Skip to content

The Generalist Academy

Learn widely

  • About
  • Explore
  • Connect
  • Contact

Category: Technology

By The Generalist Posted on July 5, 2022July 4, 2022

Broken arrow

In 1959, the Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow was one of the most sophisticated aircraft prototypes in the world. When the project was cancelled, the Canadian government ordered all Arrows, parts, production equipment, and technical data destroyed.

Categories: 20th century history, Military, North & Central America, Technology
By The Generalist Posted on May 9, 2022May 8, 2022

Man-lifting war kites

A large enough kite can lift someone off the ground. So, of course, several inventors and aeronauts tried to find a military application for such man-lifting kites.

Categories: 19th century history, 20th century history, Europe, Military, North & Central America, Technology
By The Generalist Posted on April 29, 2022April 27, 2022

Peaceful nukes

In the 1960s and 1970s, both the United States and the Soviet Union explored “peaceful” applications of nuclear weapons: excavating earth for lakes and canals, geological research, and extinguishing gas well fires.

Categories: 20th century history, Military, North & Central America, North & Central Asia, Technology
By The Generalist Posted on April 25, 2022April 24, 2022

First free-falling skydiver

Tiny Broadwick was the first person to intentionally jump out of a flying airplane without being tethered to something.

Categories: 20th century history, North & Central America, Technology
By The Generalist Posted on April 17, 2022April 17, 2022

Blanket heater table

The Japanese kotatsu combines a table, a heater, and a layer of comfortable blankets.

Categories: East Asia, Fashion & design, Technology
By The Generalist Posted on February 25, 2022January 25, 2023

Viking sunstone

The Vikings navigated by the position of the sun. But what did they do when it was cloudy?

Categories: Astronomy, Europe, Medieval history, Physics & chemistry, Technology, The oceans
By The Generalist Posted on February 24, 2022January 25, 2023

The scientists of Mars

When asked why we have no proof of extraterrestrial life, the Hungarian physicist Leo Szilard joked that Martians were already among us… they just called themselves Hungarians.

Categories: 20th century history, Computer science, Europe, Mathematics & statistics, North & Central America, Physics & chemistry, Technology
By The Generalist Posted on February 23, 2022February 22, 2022

First piano

The arpicembalo (harp-harpsichord) of Bartolomeo Cristofori could play notes both loud and quiet, which the harpsichord could not. It was the first piano.

Categories: Early modern history, Europe, Music, Technology
By The Generalist Posted on February 18, 2022January 25, 2023

Pierced buildings

A highway goes directly through the Gate Tower Building in Osaka, Japan; a monorail line goes directly through an apartment block in Chongqing, China.

Categories: Architecture, East Asia, Technology
By The Generalist Posted on January 21, 2022January 20, 2022

The atom bomb memo

In March 1940 two physicists wrote a top secret memo describing, for the first time, just how to make an atom bomb.

Categories: 20th century history, Europe, Military, Technology
By The Generalist Posted on January 13, 2022January 25, 2023

Nuclear icebreakers

Arktika, the second nuclear-powered icebreaker made by the Soviet Union, was the first surface ship to reach the North Pole.

Categories: 20th century history, North & Central Asia, Technology, The oceans, The poles
By The Generalist Posted on December 20, 2021December 19, 2021

The magician’s toilet

John Nevil Maskelyne was a turn of the century stage magician who created the first levitation trick, built an automaton that could play whist, revealed the secrets of card sharks, and invented the pay toilet.

Categories: 19th century history, 20th century history, Economics & business, Europe, Technology, Theatre
By The Generalist Posted on December 14, 2021December 13, 2021

Sky tubes

A Bangladeshi engineer named Fazlur Rahman Khan revolutionised the design of skyscrapers by modelling them on bamboo tubes.

Categories: 20th century history, Architecture, North & Central America, South Asia, Technology
By The Generalist Posted on November 30, 2021November 29, 2021

Sun storm

In 1859 a geomagnetic storm from the Sun knocked out telegraph equipment in Europe and North America and sent auroras almost as far as the equator; it was the largest such event in recorded history.

Categories: 19th century history, Astronomy, Europe, North & Central America, Technology
By The Generalist Posted on November 22, 2021November 20, 2021

First wheels

A prehistoric pot found in Poland and a wooden slab pulled out of a Slovenian marsh are the earliest evidence of wheels in Europe.

Categories: Europe, Prehistory, Technology
By The Generalist Posted on November 15, 2021January 25, 2023

Victorian carpet train

The Birmingham Dribbler was one of the earliest model train toys. Powered by steam, it leaked water everywhere and caused fires when it fell over.

Categories: 19th century history, Europe, Games & sport, Technology

Posts navigation

Older posts

Newsletter

Follow

Facebook
RSS feed

Categories

  • Arts & recreation
    • Architecture
    • Art
    • Fashion & design
    • Film & television
    • Literature
    • Music
    • Theatre
  • History
    • 19th century history
    • 20th century history
    • 21st century history
    • Ancient history
    • Early modern history
    • Medieval history
    • Prehistory
  • Places
    • Africa
    • East Asia
    • Europe
    • Middle East
    • North & Central America
    • North & Central Asia
    • Oceania
    • South America
    • South Asia
    • Southeast Asia
    • The oceans
    • The poles
  • Sciences
    • Animals
    • Astronomy
    • Computer science
    • Earth science
    • Food & agriculture
    • Health & medicine
    • Mathematics & statistics
    • Physics & chemistry
    • Plants
    • Technology
    • Weights & measures
  • Society
    • Economics & business
    • Education & philosophy
    • Games & sport
    • Language
    • Military
    • Politics & law
    • Religion & belief
  • Updates
  • Website
    • Featured category
    • From the archives

Archives

  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
Create a website or blog at WordPress.com
Scroll Up
  • Follow Following
    • The Generalist Academy
    • Join 348 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • The Generalist Academy
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...