases.

One of the first and still one of the most widely used antibiotic agents, derived from mold. 

In 1928 Scottish bacteriologist Alexander Fleming first observed that colonies of the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus failed to grow in those areas of a culture that had been accidentally contaminated by a green mold. He isolated the mold, grew it in a fluid medium, and found that it produced a substance capable of killing many of the common bacteria that infect humans.

Number Three was among the first medications to be effective against many bacterial infections caused by staphylococci and streptococci. They are still widely used today, though many types of bacterial have developed resistance following extensive use.

Murphy's Laws

O'Reilly's Law of the Kitchen. . .

Cleanliness is next to impossible.

Leaving You with a Laugh, I Hope. . .

"Go for the Juggler!

#4 - "In Synch"

#5 was Optical Lenses! Guess the MA followers were included in this one as Elaine, Tony and Milt from MA were accounted for while out-of-staters Peyton, Joani, and Mike got their blog on time. 

"In Synch"

I had known of Slater's Mill in nearby Rhode Island for many years but never been there. I finally packed up my mirrorless and my new macro lens and headed off to see this iconic place. As luck would have it, my tour group was only seven people which gave me ample space and time to stop and shoot the "industrial." Tripods were not allowed so I had to rely on a higher ISO and my steady hands.

The intricate detail needed to run these machines successfully was obvious. These three gear wheels were typical of the craftsmanship and durability of the designers of our early Industrial Age.


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.

#4 shapes the physical foundation of the virtual world!

#4 are electronic components that exploit the electronic properties of  materials, principally silicon, germanium, and gallium arsenide. 

They have replaced thermionic devices (vacuum tubes) in most applications. They use electronic conduction in the solid state as opposed to the gaseous state or thermionic emission in a high vacuum.

These devices made per year have been growing by 9.1% on average since 1978 and shipments in 2018 are predicted for the first time to exceed 1 trillion, meaning well over 7 trillion has been made to date, in just in the decade prior!

Murphy's Laws

Occam's Electric Axiom. . .

The most difficult light bulb to replace 

burns out first and most frequently.

Leaving You with a Laugh, I Hope. . .

"Eye Doctor's Parking Area!"

#5 - "Twin Shut-offs"

#6 was paper! Something running afoul with this blog as once again those outside of Massachusetts go to see it - Peyton, Mike, and Joani while our in-staters were closed out.

"Twin Shut-offs"

As I mentioned several entries ago, the Stone Mill had been stripped of much of its inner workings. I struggled to find items of interest to fill the time there. Over in the corner, near what once was the floor's only bathroom were these two shut-off valves - "the twins!"

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.

#5

At Number Five: 
Refracting light through glass is one of those simple ideas that took a mysteriously long time to catch on. “The Romans had a glass industry, and there’s even a passage in Seneca about the optical effects of a glass bowl of water.”  But it was centuries before the invention of #5 dramatically raised the collective human IQ, and eventually led to the creation of the microscope and the telescope.

This week’s invention is a transmissive optical device that focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction.

This Top Ten Winner can be made from materials such as glass or plastic, and are ground and polished or molded to a desired shape. 

Murphy's Laws

 Ophthalmologist's Principle. . .

A flying particle will seek the nearest eye.

Leaving You with a Laugh, I Hope. . .

"Hard Homework"