Galileo Invented the Telescope
The telescope is credited to Hans Lippershey in 1608. The following year Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei began making improvements to its design.
People and Self
“People and self” refers to humans and groups they form, as well as, the understanding the human experience.
Ada Lovelace Wrote the First Computer Program
British mathematician Ada Lovelace can be considered the mother of computer programing, as she wrote the first complex algorithm meant to be carried out by a machine. However, it is a myth that Ada Lovelace wrote “the first computer program” or was “the first computer programmer”, that title belongs to Charles Babbage.
The Antikythera Mechanism is the Oldest Analog Computer
The ancient Greek device, the Antikythera mechanism (circa 200 – 100 BC), is generally considered to be the world’s oldest known mechanical analog computer.
Virtual Reality is a New Technology
Neither Virtual Reality (VR), nor Augmented Reality (AR), nor the peripherals used (like the DataGlove or headsets) are new technologies.
Napoleon Was Short
Napoleon wasn’t short, he was 5 ft. 2 in tall by French measurement at the time of his death, which equates to about 5 ft. 6 in by British measurement.
There Was a 5th Beatle
There was no single ‘5th Beatle’, rather many people were dubbed “the 5th Beatle” at various times: Stuart Sutcliffe, Brian Epstein, Billy Preston, George Martin, and more.
There is a Real-Life Superhero In Seattle
Phoenix Jones is a real-life superhero who patrols Seattle, Washington helping to prevent crime.
A Synthesizer Always Has a Keyboard
A synthesizer is an instrument that uses electronics to produce sound. Sounds produced by a synthesizer are commonly triggered by a keyboard, but not always.
Benjamin Franklin Discovered Electricity When Flying a Kite
Electricity was written about and experimented with for at least a century, if not more, about before Franklin flew his kite in 1752. Franklin was trying to understand the nature of electricity and lightening.
René Descartes Slept in an Oven
René Descartes didn’t sleep in an oven, but he did invent analytical geometry while sleeping in a room with an oven (likely a masonry heater).