Technology Archives - Page 4 of 4

13Nov 2015 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Aluminum Was a Precious Metal

[caption id="attachment_10187" align="alignright" width="440"] Bas-relief aluminum door in the Hunt Library.[/caption] Various materials and artifacts bring a high price. This is because of their beauty, low availability, or craftsmanship. Some desirable objects are so rare we consider them precious. These include platinum, silver, and gold. But not aluminum. Yet during the 19th Century this bright and shiny metal was highly valued. How can that be so? Aluminum Deposits It is the most common metal in earth. It is not especially beautiful. So why did the metal once bring so high a price? In a sense it was scarce. It was unavailable. Availability [caption id="attachment_20663" align="alignright" width="200"] 1893 cast aluminum angel statue, Piccadilly Circus, London - Image by Michael Reeve[/caption] Diamonds are highly prized. Yet, they are fairly common. The number…

14Oct 2015 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Near Death Experience: The Collapse of a Telescope

Technology

[caption id="attachment_9569" align="alignright" width="480"] The demise of the 300-foot telescope. Image: NRAO[/caption] A near death experience at an astronomy observatory? My son and I attended the National Radio Astronomy Observatory Green Bank West Virginia 140-foot radio telescope 50th year celebration. Most of my fellow attendees were new to me. I'd never met them before. This was because, first, many of them were from Green Bank, WV (I had been in Charlottesville, VA), and secondly, they were older than I am, having worked on the 140-foot from early on. A Casual Acquaintance - Near Death Experience One person I introduced myself to (I have learned to introduce myself to strangers, a wondrous practice, really) told me her husband was a mechanic on the 300-foot telescope that completely collapsed one night about…

26Jul 2015 by Vincent Summers 2 Comments

Change Video Pitch Using the VideoLAN (VLC) Player

Technology

[caption id="attachment_15684" align="alignright" width="340"] Highway cone image by Pixabay.[/caption] YouTube videos sometimes play at too rapid a speed. The worst part is the excessively high-pitch audio. You would think it should be obvious a good video player should have the option to change video pitch along with the pace. However, as the bumper sticker says, "Assume nothing." If you slow the pace, invariably the pitch remains high. The people move like snails, but they squeak like they're on helium. To date, I have found no satisfactory method fixing this situation using the Windows Media Player. But there are other fish in the sea that make it easy to change video pitch. And one of the best of these is absolutely free. You may have seen it advertised, with its iconic…

19Mar 2014 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

Spacecraft Invisibility: Is Cloaking Possible?

Technology

[caption id="attachment_5948" align="alignright" width="440"] Gravitational Lens - NASA[/caption] Have you ever looked for your keys but couldn’t find them? Even though they were right in front of you? The glasses might as well be invisible. If this has happened to you, you should get the concept of cloaking. Is cloaking possible? Cloaking—What Is It? To cloak is to covering or conceal an object, to make it invisible. Invisible at least from a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Not only would the object be invisible, but the surroundings would be seen. It's like something out of Star Trek. Is cloaking possible? Grasping the Idea Imagine you are outside. 25 feet in front of you is a French Poodle. You are looking at it, when a 2½- ton truck pulls between you…

10Dec 2013 by Vincent Summers 3 Comments

Should Houses Switch to DC Power?

Technology

[caption id="attachment_5417" align="alignright" width="440"] High Voltage Lines - CCA Share Alike 3.0 Unported by JGkatz[/caption] AC or DC Power? In the late 1800s, electricity as a public utility was available as direct current, or DC. Famous entrepreneur Thomas A. Edison held many DC patents. He desired to continue profiting from them. But that was later threatened—no overturned—by alternating current (AC) electricity. The change has an element of justice about it, as Edison played the power game in unfair and cruel fashion. He publicly used AC to electrocute cats, dogs and other animals, such as horses. He wanted people to believe AC was too dangerous. He failed to mention DC was every bit as dangerous. Edison was a man of few scruples. Alternating or Direct Current Power? Today, many household appliances…