Even at speeds of about 25 miles per hour on Egypt’s irregular soil,
King Tut’s chariots were efficient and pleasant to ride. Read. Via Atlas Obscura Blog.
Ferraris of Ancient Egypt
August 10, 2010 by Filed Under: Chariots, Obsolete technology
Chronological and Thematic Database on the History of Information and Media
August 10, 2010 by Filed Under: Books & Reference, History, Media
From Cave Paintings to the Internet is “designed to help you follow the development of information and media, and attitudes about them, from the beginning of records to the present. Containing annotated references to discoveries, developments of a social, scientific, theoretical or technological nature, as well as references to physical books, documents, artifacts, art works, and to websites and other digital media, it arranges, both chronologically and thematically, selected historical examples and recent developments of the methods used to record, distribute, exchange, organize, store, and search information. The database is designed to allow you to approach the topics in a wide variety of ways.”
Illustration: coptic bookbinding.
Saving the Earth by Shrinking Humans
July 19, 2010 by Filed Under: Genetics, Population growth
Research into the implications of genetically downsizing the human species to better fit the earth. Via Treehugger.
Wind Powered Trikes
July 19, 2010 by Filed Under: Bicycles, Bikes, Human power, Pedal power, Random, Recumbent tricycles, Travel, Tricycles, Trikes, Wind Power, Wind powered vehicles
Pterosail Trike Systems is sailing and cycling over 3,000 miles from coast to coast across the USA this summer. The Pterosail is a street-legal recumbent tricycle with sails. It can reach up to 40 mph in good winds. No wind? Pedal. See also, below: the Whike, a Dutch made sail assisted trike.
Related: Guido Vigevano’s wind car / Sailing rockets / Kiteboating / Velomobiles.
Can Traditional Knowledge be Categorized?
July 18, 2010 by Filed Under: Books & Reference
“This bears all the hallmarks of a well-intentioned project that will grind slowly to a halt. Like flowers that wilt when cut and put in a vase, indigenous knowledge
tends to degrade quickly when removed from its context.”
Doubts on the recently launched International Traditional Knowledge Database.
Obsolete Technology Prints and Photograph Collections
July 13, 2010 by Filed Under: Aviation, Balloons, Boats, Cities, Obsolete technology, Pack animals, Photography, Streets
Three wonderful collections from the Library of Congress, showing obsolete technologies.
