“They belong to an England that, these days, we only glimpse through Constable paintings. But old watermills could once again become a working part of the landscape under ministers’ plans to power a million homes with hydro-electricity.” Read. Via UK Windmills.
Lasers or Longbows? A Paradox of Military Technology
October 24, 2010 by Filed Under: Military technology, War technology, Warfare, Weapons
“The paradox of military technology states that while increased complexity in a military force results in increased capability, it also increases the likelihood that the capability will be unavailable for use because of the collapse of the complex supply chain required to maintain the capability. The implication is that complex military technologies might not be the best acquisition strategy for defence forces in the future.”
“Lasers or longbows? A paradox of military technology“, The Australian Defence Force Journal (PDF 6.4 MB, from page 44). Via “The abandonment of technology“, The Oil Drum.
Engineering for the Ecological Age: Lessons from History
October 22, 2010 by Filed Under: Architecture, Civil engineering, Construction, Video
“Engineering for the ecological age: lessons from history” (video) by John Ochsendorf. Skip the extremely irritating introduction to the speaker and start at 10:50. Via Ecodemica. Related: Tiles as a substitute for steel: the art of the timbrel vault & Timbrel vaulting in South Africa. Photo: Michael Ramage.
Bicycles & tricycles; an elementary treatise on their design and construction
“Bicycles & tricycles; an elementary treatise on their design and construction, with examples and tables“, Archibald Sharp (1896).
French Towns Swap Rubbish Trucks for Horse-Drawn Carts
Perpignan is one of 60 French towns that have struck upon a cheaper and greener way to collect household waste – ditching the dustbin lorry in favour of a horse and cart. Read. Thanks, Johan.
Phillips, Decker and Canadian Pack Saddles
October 4, 2010 by Filed Under: Cargo, Knots, Pack animals, Pack horses, Random, Travel
Reader BG Hearns writes: “While your link to the 1916 pack manual is of historical interest, what you ought to know is that low-tech packing has advanced considerably over that publication and anyone who wishes to pack with animals should know that there are much superior options available today. The manual describes a very difficult to use piece of equipment that is so easy to get wrong that only a few experts could ever use it properly.
What your readers ought to know is that in 1924, the US army adopted the Phillips Pack Saddle which was much simpler and easier to use. Other advances in pack saddles since then are the Decker style (more) and the Canadian saddle pack, neither of which require complex knots, both of which incorporate simple, effective new design ideas, and both of which could be easily made in a small shop. Perfect for low-tech affictionados.”
Thanks for the note, BG. I have added some more links to your comment.
