Today in Science History March 23rd
by Greg on Mar.23, 2009, under Science Life History
Today’s historic event is something that I would imagine most of us New Yorkers take for granted as one of the most powerful inventions that shape city life:
In 1857, the world’s first passenger safety elevator went into service in a store at 488 Broadway and Broome Street in New York City. The safety elevator invented by Elisha Otis was powered by steam through a series of shafts and belts. As the safety and efficiency of the early elevators continued to improve, space in buildings’ upper floors soon became more desirable, reversing a long-standing trend in commercial and residential leasing. By 1870, Otis Brothers & Company had revenues in excess of US$1 million. A couple of years later, there were no less than 2,000 Otis elevators in use.
The modern city and its ability to grow up, and not out (reducing wasteful sprawl) is directly related to the invention to the up down people mover.
If you read one article ever on the elevator, read this intense look written up in the New Yorker last year.
:elevator
-
Welcome To Science Life NY
We really hope you can use the information we post on Science Life NY to learn more about Science and to attend Science events all over New York City. Our goal is one day this site becomes your first option for finding a way to spend your free time.
Nasa's Image of the Day
Little Galaxy With a Tail
This infrared portrait of the Small Magellanic Cloud, taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, reveals stars and dust in this galaxy as never seen before. T The image shows the main body of the Small Magellanic Cloud, which is comprised of the "bar" and "wing" on the left and the "tail" extending to the right. The bar contains both old stars (in blue) and young stars lighting up their natal dust (green/red). The wing mainly contains young stars. The tail contains only gas, dust and newly formed stars. Spitzer data has confirmed that the tail region was recently torn off the main body of the galaxy. Two of the tail clusters, which are still embedded in their birth clouds, can be seen as red dots. The data in this image are being used by astronomers to study the lifecycle of dust in the entire galaxy: from the formation in stellar atmospheres, to the reservoir containing the present day interstellar medium, and the dust consumed in forming new stars. The dust being formed in old, evolved stars (blue stars with a red tinge) is measured using mid-infrared wavelengths. The present day interstellar dust is weighed by measuring the intensity and color of emission at longer infrared wavelengths. The rate at which the raw material is being consumed is determined by studying ionized gas regions and the younger stars (yellow/red extended regions). The Small Magellanic Cloud, and its companion galaxy the Large Magellanic Cloud, are the two galaxies where this type of study is possible. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/STScI
Read More
