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Feb 12 2014

Theory of Evolution and …. Earthworms?

Charles DarwinCharles Darwin is known for his work on the theory of evolution but did you also know he spent time researching earthworms? Each year on Feb 12th, we celebrate Darwin Day as a celebration on the anniversary of the birth of the historical scientist Charles Darwin, who was born on February 12, 1809. Darwin is most well-known for his publication On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection in 1859. This publication was the first to rigorously describe biological evolution through natural selection (1).

In addition to being the founder of the theory of evolution, Darwin also began and ended his career with publications on earthworms.   His work with earthworms was also very controversial and was seen unfavorably in scientific circles.  Darwin experimented to show the intelligence and value of earthworms for crop production in a time when they were seen as pests that were dumb, blind, unpleasant, and slimy creatures. (2)

Man is But a Worm joke

 

Darwin’s work with evolution along with Gregor Mendel’s work with genetics laid the ground work for modern biotechnology, genes, and heredity.  Bioengineers, today, hope to use the foundations of these works to cure certain hereditary diseases. (3)

Historic and current books on Darwin and the theory of evolution:

Books on Darwin and Earthworms:

  • Darwin, Charles. 1838. On the formation of mould. Proceedings of the Geological Society of London. 2, 574-576.
  • Darwin, Charles. 1881. The formation of vegetable mould through the action of worms, with observations on their habits. London: John Murray. Special Collections Stein Collection QL394 .D3 1896 
  • Brown, George G., et al. 2003. With Darwin, earthworms turn intelligent and become human friends. Pedobiologica. 47, 924-933. Electronic Access through ScienceDirect
  • Feller, Christian, et al. 2003. Charles Darwin, earthworms and the natural sciences: various lessons from past to future. Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment. 99, 29-49. Electronic Access through ScienceDirect

 

References:

  1. “About Darwin Day.” International Darwin Day Foundation. http://darwinday.org/about/
  2. Schils, Rene.  2012. How James Watt invented the copier: forgotten inventions of our great scientists. New York: Springer. 71-76. Engineering Library T15 .S35513 2012
  3. Marx, J.L. (ed.) 1989. A revolution in biotechnology. New York: Cambridge University Press. pp. 2-4.
  4. Charles Darwin by Lock & Whitfield. 1877. National Portrait Gallery, London.  http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/use-this-image.php?mkey=mw62368
Feb 11 2014

Happy Birthday, Thomas A. Edison!

The world today would be a very different place without the inventions of Thomas A. Edison.  He was known as the Wizard of Menlo Park.

Edison had obtained 1,093 US Patents over 63 years from 1868 to 1931 (1,084 utility patents and 9 design patents).  Only 2 people hold more patents in the United States.  (1)

His research provided notable contributions to telegraphy, telephony, sound recording, electronic lighting, electric power generation and distribution, and the motion picture. (2) Edison’s first invention, in 1869, was an electric vote-recorder.  It was to allow Washington congressmen to vote “yes” or “no” but they were not interested so the invention proved unsuccessful.  (http://www.google.com/patents/US90646)

Edison's First Patent

 

Other notable inventions include: (3)

STENCIL PEN: The stencil pen was the predecessor to tattoo pens.

STENCIL PEN: The stencil pen was the predecessor to tattoo pens.

PRACTICAL ELECTRIC LAMP: Edison’s carbon filament light bulb was the first commercially viable electric light. Previous versions were not as durable and used expensive materials such as platinum.

PRACTICAL ELECTRIC LAMP: Edison's carbon filament light bulb was the first commercially viable electric light. Previous versions were not as durable and used expensive materials such as platinum.

 

 

FRUIT PRESERVER: Edison designed a fruit preserver that sucked the oxygen out of the glass jars, producing vacuum-sealed jars of fruit.

FRUIT PRESERVER: Edison designed a fruit preserver that sucked the oxygen out of the glass jars, producing vacuum-sealed jars of fruit.

KINETOGRAPHIC CAMERA: The camera showed successive photos in a rapid speed so as to make them appear to be moving.

KINETOGRAPHIC CAMERA: The camera showed successive photos in a rapid speed so as to make them appear to be moving.

 

 

A complete listing of all of Thomas A. Edison’s 1,093 patents:  http://edison.rutgers.edu/patents.htm

 

In addition to the patents issues in the United States, Edison also was issued 1239 patents by foreign governments. (4) 

Country No. Country No.
Argentine 1 — Mexico 14
Australia 6 Natal 5
Austria 101 New South Wales 38
Belgium 88 New Zealand 31
Brazil 1 Norway 16
Canada 129 Orange Free State 2
Cape of Good Hope 5 Portugal 10
Ceylon 4 Queensland 29
Cuba 12 Russia 17
Denmark 9 South African Republic 4
France 111 South Australia 1
Germany 130 Spain 54
Great Britain 131 Sweden 61
Hungary 30 Switzerland 13
India 44 Tasmania 8
Italy 83 Victoria 42
Japan 5 West Australia 4
Total of Edison’s Foreign Patents——1239

 

 

 

To Learn More:

 

References:

  1. Love, Dylan. 2011. The 10 Greatest Inventors in the Modern Era.  Business Insider. May 6, 2011.  http://www.businessinsider.com/most-prolific-inventors-2011-5?op=1
  2. Jenkins, Reese V. and Keith A. Nier.  1984. A Record for Invention: Thomas Edison and His Papers.  IEEE Transactions on Education. 27 (4): 191 – 197. http://proxy.lib.uiowa.edu/login?url=http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/articleDetails.jsp?arnumber=4321702
  3. Aquino, Judith. 2011. Thomas Edison’s 31 Greatest Inventions. Business Insider. April 7, 2011. http://www.businessinsider.com/thomas-edison-inventions-light-bulb-and-30-more?op=1
  4. Dyer, Frank Lewis, and Thomas Commerford Martin. 1910. Edison, his life and inventions. Volume 2. New York, London,: Harper & Brothers. Electronic Resource (NetLibrary).
Jan 21 2014

The Winter Olympic comes to the Engineering Library

The Lichtenberger Engineering Library is now highlighting the Winter Olympics. This exhibit features information related to the Winter Olympics in general and showcases some of the engineering components for the fifteen sports participating through a plethora of library resources.

The 22nd Winter Olympics is scheduled to take place from February 6th to 23rd, 2014 in Russia, with events held in Sochi as well as in the resort town of Krasnaya Polyana.  The fifteen sports in these games include:  Alpine Skiing, Biathlon, Bobsledding, Cross Country Skiing, Curling, Figure Skating, Freestyle Skiing, Ice Hockey, Luge, Nordic Combined, Short Track Speed Skating, Skeleton, Ski Jumping, and Snowboarding.   More information can be found at: http://www.sochi2014.com/en. Engineering can be seen throughout the sports participating.  Examples of topics covered in the exhibit includes how BMW is helping to building the ultimate bobsled[1], how body mechanics can influence speed skating[2], and the creation of tracks for bobsled, luge, and skeleton[3].

  1. Paur, Jason.  U.S. Bobsled Team Picks Up a Wild BMW-Designed Ride. Wired: Playbook. Feb 12, 2013. http://www.wired.com/playbook/2013/02/bmw-us-bobsled-2/
  2. Houdijk, H, JJ de Koning, G de Groot, MF Bobbert, and GJ van Ingen Schenau. Push-off mechanics in speed skating with conventional skates and klapskates. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. March 2000. 32(3): 635-641
  3. Mossner, M., M. Hasler, K Schindelwig, P Kaps, and W Nachbauer. An approximate simulation model for initial luge track design. Journal of Biomechanics. March 15, 2011. 44(5): 892-896. doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2010.12.001.

 

 

 

 

 

Dec 19 2013

Well Finals Are Almost Over And The Holidays Are About To Begin!

I hope you did and are doing well with finals and enjoyed the hot coffee, cocoa and cider served at the Engineering Library to help you keep awake during these grueling sessions.  In between exams I saw some of you putting together the LEGO blocks and it looked like you were having fun!  The LEGO blocks were for you from Kari Kozak head of the Library, Lego image from engineering 1 lego picture from engin 3 Lego picture from engin.2

here are some of your LEGO creations.

Did you enjoy the LEGO exhibit in our exhibit case while taking a break from exams?

Now for some facts about holidays which I took from Wikipedia;

For constitutional reasons, the United States does not have national holidays in the sense that most other nations do, i.e. days on which all businesses are closed by law and employees have a day off.[1] Pursuant to the Tenth Amendment, theU.S. federal government only has constitutional jurisdiction to establish holidays for itself, for certain federally chartered and regulated businesses (such as federal banks), and for the District of Columbia; and pursuant to the First Amendment, neither federal, state nor local government can require any business (other than those mentioned) or individual to observe any holiday. Otherwise, constitutional authority to create public holidays is a power reserved to the states. Most states also allow local jurisdictions (cities, villages, etc.) to establish their own local holidays.

As of 2012, there are eleven federal holidays in the United States, ten annual holidays and one quadrennial holiday (Inauguration Day).[2] Pursuant to the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968 (effective 1971), official holidays are observed on a Monday, except for New Year’s Day, Independence Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.[ 

If you’re interested in more information about holidays? you will find it at this site http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holidays_of_the_United_States.  But if you’d rather not be too serious about anything being on the verge of finishing exams here something more fun to read:  http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/bal-artslife-holiday-trivia,0,5910159.triviaquiz#ixzz2nw86F4Nh

 

Dec 5 2013

The Cult of LEGO Exhibit

Right now showing at the engineering library is an exhibit called The Cult of LEGO.  It shows what can be created with Lego and touches on the many books we have on LEGO at the library.

Lego is a popular line of construction toys manufactured by The Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company’s flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts. Lego bricks can be assembled and connected in many ways, to construct such objects as vehicles, buildings, and even working robots. Anything constructed can then be taken apart again, and the pieces used to make other objects.

Lego began manufacturing interlocking toy bricks in 1949. Since then a global Lego subculture has developed, supporting movies, games, competitions, and six themed amusement parks. As of 2013, around 560 billion Lego parts had been produced.

There is a lot about the history of Lego on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lego but suffice it to say that we show what can be built with LEGO by using sets designed by Dan Daly retired llHR Hydroscience and Engineering Librarian and Kari Kozak head of the Lichtenberger Engineering Library.  You will find Minifigs, creepy looking lairs, books with Angels, towers and Castles, battle ships, Star Wars, Reiman Gardens in Ames, The Hobbit, and what has become to be known as The Lego Universe.

For some books on LEGO creation check these out: http://ow.ly/rupD6; and http://ow.ly/ruAE6

Nov 26 2013

New at the Engineering Library a book about Steel Bridges

Steel bridges : conceptual and structural design of steel and steel-concrete composite bridges / Jean-Paul Lebet, Manfred A. Hirt ; translated from the French by Graham Couchman.

Jean-Paul Lebet

Available at Engineering  Library (TG380 .L43 2013 )

The book is divided in 5 parts.

  • The first part is the a general introduction to bridges and terminology and giving a historic background to steel bridges.
  • The second part considers conceptual design.
  • The third part is dedicated to analysis and design of the structural member of steel and composite bridges.
  • The fourth deals with the peculiarities of other bridges such as railway bridges, bridges for pedestrians and cyclists and arch bridges.
  • The final part contains a numerical example for a composite bridge.
  • The guidance can be extended and applied to other types of structures.  The content of this book deals first of all, and in detail, with road bridges, followed by chapters with specifics of railway and bridges for pedestrian and cyclists.
Nov 21 2013

Available at Engineering Library

Earlier this year we brought you a blog about a team of Dutch students, here it is again and with it a book that you will find at the Engineering Library on the systematic development of  highly efficient and clean vehicles look it up the call number is at the bottom of the page.

you might be interested a team of Dutch students designed a family car that produces more solar energy than it uses. It feeds the rest back into the grid!

SHARE this image if you want to see young engineers build cars that don’t need Arctic oil.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1005728_10151723921654684_2127340466_n.jpg

Nov 18 2013

Researchers Give Pilot Sight in Storms!

Last January, a medical helicopter flying from Mason City to Emmettsburg crashed in a field, killing all three of the people on board; the pilot reported encountering ice and snow just before that crash.

Now, researchers at the University of Iowa and engineers at Rockwell Collins are working on new technology to keep pilots and crew safe in those kinds of low visibility situations.

http://www.engineering.uiowa.edu/news/kgan-tv-researchers-give-pilots-sight-storms

There are many books on Aerodynamics at the Engineering Library that you might find of interest here are a list of a few: http://ow.ly/qVVwg