history

WW2 US Medical Research Centre

WW2 US Medical Research Centre

The WW2 US Medical Research Centre has an extensive catalog of images and descriptions of World War II medical kits, vehicles, clothing, veterinary equipment, bags, field manuals, and more. There are also historical photos from the war sprinkled throughout.

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All Aboard 40-foot Steamship at Maker Faire

All Aboard 40-foot Steamship at Maker Faire

Romance, power, danger — what’s not to love about a 40-foot stern-wheel paddleboat driven by a boiler full of steam? Stoked by the gang at Kinetic Steam Works, the good ship Wilhelmina is great fun to watch, with its churning red paddles, locomotive linkages, and piercing steam whistles. In the past KSW has exhibited giant […]

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Origins of the Bendy Straw: From Napkin to Patent

Origins of the Bendy Straw: From Napkin to Patent

If, like me, you’re a fan of Henry Petrowski’s book The Evolution of Useful Things, or are interested in the history of technology in general, you will probably enjoy Derek Thompson’s quick biography of the ubiquitous plastic drinking straw over at The Atlantic.

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“The Making of Arduino”

“The Making of Arduino”

Very cool feature from David Kushner over at IEEE Spectrum, here quoted on the etymology of “Arduino:” “The picturesque town of Ivrea, which straddles the blue-green Dora Baltea River in northern Italy, is famous for its underdog kings…”

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A History of the Hackerspace Movement, Circa 2008

A History of the Hackerspace Movement, Circa 2008

In 2008, an eternity ago in the hackerspace world, Bre Pettis, Astera Schneeweisz, and Jens Ohlig solicited entries from hackers around the world to create a book about hackerspaces. They’ve finally put it out! This book documents where the hackerspace movement was in December of 2008. In that way it’s a bit of a time […]

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