Archive for September 2009
Why Is Albert Einstein Famous?
Albert Einstein is not famous just for riding his bike
Albert Einstein is famous for a number of reasons (two theories of relativity, nobel prize), but perhaps his most well known accomplishment is a very simple mathematical equation: e=mc^2. This is probably the most famous math equation ever written (except maybe 2+2=4); it is extremely simple to understand, yet the implications of it led directly to the atomic bomb and nuclear power.
The equation is actually energy = mass times the speed of light (c) squared. Since the speed of light is constant, and an extremely large number, this implies that a *vast* amount of energy can be created from very very little matter. In other words, you could power New York City for months from a gallon of water.
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Inventions of Ancient Greece – The Catapult
Palintonon stone throwing Greek catapult
The Greek catapult was developed by Dionysius the Elder of Syracuse around 350 BC. Dionysius actually called the machine Katapaltai, and they are mentioned in the Siegecraft (Poliorkētika) treatise of Aeneas Tacticus. Originally, because of their large bulk and problems with portability, they were used mainly in seige warfare. Alexander the Great is thought to be the first to use them for cover fire for ground troops in addition to seige warfare, essentially introducing artillary to the military world.
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6 Inventions That Changed The World – And What You Can Learn From Them
Young inventor Thomas Edison lost in thought
Throughout history, people have made inventions that changed the world. Some got lucky and stumbled on something, some actually set out to make something, and still others improved upon existing technology to create something revolutionary. We’re going to show what we consider the top 6 world changing inventions, from how they were found, to how they ended up being used.
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