http://tspwiki.com/index.php?title=1625
Here are some one liners...
Global Cooling, Monster Storms and the Coming Maunder Minimum - I note the flooding, the Plague and the death of King James. I then complain about Global Warning panic.
What a Relief! Glauber's Salt is Discovered -- This chemical is a laxative but it is interesting because it is also used in solar energy applications.
The Slide Rule and the Old School Mystique -- Yes. The Slip Stick is invented. I talk about how I got a job because I knew how to use one.
Global Cooling, Monster Storms and the Coming Maunder Minimum
We are currently midway through the Little Ice Age, and unusually strong storms are the rule now. The Pilgrims have logged a 20 foot tide at New Plymouth due to a major storm. Back in England, the Thames has risen to such a height that the sea wall at Kent has collapsed. Essex and Lincolnshire are inundated. Take note. This is not the normal flooding that might torment the average yeoman or minor nobleman. This is record-breaking flooding. This bad weather is a terrible omen for the future. Speaking of bad omens, King James the 1st has died and his son, Charles the 1st has taken the throne of Great Britain, but it's not as if England has been hit by Plague too. Oh... wait. Over 68,000 die of Plague this year... most in London itself. The bad times are not over yet. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
My Take by Alex Shrugged
The tracking sunspots in the 1600s was led by the husband and wife team of Annie and Walter Maunder. Their observations noted a reduction in the number of sunspots in 1645. Today it is known as the Maunder Minimum and it lasted for 70 years, the longest minimum in recorded history. At the same time there was a sudden drop in global temperatures... more than it had already dropped for the Little Ice Age, but does a reduction in sunspots predict a drop in temperature? In the modern day we are experiencing a solar minimum. I notice lower than normal temperatures, but I have not seen a convincing case for sunspots causing a change in temperatures. I have lived long enough to experience Global Cooling, Global Warming, and now Global Climate Change. Scientists have not convinced me that any of these things are caused by man, and they have not convinced me that their so-called solutions would actually fix the problem even if it were caused by man. Their hands are out, demanding more funding, and I feel like someone being forced to pay for the rope to be used in my own hanging. [8] [9] [10]
The tracking sunspots in the 1600s was led by the husband and wife team of Annie and Walter Maunder. Their observations noted a reduction in the number of sunspots in 1645. Today it is known as the Maunder Minimum and it lasted for 70 years, the longest minimum in recorded history. At the same time there was a sudden drop in global temperatures... more than it had already dropped for the Little Ice Age, but does a reduction in sunspots predict a drop in temperature? In the modern day we are experiencing a solar minimum. I notice lower than normal temperatures, but I have not seen a convincing case for sunspots causing a change in temperatures. I have lived long enough to experience Global Cooling, Global Warming, and now Global Climate Change. Scientists have not convinced me that any of these things are caused by man, and they have not convinced me that their so-called solutions would actually fix the problem even if it were caused by man. Their hands are out, demanding more funding, and I feel like someone being forced to pay for the rope to be used in my own hanging. [8] [9] [10]
What a Relief! Glauber's Salt is Discovered
The official chemist of the Holy Roman Emperor, Johann Glauber, discovers hydrated sodium sulfate. It's main use at this time is as a laxative called Miracle Salt. Later it will be known as Glauber's Salt and it's uses will be wide ranging, included in the processing of paper, glass and use in some laundry detergents. It can also be used for solar energy applications since it changes from solid to liquid at 90 degrees Fahrenheit. [11] [12] [13] [14] [15]
My Take by Alex Shrugged
I am not interested in laxatives but heat transference in solar energy applications is very interesting. According to what I've read, Glauber's salt holds a lot more solar energy than water or rocks. I once saw a home that used water to store solar heat, and released that heat at night to keep the home warm, but that system seemed inefficient. Using Glauber's salt instead of water might work better. I couldn't find an actual build that I could evaluate but it sounds like it has potential. [16] [17] [18] [19]
I am not interested in laxatives but heat transference in solar energy applications is very interesting. According to what I've read, Glauber's salt holds a lot more solar energy than water or rocks. I once saw a home that used water to store solar heat, and released that heat at night to keep the home warm, but that system seemed inefficient. Using Glauber's salt instead of water might work better. I couldn't find an actual build that I could evaluate but it sounds like it has potential. [16] [17] [18] [19]
The Slide Rule and the Old School Mystique
In the last few years logarithms have been introduced, but now a practical use for logarithms allows one to multiple and divide using two scaled rulers slipping past each other. This device is called the slide rule. It is invented by William Oughtred who is the same guy who invented the x used for multiplication. Example: 5 x 5 = 25. [20]
My Take by Alex Shrugged
I was delighted to see the slide rule being used in the movie, Apollo 13 (1995). We sent men to the Moon using slide rule calculations. I used a slide rule in college, but personally, I prefer electronic calculators. I actually got a job at a civil engineering company when I revealed that I knew how to use a slide rule. At the time, just about everyone was using electronic calculators, but the engineer was old school... really old school. In the interview, what he really cared about was whether I could use a slide rule, and work the clutch on a Ford F-150. Yes, on both counts. My job was to represent the civil engineer in the field and the slide rule was part of that old school mystique. [21]
I was delighted to see the slide rule being used in the movie, Apollo 13 (1995). We sent men to the Moon using slide rule calculations. I used a slide rule in college, but personally, I prefer electronic calculators. I actually got a job at a civil engineering company when I revealed that I knew how to use a slide rule. At the time, just about everyone was using electronic calculators, but the engineer was old school... really old school. In the interview, what he really cared about was whether I could use a slide rule, and work the clutch on a Ford F-150. Yes, on both counts. My job was to represent the civil engineer in the field and the slide rule was part of that old school mystique. [21]
This Year on Wikipedia
Year 1625, Wikipedia.
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