Here are the long awaited final exam questions. You must turn in a typed copy of your answers by 1 pm (noon) on Thursday, May 6th. Late exams will be docked one letter grade for every hour they are late; no exam will be accepted past 5 pm. Please bring the exams to me personally (Crawford 625) or place in my mailbox opposite the elevators on the 6th floor of Crawford. Do not submit online!
The length of your answers may vary, depending on how well you decided to answer the questions. Any quotations need to be properly cited. Do not copy the answer from the book(s). These questions are usually part think piece, part historical. If you any questions, please send me an email.
YOU MUST ANSWER ONE QUESTION FROM EACH SECTION!
1.) Medicine and Modernity
A. Discuss the rise of tropical medicine as a speciality in the 19th and 20th centuries. What were some of the problems these new specialists had to face? How did exploration and travel in various parts of the world create new challenges for western medicine, not only a 100 years ago, but today as well?
B. By the end of the 20th century, medicine had become a "proverbial Leviathan" according to Roy Porter, comparable in size to that of the military as far as government intervention was concerned, and in many cases no less business- and money oriented than today's large corporation. How and why did medicine transform itself into a proverbial "industrial-medical" complex during the 20th century? Is this a good thing for western society?
2) Scientific Questions Big and Small
C. John Gribbin calls the "last hurrah of classical science" the transformation of geology into geophysics. Discuss this transformation in the 19th century and 20th centuries, not only briefly explaining the transformative process, but also what was being discussed by these new scientists. How do discussions by scientists seeking to explain the ice ages give us insight into the current debate about global warming?
D. Discuss briefly the developments in biology, from Mendel to the Human Genome Project. How do these discoveries shape how we see ourselves? How might current research into DNA, RNA and genetic material effect Darwin's ideas about natural selection?
3) Global Technology
E. How do the Internet, McDonald's and Hollywood lead to the creation of a "Global Culture" based in part on technology and the benefits of science? What is this supposed global culture argued about by pundits from all sides of the political spectrum? Is there really a global technology and culture for the 21st century? Explain.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Howard H. Aiken(1900-1973) Assignment 6
Howard Aiken was a computer engineer originally born in New Jeresy. He worked in physics for his PhD at Harvard in 1939 where he worked with very complicated differential equations. He decided to try and make a device to help him expedite these long and tedious numerical calculations. The resulting computer he designed was called Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator (ASCC), which was then later renamed the Harvard Mark 1> it was effective but large at 55 feet long and 8 feet tall, it weighed almost 5 tons and had almost 800 thousand moving parts. With funding help from IBM and assistance from Grace Hopper he was able to complete building it by 1944. He went on in the 1940's revising his design and making mark 2, 3, and 4. The fourth of which was an all electronic computer. He was a pioneer of modern computers, and his work does not go unappreciated in modern computing.
Group 3 Report 3
Team Leader: Kimberly Baxter
Ryan Borruso, Joey Neptune, Mark Hausenaur, Sean Zeller, and Chas Rahauser
Report 3; Group 3
Because we cannot physically construct Artificial Intelligence, we have considered presenting by using demonstrations from pictures and movie clips. This would involve using multiple blueprints of the particular machines we have discussed in past reports. This would mean we would have to pinpoint what the specific part is within the machine that uses AI. We have mentioned multiple machines, especially from the military and from the medical fields. We don’t necessarily have a Final Design because we don’t have anything to actually “design”.
In terms of the presentation of our final design for artificial intelligence, we have the task of presenting the role of robotics in the automotive, military, and medical fields. Kim and Joey will discuss the automotive industry, Ryan and Mark will discuss the aspects of robotics in the military fields and Sean and Chas will discuss the medical practice. The way our group is going to present the information on robotics is through a power point presentation. Each topic of robotics such as automotive, military, and medical will have its own section of power point and information regarding the topic itself. Each person will present his or her own slide that their expertise is on. The power point presentation such be very effective in getting our point across because of key points being hit that we want the audience to remember and selective pictures that will be used to help further explain the topics of research.
The automotive, military, and medical fields were chosen because they are the areas where newer technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is heavily used and demonstrated. These fields offer compromising circumstances and situations that humans are not always equipped to participate in safely or efficiently. AI aids in accomplishing the respective goals in each field. Power point would be the best way to display the information and applications we have researched. It will allow for the entire class to clearly view each aspect of the project. While one group is presenting the other members can assist in keeping the slide show moving. There will most likely be a multiple images, drawings, and possibly videos that are associated with our ideas. Joey could also pass around copies of the blueprints of the proposed theoretical machines that have taken the place of AI. Regarding the medical field, during research a video was found that talks about the operation of a machine able to perform brain surgery; a link can be provided on the power point that leads to the video. This will allow the class to participate with the presentation and be able to make better sense of our verbal presentation. Drawings should be placed evenly throughout the presentation to keep the class’ attention. We can ask the class to participate by asking questions at the end of the presentation.
Our team overall has worked well together. Although we are not a group that can meet on a regular basis, we really do get our ideas, thoughts, and pieces of the reports to each other consistently through email. E-mail has been our “friend” throughout this entire process. We will be meeting again soon in order to finish the final papers and the PowerPoint. Our presentation should get our points across completely as well as keep our classmates interested. We hope that our interest in our topic will be displayed accordingly.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Team 8 Report #3
Our final design hasn't really changed since report two, since we are creating a display, all of the internal workings are the same for each device. The only thing that will change is the size. For our display model we have decided to go with a cellphone sized device. The screen will be made out of polycarbonate, four thin layers the top three each with a dedicated laser, the last will be electro-glass, that turns opaque when energized. We decided a back-light system is unnecessary as lasers produce bright light, this is why the electro glass will be used for contrast. The lasers will scan to create crisp clear images, the opaque glass will provide contrast. The power source will be contained inside a small project box along with the lasers, this will mount flush against the glass. Progress is good, each team member has more or less fallen into a role. Our weekly meeting next week will delegate parts for the final report. construction will also begin shortly
Report #3 : Water Elevator
WATER ELEVATOR
Team Leader: Nicole J.
Team Members: Petra B., Melissa P., Sarah O., Sasha S.
Our final design idea is similar to our description of construction in Report #2; however, for ease of understanding I have created a mock design sketch available to view here:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v637/galaxyzero0/FinalDesignProjectMockup.png
We have added extra systems for ventilation and power generation that were not present before, as well as defined more specific construction materials.
The methodology is simple, originally we wanted to create a new idea for an elevator, and while looking at Bank Teller Air Pressure systems, we tried to use that as our inspiration. Unfortunately, Tokyo has already invented the air powered elevator, which proves to be inefficient for its lack of space, and prone to breaking down for lack of pressure maintenance. This lead us to think of water pressure, with the use of two motors which would constantly move the water to direct a capsule containing passengers to the appropriate floor they desired. While this idea is simpler in theory than what we have come up with today, it would involve higher costs due to higher pressure indices. The idea to use a capsule like a submarine that drives itself through standing water was next, and our current ideas have branched off that concept. Primarily the elevator will work by a ballast tank, which will take in water from the outside to change its weight so that it sinks or rises in the water column to its appropriate destination. A pair of small diesel powered submarine propellers are mounted top and bottom as secondary propulsion, as well as emergency movements. We know that a fully enclosed space surrounded by water will have problems like maintaining adequate air flow for passengers, available power to run the internal units, and a way to move air out (ventilation). A pressurized ventilation system, in addition to an air tank system and a generator help tackle these issues. You have to keep the capsule anchored to the wall so it doesn't veer off course and cause an accident, so the addition of a steel track seemed necessary. When a passenger gets off at a floor, to minimize leakage a silicone rubber composite seal surrounds the exit, with a water removal unit, to create a zone for a door to open safely; brakes mounted on the track keep the water pressure from affecting this seal.
Our current progress is quite well, our main concern right now is the cost of construction, sustainability, and the maximum resistance to water pressure of each material we are using.
Dr. Philip Drinker (1894-1972)
This American biomedical engineer and industrial hygienist is famous for inventing the Iron Lung (tank respirator). The first functional model was used on October 12, 1928 at Children's Hospital, Boston, as a breathing assistance to an eight year old girl with infantile paralysis (polio).
Drinker was born in Haverford, PA, studied at Princeton, received a degree in chemical engineering from Lehigh University and taught industrial hygiene at Harvard before working for a newly designated Harvard School of Public Health. Here he designed and patented the Iron Lung in collaboration with his colleague Louis Shaw as part of his research on improving the methods of resuscitation after gas poisoning and electric shock.
Drinker’s metal respirator was powered by an electric motor with two vacuum cleaners. The pump changed the pressure inside a rectangular, airtight metal box, pulling air in and out of the lungs. This respirator would become a life saving treatment for polio victims following the 1931 epidemic.
Text references:
http://historical.hsl.virginia.edu/ironlung/pg4.cfm
http://www.todayinsci.com/12/12_12.htm
http://www.invent.org/hall_of_fame/330.html
Image references:
http://www.invent.org/images/images_hof/search/inventors/Drinker200h.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Iron_lung_CDC.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Womanonsideinlung.jpg
Drinker was born in Haverford, PA, studied at Princeton, received a degree in chemical engineering from Lehigh University and taught industrial hygiene at Harvard before working for a newly designated Harvard School of Public Health. Here he designed and patented the Iron Lung in collaboration with his colleague Louis Shaw as part of his research on improving the methods of resuscitation after gas poisoning and electric shock.
Drinker’s metal respirator was powered by an electric motor with two vacuum cleaners. The pump changed the pressure inside a rectangular, airtight metal box, pulling air in and out of the lungs. This respirator would become a life saving treatment for polio victims following the 1931 epidemic.
Text references:
http://historical.hsl.virginia.edu/ironlung/pg4.cfm
http://www.todayinsci.com/12/12_12.htm
http://www.invent.org/hall_of_fame/330.html
Image references:
http://www.invent.org/images/images_hof/search/inventors/Drinker200h.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Iron_lung_CDC.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Womanonsideinlung.jpg
Clarence A. Crane by Matthew Martin (Assign 6)
Clarence Crane was born in Ohio on November 28, 1872. He grew up in Garrettsville, Ohio with his parents William Bradford Crane and Alice Jane McCully. William Crane produced maple sugar. Clarence would eventually marry his wife Grade Edna Hart but would be troubled with mental issues and eventually lead to divorce in 1917. They had one child who would eventually become a Poet. His name was Harold Hart Crane. Clarence would work for his father till he split off to start his own maple sugar company. His company would eventually be the largest producer in the world and he would eventually sell the company off. Crane then moved into production of chocolate candy which was known as the Queen Victoria Chocolate company. Due to the issues with chocolate melting during hot seasons Clarence created a new candy. Clarence used pharmaceutical tool that help produce pills to create his new candy. A hole was then produced in the middle of the candy and due to its resemblance to the safety device the candy was dubbed the "life-saver". It is said that the whole was also produce to allow for small children to still be able to breathe if the candy was choking the child. The orginal packaging was of cardboard and came in only mint flavors. Crane would eventually sell the candy rights away for 2,900 collars. These new companies would later introduce the foiled wrapping in place of the cardboard. The famous five flavored roll would not be introduced till 1935. The Kraft food company produced the candy until the rights were sold to the Wrigley company in 2004. As his candy invention grew in popularity across the nation as a breathe mint, Clarence would stay in the candy business and produce candy under the Crane Chocolate Company. Clarence would eventually die on the 12 April 1942.
Links-
http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=2634
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_Savers
http://www.altlaw.com/edball/html/d0135/i01980.htm
Pictures-
http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/images/VioletLifeSavers.jpg
http://s3.hubimg.com/u/254418_f520.jpg
Links-
http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=2634
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_Savers
http://www.altlaw.com/edball/html/d0135/i01980.htm
Pictures-
http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/images/VioletLifeSavers.jpg
http://s3.hubimg.com/u/254418_f520.jpg
Howard R. Hughes, Jr. (1905-1976)
Howard Hughes was a mysterious man for his entire life; even his birthday and birthplace are uncertain. He was born in Texas in either Humble or Houston. His birthday is largely believed to be December 24, 1905, but is listed as September 24, 1905 in his baptismal record. His parents were not the average American nobodies, his mother, Allene Stone Gano, was a descendant of English royalty and his father, Howard R. Hughes, Sr., was an inventor and businessman who invented an oil drilling bit for hard to reach deposits and started the Hughes Tool Company. You could say that Howard Hughes, Jr. was destined to become a notable figure in history. Hughes accelerated from an early age and displayed a great aptitude for engineering. Between the ages of 11 and 12 he built a radio transmitter and a motorized bicycle and was featured in a local newspaper. At the age of 14 he chose to audit courses at Caltech in math and Aeronautical Engineering.
Hughes’ education was scattered and never complete though he made some of the greatest engineering advancements of his period. He never graduated high school, attended a private school in Boston, Massachusetts, attended Thacher School in California in 1922, and briefly attended Rice Institute before his father’s death.
Unfortunately by Hughes’ 19th birthday he had lost both of his parents. His mother died in 1922 and his father died in 1924. Hughes became an emancipated minor at he age of 19 in 1925 after inheriting 75 percent of his families wealth. From here Hughes developed into a true Renaissance Man. His interests and abilities included aviation, engineering, film directing, film producing, golf, industrialism, medicine, and philanthropy. After his parents deaths he included the construction of a medical research laboratory in his 1925 will. After dropping out of Rice Institute he married Ella Botts Rice and moved to Los Angeles in 1925 where he began his film career which had been inspired by his uncle, Rupert. Hughes won the first ever Academy Award for Best Director of a Comedy for his second film Two Arabian Knights in 1928. In 1932 Hughes produced the original Scarface.
In the midst of Hughes’ film career he began his aviation and engineering career. In 1932 Hughes established the Hughes Aircraft Company as a division of Hughes Tool. In 1933 he used the false name Charles W. Howard to sign on as a co-pilot on American Airways. In 1935 he piloted the Hughes H-1 Racer, which he had designed, and set a disputed airspeed record of 352 miles per hour, later dismissed by a faster record of 362 miles per hour in 1929 by Giuseppe Motta. From there Hughes focused on long distance air travel records. He redesigned the Hughes H-1 and piloted it from Los Angeles to New York in 7 hours, 28 minutes and 25 seconds, setting a new transcontinental record in 1937. Hughes went on to work with Boeing, Lockeed, and the U.S. Military. One of his most recognizable, though unsuccessful, achievements came with the development of the Hughes H-4 Hercules known as the Spruce Goose. It held multiple world records including largest flying boat, largest plane made of wood, heaviest plane, and largest wingspan at 319 feet 11 inches. It flew one time on November 2, 1947, for approximately one mile and only reached an altitude of 70 feet, largely supported by ground effect. The aircraft was wooden because it was contracted as an aircraft constructed from non-strategic materials for World War II. Though the H-4 was not successful Hughes was responsible for many other groundbreaking aeronautical designs and aviation achievements and had a huge part in the advancement of aerospace technology.
Pictures:
Howard Hughes
H-1 Racer
H-4 Hercules
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Hughes
http://www.famoustexans.com/howardhughes.htm
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Hughes’ education was scattered and never complete though he made some of the greatest engineering advancements of his period. He never graduated high school, attended a private school in Boston, Massachusetts, attended Thacher School in California in 1922, and briefly attended Rice Institute before his father’s death.
Unfortunately by Hughes’ 19th birthday he had lost both of his parents. His mother died in 1922 and his father died in 1924. Hughes became an emancipated minor at he age of 19 in 1925 after inheriting 75 percent of his families wealth. From here Hughes developed into a true Renaissance Man. His interests and abilities included aviation, engineering, film directing, film producing, golf, industrialism, medicine, and philanthropy. After his parents deaths he included the construction of a medical research laboratory in his 1925 will. After dropping out of Rice Institute he married Ella Botts Rice and moved to Los Angeles in 1925 where he began his film career which had been inspired by his uncle, Rupert. Hughes won the first ever Academy Award for Best Director of a Comedy for his second film Two Arabian Knights in 1928. In 1932 Hughes produced the original Scarface.
In the midst of Hughes’ film career he began his aviation and engineering career. In 1932 Hughes established the Hughes Aircraft Company as a division of Hughes Tool. In 1933 he used the false name Charles W. Howard to sign on as a co-pilot on American Airways. In 1935 he piloted the Hughes H-1 Racer, which he had designed, and set a disputed airspeed record of 352 miles per hour, later dismissed by a faster record of 362 miles per hour in 1929 by Giuseppe Motta. From there Hughes focused on long distance air travel records. He redesigned the Hughes H-1 and piloted it from Los Angeles to New York in 7 hours, 28 minutes and 25 seconds, setting a new transcontinental record in 1937. Hughes went on to work with Boeing, Lockeed, and the U.S. Military. One of his most recognizable, though unsuccessful, achievements came with the development of the Hughes H-4 Hercules known as the Spruce Goose. It held multiple world records including largest flying boat, largest plane made of wood, heaviest plane, and largest wingspan at 319 feet 11 inches. It flew one time on November 2, 1947, for approximately one mile and only reached an altitude of 70 feet, largely supported by ground effect. The aircraft was wooden because it was contracted as an aircraft constructed from non-strategic materials for World War II. Though the H-4 was not successful Hughes was responsible for many other groundbreaking aeronautical designs and aviation achievements and had a huge part in the advancement of aerospace technology.
Pictures:
Howard Hughes
H-1 Racer
H-4 Hercules
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Hughes
http://www.famoustexans.com/howardhughes.htm
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Nikola Tesla (1856-1943)
Nikola Tesla was born in Serbia on July 10th 1856. He was a excellent student skipping a few grades as he progressed through school. Tesla proceed to attend the Austrian Polytechnic to study electrical engineering in 1875. he was very interested in the applications of AC electricity, but stopped attending classes in his third year, thus never obtaining a degree. This did not stop him from being a great engineer in both the mechanical and electrical fields. his work and theory's helped get electricity flowing to houses and businesses in the late 1800's. very interested in electro-magnetism, he was also a pioneer or the first AC motors. One technology that Tesla is best known for is wireless power transmission. he proved this idea in 1893 using incandescent light bulbs. his dream was to scale this up for use as intercontinental power supply. besides electricity Tesla was interested in radio systems, and remote control of devices. He was awarded a patent for radio systems then applied his system to a boat and tried to sell it to the navy as a torpedo. Nikola also founded hi own company in 1886, named Tesla Electric Light & Manufacturing. this was short lived as his investors booted him from the company for his views on AC motors. with free time on his hands he started creating more inventions.Namely the Tesla coil, and power line transmission systems. The X-ray and spark plug were invented shortly after. Tesla became a US citizen in July of 1981.Tesla received numerous awards including the Edison medal, bids for the Nobel prize, and he appeared on many Serbian coins. HE also had a SI unit named after him, the Tesla, a measure of magnetic field strength. Tesla died from heart failure at age 86, poor and alone at a new york hotel.
Orville (1871-1948) and Wilbur (1867-1912) Wright
Orville and Wilbur Wright, better known as the Wright brothers are the two men responsible for modern day air travel. While flying machines had been thought of and balloons capable of lifting humans and equipment had been already invented, the Wright brothers are credited with the invention of the airplane. Their plane, the Wright Flyer I is the worlds first powered, controlled, and heavier-than-air machine that achieved sustained human flight. By creating the first airplane, the Wright Brothers started an uncontrollable spree of technological development that has revolutionized the way people travel today.
Wilbur was born near Millville, Indiana and Orville in Dayton, Ohio to Milton Wright and Susan Catherine Koerner. The brothers accredit their interest in flying to a toy helicopter that their father brought home to them as a toy to play with during their elementary school years. While the brothers attended high school, an abrupt move prevented them from receiving diplomas. In 1889 the brothers opened up a print shop printing the West Side News and the Evening Item. In 1892, the brothers switched to repairing bicycles as their popularity rose and eventually began making their own bicycles. Inspired by the glides of Otto Lilienthal, an unmanned steam-powered model aircraft, and more glider flights in the United States, the brothers wrote the Smithsonian Institution in 1899 asking for information and publications on Aeronautics.
The major problem at the time was the weight of a power-plant and how to control an airplane. Most designs had critical design errors being inheritable unstable and thus unfit to fly. Trying to mimic a bird's flight, Wilbur accidentally discovered wing-warping while twisting a long inner-tube. Wanting to have control over the aircraft, the brothers also chose an unstable wing design due to its resistance against wind gust and the quicker response of unstable wings. In 1903, all of their hard work, experiments, and trials paid off. The Wright Flyer I successfully flew on December 17th, 1903 and was piloted by Orville. On the locals were present at this historic event as the brothers did not want the press to be around in the event of a failure.
The Wright brothers would go on to redesign and improve their designs. Their legitimacy was eventually proven and in front of the United States Army, the brothers completed the first ever hour long flight. While in their later years, legal troubles would prevent further development, their contribution to modern day aviation is unmistakable. Together they solved both issues of having sufficient power without a heavy engine and having control without building an aircraft too unstable. They inspired a rush of aeronautical development and transformed travel.
Pictures:
Sources:
Edwin Howard Armstrong (1890-1954)
Best known for his invention of the modern FM radio, Edwin Howard Armstrong was born in New York City in 1890 and began a life completely enthralled with electrical and mechanical devices. This love for electronics began when he was eleven after learning about the Marconi Trans-Atlantic Cable. Only a few years later he created a radio antenna in his back yard. He never worked for any corporation but performed research in various institutions and universities and with the US Army Signal Corps. Armstrong survived off of his inventions and patents.
Most of his greatest experiments were conducted at Columbia University including his patents of regenerative circuitry, superheterodyne technology, and wideband FM radio. His creation of the regenerative circuit in existing AM radio system enabled the amplification of the received radio transmission to a level that is audible to humans without the need for headphones. In addition, the superheterodyne technology he created enabled existing AM radio to be more precise and selective as to which amplitude to receive as well as making them easier to receive. His most notable work, however, was with his expansion of Lee De Forest's work to create the modern FM radio. RCA requested the help of Armstrong to create a practical FM radio only to attempt to end his work after they realized the impact it could have on the existing AM radio infrastructure. Many of his patents, however, were challenged and then sold to various companies. De Forest eventually recovered a patent for the regenerative circuit and then sold it to AT&T. Armstrong struggled in his fight with RCA over patent issues in court for 12 years and committed suicide because of the intense stress he was under in 1954. The Supreme Court eventually gave the rights to Armstrong after his death.
Images:
Edwin Howard Armstrong
His First Portable FM Radio(Wedding gift to his wife)
References:
http://inventors.about.com/od/timelines/a/twentieth_4.htm
http://inventors.about.com/od/astartinventors/a/Armstrong.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Howard_Armstrong
http://world.std.com/~jlr/doom/armstrng.htm
Most of his greatest experiments were conducted at Columbia University including his patents of regenerative circuitry, superheterodyne technology, and wideband FM radio. His creation of the regenerative circuit in existing AM radio system enabled the amplification of the received radio transmission to a level that is audible to humans without the need for headphones. In addition, the superheterodyne technology he created enabled existing AM radio to be more precise and selective as to which amplitude to receive as well as making them easier to receive. His most notable work, however, was with his expansion of Lee De Forest's work to create the modern FM radio. RCA requested the help of Armstrong to create a practical FM radio only to attempt to end his work after they realized the impact it could have on the existing AM radio infrastructure. Many of his patents, however, were challenged and then sold to various companies. De Forest eventually recovered a patent for the regenerative circuit and then sold it to AT&T. Armstrong struggled in his fight with RCA over patent issues in court for 12 years and committed suicide because of the intense stress he was under in 1954. The Supreme Court eventually gave the rights to Armstrong after his death.
Images:
Edwin Howard Armstrong
His First Portable FM Radio(Wedding gift to his wife)
References:
http://inventors.about.com/od/timelines/a/twentieth_4.htm
http://inventors.about.com/od/astartinventors/a/Armstrong.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Howard_Armstrong
http://world.std.com/~jlr/doom/armstrng.htm
Grace Murray Hopper (1906-1992)
Grace Murray Hopper was born on December 9th, 1906 in New York City. Her given name was Grace Brewster Murray which changed later when she married. She began her education at the Hartridge preparatory school in New Jersey, and was accepted to Vassar College at the age of 17. After she graduated from Vassar with a bachelors degree in math and physics she went on to Yale where she obtained a masters and PH.D. in the same subjects. After receiving her PH.D she went back to Vassar to teach where she later became an associate professor. In 1943 Hopper left Vassar to enlist in the Navy Reserve, which was very prominent in these years because of the beginning of World War II. She graduated first in her class from the Midshipman's school and was then sent to the Bureau of Ships computation project at Harvard. She worked with Howard Aiken on the Mark I computer system. While she was there along with Aiken she published papers on the Mark I, II, and III. While at the Harvard research lab she turned down a job at Vassar as a full professor because she wanted to stay and work in the research field with this naval contract at Harvard. In the early 50's Hopper began working with the Remington Rand corporation where she began her first compiler work which is what she is the most famous for. With her work on the compiler the first version released was the A-O, later more advanced versions such as ARITH-MATIC, MATH-MATIC, and FLOW-MATIC compilers were released. It was FLOW-MATIC that was improved upon and later became the first computer programing language. Hopper was the director of the Navy Programing languages group from 1967-1977 where she earned the rank of Captain and made her computer programing language COBOL the standard for the entire Navy.
Computer Science expert:http://www.sdsc.edu/ScienceWomen/hopper.html
Marion L. Donovan (1917-1998)
Marion L. Donovan (1917-1998)
Marion Donovan was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1917. Her mother passed away when she was young and she subsequently spent a lot of her time with her father. Her father and uncle ran a manufacturing plant and invented an industrial lathe for grinding automobile gears and gun barrels. She was around creative thinkers throughout her childhood and it showed in her later life. She went to Rosemont College in Philly and graduated in 1939 with a BA in English Literature. From here she worked at Vogue Magazine and married James Donovan.
Around the mid 1940’s, after changing her daughters diaper numerous times a day and cleaning ruined bed sheets, she decided to try to make a waterproof diaper or diaper covering. She cut up shower curtains and designed it to fit around a baby without giving it diaper rash. She also switched from using the typical safety pin to metal and plastic snaps, making it safer and less likely to pinch the baby. Her product was ignored by manufactures so she set out on her own to sell her invention and it debuted at Saks Fifth Avenue in 1949. It was a success and her design, called ‘the boater’ was patented in 1951. Her next goal was to create a diaper that was strong, absorbent, and pulled the water away from the baby’s skin. Once again, her product was not taken up by any manufacturing companies and about 10 years later, Victor Mills incorporated Donovan’s ideas into his own and created Pampers.
She decided to go back to school and graduated with a degree in Architecture from Yale University in 1958 which helped her design her own home in Connecticut. She continued to work and invent numerous other items throughout her lifetime. Marion Donovan passed away in November of 1998 with around 20 patents to her name.
http://www.essortment.com/all/mariondonovan_rmdf.htm
http://www.women-inventors.com/Marion-Donovan.asp
http://americanhistory.si.edu/archives/images/d8721-1.jpg
Marion Donovan was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1917. Her mother passed away when she was young and she subsequently spent a lot of her time with her father. Her father and uncle ran a manufacturing plant and invented an industrial lathe for grinding automobile gears and gun barrels. She was around creative thinkers throughout her childhood and it showed in her later life. She went to Rosemont College in Philly and graduated in 1939 with a BA in English Literature. From here she worked at Vogue Magazine and married James Donovan.
Around the mid 1940’s, after changing her daughters diaper numerous times a day and cleaning ruined bed sheets, she decided to try to make a waterproof diaper or diaper covering. She cut up shower curtains and designed it to fit around a baby without giving it diaper rash. She also switched from using the typical safety pin to metal and plastic snaps, making it safer and less likely to pinch the baby. Her product was ignored by manufactures so she set out on her own to sell her invention and it debuted at Saks Fifth Avenue in 1949. It was a success and her design, called ‘the boater’ was patented in 1951. Her next goal was to create a diaper that was strong, absorbent, and pulled the water away from the baby’s skin. Once again, her product was not taken up by any manufacturing companies and about 10 years later, Victor Mills incorporated Donovan’s ideas into his own and created Pampers.
She decided to go back to school and graduated with a degree in Architecture from Yale University in 1958 which helped her design her own home in Connecticut. She continued to work and invent numerous other items throughout her lifetime. Marion Donovan passed away in November of 1998 with around 20 patents to her name.
http://www.essortment.com/all/mariondonovan_rmdf.htm
http://www.women-inventors.com/Marion-Donovan.asp
http://americanhistory.si.edu/archives/images/d8721-1.jpg
Percy Lavon Julian(1899-1975)
Percy Lavon Julian, was born on April 11, 1899 in Montgomery, Alabama. He was one of six children and was the grandson of a former slave. Percy Julian, overcame a lifetime of discrimination and was acclaimed as the inventor of synthetic medicine. During his early years, he was able to achieve the minimal education offered to African Americans in Alabama at the time; however, this did not stop him from pursuing his goals. He was eventually accepted at DePauw University, from which he graduated as class valedictorian. He also obtained a Master's degree from Harvard and a Ph.D in organic chemistry from the University of Vienna in 1931.
One of his most notable achievements came after returning to DePauw in 1935. From his research of the calabar bean, Julian was able to create physostigmine, a drug used to fight glaucoma, a blinding eye disease. Julian was also able to synthesize testosterone and progesterone (male and female hormones) from solid alcohol compounds. His greatest contribution, however, came from the synthesis of cortisone, which is used to fight arthritis and other joint ailments. He was able to mass produce this drug, which made it available and affordable. During World War II, Julian also put his talents to use, and developed "AeroFoam" which was used to extinguish gasoline and oil fires. During his lifetime, Percy Julian achieved more than 130 chemical patents and is regarded as a pioneer in the field of chemistry.
Sources:
1. http://www.csupomona.edu/~nova/scientists/articles/juli.html
2. http://www.depauw.edu/news/?id=22969
3. http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/julian.html
Images:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Percy_Lavon_Julian.jpg
One of his most notable achievements came after returning to DePauw in 1935. From his research of the calabar bean, Julian was able to create physostigmine, a drug used to fight glaucoma, a blinding eye disease. Julian was also able to synthesize testosterone and progesterone (male and female hormones) from solid alcohol compounds. His greatest contribution, however, came from the synthesis of cortisone, which is used to fight arthritis and other joint ailments. He was able to mass produce this drug, which made it available and affordable. During World War II, Julian also put his talents to use, and developed "AeroFoam" which was used to extinguish gasoline and oil fires. During his lifetime, Percy Julian achieved more than 130 chemical patents and is regarded as a pioneer in the field of chemistry.
Sources:
1. http://www.csupomona.edu/~nova/scientists/articles/juli.html
2. http://www.depauw.edu/news/?id=22969
3. http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/julian.html
Images:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Percy_Lavon_Julian.jpg
Monday, April 12, 2010
Charles Kettering (1876-1958)
Charles Kettering obtained 140 patents in lifetime and he is most famous for the ones he was awarded for various automobile advancements. He was born in 1876 in Ohio and was one of five children. He graduated from the Ohio State University in 1904 despite having poor eyesight which hindered his learning. He graduated with a degree in electrical engineering which helped him in his electrical contributions to the automobile.
Kettering is most famous for inventing the electric ignition system for cars. He received aid from Clyde Coleman who was a General Motors engineer. Their achievement made it into Cadillacs in 1911 and Kettering was awarded the patent in 1915. This was a huge advancement over the hand cranks of the time, which could be very dangerous in not used properly. Kettering made the electric ignition and other electrical advancements at his company: Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company (DELCO).
Kettering's other well known inventions include automotive lighting, an automatic transmission, leaded gasoline, safety glass, and the electric cash register. He helped to invent freon with the help of Thomas Midgley Jr. and his house was the first in the country to use air conditioning. Kettering eventually sold his company to GM in 1916 after is founding in 1909. He stayed at GM until 1947 conducting research in many fields. It was here with the aid of several other companies that Kettering was able to develop the lightweight diesel engine for use in locomotives.
Kettering also had a hand in medicine. He invented an incubator for premature babies and a treatment for venereal disease. Kettering died in 1958 after suffering from several strokes. From all of his contributions, Kettering has many things named after him: General Motors Institute changed its name to Kettering University, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Kettering, Ohio and several public schools around the country are named for him.
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blignition.htm
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/streamliners/peopleevents/p_kettering.html
http://www.invent.org/hall_of_fame/86.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_F._Kettering
Kettering is most famous for inventing the electric ignition system for cars. He received aid from Clyde Coleman who was a General Motors engineer. Their achievement made it into Cadillacs in 1911 and Kettering was awarded the patent in 1915. This was a huge advancement over the hand cranks of the time, which could be very dangerous in not used properly. Kettering made the electric ignition and other electrical advancements at his company: Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company (DELCO).
Kettering's other well known inventions include automotive lighting, an automatic transmission, leaded gasoline, safety glass, and the electric cash register. He helped to invent freon with the help of Thomas Midgley Jr. and his house was the first in the country to use air conditioning. Kettering eventually sold his company to GM in 1916 after is founding in 1909. He stayed at GM until 1947 conducting research in many fields. It was here with the aid of several other companies that Kettering was able to develop the lightweight diesel engine for use in locomotives.
Kettering also had a hand in medicine. He invented an incubator for premature babies and a treatment for venereal disease. Kettering died in 1958 after suffering from several strokes. From all of his contributions, Kettering has many things named after him: General Motors Institute changed its name to Kettering University, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Kettering, Ohio and several public schools around the country are named for him.
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blignition.htm
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/streamliners/peopleevents/p_kettering.html
http://www.invent.org/hall_of_fame/86.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_F._Kettering
Robert Kearns (1927-2005)
Born in Gary, Indiana in 1927, Robert Kearns lived the life of an average American. His father worked for the Great Lakes Steel Company not far from the city of Detroit. Specifically he lived near the Ford Automobile plant that would eventually lead Detroit to its primary foundations in automobiles. Growing up in such an industrial environment, it is no wonder that he eventually earned several degrees in engineering.
He is most well known for his invention of the intermittent windshield wipers that we see in nearly every vehicle produced since 1969. His inspired idea, as with many, comes from a moment of near tragedy in his life. During his wedding night in 1953, he was injured, leaving him almost completely blind in his left eye, by a rogue champagne cork. Of course, his life would never be the same as he had to adapt to life with this debilitating injury. Driving became very challenging and uncomfortable during visibility limiting conditions like nighttime or times of fog. Even more off putting was driving in the rain. For him, the constant movement and blurred vision of the rain sheeting across a windshield was only worsened by the constantly moving wiper blades in automobiles of the day. Constant movement was very unnatural and leaves little time for one to perceive what is in the road ahead. A more natural pattern of mechanics resembles blinking of the human eye. This is his foundation for his invention.
Kearns went to many of the big automotive companies trying to sell his invention. His proposal was turned down by every company . Without his consent, the companies soon began installing the wipers on their cars. Previously patent law was very weak and many industries got away with the theft of original ideas. An infuriated Kearns sought justice taking many companies to court with some success. Ford and Chrysler were required to pay Kearns a combined total of 40+ million dollars while GM and Mercedes were able to litigate the claim to dismissal.
After almost 30 years of trial in one of the most infamous cases of patent law Kearns settled down and accepted a position in the Office of Strategic Services. He eventually died in 2005 of brain cancer in conjunction with Alzheimer's. After his death in 2008, a movie, Flash of Genius, created as a depiction of the challenges faced during his 30 years of trial.
Portrait
http://www.eng.wayne.edu/user_files/64/image/kearns%20phyllis%202.jpg
Original Patent (1964)
Sources:
http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20118404,00.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Kearns
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2005-02-25-obit-kearns_x.htm?POE=TECISVA
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Report 3 - Team LOL
Report number 3: Final ideas, methodology, and team progress.
Michael Greene, Marie Kesten, Beth Brooks, Kristina Brendel, Eric Gerard, and Kelsey Clayton
What if the world didn't have portable batteries? Our idea is that any electrical device that would normally use a battery to begin operation would be replaced by a coil which could pick up ambient electromagnetic waves which would be generated by plants much like our energy is now. A real-world example can be seen in those wireless power mats where certain devices can be put in a special case, and placed on a mat where this exact principal is present.
Our project will still be a small-scale city which you can read more about in our second report. This city is a non-working prototype, but we feel it will demonstrate our technology in an appropriate way. There is a major twist from our last checkpoint, however. Since we aren't a group who likes to see time and money gone to waste after the presentation is over, we are going to make this project edible! (minus the cars, appliances, various pen springs representing the coils, and other little things like that) Each group member has been assigned a certain job, such as creating the brownie base, decorating the roads, or building houses.
Overall, I'm confident that our project is coming together at a good pace, even though we still need to do a little more research as to how our "breakthrough was discovered", and some of the "long term ramifications" a sky full of artificially induced high-intensity electromagnetic waves would have on our environment.
NOTE: If you have any food allergies, please let me know in the comments section and I can try to make something for you so everyone can have something to eat.
Michael Greene, Marie Kesten, Beth Brooks, Kristina Brendel, Eric Gerard, and Kelsey Clayton
What if the world didn't have portable batteries? Our idea is that any electrical device that would normally use a battery to begin operation would be replaced by a coil which could pick up ambient electromagnetic waves which would be generated by plants much like our energy is now. A real-world example can be seen in those wireless power mats where certain devices can be put in a special case, and placed on a mat where this exact principal is present.
Our project will still be a small-scale city which you can read more about in our second report. This city is a non-working prototype, but we feel it will demonstrate our technology in an appropriate way. There is a major twist from our last checkpoint, however. Since we aren't a group who likes to see time and money gone to waste after the presentation is over, we are going to make this project edible! (minus the cars, appliances, various pen springs representing the coils, and other little things like that) Each group member has been assigned a certain job, such as creating the brownie base, decorating the roads, or building houses.
Overall, I'm confident that our project is coming together at a good pace, even though we still need to do a little more research as to how our "breakthrough was discovered", and some of the "long term ramifications" a sky full of artificially induced high-intensity electromagnetic waves would have on our environment.
NOTE: If you have any food allergies, please let me know in the comments section and I can try to make something for you so everyone can have something to eat.
Clifford Berry (1918-1963)
Clifford Berry (1918-1963) was born in Gladbrook, Iowa. He excelled academically in his early years, where he gained an interest for electronics and radio from his father, who owned an electrical appliance and repair shop. From such influence, he decided to go to Iowa State College to pursue a degree in electrical engineering, acquiring his B.S. degree with an impressive college career. It was at this time that a professor of his, Harold Anderson, recommended Berry to John Atanasoff, after being asked to recommend his best graduate student. Atanasoff was looking for an assistant to develop his computer-machine project.
By the fall of 1939, they had a working prototype that proved that an electronic computer could be built, then receiving a grant from the Iowa State College Research Council to construct a full-scale machine for use of solving systems of equations. The result: the Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC) - The first electronic digital computer. It's main memory was based on dynamic storage, very similar to the RAM found in today's computers, except the ABC used charged capacitors to store each bit of memory.
Sources:
http://inventors.about.com/od/bstartinventions/a/Clifford_Berry.htm
Portrait:
http://z.about.com/d/inventors/1/G/A/H/Berry.GIF
Photo of Invention:
http://www.scl.ameslab.gov/ABC/gifs/Berry@work.gif
By the fall of 1939, they had a working prototype that proved that an electronic computer could be built, then receiving a grant from the Iowa State College Research Council to construct a full-scale machine for use of solving systems of equations. The result: the Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC) - The first electronic digital computer. It's main memory was based on dynamic storage, very similar to the RAM found in today's computers, except the ABC used charged capacitors to store each bit of memory.
Sources:
http://inventors.about.com/od/bstartinventions/a/Clifford_Berry.htm
Portrait:
http://z.about.com/d/inventors/1/G/A/H/Berry.GIF
Photo of Invention:
http://www.scl.ameslab.gov/ABC/gifs/Berry@work.gif
Friday, April 9, 2010
Assignment 6: Willard Libby (1908-1980)
Willard Libby was born on December of 1908 in Grand Valley, Colorado, and is most famous for the development of radiocarbon dating. After he received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, he began building Geiger counters to measure radioactivity. He then spent most of the rest of his life as a professor in chemistry at several highly respected universities, including Princeton, where he worked on the Manhattan Project.
In 1960, Libby headed a team of researchers who developed the techniques of Carbon-14 dating. This new dating technique revolutionized the field of archeology, providing very accurate time frames for delicate fossils.
Bio: http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1960/libby-bio.html
Pic: http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1960/libby.jpg
In 1960, Libby headed a team of researchers who developed the techniques of Carbon-14 dating. This new dating technique revolutionized the field of archeology, providing very accurate time frames for delicate fossils.
Bio: http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1960/libby-bio.html
Pic: http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1960/libby.jpg
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Ernest Lawrence - Assignment 6
Ernest Lawrence was born in Canton, South Dakota in 1901. His major invention was the Cyclotron, which he developed in 1929. He went to school at the University of South Dakota, Yale University, and the University of Minnesota. He then had a long teaching career at The University of California, where he taught physics.
In 1939 Lawrence won the Noble Peace Prize for his development of the Cyclotron and its applications. Later on, Lawrence was also involved in the Manhattan project. He was the youngest ever teacher at the University of California, and was known as the 'atom smasher'. The cyclotron was a type of particle accelerator.
Pictures:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cyclotron_patent.png
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ernest_Orlando_Lawrence.jpg
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Lawrence
In 1939 Lawrence won the Noble Peace Prize for his development of the Cyclotron and its applications. Later on, Lawrence was also involved in the Manhattan project. He was the youngest ever teacher at the University of California, and was known as the 'atom smasher'. The cyclotron was a type of particle accelerator.
Pictures:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cyclotron_patent.png
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ernest_Orlando_Lawrence.jpg
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Lawrence
Ruth Wakefield 1903-1977
Ruth Wakefield was born on June 17th 1903 and died on January 10th 1977. Ruth was a teacher at Framingham State Normal School Department of Household Arts in 1924 where she taught about foods. In 1903, Ruth and her husband purchased a lodge in the town of New Bedford, Massachusetts, where people had to pay a toll and would change horses while eating. When the couple opened their establishment, they named it the Toll House due to the tolls that had to be paid by travelers. They would cook and serve food and desserts. In 1930, Ruth made a batch of cookies but discovered she was out of baker's chocolate. So she used broken pieces of semi-sweet chocolate, hoping it would melt into the dough to create chocolate cookies. This didn't happen, but the chocolate melted and made chocolate ship cookies. Ruth accidentally invented chocolate chip cookies which made her one of the most famous women inventors. People all over the world enjoy Toll House chocolate chip cookies.
Sources:
http://www.women-inventors.com/Ruth-Wakefield.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Graves_Wakefield
Pictures:
http://www.csupomona.edu/~plin/inventors/wakefield.html
http://webpages.shepherd.edu/ECOLLI02/chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies.jpg
Sources:
http://www.women-inventors.com/Ruth-Wakefield.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Graves_Wakefield
Pictures:
http://www.csupomona.edu/~plin/inventors/wakefield.html
http://webpages.shepherd.edu/ECOLLI02/chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies.jpg
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