Dan's Useless Facts
|
Bet you didn't know this! In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many
freighters carried iron cannons. Those cannons fired round iron cannon
balls. It was necessary to keep a good supply near the cannon. However,
how to prevent them from rolling about the deck? The best storage method
devised was a square-based pyramid with one ball on top, resting on four
resting on nine, which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply of 30 cannon balls
could be stacked in a small area right next to the cannon. There was only
one problem...how to prevent the bottom layer from sliding or rolling from
under the others. The solution was a metal plate called a "Monkey" with 16
round indentations. However, if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls
would quickly rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make
"Brass Monkeys." Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and
much faster than iron when chilled. Consequently, when the temperature
dropped too far, the brass indentations would shrink so much that the iron
cannonballs would come right off the monkey. Thus, it was quite literally,
"Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey." (All this time, I
thought it was an impolite expression).
A Factual Compilation by Dan Maly 001:
The first "electric company" was the "Edison Electric Light Company" of
002:
The Edison Electric Illuminating Company (of 003:
It wasn't until 004:
Amish families that want(ed) electricity (or other modern conveniences) were
considered "Beachy"? (After Bishop Moses Beachy...but that's another story). 005:
Nuclear energy is the heat released from splitting (or joining) an atom
nucleus? 006:
The earliest useful "concept" of electricity (among the early Greeks) was
that it was not a thing but a property, an attribute of
certain substances? 007:
Electricity is neither solid, liquid, nor gas and has no weight, is
invisible, occupies no space and moves at an enormously fast rate of speed?
(That's per my sources. Prove me wrong, if you wish...lightning is a
product of electricity...light). 008:
Early man considered the effects of electricity, especially lightning, to be
the works of the "gods", for the lack of a better explanation (or
education)? One of those gods was the god of thunder, Jove. 009:
The word "electron" comes from the Greek word "elektron", which meant the
process of rubbing the stone "amber", briskly, which in turn attracted dust,
feathers, etc., then hurled them away again? (An electrostatic reaction). 010:
The Greeks were the first to ask the question "Why?" about the mysteries
around them and set forth to get the answers? 011:
"Saint Elmo's Fire" was the medieval-times term given to unexplained
electrical discharges from ship's masts, spires, trees, etc.? (St. Elmo was
the patron saint of sailors). 012:
Thales of 013:
The word "magnet" either originated from the shepherd Magnes, who
experienced the effects of magnetism early on...or, perhaps, from the place
called "Magnesia" where magnetic stones were found a plenty? 014:
Speaking of magnets...13th-century sailors feared that garlic made their
compasses inaccurate, yet, the ships always seemed to arrive safely!
(Probably had a bumper-sticker that read "St. Elmo is my co-helmsman"). 015:
Charges by some types of electric fish are enough to stun a large animal and
kill small animals?! 016:
The first machine to generate an electric discharge was made by Otto Von
Guericke in 1660? 017:
In 1675, Jean Picard first observed a "flash" in a barometer-tube when the
mercury in it was shaken? These experiments later resulted in today's
mercury-vapor and fluorescent lamps. 018:
Around 1729, Stephen Gray of 019:
Today's modern term for a Leyden-jar is a _________? Simply put, it was a
jar filled with water that stored electricity in condensed form.
(Answer to appear next). 020:
The answer is the "capacitor", which can be charged over and over again. 021:
Once the "electrical shock" was discovered, people actually flocked to a
demonstration to receive a jolt? 022:
Today's lightning-rod has been only slightly modified since it was invented
by Benjamin Franklin back in 1752? 023:
024:
The first electrical fatality in the name of science was Professor Richman
at 025:
Luigi Galvani worked with frogs for years doing electrical experiments
because frogs' nerves were extremely sensitive - - - sort of an early
"charge-measurer", or meter, if you will...(suppose the Amprobe Co. still
has early "frog" samples around?). 026:
The arc of electricity caused when a current is interrupted, later lead to
uses such as lighting (carbon-arc lamps), electric furnaces and
electrolysis? 027:
Andre Ampere of 028:
The first insulators for wires were made of silk? 029:
Ohm's Law was the result of lengthy experiments? Who was "OHM"? Where was he
from? You shall soon find out... 030:
His name was George Simon Ohm, a physicist from 031:
Joseph Henry, American physics professor, in 1832 discovered the principals
of induction which can be attributable to the transformer principals
of today? 032:
In 1812 the first operating telegraph via the electric current used no less
than 35 separate circuits? 033:
Samuel F.B. Morse, the famed inventor of the telegraph, was not an
electrician? His occupation was that of a landscape and portrait painter.
034:
In May 1844, the first official telegraph system was put into operation
between Washington and Baltimore? (First words: "What hath God wrought). 035:
In 1845, an Englishman and an American produced the first lamp using a
carbon filament in an evacuated globe of glass? 036:
Elisha Gray filed a patent caveat within two hours (after) Alexander Graham
Bell for telephone patent rights? Neither knew what the other was doing! 037:
In 1882, the patent claim for the A.C. transformer was originally refused on
the grounds that turning lower voltages into higher ones in effect "made
something out of nothing"? 038:
Nicola Tesla was the first to perfect an ingenious "poly-phase" alternating
current system in 1888? 039:
The reason 040:
The first home appliance was the flatiron in 1893? Stoves and
toasters soon followed. 041:
Hertz, the "freq'y" fellow's first name was Heinrich? 042:
Thomas Edison, on 043:
Thomas Edison was granted a record 1,093 patents in his lifetime? 044:
The single-phase A.C. motor for variable speed operation was first
used in 1907? 045:
Bakelite, commonly used today as an electrical insulator was invented by Leo
Hendrick Baekland, a Belgian chemist, in 1909? (Thanks Leo!). 046:
In 1915, George S. Claude of 047:
The first radio station to make regularly scheduled broadcasts in 1920 was
K.D.K.A. of 048:
The first television broadcast was in 1928 by station W.Q.Y.? 049:
In 050:
And, lastly, on an unrelated note, |