Well, for starters, we know he was a SWSM from France. Yes, SWSM stands for “single, white, straight male” whose occupation is listed as an inventor and photographer.

Born on November 18,1787, Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre is best known for inventing the Daguerreotype. A form of photography and a process which was “a one-of-a-kind image on a highly polished, silver-plated sheet of copper,” according to www.metmuseum.org.

Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre

In addition, “… it was sensitized with iodine vapors, exposed in a large box camera, developed in mercury fumes, and stabilized (or fixed) with salt water or “hypo” (sodium thiosulphate).”

And although Daguerre was required to reveal certain details involving the process, “he wisely retained the patent on the equipment necessary to practice the new art.”

However, “Daguerre’s invention did not spring to life fully grown, although in 1839 it may have seemed that way.
Continue reading “The Invention of Daguerreotype Photography” →

It can melt in high temps and shatter if it gets too cold but, imagine life without the effects of foam rubber?

Difficult to fathom, chances are there’s only one word that can aptly describe not having comfy seats or good night’s sleep.

Yes, hard is what we’d have if it weren’t for British Scientist EA Murphy.

On July 3rd in 1929, Murphy inadvertently whipped up the first batch of foam rubber which would later lead to the cushioning of the things we may assume were always soft.
Continue reading “Rubber Never Sounded So Cozy; Thanks EA Murphy” →

Augustin-Jean Fresnel’s Prism Crystal Glass

While it may never be known if the grass is ever really greener on or before any particular day in May, sand near the sea still sparkles from the light that would lead French engineer and physicist, Augustin-Jean Fresnel to study, then develop what is now known as the Fresnel lens. – which was not one lens, but numerous tiers of prisms.

Prism crystal glass that is.

Born on May 10, 1788, Augustin-Jean Fresnel was said to be a slow learner as a child however, Fresnel impressed his young friends by increasing the power of popguns and bows and for that they called him a genius.
Continue reading “Light fifteen miles out to sea?” →

Timing is everything.

When history catches up with the present, going back to the future is as easy as hopping onto the no. 7 train to 111th Street in Queens, New York.

It should start to feel like 1964 again after exiting the subway station and a brief walk down Roosevelt Avenue brings into view a couple of rocket ships, a twelve story sphere and towers that look like they’re capped with flying saucers.

Going back to the futuristic affair held in Flushing Meadows Corona Park (a.k.a. World’s Fair fifty years ago) would also mean reliving the moment when the first glimpse into the future of face timing occurred:

April 20 marked the day when the picture phone was used to place the first transcontinental video call.
Continue reading “Timing is Everything: The First Transcontinental Video Call” →

On this day March 10, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell is credited with the first successful experiment involving the telephone. 107 years later, the cellular telephone would emerge on the market, this time invented by a man named Martin Cooper. Cooper conceived the first portable cellular telephone in 1973 then led the 10 year process of bringing it to market by 1983.

Alexander Graham Bell’s handwritten notebook entry describing this event on March 10, 1876 – Photo from American Treasures of the Library of Congress.

It’s likely, most (of us) don’t remember life prior to the telephone and couldn’t imagine life without the lines of communication open and available. Not being able to pick up a phone and talk to friends and family – when face to face or writing a letter just wouldn’t do? Oh my.

But, Mr. Cooper would eventually bring us what we really never fathomed: correspondence by car. (or any other means for that matter)

Who knew – that one day, even the wild west would meet technology.

It’s a save a gun, ride a horse, carry a cell phone kind of world we live in: these days a shoot-em-up means who gets the phone out fast enough to upload a show-down to YouTube. Continue reading “The First Successful Telephone Experiment” →